Taking Comfort in Comfort Food

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“If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him…the people who give you their food give you their heart.” —Cesar Chavez

I’m obsessed with food and cooking. I’m not the best cook, and I’m not always the healthiest eater, but I’m very interested in most food related topics.

I also experienced (and still do) what many moms experience: feeding anxiety. I wonder if my baby has enough to eat, if he is getting the right kinds of food, when he throws all of his food all over the floor, is enough making it into his mouth so he won’t go hungry, and oh.my.gosh. am I giving him a complex because of my own hang-ups?

I try to temper these feelings of anxiety and worry by embracing what I know and love to do. I love to cook foods with bright, vibrant flavors. I love to serve (and eat) a wide variety of foods, and I love to know that others enjoy what I serve.

Around here, food is love.

So early on I started to feed Jacob all of the foods that we eat for dinner. I always made extra so he would have variety for the week. The results have been amazing, and I’ll write a different post about variety in the diet.

This is not about that variety.  This is definitely not that.

This is about comfort foods.  I always keep a few stand-bys on hand for my son. Frozen veggies that can easily be heated up and placed on his high chair tray (he loves broccoli and asparagus), poached chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken from HEB, which can be chopped up and easily picked up by little baby fingers, fruit-tons and tons of fruit, And yes, noodles, or my favorite: mac and cheese.

Friends, I am REALLY into mac and cheese. It is one of my favorite things to eat.  It brings me so much comfort and real pleasure.

Pure joy!
Pure joy!

I’ve experimented with a ton of different recipes for Thanksgiving, which are great for big to-dos and serving a crowd. But when it comes to just whipping up a batch of something that will be easy, and last in the fridge, I think I’ve got the perfect recipe. The original inspiration came from an article from Parents Magazine. The recipe called for reduced fat cheese and milk, and fat free Greek yogurt. I was fully inspired by the simplicity of the recipe and the limited time it took to prepare, but I’m a full-fat dairy girl, and needed to make some changes.

So, without too much more on my full-fat dairy preferences (write in the comments if you want to discuss this), I give you a really easy, really delicious, mac and cheese that you can count on for tiny fingers (and parent cravings).

This isn’t a precise recipe because it has been so heavily modified. You should experiment with the consistency that makes you and your family happy. 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb small cut pasta-I like small shells lately but have used wagon wheels, cavatappi, elbows, etc.
  • 2 T butter
  • 2 T. flour
  • about 1 c. whole milk
  • about 1.5 c. shredded cheese (I use a colby jack blend)
  • about 2-3 T. full-fat plain Greek yogurt depending on how tangy you like your mac and cheese

Remember, I like full-fat dairy. You can and should feel free to used reduced fat dairy options. This recipe will be just as easy and delicious.

  1. Boil the pasta according to the package, drain, return to large pot and keep warm-ish on the stove.
  2. Melt butter over medium heat, careful not to burn and whisk in flour- should be a thick paste
  3. Add in milk and stir stir stir until milk butter and flour become thick and saucy.
  4. Take the pot off of the heat and stir in the shredded cheese. Mix well.
  5. Finally throw in that Greek yogurt and stir.
  6. Fold the sauce into the pasta, season to taste, and serve.

Recipe Mac and Cheese-01

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rachelcarreon
Rachel Carreon grew up in the north suburbs of Chicago and has since lived in Portland, Oregon, Strasbourg, France, and Phoenix, Arizona, but is most proud to call the Rio Grande Valley her home. She works full-time for a national education non-profit as a leadership development consultant, and was formerly a teacher in a k-3 self-contained special education setting. She lives with her husband Robert , their 4 year old son and 2 year old daughter. They also have a blue heeler mix named Huck. Rachel loves cooking for friends and family, running outdoors and all kinds of exercise, and playing outside with her family. Rachel is excited to build community with readers, to share a bit of herself, and to learn from others and their experiences.

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