Simple Ideas for Making a Meal Special

Do you have a memory from the past, a time when you enjoyed a special meal?  (At the bottom, I share a few of mine).  Maybe it was far away or in a fancy restaurant, but it might also be a time around your kitchen table.  While many of us are ready for a break from our own kitchens, it doesn't have to take too much effort to make a meal just a little bit special.  And with Valentine's Day just around the corner, why not give it a try?

 Like I said, the food itself, does not have to be fancy.  Sometimes the food tastes better (or at least we perceive that it does), when it is served differently.  Instead of a big casserole dish, serve the food in individual bowls.  Serve your family directly, bringing their plate to them (like in a restaurant), but then of course, be okay with the fact that they may not finish the food as they did not serve themselves.

 

 

I love little dishes.  I like my food being in different containers.  While many complain about airline food, I do like that the food comes in all of these little containers.  It just seems special to me, somehow (even if the taste could be improved! ;)  ).  

I did say the food could be simple, right?  In this case, I am showcasing a familiar standby:  homemade macaroni and cheese.  This is such a great thing to be able to make.  You may be more familiar with Kraft Dinner, and there is nothing wrong with that.  In fact, you could easily make that and serve it out of individual bowls.  However, there is something so good about making your own. There are many possible variations, but basically you need cheese sauce and pasta.  If you are looking for a recipe you could try this one. 

A cheese sauce is a lovely thing...and once you know how to make it, you can serve it over vegetables, use it in pasta, try it as a fondue, etc.  This one was made with some Imperial Cheddar Cheese that we had leftover from Christmas.  Do you know the kind I mean?  It comes in a red container.  We buy it once a year and then try to make it last until Christmas. This time, we were too good, and then it was close to expiring.  I used it in the cheese sauce and then froze the leftover cheese sauce.  Did you know that you can freeze cheese sauce?

 

I simply boiled the pasta until cooked and then stirred in the cheese sauce.  At this point, there are so many options.  If you want to make it extra special, add a different cheese, or a combination.  Or you could add cooked bacon, sauteed onions, leftover cooked sausage, sauteed green peppers, etc.  Keep in mind who you are cooking for.  Is your crowd one who prefers just macaroni and cheese?  You can always serve a few of these things on the side, too.

 

One side benefit when it comes to using small containers, at least for me, is that you can help your self with portion control :)

 

Now, to make this simple dish a bit more special, I mixed Panko breadcrumbs and melted butter together, and placed this on top. This was a little trick I learned from Chef Todd at Eagle Bay Camp.  Delish!  From here, you can bake these or cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you are ready to cook them.

 

Aren't they cute?

After baking, they are toasty on the top :)

And if you are looking for a side dish, go with something you or your family enjoy.  I happened to have Brussels Sprouts, so I baked a bag, with some pancetta, olive oil, salt and pepper.  I love to drizzle mine with Balsamic Reduction.  Your family may prefer Caesar Salad.

 

A few notes about memorable meals...

Remember that for most of us what is memorable is not necessarily the best tasting meal we have ever had. It is probably memorable because it was different.  I recall eating a meal of taco chips, tuna with sweet corn, and water, one evening in Bath, UK.  Jim and I had gotten lost and by the time we got back to the Roman Baths, on our last night there, we did not have time to go out for dinner, as planned.  If we wanted to see the Roman Baths before they closed, it was going to have to be a quick meal on a park bench.  Not the most tasty of meals we had, but one of the most memorable!

I still have memories from my childhood where we would be given a clue to where our meal was...it was like a scavenger hunt.  We would go to the bathtub and find another note, telling us where to go next.  The final clue took us to the living room where we found our picnic meal.  I have no idea what the meal was, but wow!  It was so exciting to sit on the floor for supper!

 

Another memory was one where my parents took us to Safeway and we were allowed to buy what we wanted for dinner.  I remember that I bought 1 liter of chocolate milk that I shared with my brother, and I chose a "Hungry Man TV Dinner".  Too funny!  But boy, was it enjoyed!  It was much cheaper than a restaurant meal and much less work for my Mom.

 

Whatever you choose to do, be gentle with yourself! Getting any meal on the table is a feat these days!  Especially if you are a parent of young ones.