Today’s bento is quick and simple. And alot of it you saw last week. But that’s okay. This week is normally my busiest of the work month. Getting ready for meetings, sitting through meetings, and the aftermath of the meeting (i.e. work assigned to me) take up much of my time. Said meetings means lunch out with coworkers, which is always enjoyable. However, in the end, it all leaves me ready for a home-cooked meal, even if the meal is one the fail column that week on the success/failure scale.
This has been such a week. Tuesday, I had a bento all planned out. This week, I should have had bentos on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. However, I was so disappointed with Tuesday’s big lunchtime recipe fail that I just said PFFFTTTT! and grabbed a quick bite to eat during the day.
What was the big fail you ask? Alton Brown’s Stovetop Mac ‘n Cheese. In fact, I complained about it on Facebook.
My mom said, “How can you mess up mac and cheese? Must have been some pretty awful cheese.”
The Feisty Foodie said, “Are you crazy, I loved that [stuff].”
My response, “I must be, because that was the most god awful thing I’ve ever tasted.”
But my mom’s comment, and Yvo’s subsequent messages, made me think maybe it was the cheese. It was just store brand (Wal-Mart Great Value) sharp cheddar cheese. I’ll never buy Wal-Mart’s store brand of cheese again. Because when I opened the bag, it had a most unpleasant smell. And I’ve had sharp cheddar before, normally the Tillamook brand. I use that to make baked macaroni and cheese. I like it.
Anyhow, my first attempt at the mac ‘n cheese was grainy, distastefully, and just a weird globby mess. Also, there was WAY WAY too much cheesy sauce. I mean WAY too much. I like my macaroni ‘n cheese slightly coated with creamy, cheesy goodness. Not swimming in it where I can’t find the macaroni. I gagged when I tried to eat it. I placed it in a container in the fridge, thinking I would give the dogs a spoonful everyday with their food. However, I’m not sure I can subject them to that mess, though I know they wouldn’t complain.
Yesterday, I picked up a new block of cheese. This time a block instead of pre-shredded since I know using block cheese is supposed to be better for this sort of thing (or so I’ve always been told). I retried the recipe this morning. However, I must admit to cooking the full 1/2 lb of macaroni it calls for but halving the amounts in the sauce portion of the recipe. This worked much better for me.
All in all, this is tasty…enough. But nothing that knocks my shoes off and makes me say WOW! To me, it’s just alright.
Sorry, Mr. Brown. You just don’t hold a candle to my mom’s tastier-to-me and much simpler mac ‘n cheese. I’m sticking with that recipe (or really method) from now on.
Hey, you live and learn. But it looks good to me!!!!
I will admit it tastes better on day two reheated than it did on day one just out of the pot.
Haha, well, at least now you know I’m not insane. And thanks for censoring me!
By which I mean, for cleaning up my language so I sound all proper and ladylike and all lol
HAHAHAHAH! No problem. I don’t tend to curse too much on the blog. Off the blog. Well, you know the truth. LOL!
While it sounds like the first round was due to the weird Walmart cheese, I have to agree about that recipe. I’ve made it a few times, and I just didn’t love it. I don’t think cheddar should be the main cheese in Mac n Cheese. It doesn’t melt well – it separates into milk solids and oil, as hard cheese tend to do. I am still looking for the best recipe, but I have a few I like well enough. I haven’t yet tried the ones you’ve posted but I think I might. I have a hankering.
I always have hankering for mac ‘n cheese. I will say this about Alton’s recipe. It was MUCH better the second day. Which makes me wonder if the cheese solidified in a way after the cooking process in my fridge. It definitely tasted better to me. Though, I doubt I’ll make this recipe again.
Gotta say, I still have a soft spot for my mother’s recipe: 2 C macaroni, one block of Kraft Cracker Barrel cut into cubes, 1 can Spam ditto; boil macaroni, drain, return to pot, mix in cheese and Spam until cheese is melted. If the Spam melts, run for the hills. Pure 50′s. Of course, if I was introduced to it today things might be different. (Yeah, right.)
On another note, I linked here for the first time today from Just Bento (the chocolate giveaway) and I am delighted I did. We seem to have started in much the same place, though I kinda wandered from the path. I love your blog! It’s on my reading list now with Maki’s and Biggie’s.
OH, I know family members that like it that way too.
And thank you for the lovely blog compliments. I feel so happy to be in such great company on your blog list. Welcome to NEB!