Sure, we’re all trying to lose those pesky 10 or 15 or whatever pounds, but that’s no reason to not keep a pint of heavy cream in the refrigerator.
Truth is, a little fat like that can go a long way to turning a basic dish into one that is exceedingly comforting. Steak, for example, is dramatically improved with a cream-based pan sauce. Pureed vegetable soups taste like indulgences with just a bit of cream. And don’t even get me started about what it does for mashed potatoes and baked sweet potatoes.
And none of these recipes requires a ton of cream, so you won’t necessarily bust your diet. Think of it as a seasoning or accent flavor, something to tie everything together.
To make my point, here is a simple and delicious weeknight-friendly pasta dinner that uses a bit of heavy cream to make the dish taste like you spent way longer on it. If you’d prefer a vegetarian version, just leave out the ground beef. And, of course, this dish is plenty versatile. Add veggies as you see fit, or substitute ground pork or chicken for the beef.