>U Mom Knows Best: Mac And Cheese Bar For " Its Too Hot To Cook Dinner"

Friday, June 6, 2014

Mac And Cheese Bar For " Its Too Hot To Cook Dinner"





 It is summer and for most of us it is hot outside. When it is hot outside I don't want to turn on the oven to cook dinner so I have a wonderful dinner idea for a hot night dinner. I made a mac and cheese bar the other night for dinner and my family loved it. My kids love mac and cheese but it is a little to plain for my husband.  He like to add things like meat to his mac and cheese which the younger boys will not it. I on the other hand like more veggies in my pasta and less cheese. So I came up with an idea that pleases us all.

I made a pan of pasta, and variety will work but my family likes rotini. I then took a muffin pan and place different items in the cups, you can also use bowls. I used items like cooked broccoli, turkey dogs, veggie chicken( I don't eat meat) salsa and cheese.


I then placed the bowl of pasta and toppings on the counter, along with serving bowls. Everyone put what toppings they wanted into their bowl and then I microwaved each bowl for about a minute until the cheese melted. The result was a dinner that made everyone happy.


I put broccoli, veggie chicken and cheese on my pasta and it was so yummy.


The toppings that you can use are endless. You can use veggies like peas, corn, spinach or other favorites. Meat toppings like cooked chicken, hot dogs and lunch meat are good. I only had cheddar cheese but you can use different cheeses to make great mac and cheese.

This is also a great idea for parties too. This would be great for a kids party instead of the usual pizza. I will be serving this a lot during the summer as my family loved it.

 What toppings will you be using for your mac and cheese bar?

Here are some other "its too hot to cook" ideas. I would love to see some of your "its too hot to cook" dinner ideas. Leave your ideas or links in the comment section.








17 comments:

Erin S said...

What a fun idea and a creative way to use the muffin pan http://www.parentinghealthy.com/

Ida Mae West-Simone a.k.a. "That Fun Reading Teacher" said...

Tara, this is a fantastic idea. You're right - many of these days are too hot to cook dinner, and kids love anything novel like this. I love that you can have the pan prepared ahead of time and just pull it out of the fridge. Your creative genius has just opened up a world of possibilities. Thank you!

Unknown said...

I love this idea especially for hot weather! Using a muffin pan to put out different mix-in options is a great idea!

Jamie said...

Love it - what a great idea!! Pinned this one to try, pretty soon, with the heat we're having here in the mountains. :P

LibraryGirl said...

This is a great way to personalize dinner! We always have at least one "but I don't want (insert whatever we are having)" so this would be nice for variety. Thanks for the tip.

MandaPeel said...

This is such a fun idea. I love to have creative dinners that get everyone together in the kitchen.

krystal said...

Glad to see you enjoyed making your own mac and cheese bar!

Jessica said...

What a great idea! Often it is too hot to cook dinner and I can do this with a little advance prep work.

Susie's Reviews said...

This looks so good. I think I might give it a try tonight!

ReviewsSheRote said...

what a unique dinner....i love that we all can put our own spin on the dish! =)

Buzz4Mommies said...

This is so adorable and a terrific idea that I think my kids would love. There is just something about adding everything yourself that screams fun!

Grace Matthews said...

What a great idea. I hate turning the oven on in the summer when it's blazing hot out. This is a great alternative to homemade subs.

Danielle said...

What a fun idea. I would have never thought to do that.

Unknown said...

what a great idea so the kids don't have an excuse for not liking dinner:)

Terri Grothe said...

I love this idea, it is a great idea even for birthday parties when there are so many kids with different likes

Melissa said...

This is such a great idea! I may even incorporate it into a party or three. :)

Kendra said...

Great Idea!

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