I’m not going to lie… I make this when I’ve ran out of food! I always have the ingredients in the press and fridge, so it’s a simple go to. It also doesn’t take much time to cook so is a real win. I serve it with some heated mixed veg (from frozen often) on the side. This meal, despite it’s simplicity, provides lots of protein and fibre so is lovely and balanced. The recipe serves a family of 4.
Ingredients
- 2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed (depends how much you like garlic!)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil/ butter
- 250ml milk
- 450ml stock (veg or chicken)
- 200g pasta
- 60g mature cheddar (kids can be funny about colour so can be best to use yellow!)
- optional: 1-2 tsp smoked paprika (start with 1 and increase to 2 if you like the smoky flavour) or 1-2 tsp parsley (herbs & spices are optional. If a child is fussy, it can be a step too far!)
How to make it
- Cook the garlic in the olive oil on a low heat. Be careful not to cook it for long as it can burn.
- Next add the milk and heat it up before adding the stock.
- Now add in your pasta (whatever shape, spaghetti works well too). Stir it all with a spoon.
- Cook for 17 to 20 minutes or until the pasta is soft and the liquid has reduced.
- Finally add the cheese and paprika/ parsley. Stir and serve!
- Sometimes I serve the kids pasta and then quickly add some strong blue cheese to mine and my husbands. It melts quickly and gives an unreal flavour.
- Serve with some veg on the side. I usually use the likes of edamame beans (can buy them frozen) as they add more protein (10g) and fibre (10g) to the dish. It provides plenty of protein for me (20g per meal) and my kids. However, my husbands protein targets are higher than ours (30g per meal)!
