Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Grilled Hot Dogs and Mac & Cheese -- Did I Say it Was a "Side Dish"?

My son has friends over, and they're still young enough that they can enjoy a side serving of mac & cheese along with whatever I've got on the grill -- which is usually hamburgers or hot dogs.

Well, they were involved in their videogames and then into the pool and the food is ready. I can't let it go to waste (or is that "waist"?).

First off, the homemade macaroni and cheese is a family recipe going back at least ... a decade or two. It had to start somewhere. Basically, it's a box of pasta, the sliced cheese from Costco (not the Kraft singles, ick!) and some milk. Single servings can be made using any leftover plain pasta, some cheese, milk and the microwave. That's just as good, if not better, because it's individualized.

Today, I made the full box, filling a sauce pot with elbows and cheese. I added in a couple of ounces of shredded cheddar cheese to give it a little more flavor. That was for them.

For me, I took a serving in a bowl, took a hot dog and sliced it, added a couple of tablespoons of salsa (I'm liking salsa). Mixed it and nuked it for 22 seconds. (The M&C had cooled off although the hot dog was right off the grill.)

Nice. This is comfort food. I need the comforting. They're hogging the pool.