As Easy as Boiling Water

One thing I've noticed is that cooking with kids is not for the faint of heart. 

This week, I decided to push the limits a bit and asked my son to boil the noodles for our classic mac and cheese (see mac and cheese post for the recipe) before I got home from work.  We were going to be pressed for time and having that step out of the way would help get us to our evening class on time.

I gave him instructions over the phone.

"Do you know what to do?"

"Yeah, I boil the water then add the noodles."

"Right, and cook them as long as the package says.  The whole box."

"Okay."

"Start at 4:30, okay?"

"Okay."

At 4:35, my phone rings.  Not good.  "Uh, mom?  The stove is smoking and I don't want the smoke alarm to go off!"

"Is it still smoking?"

"No, I turned it off because I don't want the smoke alarm to go off."

"It won't.  It's smoking because I cleaned the stove.  It'll stop in about 30 seconds.  If it doesn't, turn it off and wait until I get home." (clearly, it is unusual for me to have just cleaned the stove...)

"But will the alarm go off?"  (clearly, he does NOT want the alarm to go off!)

"It won't."

"Okay."

So, for the next twenty minutes, the phone does not ring and I am having visions of the house catching on fire.  It doesn't help that I work next to a fire station and there must have been a fire somewhere becuase the truck went out, lights flashing, sirens blaring.  I was about to pack up and leave when the phone rang again.

"The noodles are done.  What do I do now?"

"Everything's okay?"

"Yeah, mom."

"Did you take them out of the water?"

"Uh, no."

"You know where the colander is, right...."

When I got home shortly thereafter (house still standing, everything as it should be), this was in the sink:

Beautiful.

We ate dinner, had the rest of our evening as planned and it was good.  As we ate, my son proudly announced that it was really good.  And he'd help make it. 

I'm left wondering if I should clean the stove more or less often.....

Mac and Cheese, Please!

Sometimes, you really want Mac and Cheese, right?  This is a simple recipe, easy to make and leagues better than the stuff in a box.  Serve it with a salad and a steamed veggie side, and you've got a perfect grown-up twist on a classic comfort-food dinner.  After working hard all day Saturday, it saved our supper!

I find it easiest to make the sauce when all the ingredients are measured out before you start - perfect task for the little hands and little bowls.  One note: the sauce won't be yellow (unless you use cheddar!) and it won't have that smooth Velveeta-like-stabilizer-enhanced consistency, so don't promise a picky eater it'll be the same as the old standby! 

Homemade Mac and Cheese, Please:

Boil 1 lb elbow macaroni in salted water until it is cooked al dente.  Drain immediately.

2 cups whole milk, heated (this helps the white sauce come to a boil a little faster)
1 TB flour
3 TB butter
1/8 tsp nutmeg (fresh grated is best if you have nutmeg nuts and a small grater)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheese (Gruyere or another "swiss" cheese works best) - set aside 1/3 for the top.

Light Bechamel Sauce:  Measure out the ingredients.  Microwave the milk.  Stir the butter and flour together in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over low heat until it foams.  Add the milk all at once and whisk without stopping until it comes to a boil.  The sauce should not be too thick - thin it out with a little milk if necessary.  Add salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Remove the saucepan from the stove and stir in 2/3 of the grated cheese.
The sauce will have the consistency of warm potato soup or heavy cream.
In the bottom of a deep baking dish,  spread a thin layer of sauce, add all the pasta, pour the remaining sauce over the noodles and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the dish.  Dot with a little butter (1 TB) if desired.  It will appear thin, but as the dish cooks, the sauce will thicken and be absorbed by the noodles.

Brown under a broiler or a very hot over (550 degrees) about 15 minutes.

This dish is perfect for making ahead of time and reheating just before serving.  Another option is to make double the quantity and freeze some for later.  There won't be many leftovers!