Tonight we are excited to have a special dinner with all of us sitting around the table, having our meal together. But this is definitely not the norm during the week. For us, it’s Paul’s crazy work and travel schedule plus his daily commute downtown that makes it next to impossible to eat more than one meal a week together. We also know that when we DO have a chance to sit together as a family, we engage more, laugh more and even hear stories we otherwise wouldn’t have heard. We stay connected to the boys with undivided attention and we really enjoy the time together to go around the table and hear the best and worst parts of each of our days.
For tonight’s family dinner, I decided to make the ultimate comfort food; mac and cheese. I’ve never tried to make it from scratch, but the boys and I wanted to do something together in the kitchen. We looked around online for some inspiration and really created our own version, below. Now that I’m eating gluten free and low carb, I’ve been avoiding pasta, but Barilla has a gluten free option made with corn and rice flour for me to try (in small portions of course!), plus one with high protein or even high fibre whole wheat pasta.
Here’s our favourite family dinner recipe- homemade baked mac and cheese;
Ingredients:
1 package pasta (I used Barilla Gluten Free Fusilli)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 cups low fat milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
3 cups of any type of shredded cheese (I used what I had in the fridge; mozzarella, marble and old cheddar)
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.
2. In a large pot of salted water, half-cook the macaroni noodles.
3. Whisk the egg and milk together then add melted butter or margarine. Stir well.
4. Add 2 1/2 cups of cheese (saving the remaining 1/2 cup) and breadcrumbs to the bowl. Mix well.
5. Place the lightly cooked pasta in the prepared baking dish. Pour the egg, crumbs, milk and cheese liquid over the macaroni and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix again.
6. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
7. Bake uncovered, for about 30 or until the top is brown and crispy (if you like it softer, cover for half of the cooking time).
Tip: You can’t go wrong by mixing and matching up the cheeses. Find what you have in the fridge and don’t be afraid to mix a few together! You can add some kick with a tex mex blend of cheese or stick to just medium cheddar. It’s up to you!
What about you?
Do you eat dinner together every night? What gets in the way of your ability to have regular family dinners through the week?
A new study hosted on the Angus Reid Forum for Barilla Canada reveals that although nearly all (96 per cent) Canadian parents surveyed feel sharing meals is important to connecting with their children, less than half (46 per cent) have family meals every day. These stats prove that we are not the only ones that struggle to share the table during the week. Eighty-seven percent of parents also feel that they’re more connected to their children’s lives when they eat dinner together, so Barilla has launched a new initiative to encourage more families to Share the Table™ (#SharetheTable on Twitter and Instagram). With games to have some fun while you eat, family placemats to create together, and recipes the kids will love.
Here’s to more family dinners together!
Don’t forget to enter to win one of three trips to Italy! Families are asked to visit Barilla.ca and submit photos or text demonstrating how they are making dinner a more significant, fun and meaningful occasion. Share your photos with #SharetheTable and submissions will be entered to win a trip for four to Italy until July 31, 2015.