Mac Street, U.S.A.

The focus on almost every post that I have made here on Mac N' Steve has been about macaroni and cheese meals as the entree.  I seem to be experiencing this because I am often eating these as a lunch at work and because most of these meals are heavy enough (either weight, or calorically) that they don't need something else to go along with it.

I've neglected to mention that our beloved mac n' cheese is often served as a side dish on our nightly dinner tables.  The many grocery stores that have hot foods available for purchase (like rotisserie chickens) also tend to have a small open case refrigeration unit nearby loaded with side dishes that would go well with those hot foods.  A while back I swung by one of our local grocery stores for a chicken and I walked through that strategically placed fridge full of sides.  I discovered (and rediscovered in a few instances) a whole new part of the store that had meals that I had somehow completely neglected for the blog.  Just heat sides. 

While these are often made in the microwave like the countless frozen meals are.  These aren't sold frozen, have a much shorter shelf life (we're talking 30 days, vs. the a year or more frozen options have) and are much larger than the typical one person sized dishes. 

I had the chicken, I wonder how this mac will take it's role as a rhythm instrument rather than the lead on the dinner plate. 

Brand:
Reser's Fine Foods: Main St. Bistro Contemporary Comfort Classics Baked Sides : Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Longest. Name. Ever.

Price:
$4.99 at Lucky's

Packaging Description:
(On Front)
N/A

(On Back)
At Main Street Bistro every dish we make is a celebration of classic American comfort food.  We start with time-honored recipes, add fresh ingredients, and then oven bake them for the finest quality.  The results? Rich, flavorful Baked Sides with beautiful golden-brown toppings - ready for you to heat and enjoy.

Preparation:
**Note**
When there is an option to prepare the meal (meaning microwave or oven) I take the microwave option.  This time I used the oven because I figured there wouldn't be a possibility of a crispy top coming out of the microwave and because I had the time for it to cook in the oven. 

*Preheat the oven to 350.

*Remove the paper cover and the plastic film from the tray.

So you're already cooked and brown under the wrap.  Color me surprised!

Stripped and ready for reheating.

*Place the tray in the oven and cook for 20 to 22 minutes.  I split the difference and cooked it for 21 minutes.

Try as I might, I can never seem to see those wavy red lines that cook your food in the oven.

*Remove from the oven (with oven mitts, it's hot!) and let it sit for one to two minutes to cool before serving.

*Commence with the nomming!


Taste:
Out of the oven you're greeted with a cheesy smell.  Digging into the tray I noticed how thick and sticky the cheese sauce was. Once it was on the plate I was greeted with overcooked noodles that were somewhat gummy.  The cheese sauce itself had a mild cheddar taste.  The Baked top was just very cooked cheese that had been sprinkled on top of the pasta, and it looked like like American cheese that had been under the broiler almost too long.

Final Score:
This is one meal that I'm glad was a side dish.  While it was somewhat cheesy, it was really just a strange combination of cooked top (that didn't really lend anything to the meal) and a sticky gummy mess.  I really couldn't believe how sticky this was.  It stuck to the silverware, it stuck to my teeth, it stuck to everything. Having incredibly overcooked noodles just sealed it's fate and it was left on the plate.  Fortunately I got it scraped off into the garbage before it was permanently stuck to the plate.  It takes as long to cook this in the oven as it will take you to make a box of stovetop mac that you've got squirreled away in your cupboards, save yourself some wasted food and just do that.

Nutritional Information:
Serving Size 2/3 Cup (150g)
Servings Per Container 4

Calories190
Calories From Fat 80
Total Fat 8g (13% Daily Value)
Saturated Fat 5g (24% DV)
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 25mg (9% DV)
Sodium 650 mg (27% DV)
Total Carbohydrates 19g (6% DV)
Dietary Fiber 1g (5% DV)
Sugars 1g
Protein 10g