Favorite Childhood Foods Reinvented

If you’re feeling nostalgic, try these “grown-up” versions of childhood foods and feel like a kid again!

Gourmet grilled cheese

Betty Crocker ups the grilled cheese game with this beer-battered recipe. Hickory-smoked bacon, provolone and cheddar cheese, and an ale-based batter reinvent a childhood staple for grown-up taste buds. For a sophisticated twist, try adding thinly sliced Granny Smith apples.

Favorite Childhood Foods Reinvented — Photo: rjgrant

Classy Cajun mac and cheese

For a fresh take on this classic, check out the All Things Mac and Cheese website. If the name wasn’t enough, maybe adding shrimp will persuade you. Cajun shrimp mac and cheese is a gooey mix of shrimp, Cajun seasoning, cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, cavatappi pasta and panko breadcrumbs.

Chic chicken tenders

Delish.com serves up a chicken tender recipe that will transport you to a Caribbean beach: baked coconut tenders with strawberry-mango salsa. This upscale take on chicken fingers uses coconut flakes and panko breadcrumbs for added crunch, with a refreshing strawberry, mango and hot pepper jelly salsa on the side.

Hungry for more? Check out AAA.com/FoodForAll for more tasty inspiration.