The Wheels In The Sky Keep On Turning

I don't have too many rules that I've set in place for Mac N' Steve.  Try all the kinds I can find (even the scary ones I would never eat normally) and don't review the kinds that the only difference is the pasta shape.  We're in for the whole experience and a elbow vs a straight noodle really isn't going to change the dynamic of the meal.  Today's meal was my first conundrum that I wasn't sure what I should do.  I decided to allow it because in the end, it was different calorie wise compared to the standard mac they produce (while the weight stayed the same).  If this is the biggest problem I have in writing this blog (other than the whole eating macaroni n' cheese all the time) I think I'm doing O.K..



The Review

Brand:
Michelina's Zap'ems Gourmet: Wheels & Cheese (bought June 2012 and reviewed)
OR
Michelina's Authentico Wheels & Cheese (new branding found 7/29/12)

Zap 'ems, I hardly knew ye.  Less than a month old and you're already changing your clothes.  Was it me?  Wast it something I said about your four cheese brother?  I can do better! I can buy more (well if there are more flavors that is).

Michelina's has since rolled out some new art for their Wheels & Cheese and some new branding.  Gone are the Zap 'ems and that less than fancy appearance.  Say hello to Authentico!

Price:
$1.08 at Lucky's (on sale for $1.00)

Packaging Description:
(On Front)
N/A

(On Back)
These products are dedicated to my mother, Michelina, who used only the finest ingredients when preparing her homemade sauces, pasta, and rice dishes. Don't let the low price fool you. I guarantee you'll like this product as much as or more than any similar product at even double our price. I wouldn't sell a product with my mother's name on it unless it was good and the best value.

Preparation:
*As with all Michelina's trays you need to peel up the lower left corner before you start cooking the meal.  Like both other meals, I had an incredibly hard time peeling the corner up.

If the damn corner is so important to peel up, invest in a little perforation or something.  Even if it adds a few cents to the cost of the meal, I don't think it's going to dissuade your core audience from buying it.

*Put in the microwave and cook for 3 1/2 minutes.
*Pull the meal out of the microwave, peel the cover back, but don't remove it from the bottom portion of the tray.

Just like grade school dances.  Girls on one side, boys on the other.

*Stir up the sauce and noodles and flop the cover back over the tray. 

Looks like mac n' cheese, now to get it hot like mac n' cheese.

*Cook the tray for an additional 1:30.

Second round of microwave complete. 

*With all of these microwave meals, let the mac sit for one to two minutes to cool before eating.
*Stir it up one last time.

Second round of microwave? Check!  Second mixing? Check!

*Commence with the nomming!

Taste:
Pulling the tray out of the microwave after having completed the heating It smelled cheesy, but that smell reminded me of Cheese Whiz.  The noodles were cooked and firm.  There could have been more cheese sauce, as once again it felt a bit on the lite side for the amount of pasta the dish has. The sauce was of the processed cheese variety and tasted (like it smelled) akin to Cheese Whiz, though not as strong as Cheese Whiz is.  It wasn't a bad taste, just not quite what I was expecting.

Final Score:
Michelina's seems to pull off O.K. with each of their meals.  Nothing is a home run, but nothing is so horrible that I'll never have it ever again, which is quite a surprise because I've had a number of meals that cost so much more than these do, made with higher quality ingredients and they fall far short of what this little paper tray pulls off.

Nutritional Information:
Serving Size 1 Package (213g)


Calories  320  Calories From Fat 90
Total Fat 10g (15% Daily Value)
Saturated Fat 4.5g (23% DV)
Trans Fat 0g (0% DV) 
Cholesterol 20mg (7% DV)
Sodium 620mg (26% DV)
Total Carbohydrates 43g (14% DV)
Dietary Fiber 2g (8% DV)
Sugar 2g
Protein 10g