6 Splurges for Reveling in Your Tax Refund (Because YOLO)
Steve Giralt
Guess who just got their tax refund back? If the answer is you, then … way to make the rest of us all jealous! The odds are that you weren't expecting this surprise check in the mail, so the question to follow is obviously how you're going to put it to good use. Here's what we're thinking: food — but just not any kind. Use this extra cash flow to make an over-the-top meal that you wouldn't normally splurge on unless it were a birthday, anniversary or some other important date (because, you know, budgets are a thing).
Mac and cheese, whether from the box or homemade, is one of those creamy, comforting recipes that can be as frugal as you want it to be. Luckily, in honor of your refund (cha- ching!), you deserve nothing less than Ina Garten's Lobster Mac and Cheese from Food Network Magazine (pictured above). Stir plump morsels of sweet lobster into a killer creamy blend made with Gruyère, extra-sharp cheddar and a hit of nutmeg. Because, let's be honest, when you just got your refund, are you going to take your mac and cheese any other way? We didn't think so.
Soft like butter and super-rich, filet mignon isn't a cut you'd cook up on any old weeknight. But when your wallet has a little more padding, it changes the game. Savor the steakhouse favorite Bobby Flay's way, wrapped up in crisp butter lettuce leaves with a cloud of goat cheese and a drizzle of a honey-Dijon vinaigrette.
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Jumbo lump crab meat may not be a weekly staple in your house, but you can make an exception now that the tax gods have smiled down upon you. Sizzled until crispy on the outside, The Ultimate Crab Cakes come jam-packed with a pound and a half of jumbo lump crab meat, and the finishing touch of garlic aioli gives them a real you-done-good finish.
Your go-to pasta move might not stray far from the realm of tomatoes and basil, but grand times like these call for something that's totally posh. Ina's Lemon Capellini with Caviar for Food Network Magazine tops buttery, lemony strands of pasta with a large dollop of high-quality black caviar, giving the meal an elegant, delightfully salty finish.
Just as mushrooms and truffles go together, so do tax refunds and Ina's Fettuccine with White Truffle Butter and Mushrooms. This fancy pasta dinner may call for white truffle butter in the ingredients, but we'd gamble that some real shaved truffle over the top wouldn't hurt either.
Since when does your champagne sipping have to be reserved for birthdays, graduations and anniversaries? Having some extra dough is good reason to sip on some good bubbly, and Bobby's Grand Champagne Cocktail is just the way to make it extra special.
Hey, it's not every day you're given a little extra spending money.