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Grown-Up Mac & Cheese
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On the special nights when my husband and I had hired a babysitter and made plans to go out for the evening, the question of what to give the kids for dinner was always a no-brainer: mac & cheese. It was quick to prepare, which meant Rich could fix dinner while I fixed my hair. And, both Sabrina and Jake loved it, which meant the babysitter wouldn't have to coax them into eating their dinners -- a daunting feat sometimes even for me, their mom.
Now that Sabrina and Jake are in middle school, though, things have changed. For years I doubted it would ever happen, but I'm happy to report that they now enjoy a much wider range of foods than the old stand-bys, PB & J and mac & cheese. We also no longer hire babysitters, because -- well, Sabrina is one.
Rich and I do still occasionally manage to get out for an evening on our own, though, and when we do, we still need a kid-friendly dinner we can prepare in a hurry. The old box of mac & cheese seems too "babyish," though, and just doesn't bring the squeals of delight it used to garner.
Thankfully, I came up with an alternative that takes our old staple up a notch, as Emeril Lagasse might say. My recipe is a grown up version of mac & cheese that tastes so good, we even make it when the whole family's staying in.
Here are the ingredients you'll need to serve 4-6 people:
Boil the pasta while the chicken re-heats in the oven (10-13 minutes at 350 degrees). While the penne and chicken cook, chop, and then boil or sauté the vegetables, depending on the type of veggie. Combine the chicken, cooked vegetables, and sauce in a pan and heat over a medium flame for a minute or two, just long enough to heat the sauce. Drain the penne, and toss with the chicken and vegetable mixture. We sometimes even sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese, if we're feeling fancy.The whole wheat penne, reduced fat sauce (a little goes a long way), and fresh veggies make me feel good about serving a more nutritious meal than the boxed version we used to prepare. Best of all, it still takes less than 15 minutes, start to finish. That's my kind of cooking!
Member Comments On…
Grown-Up Mac & Cheese
Here are few tips to ease the burden of getting dinner on the table during your busy week:
- Set aside time on the weekends to make foods in advance and freeze them.
- Invest in a slow cooker. This is fabulous machine for busy families.
- Buy pre-washed veggies in the produce section of stores.
- Buy "no cook" items like apples, pears, avocadoes, tomatoes. A fruit plate or veggie salad makes a terrific side dish.
- Keep it simple. There is no need to strive for gourmet everyday.
- Share the burden. Team up with a friend and have a family dinner at their house one night and switch to your house on another.
- Plan your menus and make a grocery list.
- Buy a few cookbooks with titles like 30-minute meals, slow cooker recipes or 5 ingredients or less.
- Make extra for leftovers.
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I find these Dream Team articles so fun and useful. I LOVE the creativity and practical nature of them. I also love the sense of humor the writers display. This grown up mac n cheese article is cute... It's got the "mac" and the "cheese" and how wonderful to throw in lots of yummy veggies and chicken to make it more healthy and substantial. I don't think anyone is trying to "pass it off" as anything, Grown Up mac n cheese is just a fun name for a yummy dish! Thank so much Dream Team!
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I don't usually comment, but...this recipe doesn't resemble mac and cheese at all. Not even slightly.
You can do a fabulous 'grown up' mac and cheese with a roux, homemade cheese sauce (sharp cheddar is a favorite because you don't need as much)and breadcrumbs. cooks illustrated has a good one.
This sounds like a nice pasta primavera, but don't pass it off as mac and cheese.
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