Give Boxed Mac And Cheese A New Level Of Creaminess Using One Fruit

There's no easy meal quite like boxed macaroni and cheese. You might think of it as a childhood favorite, but let's be honest: You've probably grabbed a box on your way down the pasta aisle well into adulthood, too. Even if you just follow the package instructions as directed, that powdered cheese dinner is still delicious. But if you're looking for a richer, creamier texture and a few more nutrients, then you have to add a little ripened avocado.

Avocado is a fruit with a smooth texture and nutty flavor that's mild enough to hide in a number of different recipes. It's made its way into sweets, smoothies, and now boxed mac and cheese. You can enhance the mac and cheese in a few different ways: Add chunks of avocado into the dish, where you'll notice a distinct avocado bite in each spoonful, or as a mashed, creamy option that blends right into the milk and cheese sauce.

The avocado chunks are the easier of the two ways. Just chop an avocado into bite-sized pieces, season it with a little salt and pepper, and either fold it into the pasta or add a few cubes to each bowl before serving. It's a quick method that also gives a little more volume to each bowl.

But if you have picky eaters in the house or want the avocado to blend a little smoother, you can also build it right into the cheese sauce. To do this, whip the avocado in a food processor until it's smooth. Then, as you add the butter and milk to the pasta, also add the whipped avocado. The hot pasta will help everything warm up and combine effortlessly. Then, add the cheese sauce, and you might not even know it's in there.

For a high-protein version, blend some avocado with low-fat cottage cheese in the food processor. Then, take that whipped mixture and add it into the boxed mac the same way, letting the heat help it integrate into the cheese sauce.