The combination of ham or Canadian bacon, pineapple and green peppers on a pizza has been a favorite of mine for years. In this version of mac and cheese, the flavors work very well, you won’t see the pineapple but you will taste it and the crunch from the green peppers is a great contrast. I hope you don’t miss the red sauce too much otherwise garlic bread dipped in marinara might be a good side for this entree.

I am sure you are aware, macaroni and cheese boxed dinners are constantly on sale and are a staple in many a pantry as is canned pineapple. Green peppers are typically the most reasonably priced of all of the peppers and ham, Canadian bacon or smoked turkey can be on sale from time to time. I like to use ham hocks, they are typically under $2.00 a pound and have great flavor. You can find them by the Canadian bacon and ham steaks in your grocery store. This recipe is an easy organic conversion if that is your preference as well as a meatless option if that works better for you.

1  - 6 to 7.25 ounce package of macaroni and cheese, prepared according to package directions
1/2  cup milk, in addition to amount used for package
1 –  8 ounce package shredded cheddar cheese *
1  cup cubed ham or smoked turkey
1 - 8 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained
1/2  cup diced green pepper
1/4  teaspoon garlic salt

Just after preparing the mac and cheese, add the remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat until the cheese is melted and the ham and pineapple are heated through. Makes 3-4 Servings. Enjoy!

*Shredded cheese can be expensive if it’s not on sale.  There are a couple of options here.  One, I buy it when it is on sale and freeze it.  For cooked, one dish meals like this, it works great.  The other option is to use the sliced cheese that you may have available, chop it up and while it may take a bit longer to heat through and melt, you can simply use what you already have on hand in the fridge (one slice typically weighs 3/4  to 1  ounce ).