I've got a number of foodie coworkers, but one often makes some pretty amazing things and brings in the leftovers for lunch. While she's feasting on her meals, I'm often in the kitchen too, making meals pulled from the freezer for this blog. We've had a number of conversations about my love of comfort foods and our mutual love of crunchy snacks (we'll share that bag of chips or pretzels to help each other out) and once she found out that I was going whole hog into creating a mac n' cheese blog she said that she was worried about what I could be doing to my stomach and offered to bring in for me a healthier home made mac.
You read that right. A foodie is going to make me a special lunch, for no reason other than because she's just that kind of person. I really do work with a GREAT group of people and I can't thank my coworker enough for her kindness in doing this for me.
Some may say, "Steve are you actually going to review your coworker's mac that they brought in for you?" And to that I can only reply with a resounding YES! She made this for me (and for the blog) so it's only fair that I give it the same treatment that I give all my other macs. I won't pull punches, but looking at it, I don't think i'll have to either.
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| My FIRST mac made exclusively for the blog and I. I was so excited by the fact I got a special homemade brought into the office just for me, that I didn't take any other pictures because I was too busy eating it all up. |
The Review
Name:
DT's Healthier mac n' cheese, just for Steve
Cooking Time:
This was reheated in our work toaster oven for between 10 and 15 minutes. I went covered for about 10 and uncovered until I started to smell the bread crumbs brown up. Initial prep would be approximately 20 minutes with cooking 20 more based on what my coworker said she did and how it compared to what I did for the homestyle I've made and reviewed.
Price:
Like with the Casa de Steve mac n' cheese, the majority of the cost is tied up in the cheese. This mac had some aged Parmesan, aged Cheddar and one or two other varieties tossed in. The remainder of the ingredients, milk, bread butter and pasta are all pretty small costs. I don't know the cost and I wouldn't ask. I was raised that it's just rude to ask how much a present someone else gives you cost them. It's the thought and effort put into it, not the cost!
Ingredients Needed:
I don't have the recipe and this coworker tends to go by feel for many of her meals, but you'll need noodles, cheese, butter, flour, milk and bread crumbs. (Check out my above linked home made for general ideas on quantity)
The bread crumbs were the remanints of a loaf of wheat bread from a local bakery that was sent through the food processor and crumbified.
Preparation:
*Cook noodles
*Make your roux (melt butter, mix flour into it, add milk and stir until thick and almost boiling)
*Chop up cheese
*Mix roux, cheese and cooked noodles together in a casserole dish.
*Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top.
*Cook for ~20 minutes.
*Let rest for 3-5 minutes.
*Serve up in your favorite bowl.
*Commence with the nomming!
Taste:
I smelled the toasting breadcrumbs before I smelled the mac n' cheese. The mac came out of the toaster oven sizzling. The noodles were spirals and were nice and firm. If I didn't see them (whole wheat noodles are a bit darker than standard flour noodles) I wouldn't have known the difference. The cheese blend used was quite tasty and you could taste the Asiago's sharpness though it wasn't overpowering in the slightest. The sauce was on the lighter side and was a nice change from the roux that I make for my go to homestyle (a bit thicker and one that sticks to the pasta more).
Final Score:
This mac was awesome. Because it was healthier I was told by my coworker numerous times that there wasn't hardly any butter in it, 2% milk and whole wheat pasta were used. I couldn't tell that hardly any butter was used. I couldn't tell that 2% milk was used and there was no noticeable difference in taste or texture between the whole wheat spiral pasta and any standard pasta I've ever had. She was worried that I wouldn't find it cheesy enough (I did) and that the roux wasn't very present (it did just what it was supposed to do). I had a horribly hard time not eating it all at work because I really wanted Sharen to get a crack at it. I was able to save a corner (the best part!) and cooked it up in the oven for her that night. Even though she was only able to experience two or three bites she also loved it. Two loves totally make a right.
Nutritional Information:
It's healthier! What more can I tell you?!? Eat up*!
*In moderation of course
It was soooo yummy. <3 Now I am jonesing for some more of that terrific Mac n' Cheese.
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