This guest post comes from Natalie and Holly over at The Modern Proper. Their mission is to change the way people think about hospitality, one delicious recipe at a time — and in our series with them, we’re excited to share recipes that will nourish you, your family, and loved ones alike. Here, they’re sharing the antidote to your busy, empty-fridge, and forgotten-ingredient dinnertime woes: A crowd-pleasing homemade mac and cheese made with just four ingredients that you most likely already have on-hand.
If you're anything like me, you muster the creativity and energy to get a from-scratch meal on the table 2-3 nights a week, tops. Don't get me wrong, a sit-down meal with my husband and kids at the end of a long day is at the top of my priority list, but oftentimes the meals we share consist of leftovers, take out, or what I call “cheater meals” (a rotisserie chicken, a baguette, and some sliced fresh fruit and veggies).
There was a season that began somewhere in between post-wedded bliss and ended not long after the arrival of my second child (and a failed attempt at freezer meals) that I abandoned the notion of 5-7 individual dinners cooked at home every week, and was forced to accept that I just couldn't do it all. To me, “it all” meant play with the kids (because this remains at the top of the important pile), maintaining a semi-clean house, shopping for necessities, being social, maintaining my Instagram account (that's a full-time job right there), AND making all those homemade meals. Something had to give—and give it did.
After getting pregnant with my third (and feeling all of what pregnant with your third, having two kids, two dogs, and a husband who works long hours means), it's safe to say the pendulum has at times swung hard the other way. There have been weeks (and I'm ashamed to say even months) where a from-scratch meal was the exception, rather than the norm. The nausea and general malaise associated with pregnancy aside, I have come to realize that my dinner time success or failure is 100% dependent on how prepared I am. If meat is not defrosted, forget it (call me crazy but I'm not a fan of throwing that stuff in the microwave). If I was planning on making Mexican but the avocados have gone bad, I guess we're calling in Chinese. If I have everything prepared to make a great salad, but realize I neglected to buy spinach, out goes that plan as well.
I'm not about to “hop in the car” with my two kids at dinner time to remedy the situation, so plan B often comes into play. As they say, “Know thyself” … and in my case, thyself needs to be fully prepared if homemade dinner is happening amidst the hustle and bustle of a busy week. I like being adventurous and trying out a couple new recipes here and there, and I’m even willing to spend a good chunk of time on a meal a couple times a week, but I now realize that if I shoot for new or complicated every night, I quickly get burnt out. I need those go-to meals in my back pocket that are no-brainers. These meals need to be hearty, simple, use ingredients I usually have on-hand, and delicious. I've learned I'm not willing to sacrifice delicious. Ever. Like never. (It’s true. In our pre-marital counseling, my husband complained that I spent too much on food, I cried and told him I just couldn't eat bad food. Nothing was resolved, but our marriage lives on.)
One of my favorite go-to’s is this homemade mac and cheese. I feel confident saying that there are few dishes one can consistently eat at a nice restaurant, where if they're done right, they taste like they were made at home. Mac and cheese is such a dish. When done right, nothing beats homemade. Cheese, cream, butter, noodles. Nothing more, nothing less, and you have perfection. Kids love it, adults love it, and it's really hard to screw up. Sounds like my kind of meal. The fact that it can be made in under 20 minutes doesn't hurt either.
I love adding a bit of organic grilled chicken sausage and sautéing up whatever fresh veggies I have on-hand to throw inside it. Some fresh basil and chopped tomatoes are great, too. And some caramelized onions and bacon never hurt anybody. There's really nothing you can add to this mac and cheese to make it taste bad (that might not be true, but you get my point). The sky’s the limit and this is the perfect dish to use up whatever you have on hand, or make over and over again with little flavor tweaks each time. So, the next time you're at the store, stock up on macaroni noodles and liberate yourself (and your weeknight dinner routine) with this easy, crowd-pleasing recipe.
4-Ingredient Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry pasta noodles (we used Italian cavatappi)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup parmesan, shredded
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ tsp salt (optional)
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Season water with 2 tsp salt.
- Cook pasta according to directions, or 8-10 minutes.
- While pasta is cooking, heat cream in a heavy saucepan or cast iron skillet along with the cheeses and ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper.
- Mix together with cooked noodles and serve.
