Summer is here and that means barbecues and macaroni salad. Here’s a fun, fresh and new way to serve one of your favorite dishes: mac and cheese salad in a lettuce cup!
I’ve been indulging a little too much lately and have been eating a ton of salads over the past couple of days. And with our abundance of lettuce from our garden, we’ve been chopping lettuce up for tacos and throwing everything into a lettuce cup! In my mind, a lettuce cup (or wrap) is a great way to reduce the carb intake and eat a little lighter.
These babies combine two things I love: lettuce cups and mac and cheese salad. Every summer I make this recipe and will vary the ingredients depending on what I have in my refrigerator. . but it all starts with and revolves around my cheese. I’ve got to have my fresh Wisconsin mozzarella in there. No macaroni and cheese salad is complete without it.
- ½ pound elbow pasta, dry
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced
- ½ cup celery, diced
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 1 cup green olives, chopped
- 2 cups (8 ounces) Wisconsin fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 heads lettuce, such as Boston Bibb or romaine, washed and separated
- For instructions, visit All Things Mac and Cheese for the complete recipe
Click here for this recipe over at All Things Mac and Cheese. . I hope you enjoy it!
The Ultimate Mac and Cheese Giveaway!!
And there’s a fabulous giveaway to tell you about!! All Things Mac and Cheese is giving away the following:
All-Clad Pasta Pot
All-Clad Saucier
Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Casserole Dish
Wooden Handled Flat Whisk
OXO Good Grips Box Grater
Selection of Wisconsin Cheese and butter
HELLO!! This is perfect for all you mac and cheese lovers out there so be sure to ENTER the giveaway. . you can enter here. Good luck!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in partnership with the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and All Things Mac and Cheese. All opinions expressed here are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting me in working with brands that I love.
This is such a clever and unique recipe! I would have never and those of putting a mac salad in a lettuce wrap before, but it sounds absolutely delicious Alice!! YUM!
Thanks Chris!! I have seriously been throwing everything into lettuce wraps so it just came to me!
Love this lightened up version of an indulgent classic! Also, I’m so jealous of your lettuce crop. I’d love to have a garden!
Thanks so much, Erin! We actually joined a community garden. . close to my husband’s work so he goes there after work to water and we go on the weekends to pick stuff. . look into that when you move to Milwaukee!!
This dish is bananas!!!! Gosh you are such a genius and this giveaway is NICE!
Thank you, Jocelyn! I had fun with this one! Enter the giveaway!! it’s awesome, huh?
Mac and cheese lettuce cups?! What?!!!! How genius. I love easy meal ideas like this for the summer time.
Thanks Nicole!! These were awesome and the lettuce adds a nice freshness!! and makes them portable! love foods I can eat with my hands! 🙂
Now, THIS is my style of mac and cheese! Light, summery and delicious!!! I’ll go check out the giveaway..what fun!!!
Super cute idea ! My kids would love it (and me too!) My lettuce is going crazy in the garden too, enjoying the salads everyday.
Oh man, Alice, these could not have come at a better time! My ice cream obsession has caused a *slight* waistline expansion so these yummy wraps will be the perfect antidote 🙂
Amy, I feel the same way!!! all my ice cream testing and making and indulging .. this is why these lettuce cups were necessary . . you can also omit the mayo and use balsamic vinaigrette instead but the mac and salad just wouldn’t hold together as well in the lettuce cup.
Uhmmm genius!!! Great way to eat more veggies and have all the cheese too!! Thanks for the awesome giveaway too 🙂
Of course! Thank you, Z!!!
Congratulations Alice for making the top 50 favorite food mom bloggers! http://mom.me/food/13091-50-top-mom-food-bloggers/item/choi-alice/
Today’s recipe is the perfect example of just another way to make one of kids favorites M and C healthier. Love this recipe
Thank you so much for this lovely comment!!! 🙂
This is such an awesome idea. I don’t think I’ve eaten anything in lettuce except for San Choy Bow (did I spell that right?) before… But I can imagine how the crunchy lettuce would go brilliantly with the macaroni cheese. Yum. Cheesy goodness! Xx
Great way to serve mac n cheese!
Thank you, Kevin!!