Easy Summer Meal Ideas

Summer is a time when nobody (regardless of personality type) wants to slave over a stove for long but rather enjoy a beautiful day & the company they keep. So I’ve got a few ideas, stolen from people with actual culinary talents, to make this a reality. First up is Martha Stewart Living’s Speedy and Silky Mac and Cheese from her May issue. Quick, easy and I had all of the ingredients in my very pantry except one and of my Kraft Mac n Cheese loving kids (& husband) devoured it. Read on for the recipe plus a few small dish ideas. 

The best part of this mac and cheese recipe is that it lends itself to dropping in whatever stuff you have on hand. For my husband I put peas in plus some bacon and voila it was what passes for gourmet in my home. Another riff on summer mac n cheese is to do pasta and mix it with parmesan, a little reserved water from boiling the pasta and tons of fresh lemon juice, salt & pepper. You can throw in shrimp or basil or just leave it be as is. That last one is from my sister-in-law, Becca.

Martha Stewart Living’s Speedy & Silky Mac and Cheese

Active/Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 4 [I’d say more like 4-6 depending on people’s appetite. It’s an entire box of spaghetti]

2 to 3 slices rustic bread such as ciabbatta, trimmed of crusts and cut into 1-inch pieces [I skipped this bit as it seemed labor intensive and superfluous for my pedestrian children & husband]

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter [only need if you do the annoying breadcrumb bit]

coarse salt & freshly ground pepper

1 pound spaghetti [one box]

3 large eggs, room temperature [I couldn’t wait for them to be warm temperature so I mixed them up as is]

1 ounce Parmesan about 1/2 cup [I used my never seems to age Kraft parmesan cheese]

1 ounce sharp cheddar about 1/2 cup finely grated [I did a little extra because why not?]

1/2 cup heavy cream [only thing not in my larder]

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1. Pulse bread in a food processor until coarsely ground (should make 1 cup). Toast breadcrumbs in a large skillet over medium heat, tossing until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes, remove from heat and add butter, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Cook pasta in a large pot of generously salted water until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain.

3. Meanwhile, whist together eggs, both cheeses, cream and mustard in a bowl.

4. Return pasta to pot and add egg mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring, until sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Add reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until pasta is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, topped with breadcrumbs [unless you’re lazy like me in which case you skip this step]

An now to my bastardized side ideas … last night Amanda had burrata which she put in a bowl and mashed up with chopped basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt & pepper. We had it over what I thought was store bought, pre-sliced, delicious toasted ciabbata. I could’ve eaten the entire bowl myself. Then one of the sides she had along with our grilled steaks was summer tomatoes with sea salt, chopped up basil and some olive oil drizzled over it all. Those two dishes probably took her 15 minutes to do IF that much time. Happy summer folks. Bon Appetit!