Children are notoriously picky eaters. Parents frequently deprive themselves of their favorite foods to placate their children. But the beginning of the school year brings a slight reprieve from the whims of children’s appetites. The absence of those little darlings makes the possibility of a more grown up lunch a reality. However, deciding what to make for oneself after a summer of mac & cheese and hotdogs can be a daunting task. I’d like to ease that burden for you with my Cheesy Beef Noodle Surprise.

Ingredients:

1. 6 cups water
2. ¼ cup milk
3. ¼ cup butter
4. 1 box macaroni and cheese
5. Leftover taco meat
6. 1 tsp secret ingredient

Combine water and macaroni noodles in a large pot. Make sure your pot is large enough to hold six cups of water and macaroni and cheese with enough room left over to stir it without spilling. There will be a packet in the box of macaroni. Make sure you remove this packet before pour the macaroni in the pot. You don’t want to put this in until later. Bring the water and macaroni to a boil. Be sure to stir the pot regularly, otherwise the macaroni will stick to the bottom of the pot.

When the macaroni has reached the desired tenderness, drain the water. Don’t rinse the macaroni. I pour my macaroni and water out into a sieve and then put the macaroni back into the pot. However, you can drain the macaroni any other way you choose.

Once the macaroni is drained and back in the pot, add ¼ cup of butter. Make sure the macaroni is still warm so the butter melts easily. Add ¼ cup of milk and stir. When the butter has melted, mix in the cheese sauce powder from the packet you took from the box of macaroni. Stir until thoroughly mixed.

Add a decent amount of leftover taco meat from the night before to the macaroni and cheese. How much you add is up to you. Some people like to warm up the leftover taco meat in the microwave before adding it to the macaroni. This step is optional. Add a teaspoon of secret ingredient and serve while warm.

Be sure to take some time and savor this grown up meal. Feel free to contact The Jejune Bulletin with any comments or questions.