A box of mac and cheese becomes dinner with a crisp, buttered breadcrumb topping that adds texture and takes less time than heating the oven. The topping keeps this from tasting like lunch, and dinner is on the table in under twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 20 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 370 calories a serving, 9 g protein, 52 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the elbow macaroni from the box according to the package directions until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well and return to the pot.10 min
2. While the pasta cooks, tear 2 slices of bread into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until you have coarse crumbs, or crumble by hand. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium heat, add the breadcrumbs, and stir until they turn light gold, about 2 minutes.3 min
3. Stir the cheese powder from the box into the hot pasta with 2 tablespoons of butter according to the package directions. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper, then transfer to bowls and top with the warm breadcrumbs.

Note Swap the breadcrumb topping for crushed crackers or crispy fried onions if you have them. Leftovers keep in the fridge for two days and reheat gently with a splash of water. Serve with a green salad or steamed broccoli on the side.