Frugal fast food...

...and comforting, too.

Here's a really, really easy recipe. It's frugal, tasty, flexible, and can have dinner on the table in under fifteen minutes.

Easy Macaroni Cheese. Serves 4.

Boil some pasta. Macaroni wold, of course, be authentic, but I most often use other shapes, because that's what I have in my cupboard. 250g will be about right, if you want to measure it.

While the pasta is cooking, grate 200g of cheese, whatever sort you like.

Drain the pasta, then stir in half a pot of creme fraiche. I use reduced fat, most of the time. Add the cheese, and let it melt and go nice and gooey.

And that's it - super easy!

Of course, you can add all sorts of things to this, to add interest, flavour, texture and vitamins. Veg could easily be cooked with the pasta, such as some frozen peas, sweetcorn or some frozen mixed veg. Left over cooked veg can be added with the creme fraiche, and warmed through. Some chopped up ham, or cooked bacon, would turn this into a quick carbonara. Some spinach could be wilted into the sauce at the end, it would only take a moment or two.

A recipe like this is really useful, as it makes a meal from just a few simple ingredients, and can help you resist the temptation of the takeaway!