comfort food

B. isn't feeling well, so for Saturday dinner I made soup. I had a broccoli cheese soup mix I'd picked up, and all I needed to buy was a small carton of half-and-half and a package of shredded cheddar, of which I used half each.

Unfortunately we didn't much like the soup, and - unusually - I had to throw the rest out. Next time I'm returning to the old broccoli cheese soup mix.

Sunday I come home late in the afternoon and B. informs me that she had tomato soup for lunch, so let's have something besides soup for dinner.

Some other kind of comfort food. What shall I make?

Well, I have half a carton of half-and-half and half a package of shredded cheddar left over. What can I make with that?

How about macaroni and cheese? I've rarely made mac and cheese from scratch before, and when I did it was a special recipe that didn't use milk. I'm running short on time before dinner, so I wing it. I boil up the rest of the wagon-wheel pasta I bought in Missouri. I utter a small prayer that I have not lost my hard-won skill at making a white sauce that doesn't turn out totally lumpy. My prayers are answered. Add the cheese, and some of the Mexican cheese mix that's also in the fridge. Throw in some extra chicken and some leftover spinach, and a lotta sauteed onion and garlic. Bread crumbs on top. Bake for 20 minutes, and it's a warm comfort food dinner.