By the end of August, we’ve had our fill of vacations and reunions, sleeping in and cooking out, trashy novels and junk food. Many of us crave structure post-Labor Day. We resolve to get back on track, to reinstate family dinner, to return to the gym, to get life in order (especially on “school nights”).
Weeknight dinner is good place to start, and macaroni and cheese is perfect supper food. It’s a kids’ favorite, and, when made well, adults like it too. My recipe is simple--and almost as quick as the boxed variety. While the pasta water comes to a boil, make the easy white sauce using a microwave to heat the broth and milk. If you buy grated cheese, there’s not much to do except stir it into the sauce, toss that with the cooked pasta and serve.
If you have a little more time on your hands, consider other variations such as ham, beef, bacon and veggies. Leftovers freeze very well--those serve 12, after all.
Or, serve Creamy Macaroni & Cheese the first night, save half, then make one of the flavor options later in the week, stirring it into the leftover macaroni and cheese. (If you’re flavoring a half recipe of leftover macaroni and cheese, remember to cut the flavoring ingredients in half too.) And when warming the leftover mac ’n’ cheese, stir in a little water or milk to return its creamy consistency.
Labor Day brings a fresh start, and simple two-meals-in-one recipes like mac ’n’ cheese make it easier to keep a good thing going.
Copyright 2005 USA Weekend and columnist Pam Anderson. All rights reserved.
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