In my wife’s family putting peas in it is my a time-honored tradition. They even sing a little song: “Eat that mackie cheese and peas,” or “Eat that mackie cheese, no peas,” depending. Especially camping - they use dried peas which get rehydrated by the time it’s cooked. The one additive they also like that I can’t stand is tuna. In a sandwich, great, but not in my mackie cheese pleeeze.
Peas (fresh or frozen) are nice and bland without being gross about it. You can add them to all kinds of stuff and forget they’re even in it. Soup, pot pies, mashed potatoes, anything with gravy or cheese, meatloaf, etc.
So, I have to ask, why peas? It’s not something I would think to add to mac and cheese.
Because vegetables make the carbs, cheese, and bacon not count. It’s a balanced diet!
In my wife’s family putting peas in it is my a time-honored tradition. They even sing a little song: “Eat that mackie cheese and peas,” or “Eat that mackie cheese, no peas,” depending. Especially camping - they use dried peas which get rehydrated by the time it’s cooked. The one additive they also like that I can’t stand is tuna. In a sandwich, great, but not in my mackie cheese pleeeze.
Peas (fresh or frozen) are nice and bland without being gross about it. You can add them to all kinds of stuff and forget they’re even in it. Soup, pot pies, mashed potatoes, anything with gravy or cheese, meatloaf, etc.
It just goes really well. The sweet of the peas balances the salt in the bacon.
Fair enough, I’ll have to give it a try next time I make mac and cheese.
Remember to throw bacon on top of the peas ;-)