The Glade 4.0

Living single, on a budget, and trying to eat more varied food, I've started preparing what I call "Macro Meals."

These are large portioned meals designed to last 2 or more days with several difference foodological elements.

For example, my Chicken/Tuna Noodle Lady Kate Kasserole that has various veggies as well as such elements as tortilla chip shards and bacon bits.

Something I am working on now is the old mac n' cheese + ground burger meat combo. I am at a loss for what to mix in with it, however. I had thought of mixing sour cream with the burger, but there will already be the creamy cheese sauce. Another thought I had was diced tomatoes or onions.

Are raw sliced/diced veggies the best things to add for variety?

Taco seasoning, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

I actually thought about going the Mexican route. I have some hot sauce packets from Taco Bell left over, as well as some olives and banana peppers. No sour cream at the moment, but can pick that up easily enough. Saw some guacamole dip at the store, too.

Something kinda like this:


or this:

I do mine with a roasted corn, and it comes out great.

It's best cut freshly from the cob, but frozen or canned can do if you drain it well.

Get a good cast iron pan, put some olive oil in and get it nice and hot; then add the corn and roast until golden brown, and slightly crispy. Mix in red pepper, garlic, and whatever other seasonings you want, and then remove the corn and cook the ground meat in the seasoned oil left in the pan.

Add both, along with some cream cheese to a few batches of mac and cheese in a big bowel, and mix well with lots more pepper (for me, Tony Cacheres, I'm a Cajun).

Comes out great. You can add some roasted red peppers too, or onions/green peppers if you feel like it.... chopped green onions make a nice addition as well.

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Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

Mac N Cheese + Can of Tuna + Pea's & Carrots = pretty good if the Mac N Cheese is nice & creamy.

If you're going the quick and easy route....1 box velveeta shells and cheese + one can hormel chili no beans. It rocks.

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

My wife makes an awesome vegetarian chili. You can make a huge *** pot of it and then freeze and just thaw as needed. Make a bowl, or put it on some dogs, or make nachos, etc...

I think it's pretty cheap too. I'll try to get the recipe.

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So I had some leftover ground meat from my mac and cheese + burger experience.

Stopped by Kroger and got some soft shelled tortillas, taco sauce, shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes. Added some four cheese Mexican blend that I had laying around, and made . . . well, tacos.

Mmmmmmmm.

Man, a big old package of ground meat is like the culinary equivalent to the clay of creation.