Most people thoroughly enjoy the familiar taste of a warm bowl of macaroni and cheese. In my experience, mac and cheese always tastes best when it comes from a restaurant. The chefs use quality ingredients and are able to perfect the macaroni to cheese ratio. Recently, I tried the “Loaded Mac” from Jim ‘n Nick’s in Tuscaloosa––a delicious blend of cheeses coated the pasta with a layer of gooey, melted cheese baked on top. A heaping pile of moist barbeque pulled pork sat atop the mac and cheese and added a grilled, meaty taste. Luckily, my friend’s parents were visiting T-Town and brought me to lunch. However, as college students, we don’t always have the luxury of restaurants and gourmet mac and cheese.

Often times, Kraft is the cheap and convenient solution to a mac and cheese craving. No longer solely available in its original bright blue box, you can now purchase Kraft in individual microwavable cups. According to the directions, just fill the water to the line and in three and a half minutes, “dinner” is served. Though new shapes like Finding Dory, SpongeBob and Star Wars make the dining experience a little more exciting, nothing about Kraft screams gourmet or filling. It’s the kind of thing you crave at two in the morning after a night out, or what you eat as a last resort meal when you don’t feel like leaving your room.

Before I moved into my dorm, my mom and I went to Costco to buy what looked like enough food to last the whole school year. Because I wouldn’t have a car here, she thought I might starve to death and purchased things in bulk. As we perused the aisles, I saw a twelve-pack of cups of Kraft Easy Mac. Without hesitation, I grabbed it and tossed it in the cart. Fast forward to February: it’s the second semester and I have been here since August. How many of those twelve cups are left? Ten. That’s because the idea of orange powder and “just add water” is unappetizing to me. Though I’m definitely not the healthiest eater around, I cannot tell you the last time I resorted to eating one of those artificial, preservative-packed, sodium-filled, ridiculously orange mac and cheese cups. I have, however, tried some alternatives. Annie’s Organic Mac and Cheese made me feel like I wasn’t putting strange toxins into my body, but the taste was still unsatisfyingly fake. I figure if I’m going to eat powdered cheese, I may as well splurge on the calories for the familiar and reliable Kraft kind.

Though I’m a college student on a budget, I still enjoy the finer things in life and I decided to try and upgrade my mac and cheese experience. I found a recipe on The Kitchn for microwavable mac and cheese. One bowl, a few ingredients, fifteen minutes, and it’s all done in the microwave. This recipe is perfect because it achieves an authentic taste in a short amount of time. All it requires is pasta, water, salt, milk, shredded cheese, and a microwave safe-bowl! You can even personalize the recipe by adding diced vegetables, cooked meat, salsa, dried mustard, or chili powder. I decided to add some breadcrumbs on top to recreate the texture of a baked mac and cheese casserole, and I absolutely love the way it turned out. Although I will always prefer the gourmet version at a restaurant, I’m thrilled that I can recreate a delicious, comforting, non-toxic, somewhat nutritious version of macaroni and cheese in my dorm room. You can too by using the recipe below.

One Bowl Microwave Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 1

Ingredients:

½ cup of elbow or shell pasta

½ cup of water

¼ teaspoon of salt

¼ cup of milk (any percent)

¼ to ½ cup of shredded cheese: cheddar, Monterey jack, provolone

Optional: diced veggies, cooked meat, salsa, dried mustard, chili powder, bread crumbs

Equipment:

Deep microwave-safe bowl

Oven mitts/kitchen towel

Microwave

Spoon

Instructions:

1. Combine the pasta, water, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl
2. Microwave the pasta for 2 minutes. Microwave on high power, then stir. Watch to see if the water is foaming over the side of the bowl and stir sooner if needed.
3. Continue microwaving in 2 minute intervals until the pasta is cooked. Stir between each interval and continue microwaving until the pasta is soft and cooked through. This should take 4 to 8 minutes total, depending on your microwave strength. If the pasta absorbs all the water before the pasta is cooked, add another 2 tablespoons of water.
4. Stir the milk and cheese into the pasta.Use oven mitts or a kitchen towel to remove the bowl from the microwave. Stir in the milk, cheese, and any extra add-ins.
5. Microwave in 30-second intervals to melt the cheese: Microwave on high power for 30 seconds, and stir. Continue microwaving in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the cheese has melted and forms a creamy sauce. This should take 1 to 1 and 1/2 minutes total.
6. Eat immediately. This mac and cheese is best when enjoyed piping hot. If you need to reheat, add an extra splash of milk.