Comfort

[nutty_irishman]

The autumn weather, my relationship drama, and recent dental work all have me longing for comfort food. Here are two of my favorite recipes:

Macaroni and cheese
Serves 4

• 1 lb sturdy, hollow pasta (e.g., elbows or seashells)
• 1 lb sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3 cans (10½ oz each) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• ½ cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Begin boiling water for the pasta.
3. Empty condensed soup into a saucepan. Do not dilute the soup according to the instructions on the cans. Instead, add only a splash of milk, no more than ½ cup. Warm over medium heat.
4. Add salt and pepper.
5. Slice Cheddar cheese thinly, adding to the sauce as you go along. Stir often until cheese is thoroughly melted and mixed into the sauce.
6. Add pasta to boiling water. Cook for only half the listed time.
7. Drain pasta and combine with sauce in a casserole dish.
8. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
9. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve.

Optional: In step 5, withhold enough cheese to form a thin layer on top of the dish. Add the layer of cheese before baking, and uncover the casserole for the last 3-5 minutes of cooking. This will form a cheesy crust. I suppose you could also add breadcrumbs, but I've never tried it.

Variants: If you absolutely cannot tolerate mushrooms - they look funny, but they're actually quite unobtrusive - you can make the dish with other condensed cream soups instead. I've personally tried cream of broccoli soup, and it's pretty good. Also see baked spaghetti below.

Reheating: This dish makes for excellent leftovers. Put the remainder in a non-stick pot. Add another splash of milk to rehydrate. Stir over medium heat until hot.

Baked spaghetti
Serves 4

• 1 lb thick spaghetti
• 1 lb sharp Cheddar cheese
• 3 cans (14½ oz each) tomato sauce
• ½ cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Follow the instructions for macaroni and cheese above, using thick spaghetti for the pasta and tomato sauce instead of condensed soup.