Not a from-scratch recipe and not trying to be. A protein-forward boxed mac plus browned beef gets you a comfort-food bowl at 38 grams of protein, which is the entire argument for it.
Ingredients
- 74 g high-protein boxed mac and cheese (about one single-serve box — Goodles Cheddy Mac is the reference)
- 4 oz lean ground beef (93/7)
- Salt and black pepper
- Hot sauce or smoked paprika, optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the box, reserving a splash of the water before draining.
- While it boils, brown the beef in a skillet over medium-high, 6–7 minutes, seasoning it with salt and pepper.
- Make the cheese sauce per the box directions, loosening it with the reserved pasta water if it tightens up.
- Fold the beef into the mac. Finish with hot sauce or a pinch of smoked paprika.
Make-Ahead & Storage
Best straight from the pan — boxed cheese sauce breaks and goes grainy on reheat. If you do keep it, reheat gently with a splash of milk and stir constantly.
Notes
Any high-protein boxed mac works; the macros shift with the brand, so read the box rather than trusting the numbers here.
Browning the beef hard and leaving the fond in the pan before adding the mac is what keeps this from tasting like two things sharing a bowl.
For the from-scratch, smoker version, see the Smoked Mac and Cheese recipe.