By This week is the week before the anniversary. April 16th. One year. The last time the calendar held this date, my mother was alive — barely, on hospice, in the hospital bed facing the kitchen, asking me to start the ham. This time the calendar holds the date and it holds only absence. The number. The memory. The ham I made and the woman who asked for it.
I've been cooking all week. Not for anyone — for myself. For the process. For the way the knife hits the cutting board and the onion releases its smell and the oil pops in the skillet and the world shrinks to the size of a pot and inside the pot is something I can control. Monday: collard greens. Tuesday: fried chicken. Wednesday: peach cobbler. Thursday: cornbread. I am cooking Brenda's greatest hits in the kitchen where her can sits on the counter, and I am not crying. I am practicing. I am rehearsing for Monday. I am teaching my hands to hold the recipes without shaking so that when the day comes, I can cook and stand and serve and survive.
Derek texted. Simple: "Thinking about you this week. No pressure. Just wanted you to know." Eight words. No pressure. Just presence. The text sat on my phone like a warm hand on a cold day. I didn't respond for three hours because I didn't know what to say. Then I wrote: "Thank you. That means more than you know." He wrote back: a single heart emoji. Derek Washington communicates in heart emojis and coffee dates and the particular kindness of a man who knows when to show up and when to stay back. The man has emotional intelligence. After Terrell, I didn't know they made those.
Marcus and Jasmine made me dinner Friday night. Without asking. Marcus made his tacos. Jasmine made cornbread. They set the table. They lit a candle (where did they get a candle? Marcus said, "Dollar Tree." Of course. Dollar Tree provides all things). They said, "Sit down, Mama." I sat. They served me. My children — thirteen and ten — served me dinner the week before the anniversary of their grandmother's death because they know their mother needs to be held and they know that the way I hold people is with food and so they held me with food. I ate every bite. I told them it was perfect. It was.
Marcus’s tacos that Friday night were simple — ground beef, seasoning packet, shredded cheese, the works — and they were everything. So when I think about what recipe to share this week, it has to be something a kid can make. Something warm and cheesy and forgiving. This taco mac and cheese is that dish: one skillet, thirty minutes, and the kind of comfort that says sit down, Mama without a single word.
Easy 30-Minute Taco Macaroni and Cheese
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet (1 ounce) taco seasoning
- 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
- 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- Diced tomatoes
- Sliced green onions
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Brown the beef. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
- Season. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the beef and stir to coat evenly. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add liquids and pasta. Pour in the diced tomatoes with green chiles, beef broth, and water. Stir in the uncooked macaroni. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
- Make it cheesy. Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream until melted and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve. Spoon into bowls and add your favorite toppings. Best served immediately, preferably by someone you love.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 485 | Protein: 30g | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 36g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 890mg