Unemployed Bachelor Cuisine: Variations on an Easy Mac Theme

Since every good blog has features, I'll go ahead and start one up. Unemployed Bachelor Cuisine will look at ways to eat well at a low cost.

As an unemployed person, it is important to watch your food budget and make decisions that result in getting the most food for your dollar. On the flip side, though, you want to spice up your foods so that you aren't just eating something bland and depressing.

Easy Mac, a bachelor staple, can fit into that latter category. While the combination of cheese and pasta has always been known as delicious, there are only so many ways that manufacturers have boxed it up. If those little easy mac bowls in the cupboard are starting to get you down, here's a suggestion for classing it up a bit: add a little seasoning!

I'll share a couple of my favorite multi-use seasonings with you. The first is Montreal Steak Seasoning, which, as the name implies, is usually utilized to flavor meat. That's not the only thing it is capable of spicing up, though - in Easy Mac, it'll add a nice kick, and it goes great on salmon as well. So while it might seem like an expensive option, it's important to recognize how many things you can use it for.

On the cheaper end of the scale, Badia's cajun seasoning has been invaluable to me. Tucked away in the ethnic section of your local supermarket, Badia's seasonings are a low-cost alternative to other established brands. Like Montreal Steak, it'll kick up your Easy Mac another notch. Additionally, it'll add a subtle layer of flavor to other cheap eats. For instance, I make a mean barbecue chicken by taking thighs and drumsticks, liberally coating them with cajun seasoning, browning the skin in an olive oil-coated skillet, covering them with barbecue sauce (your choice of brand and variety) and then throwing them in the oven for about 30-35 minutes at 375.

Check back for more bachelor cuisine updates, and also take a gander at my inspiration for this feature, Budget Bytes. I can almost guarantee you that I will be writing about her chili at some point in the future.