Ingredients

• 1 (7 ounce) box macaroni and cheese mix, use your favorite even homemade if you prefer
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter (best with real butter, do not use a spread or tub product) or 1/4 cup margarine (best with real butter, do not use a spread or tub product)
• 1/2 lb ground chicken (see note) or 1/2 lb ground turkey (see note)
• 1/2 cup onions, chopped or 2 teaspoons onion powder, adjust to taste
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped (optional)
• 1 garlic cloves, minced or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare mac and cheese according to box directions, using salted water.

2. Meanwhile, brown meat and drain grease.Rinse meat if desired to remove even more grease.

3. Season meat with onion and garlic- fresh and sauteed can be used instead- and add any additional seasonings that your family likes. SEE NOTE - skip if using left over meat- but do reheat the leftovers.

4. Add meat to prepared mac and cheese and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

5. At this point you can add EXTRAS such as additional grated cheese, great opportunity to sneak in veggies - peas, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, etc., Use what you like or try this to entice kids to eat things they normally wouldn't.

6. I have even added some spinach to the meat mixing it in well so it is not as noticeable! Sometimes you have to be sneaky! hehehe.

7. NOTE: This is even faster when you use left over taco meat, sloppy joes, crumbled meatloaf, etc -- Add what your family likes.

8. No this isn't the healthiest meal- but it IS so much healthier for them than a greasy burger grabbed on the run, and you can make it as healthy as you choose- I have even used leftover homemade mac and cheese- No preservatives at all that way!

9. You can 'fancy' it up by topping it with extra cheese or breadcrumbs and popping it under the broiler for a minute just to brown.

10. A real time saving tip that the kids love is to put the entire mixture in a lightly sprayed casserole pan and top with biscuit dough- you can even use the ones in the can, bake per can instructions until the biscuits are done.