Dinner for 6

Ranch Mac and Cheese

Name: Ranch Mac and Cheese
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 package (16 oz) elbow macaroni; 1 cup 2% milk; 1/4 cup butter; 1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix; 1 tsp garlic salt; 1 tsp garlic pepper blend; 1 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning; 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese; 1 cup shredded colby cheese; 1 cup sour cream; 1/2 cup crushed saltines; 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

$5.41for 430 minServes 6

Elbow macaroni combines with ranch-seasoned cheese sauce, sour cream, and a crisp cracker topping before baking.

Photo: tasteofhome.com

What it costs

Pick your city to see which ingredients are on sale

Ingredient	Amount	Cost
	Pasta, 16 oz$0.10/oz typical	16 oz	$1.60Typical price
	Milk, 8.5 oz$0.04/oz typical	8.5 oz	$0.34Typical price
	Butter, 2 oz$0.40/oz typical	2 oz	$0.80Typical price
	Garlic, a little$0.75 each typical	a little	$0.05Typical price
	Cheddar and shredded cheese, 4 oz$0.30/oz typical	4 oz	$1.20Typical price
	Swiss, 4 oz$0.40/oz typical	4 oz	$1.60Typical price
	Sour cream, 8.5 oz$0.14/oz typical	8.5 oz	$1.19Typical price
	Crackers, 2 oz$0.22/oz typical	2 oz	$0.44Typical price
	Parmesan, 1.25 oz$0.55/oz typical	1.25 oz	$0.64Typical price
Total for the servings shown		$8.11

Swaps

Swap cheddar and shredded cheese for mozzarellaabout the same price
Swap sour cream for yogurtabout $0.02/oz less at typical prices
Swap milk for almondabout $0.01/oz more at typical prices
Swap butter for margarine and vegan butterabout $0.15/oz less at typical prices

Pantry staples you likely have

Relish, dressings, steak sauceDried herbs, spices and seasoning blends

Not included in the cost.

30 minstart to table
Mediumdifficulty
6servings (the source says 8, which counts pieces)
$typical cost tier

American Vegetarian Kid-friendly Budget Family Dinners Cold-weather comfort

Typical price

$1.35 per serving$5.41 for 4

City Store

Typical price: Salefork's estimate of an everyday US shelf price for each ingredient. Pick your city to price it from this week's ad.

Ingredients

1 package (16 oz) elbow macaroni
1 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup butter
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp garlic pepper blend
1 tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1 cup shredded colby cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup crushed saltines
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Steps

Boil the macaroni in a large pot for 7 to 8 minutes, then drain it.
Melt the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk in the milk, ranch mix, garlic salt, garlic pepper, and lemon-pepper seasoning, then simmer for 3 minutes.
Stir the Monterey Jack, Colby, and sour cream into the sauce until smooth.
Combine the pasta and cheese sauce in a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Top with crushed saltines and Parmesan, then bake at 375 F for 8 minutes.