Tag: velveeta

Spam Mac and Cheese

Well Dined | Spam Mac and Cheese

I have talked about my growing obsession with spam in recent months.  I was looking for recipes to use it in, and found suggestions for Spam Mac and Cheese – of course!  That sounded awesome!  But the first recipe I tried didn’t turn out great.  It was probably due to the fact that I used shredded Mexican cheese blend (because that’s what I had on hand) to make the cheese sauce, and not the idea of a mornay type sauce itself, that caused it to fail.  But I was turned off to that method.

Then I made that really delicious Chicken, Bacon, and Ranch Macaroni and Cheese with Velveeta and realized this was the way to go.  Of course weird processed cheese product would go well with weird processed meat product (don’t judge me)!

Well Dined | Spam Mac and Cheese

I was right!  It came out creamy and salty and just awesome in general.  Again – I wouldn’t recommend making this a weekly thing, but as an occasional treat, it’s delicious. (more…)

Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Mac and Cheese

Well Dined | Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Mac and Cheese

Some girlfriends and I have been taking turns making macaroni and cheese (after we got tired of soup).  I had been wanting to do something chicken, bacon, and ranch flavored for a while, and found a one-pot stovetop recipe that looked easy.  It used velveeta and powdered ranch mix, which I wouldn’t normally use, but I knew it would be easy to make early in the morning when I was tired.

It turned out so good!  It was creamy and salty, with bacon and ground chicken in every bite.  This is really good as a once-in-awhile indulgence.  (But now I have 3/4 of a log of velveeta to deal with, hmm… More on that later.)  Next time, I would definitely try making my own ranch mix instead of using the packet; but I would keep the velveeta – it provides a totally different texture from a bechamel/mornay sauce.  Enjoy!

Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Mac and Cheese
adapted from What’s Cooking Love
serves 4

1 lb ground chicken
3 cups water
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2/3 cup bacon, cooked and diced
2 cups of elbow macaroni (or other short pasta), uncooked
1 packet ranch dressing mix (dry)
1/2 lb (8 oz) of Velveeta Cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4-1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Brown the ground chicken in a large skillet or wide pot on medium heat, adding 1/2 tsp of garlic powder to season the meat.  Once the meat is browned, drain the fat.

Then add the water, bacon, ranch dressing seasoning, and remaining garlic powder to the chicken, mixing well.

Bring to a boil, then stir in the macaroni and cover.  Simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.

Stir in the Velveeta and cook until melted, stirring occasionally.  If the sauce is too thin, add shredded cheddar cheese until it is thick enough to your liking.

One Year Ago – Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Herbs
Two Years Ago – Classic Pot Roast
Three Years Ago – St Patrick’s Day
Four Years Ago – Japanese Braised Salmon
Five Years Ago – Couscous Dinners