Nanny to Mommy

 So I thought I was so original when I came up with this idea. I had a box of Velveeta shells with cheese and half the stuff to make burrito bowls, then thought, "I bet I could whip something up both of those". So here is my version of Fajita Mac and Cheese. I have also included the recipe to make your taco seasoning as well as your cheese sauce, so you don't have to worry about so many preservatives. But there is nothing wrong with making dinner easy on yourself and using boxed. Also please ignore this terrible picture. I didn't take one and only realized it after the fact, so this is a screen shot from a video that you can find HERE.

So Here is what you need for Homemade Chicken Fajita Mac and Cheese:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded

2 tsp chili seasoning powder (1/4 cup cumin powder, 1/4 cup chili powder, 1 tsp paprika, 2 Tb. garlic powder, 1 Tb. onion powder, 1 Tb. salt)

2 cups macaroni noodles, uncooked

optional add ins, but highly recommended:

black beans, corn, red bell peppers, onions

What You Do:

1. Add seasoned chicken and 2 1/4 cups water to pan and bring to boil. Stir in macaroni and cover. Reduce heat to medium low, simmer 5 minutes.

2. Add pepper and onions then cover and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Add optional toppings. 

3. To prepare HOMEMADE Velveeta cheese sauce:

Freshly grated cheese is best. The additives in pre-shredded cheese keep it from clumping impacts its ability to melt. You can use processed American cheese, or Cheddar, Colby, Jack, or even Mozzarella all work well for a cheese sauce. Whisk 1/2 cup milk in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to simmer. Reduce the heat to low and add in 4 ounces of cheese, stir until melted. 

4. Add to chicken mixture and stir until coated evenly.

5. Garnish with cilantro or avocado. 

Dinner time doesn't have to be fancy to be delicious. Cooking for your family instead of running and getting take out saves money in the long run in so many ways. You can make a meal cheaper than buying one (yes, even fast food) and you save gas money as well. Planning ahead is critical especially if you are busy in the evenings or get off work late. I like to make meals a head of time by doubling a recipe when I have time to cook and then freezing it. I even freeze our leftovers. I drastically reduced our budget by eating at home more often and when we are starting to get bored of the same old recipes, I find fun ways to switch them up. 

Planning easy meals is a game changer for me. If a recipe has too many steps or too many ingredients, then I get overwhelmed. Cooking honestly isn't my favorite, but by making it as easy as possible like with crock pot or one pan meals, I have made it a more enjoyable experience.

Let me know in the comments if you have tried this recipe and what you thought!