The Simple Addition That Turns Boxed Mac and Cheese Into a Full Dinner

I highly doubt anyone in the world eats more macaroni and cheese than I do. Well, maybe toddlers—but I digress. I’d consider myself both a connoisseur and an innovator in the mac and cheese arena.

Sometimes I make a sauce from scratch, melting butter and stirring in flour to make a roux. But more often than not, I don’t have that kind of time or patience, so I end up doctoring a box of store-bought mac and cheese.

The great thing about boxed mac and cheese is that it’s the ultimate blank canvas. Sure, you can get it in cheddar, white cheddar, or even smoked gouda varieties, but it’s simply pasta and cheese. It’s ready and waiting for a bonus ingredient to really make it sing. 

My bonus ingredient of choice is something I always have in the freezer: frozen peas. 

If I’m making a box of mac and cheese for dinner, I have most likely turned off my brain for the day. That’s why I need an easy, foolproof way to turn the box into a real dinner. Using frozen peas is a simple way to add a pop of color, texture, and even protein to the meal.

How To Add Frozen Peas to Mac and Cheese

This ingredient requires zero extra prep or cooking. I shake about a cup’s worth of frozen peas out of the bag into my colander and set it in the sink. Once the pasta is done cooking and ready to drain, I pour it out into the colander—directly on top of the peas. After it’s done draining, I toss the pasta and peas back into my pot and mix in the cheese sauce.

The shock of boiling pasta water heats the peas through, so they’re no longer frozen, but they do retain their bright green color. And they won’t get wrinkly, which sometimes happens if you microwave them. It ends up looking like you just shucked fresh peas from your garden into your mac and cheese. Crack fresh pepper on top when you serve, and it’s absolutely perfect.

The great thing about this hack is that it will stretch a box of mac and cheese into multiple servings. There is no limit to the amount of peas to add, though I try to go for a 50/50 blend of peas and pasta. And while I will use this hack on any box of mac and cheese, my favorite is Annie’s White Cheddar Shells. The shell-shaped pasta ends up “hugging” the peas for a really satisfying bite.