Macaroni

 Quick and Easy Macaroni Dishes for Busy Weeknights

Any working man or woman knows that during the middle of the week, preparing a meal seems like a formidable chore. With our busy lives, so many commitments, and crunch schedules at work, none of us has enough time to spare to spend hours in the kitchen preparing meals. That is where macaroni comes into play to help with this problem. It is a highly adaptable muscle that is quickly cooked and is capable of being prepared in myriad tasty and fulfilling ways — using basic ingredients that are likely in your kitchen now.

Here, we’ll be looking at different quick and easy macaroni meals for those times when you need to set something on the table quickly. If it is a traditional mac n cheese recipe or the many modifications we have today, we have all got you sorted with easy to follow recipes, few ingredients as well as delicious meals.

1. Classic One-Pot Macaroni and Cheese

Most everyone’s a fan of good old comfort food – macaroni and cheese. This one pot type is convenient to prepare because I don’t have to wash many utensils and it can be prepared in less than half an hour. Contrary to the first version, you won’t have to bake this one, which is perfect if you decide to cook it after a long day at work.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups elbow macaroni

- 2 cups milk

- 1 cup water

piar – 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

- 2 tablespoons butter

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Optional: such as paprika, garlic powder or mustard powder to produce an additional taste.

Directions:

1. So, in a large pot bring together the milk and water mixture with some heat on medium and when the begins to steam a little it simmers.

2. Mix the macaroni and cook for 10-12 min stirring occasionally until the pasta is tender and the majority of the liquid disappears.

3.The heat down and stir in the butter and then put in the shredded cheese. Stir until such time that the cheese has properly melted and you can see that the macaroni is properly covered.

4. Add half a teaspoon of salt, black pepper as well as any other seasoning of your choice for the fish.

5. Serve immediately and enjoy!

2. Macaroni Carbonara

For something that’s a step up but so deceptively simple, macaroni carbonara is a great choice.

3. Macaroni with Pesto and Cherry Tomatoes

If you are looking for a more tender and young recipe for macaroni then this pesto and cherry tomato is the right one. It might be super flavorful but is simple, you don’t need a lot of things to prepare it and very suitable for a quick dinner.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups macaroni

- A bowl with ½ cup of fresh basil pesto prepared either at home or by purchasing from a supermarket.

Cherry tomatoes 150ml cut into half

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

They also contain the following seasonings and ingredients:

- Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a pot add some salted water and cook the macaroni following the directions on the pack. Drain and set aside.

2. Place half cherry tomatoes in a large bowl and mix it with olive oil, salt and pepper.

3. Finally put the cooked macaroni and the pesto into the bowl, and mixing everything properly.

4. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese and should be warm.”

5. Taco Macaroni Skillet

Here is a Tex-Mex macaroni recipe that will make you enjoy a delicious macaroni based on the taco ingredients. It is most preferred in any home as it is filling, yet easy to prepare with minimum materials and time.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups macaroni

- ½ packed brown meat, ground beef (or turkey), lean

- 1 packet taco seasoning

- 1 cup salsa

- ½ cup finely chopped fresh chives

Black beans, drained and rinsed 1 can

Sour cream, to be used for garnishing together with chopped fresh cilantro.

Directions:

1. Prepare the macaroni by proce/ssing it in boiling salt water following the recipe’s instruction. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and then cook sausage until brown. Drain any excess fat.

3. Put in the taco seasoning and salsa into the skillet and mix in.

4. Add the black beans and Macaroni that has been cooked for some time.

5. Lastly, spread the shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the skillet and place it under a lid so that the cheese melts, for a few minutes.

6. Optional garnishing is the serving with sour cream and cilantro.

5. Macaroni Stir-Fry with Vegetables

This is one of those macaroni stir-fry recipes that are perfect for any busy family that wishes to eat more vegetables. It’s fast, clean, and can be eaten with an abundance of fresh vegetables, depending on the season.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups macaroni

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 bell pepper, sliced

- 1 zucchini, chopped

- 1 carrot, julienned

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 2 tablespoons soy sauce

- 1 tablespoon sesame oil

- Optional: garlic powder, red pepper flakes or any hot sauce such as sriracha.

Directions:

1. Boil into a boiling salted water the macaroni, following the cooking direction mentioned on its packaging. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet – preferably a wok – at medium/high heat.

3. Finally, place the bell pepper, zucchini, carrot and garlic to the skillet and stir fry for about 5-7 minutes until vegetable are done.

4. Spoon the cooked macaroni into the same skillet with the rest of ingredients combined with soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix everything together vigorously ensuring the pasta get coated well.

5. optional, add red pepper flakes or sriracha and for a quick serving, serve hot.

6. Creamy Garlic Macaroni with Spinach

Garlic cheesy macaroni with spinach is creamy, flavorful, and filling while the best thing is, it is not stressful to make. It is such a great way for one to be able to include greens in his meals without having to forgo tasty meals.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups macaroni

- 2 tablespoons butter

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 cup heavy cream

- 1 cup baby spinach, chopped

– 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

- Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. The macaroni should be boiled in salt water as per the time ordinarily stated on the pack. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large pan melt the butter and in it place the minced garlic. Simmer for about 1- 2 minutes with slight browning observed as the flavors are released.

3. Calm, turn the heat up to incorporate the heavy cream and let it cook for 2-3 minutes then it will become thicker.

4. And then put in the chopped spinach then sauté for an additional 2 ~ 3 minutes until spinach is wilted.

5. Finally add the cooked macaroni, mix the ingredients nicely as they are cooked in the skillet.

6. Last put the Parmesan cheese in, and then the chicken ought to be seasoned with salt and pepper.

7. Serve immediately.

7. Baked Macaroni with Ham and Cheese

This baked macaroni with ham and cheese is perfect if you have some free time (or bits of cooked ham from a previous meal). The oven does the main part of the work, and the outcome is quite a delicious and satisfying meal full of cheese.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups macaroni

Cheese used: 1 ½ cups of shredded cheddar

- ½ cup diced ham

- 1 cup milk

- 2 tablespoons butter

- 2 tablespoons flour

- ½ cup breadcrumbs

- Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat your oven to three hundred seventy five degrees Fahrenheit or one hundred ninety degrees Celsius.

2. Prepare the macaroni by cooking them in boiling water seasoned with salt in a pot till they are soft as per the package’s instructions. Drain and set aside.

3. To the saucepan put the butter into the saucepan and melt the butter on the medium flame. Add the flour and cook for the next one minute to help thicken and form a roux .

4. Slowly pour the milk into the mixture and keep stirring until the mixture thicken to form a sauce.

5. Take off the heat and stir the shredded cheese into sauce, keep a small portion to use for the garnishing.

6. Once the macaroni, ham, and cheese sauce is cooked, pour everything in a large bowl, then pour it over a greased casserole.

7. Place the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs at the top.

8. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until the scones are golden and the tops are quite bubbly.

8. Macaroni Tuna Casserole

Macaroni tuna casserole takes you back to the early days of cooking and is really simple and thrifty to prepare. I used canned tuna instead of cooking chicken to make this dish as easy as possible to whip up and very satisfying.

Ingredients:

- 2 cups macaroni

- 1 can (5 oz) tuna, draine

1 can Campbell’s creamy mushroom Soup

- 1 cup frozen peas

- ½ cup milk

- ½ cup chopped fresh basil

- ¼ cup breadcrumbs

- Salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare the Ingredients:

Bring the macaroni to the boil according to the packet instructions but drain when the pasta is ‘al dente’. Drain and set aside.

To do this you need to set your oven on 375F / 190C.

2. Mix the Casserole:

To start, in a big bowl, mix the tuna that has been drained, mushroom soup creamy, peas that are frozen, milk and fresh basil.

Sprinkle salt and pepper onto the mixture, blending well, before adding the cooked macaroni and tossing until the macaroni turns out well coated.

3. Assemble and Top:

We also put the mixture in a greased casserole dish.

Finally to ensure a crisp top, spread breadcrumbs gently on the mixture.

4. Bake:

Put the casserole into the prepared oven and bake until the top layer turns golden, and the content starts to bubble, 20 – 25 minutes.

5. Serve:

It is preferred to allow the casserole to stand for a few minutes before eating. Top with fresh basil if you fancy it; just a small amount will brightly complement the fish.

Conclusion:

Macaroni tuna casserole is a comforting dish to bring back memories of times gone by and helps to fed the whole family during one of those busy weeknights or on a special occasion. All together the cheesy sauce, cooked macaroni, and tuna makes the dish a delightful and fulfilling one. However, if you want to turn this simple dish even more delicious — just add breadcrumbs and fresh basil.

This recipe is really quite simple and inexpensive to make as well; the next time you prepare it, you may even add extra items such as cheese, mushrooms, crushed onions, or any other favorite toppings. Eat it warm, which brings the essence of pure cooking in its basic form to the palate.