DD discovered that Hamburger Helper is not a glorified Mac and Cheese dish, unless there is hamburger. There is a taste of a strong seasoning, probably similar to Accent, which is meant to bring out flavor in the meat. Not so good, in a non-meat attempt.
For the teen who wants a quick pasta dish, the best recommendation I can make is (drumroll)...plain pasta. You can cook your pasta, and season it as simply, or as eloquently, as you like. Some pasta-bilities?
Butter and cheese, tossed in with the drained pasta...any shredded cheese, or Parmesan, will do. No cheese? Use some crushed garlic, or even a hint of garlic salt. MMM!!
Ketchup! Really! My aunt would occasionally put ketchup on plain macaroni, and it wasn't terrible. Yes, it's different. But if your cupboard is really, really bare, might be worth a shot.
Soy sauce...heat a little olive oil in a fry pan, and stir fry your cooked spaghetti, with just a hint of soy sauce. Almost as good as chow mein! Toss in some veggies, for good measure. My teen loves stir-fried veggies, so this would be well received!
Tomato soup...sounds almost as weird as the ketchup, right? Not really. Spaghetti O's remind me more of tomato soup, than of spaghetti.
Chicken stock...a basic chicken noodle, or a hearty version of Top Ramen.
Get creative!
Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pasta. Show all posts
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Leftoverama
Ever had one of those days where there doesn't seem to be anything to fix for dinner, and there are bits of many meals in the fridge? Nothing like noodles to tie it all together!
Most of the kids were a little skeptical. Except the toddlers. They're used to making unusual combinations. Leftover spaghetti noodles, leftover sauce, onion, garlic, a couple of chicken breasts cooked and cut into small pieces, leftover rice, leftover scrambled eggs, a little extra tomato sauce, and a couple of chopped up pieces of string cheese. Voila. Sounds awful, but the kids actually enjoyed it, I cleared my fridge a bit, and dinner came and went without too much trauma. Improv in action!
Most of the kids were a little skeptical. Except the toddlers. They're used to making unusual combinations. Leftover spaghetti noodles, leftover sauce, onion, garlic, a couple of chicken breasts cooked and cut into small pieces, leftover rice, leftover scrambled eggs, a little extra tomato sauce, and a couple of chopped up pieces of string cheese. Voila. Sounds awful, but the kids actually enjoyed it, I cleared my fridge a bit, and dinner came and went without too much trauma. Improv in action!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Mac ‘N Cheese…Cut the Cholesterol
Here’s a tip for those of us who regularly use the cheapola boxes of Mac ‘n Cheese…
Use olive oil in place of the margarine. You may not have the healthiest meal, and the olive oil may be a little more pricey than the margarine, BUT, you will cut the cholesterol, and it’s pretty tasty, too.
And if you want to cut costs on that olive oil, buy in bulk at Costco or someplace similar. Much cheaper in the long run than picking up a small container at the grocery store!
Use olive oil in place of the margarine. You may not have the healthiest meal, and the olive oil may be a little more pricey than the margarine, BUT, you will cut the cholesterol, and it’s pretty tasty, too.
And if you want to cut costs on that olive oil, buy in bulk at Costco or someplace similar. Much cheaper in the long run than picking up a small container at the grocery store!
The Macaroni Improv
Macaroni Improv is dedicated to those Mommy Moments in which quick thinking and creativity are needed and found, in the kitchen or otherwise.
The name? Well…I was low on numerous items in the house, and Mac and Cheese was the game plan for dinner. Unfortunately, when dinner rolled around, I discovered that the dc had generously served themselves buttered toast for snack earlier in the day. As I glanced toward one of my food storage areas, I noticed packets of sausage gravy mix. Biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs was a viable option, but I didn’t want to work *that* hard at this point, and besides, some of the kids would want buttered biscuits, which would not be an option. What if I mixed the gravy with the Mac and Cheese? What if?
I made the packet of gravy, but heated the water in the microwave, added the 3 cheese packets to the still watery mixture, and put in a small pot, stirring with a wisk until it thickened. I should point out that I also added a cup of milk to the mixture…a little more than the required amount for the 3 packages of M & C. This mixture was added to the drained M & C, and made a tasty creamy dinner. Only one of the dc complained, and she complains about most anything I fix. This one is worth repeating, but planned the next time!
The name? Well…I was low on numerous items in the house, and Mac and Cheese was the game plan for dinner. Unfortunately, when dinner rolled around, I discovered that the dc had generously served themselves buttered toast for snack earlier in the day. As I glanced toward one of my food storage areas, I noticed packets of sausage gravy mix. Biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs was a viable option, but I didn’t want to work *that* hard at this point, and besides, some of the kids would want buttered biscuits, which would not be an option. What if I mixed the gravy with the Mac and Cheese? What if?
I made the packet of gravy, but heated the water in the microwave, added the 3 cheese packets to the still watery mixture, and put in a small pot, stirring with a wisk until it thickened. I should point out that I also added a cup of milk to the mixture…a little more than the required amount for the 3 packages of M & C. This mixture was added to the drained M & C, and made a tasty creamy dinner. Only one of the dc complained, and she complains about most anything I fix. This one is worth repeating, but planned the next time!
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