Mrs Mungo Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 While I understand that others have different palates and differing dietary restrictions I must say that I rather have a tablespoon of delicious Mac and cheese made WITHOUT bulked out veggies than 2 cups of Mac and cheese WITH bulked out veggies. :ack2: I agree, except this is a really delicious recipe. But, it is only *sort of* mac and cheese with veggies. http://www.marthastewart.com/339198/baked-shells-with-winter-squash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor_dad Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 ? I don't understand why you are directing this at me... Sorry. This wasn't meant to be personal. Your post asked why people viewed it as "So unhealthy"... I gave my answer which had nothing to do with the fat content or other possible reasons... As I said, if your kids love it great, give them some broccoli and you are all set... cheap well balanced meal. I wasn't trying to pick on anyone here. I just wanted to introduce the possibility that mac and cheese or pizza might be problematic for other reasons.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebbyribs Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Main dish, and we would have broccoli or salad as the side. Once my husband went vegan, it was relegated to a lunch dish only. Once I found out that wreaks havoc with my 2yo's digestive system, we haven't had it at all. :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zarabellesmom Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Main dish, and we would have broccoli or salad as the side. Once my husband went vegan, it was relegated to a lunch dish only. Once I found out that wreaks havoc with my 2yo's digestive system, we haven't had it at all. :-( At our house, it's a celebration of outgrown food allergies. Hello forbidden wheat and cheeses! We don't eat it very often because I'm trying to lose weight, but my children are both falling off the growth chart at the low end of the weight scale so when they ask for Mac and cheese at lunch, I don't say no. I just serve a fruit or veggie with it. To me, could go either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 I make it myself rather than using Kraft, so I do get the benefit of real cheese. I think there are a fair number of other things (like peas) that can go well in there too that are healthy. Anyway the idea was to mash up the sweet potato so it becomes a cheese sauce substitute, and the orangey yellow color blends right in. Especially if you use fairly strong flavored cheese, you can reduce the amount and still have a cheese taste. I got the idea from Martha Stewart (magazine), but I searched and am only finding a video that isn't loading properly so I can't check if it's it. http://www.marthastewart.com/998315/macaroni-and-cheese-twist-part-one ?? Some people can make a fairly decent mac-n-cheese substitute. I say "some people" because I am a lousy cook, but I have had it made by other folks and it was delicious. Here is a recipe like the one I had but the cook used regular skim milk instead of cocanut milk. http://www.grassfedgirl.com/primal-gaps-low-carb-cauliflower-mac-and-cheese/ You can also bulk out your regular mac-n-cheese by mixing lots of steamed cauliflower into just a little pasta for the base. Oh my goodness, I totally have to try these recipes! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirstenhill Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 I voted other since I couldn't pick more than one option - usually it's a "lunch" dish at our house - and then often made sorta-homemade with velveta or sometimes a boxed mix. Sometimes I made a totally from scratch version as a main dish, and once in a while it might be a dinner side (probably least often this way). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 I'd normally vote a side dish but it depends on the age of the child and how tired I am. For a preschooler or younger or if I'm really tired, it could be a main dish. If it's made with enough extra ingredients that it's essentially a casserole, it could be a main dish as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyMountain Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 It could be either. I usually do it for lunch and I just make whole grain noodles and grate cheese in it and sometimes have a hidden veggie and some nitrite free turkey dogs. I only make that for lunch. I do buy box stuff every once in a while as long as it doesn't have food dye. ;) If it is for dinner it can be a main dish or a side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Now I really want to make Mac and Cheese. THANKS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Homemade mac and cheese is yummy. I don't much like the box stuff. Ate it way too often as a kid! My kids like theirs with smoked gouda! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 I'm that person on the poll... For us mac and cheese is evil incarnate. DS is Gluten Dairy Intolerant. It took us years to figure this out. However, DS was never willing to eat noodles. If we had accepted this it would have saved so much stress... I think Mac and cheese is empty calories but if your kids like it thats great... give them a salad or other veggies as a side and you are all set. Just don't view it as a default meal for any kids you know.... How is it empty calories (real mac & cheese)? It has protein in the dairy, plenty of fat, etc. The mac and cheese recipe I posted above even has squash in it (and not a lot of cheese). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSmomof2 Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 It can be either one here. I mostly serve it as a side but there have been several times it had been the main dish. Agree.....it can be either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 While I understand that others have different palates and differing dietary restrictions I must say that I rather have a tablespoon of delicious Mac and cheese made WITHOUT bulked out veggies than 2 cups of Mac and cheese WITH bulked out veggies. :ack2: :lol: Sorry, my grandma raves about how great sauerkraut is as a coconut substitute (hello, coconut is cheaper) and how yummy tomato soup cake is, and has lots of other "surprises" like finding meat chunks in the "yes, I'm sure it's vegetarian" soup from the freezer. She should have written that Deceptively Delicious book, except in her case the stuff isn't actually delicious. So, loads of veges in mac and cheese doesn't bother me because there's nothing hiding. But yr post is funny. Anyone else remember those prune brownies from the 90s? Yuck. And I like prunes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 My kids thinks it's a main dish but it is a side for hubby and me. They love the Mac and Cheese kids meal at IKEA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamajag Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 It depends on how crazy my day was. A box of mac and cheese can sometimes feel like a gourmet meal.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deee Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 I lived on maccaroni cheese as a kid. My mum always made it from scratch. I do too. In fact, I didn't know it came in a packet until I read American forums (we have it in Australia, I just don't get out much). DS HATES it. Loves pasta, hates cheese. Shame, cos he could do with fattening up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Anyone else remember those prune brownies from the 90s? Yuck. And I like prunes. Ew, no, lol. I do love chocolate zucchini cupcakes with peanut butter frosting though. http://www.recipe.com/choco-zucchini-cupcakes/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Ew, no, lol. I do love chocolate zucchini cupcakes with peanut butter frosting though. http://www.recipe.com/choco-zucchini-cupcakes/ Let's take them back in a time machine to the 1970s, shall we? Change that chocolate to carob, swap out the white flour, and repace the frosting with .... wait, what? I'm stuck. Tofu whipped with walnuts? Or maybe take off the frosting??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teneo Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 It's both here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horsellian Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Main dish in our house (once I'd checked that we're talking about macaroni cheese, which is the only thing I've heard it called here!) Usually with a side of veg or salad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea1 Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2TheTeam Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Always homemade, sometimes a side and sometimes a main dish. Typically, if I make it for the kids for lunch or dinner it's a main dish. If I make it as part of a holiday meal, it's a side dish....for the kids...And, we claim it is for the kids, but it is really good and we love it too. Too bad I'm lactose intolerant now and really can't have it. It makes me SO sad. I really love baked mac and cheese. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 That's because you don't follow my recipe, which starts with a white sauce, adds in equal portions extra sharp cheddar (for the taste) and monterey jack (for the gooeyness), includes a little bit of thyme, paprika, and pepper, and finishes up with some cubes of cream cheese (for the richness). It is absolutely the most delicious thing ever, and I tell you, cream cheese makes even boxed mac and cheese taste divine. Pour it over a combination of cooked macaroni and cauliflower, add some bread crumbs, and bake until done. Or don't bake it. It sounds tasty. :-) But most people don't use that recipe, so most of us are not basing our opinions on it. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 "OTHER" It is both, depending on what else is served. In general, I tend to serve home made mac-n-cheese as a main dish with a salad. I rarely use boxed mac-n-cheese as a main dish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidbits of Learning Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 It depends on your age. ;) I could consider it a main dish for a child for a quick and easy lunch. I wouldn't consider it a main dish for an adult meal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Both. The first night, if it's a meatless night, it makes a great main dish, especially with a salad, or something crunchy. The next night, I put it back in the oven to serve as a side for a carb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Both. Either. We do both boxed and homemade as either a main dish or a side. I'm vegetarian. Our meals are often equal parts of different items, with no real main or side. If I were serving Mac n cheese, I would likely also serve baked beans and a cooked veg or a green salad. I couldn't say which is the main dish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 I made GF mac and cheese for an entrée for my kids' dinner this evening. This was likely due to the subconscious sway of this thread....or the monster migraine I had earlier. One son had a banana and some cantaloupe with it. The other two kids had fresh avocado and half a baked sweet potato with theirs. No guilt here. There's a GF pasta in Costco that is great. It's in a purple and black bag and I can't remember the name of it, but we really like it. Just don't use it in a cold pasta salad-then it's yuck. My kids are also underweight. I always make mine from scratch, and I think grassfed butter, and the fats in cheese are extremely healthy for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 More seriously, I don't like it as a side. It's too filling and distracts from the main dish. I prefer it with meat added and a side of vegetables -- salad or steamed veggies, whatever you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zinnia Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Both I make boxed once a week for lunch and grandma makes her own homemade mac and cheese as a main dish once or twice a year. I guess in both of those cases it is a main dish in that it is the entree. But, I have seen it served as a side dish on buffets etc. When I think of it as a side dish, it is in more of a southern context. I had a friend from southern Georgia and he explained that where he grew up, mac and cheese was considered a vegetable, lol. Mac and cheese *is* a vegetable. :) My favorite veggie plate would be mac and cheese, okra, peas, eggplant, and sliced tomatoes. Yum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 It depends on your age. ;) I could consider it a main dish for a child for a quick and easy lunch. I wouldn't consider it a main dish for an adult meal. What if it made with lobster and gruyere? A restaurant local to me has an amazing mac and cheese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Either. My MIL makes baked mac and cheese as a side dish often. I make her recipe for lunch sometimes, and it's the main dish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 :lol: Sorry, my grandma raves about how great sauerkraut is as a coconut substitute Wait, what? I love sauerkraut, and I'm sure I'd love homemade lacto fermented sauerkraut even more, and I love coconut. But one subbing for the other? No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Wait, what? I love sauerkraut, and I'm sure I'd love homemade lacto fermented sauerkraut even more, and I love coconut. But one subbing for the other? No. Sorry, I'm out of likes. Click on this link and read their description of the recipe. :lol: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/sauerkraut-chocolate-cake Then read this http://www.cookiemadness.net/2012/07/chocolate-sauerkraut-cake-with-sour-cream-frosting/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Sorry, I'm out of likes. Click on this link and read their description of the recipe. :lol: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/sauerkraut-chocolate-cake Then read this http://www.cookiemadness.net/2012/07/chocolate-sauerkraut-cake-with-sour-cream-frosting/ Uh, I still don't think it's my thing, but that's not quite as weird as I thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco_Clark Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 I serve it as a main. For lunch just noodles, milk, butter, cheese and a bit of flour to thicken. For dinner its still a main, but generally has shredded chicken and/or a veggie in it. Edited to add that we don't eat boxed, but back when I did (in college) it was still the main. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymonster Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 My kids think it is poison. They are so, so weird. :confused1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 I consider it a side dish ... unless it is lunch and served with soup ... then it is a co-star with equal billing. Just my .02. ETA: I don't serve it. Dh hates it and my oldest was allergic to milk for a very long time so it never became a staple in my house. They used to get it at Grandma's house. Dd likes to order it when we are traveling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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