They Don't Just Make Cakes Anymore

It's been interesting seeing who's gotten into the mac n' cheese business.  So far, most of the pre-made or quick make options I've found have been made by companies that are known for cheese/dairy (Kraft) or for making meals, either in restaunts or as pre-cooked vareties.  I've only found a few special cases so far bucking that trend.  Nissin sneaking in with their ramen noodle mac and now Betty Crocker.  Betty Crocker at least here in the US is known for baked desserts.  They are one of the big brands that do cake/cupcake mixes and frostings. They don't really step too deep into other foods as far as I have ever seen... until now.

The Review

Brand:
Betty Crocker Bowl Appetit! Three-Cheese Rotini

This is the first wittily named brand I've had on this journey.  I approve food manufacturers.  Keep it up!

Price:
$1.52 at Target

Packaging Description:
(On Front)
Great for lunch!
Easy 5-minute prep, just add water and microwave!

(On Back)
N/A
Preparation:
*Remove from the cardboard cover.

*You're going to need some hot water.  The water shouldn't be boiling, but it needs to be hot.  I didn't want to wait for the water to come out of the faucet hot, so I turned on the electric kettle we've got in the office.  I turned it off before the water started to boil.

A watched pot never boils...

*Fill the bowl up until you get the water to the fill ledge.

Another action shot.  I'm getting good at these!

*Stir to blend the cheese powder and noodles.

Even after stirring for a minute, there were still some clumps of cheese powder in some of the noodles.  It won't affect the final results.

 *Place in the microwave and cook for 4 1/2 to 6 minutes.  I split the difference and cooked it 5:15

This was boiling something crazy, I was hoping it would show up.  It didn't.

*Pull the tray out of the microwave by the handles.  Let it sit for two minutes.

Post cooking breather

*Stir it up

As this cools even more, the sauce congeals up nicely.

*Commence with the nomming!

Taste:
There wasn't a huge cheesy smell coming off of this out of the microwave and first look was a little soupy.  Giving it a few minutes to rest really allowed things to solidify nicely.  The noodles with this were quite al dente at first.  Some were very under cooked.  As I ate through the meal the noodles must have absorbed additional cheesy liquid and softened up because there were no additional undercooked noodles by the time I made it to the other half of the bowl.  The cheese sauce very quickly reminded me not only in taste, but in texture to my vintage Chow Noodles! .  The noodles didn't taste like ramen noodles, but the sauce really made me think thats what I was eating. 


Final Score:
Another surprise meal.  A mac I didn't think would be all that good, was pretty decent.  The extra step of needing hot water from the beginning, though not difficult can add some extra work to prepping if you don't have a quick heat kettle or aren't in the mood to run the faucet long enough (wasting lots in the process) to get hot water for the meal.  Some of the noodles coming out very undercooked at first was a little bothersome, but it wasn't so bad that the meal wasn't enjoyable.  Just like the Chow Noodles, this bowl is loaded with sodium so keep that in mind if you're planning on having a stash of these in your cupboard. 

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size 1 bowl (88g)
Servings Per Container  1

Calories  340  Calories From Fat 60
Total Fat 7g (11% Daily Value)
Saturated Fat 2.5g (13% DV)
Trans Fat 2g
Cholesterol 10mg (4% DV)
Sodium 1020mg (42% DV)
Potassium 340mg (10% DV)
Total Carbohydrates 59g (20% DV)
Dietary Fiber 2g (6% DV)
Sugar 9g
Protein 10g