Southwestern White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Hey mamas!!! Can I ask you a question?
What’s for dinner?
How many times a day do you get asked that, I think between the kids and the hubby it ranges about 12 for me on a good day lol! Most days I have planned ahead and know exactly how to answer that question but there are quite a few days where that question leaves me wondering myself. I have found the perfect solution to the what’s for dinner dilemma!
Now I always keep my pantry stocked with lots of Horizon mac and cheese. Dean loves it and I’ll admit the milkman (hubby) and I love it just as much! I love that it is easy to make, always on hand and is made with real Horizon organic cheese, organic pasta, and is a good source of calcium and protein.
I am even more in love with it because it contains no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and with Dean’s red dye allergy that is important!
My boys love it because it is cheesy, comforting, delicious and has all that classic mac taste they love.
So our shelves are always stocked with the different varieties that Horizon has, the milkman loves the classic mild cheddar cheese mac, Dean’s favorite is the pasta cows and mac and this mama always reaches for a bowl of the white cheddar shells.
Now Horizon has the MAC-N-ATOR! This is every busy mom’s dream! It is a mac-n-cheese recipe generator! You just pop in ingredients that you already have on hand and the MAC-N-ATOR takes care of the rest by giving you yummy recipes you can make with those ingredients and your Horizon mac and cheese. It is so awesome! I just love using it! Anytime I am stumped for something to cook, I just enter a few pantry staples into the MAC-N-ATOR and out pops some delicious recipe suggestions and they are all easy, quick and scrumptious!
For example here is how you can take my favorite Horizon White Cheddar Shells and turn it into Southwestern White Cheddar Mac and Cheese.
So I just start by grilling up a few chicken breasts that I sprinkled with a little taco seasoning or my own seasoning blend. I also prepare my Horizon Pasta Shells & White Cheddar Cheese according to box directions.
Then I grab my pantry staples, corn, black beans and some green chiles for flavor (not spicy at all for those picky eaters out there I promise!) I then drain and rinse the corn and black beans and add them with the mac and cheese. Then I add 1 tablespoon green chiles (throw the whole can in there if your a little more adventurous ;) Now you can slice the chicken and arrange it on top of the mac and cheese or just chunk it up and mix it right on in. If you really want to make it special sprinkle on a little crushed tortilla chips.
Southwestern White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Horizon White Cheddar Pasta Shells
- 2 T butter
- 1/4 milk
- 1/4 drained corn
- 1/4 rinsed drained black beans
- 1 T green chiles
- Crushed tortillas
Instructions
- Season your chicken with taco seasoning, garlic salt or just salt and pepper.
- Grill chicken until cooked through.
- Boil your Horizon shell pasta until cooked, then drain.
- In same pot melt your butter and add in the milk and the cheese packet.
- Whisk till blended.
- Add in the drained pasta, green chiles, black beans and corn.
- Spoon into bowls, top with sliced grilled chicken and crushed tortilla chips.
Look at that!!! You went from “What in the world am I going to make for dinner?” to “Wow mom this is awesome!” in no time flat!!
With the MAC-N-ATOR, a few pantry staples and a good supply of Horizon mac and cheese the possibilities for dinner are endless! So scan your pantry and see what the MAC-N-ATOR comes up with for your dinner tonight! I would love to hear some of the recipes you try!
You can find more inspiration by following Horizon on Pinterest HERE!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.
