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Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Try it Tuesday.....Joy's Best Loved Macaroni and Cheese



Joy? Joy is right!!
Joy's Best Loved Macaroni and Cheese side dish is to die for! It's creamy. It's home made tasting. It's delicious. Here is what the website says about the macaroni and cheese side dish:

Flavorful pasta wrapped in a rich tangy cheese sauce with an optional panko bread crumb topping that takes this dish over the top!

It truly is a very good side dish or main dish if you so please. I have always loved panko bread crumbs. And they are tasty on top of this mac and cheese.

To prepare the mac and cheese, I first put the panko cumbs in a saucepan with some butter like the directions suggested. It called for 2 TB of butter, but I just spritzed the bread crumbs with some I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray. It worked just fine. I toasted the crumbs lightly. Next I poured the contents (macaroni noodles and chunks of cheese) of the frozen bag in an electric skillet. The noodles are already cooked, so I just threw it all in and heated it up for 6-8 minutes. It was super easy. As easy as making Kraft mac and cheese, but better. In case you're wondering, the cheese used is actually several different types: Club Cheddar,Blue and Swiss, and a cheese spread. When the mac & cheese was heated thoroughly and the panko crumbs toasted, I just tossed the mac and cheese in a serving dish and sprinkled it with the panko crumbs. Viola!

There are 3 negative things that I have to say about this easy peasy gourmet side dish.
#1.... There are only 3 (1 cup) servings in the whole package. I have a family of 7, so I'd have to buy atleast 2 to feed my family. If I wanted it as a main dish, I'd have to buy atleast 3 packages, maybe 4.

#2....This small package of yummy mac & cheese was expensive at my local Meijer store. Well, if you think $4.00 for 3 servings is expensive. I do because like I said in #1, I'd have to buy 2-3 packages. That could get expensive. I wonder if Sam's Club or Costco sells larger packages?

#3....Joy of Cooking mac & cheese is FATTENING! Go figure. For one serving (1 cup), it's 7 Weight Watcher points. Ouch.

I'd buy this again though. But only if it's on sale and with a coupon :)

Never heard of The Joy of Cooking?

Here is some info I took off of the website:

The Joy of Cooking has been America's favorite cookbook since 1931. With unmatched flexibility and ease, now these delicious Joy-inspired recipes can be customized to be your own.

Joy of Cooking® family-style frozen meal solutions offer products in all of these categories:

Main Dishes Better than homemade, with something for everyone.
Sides Savory side dishes that can complete any meal.
Vegetables Simple, flavorful glazes make these vegetables something special.
Breads Fresh baked goodness on your table in minutes.

Enjoy the taste of homemade without all the work.TM


Macie and I also tried Wonka Nerds Giant Chewy Candies. Yum! They are jelly beans encrusted in Nerd candy. Hmm...and Mmmm. I especially liked the green ones. They were all a little tart like regular nerds candy, but with a chewy jelly bean center. And for only 3 WW points per 1.8 oz bag, they make the perfect movie theater snack. The kind you sneak in anyway. We found these candies at cheapy Dollar General for 60 cents.


I have noticed that I didn't post at all this past week since my last Try It Tuesday. I can explain. It's because I have found Facebook! While talking about it at a family event recently, I decided to get my own Facebook page so that I could see my nieces and nephews pages. I signed up on Thursday of last week (that's 5 days ago) and I have 48 friends now. I have several friends requests out too. I have been in touch with people I haven't talked to in over 20 years! I don't know what it is, but it seems like everyone I know is on Facebook. It's sooo great to see what everyone has been up to and meet their family via their Facebook photo albums. Plus, Facebook is more mature than Myspace, which is more for teenagers (in my opinion). Right now I'm a bit addicted, so I guess that's why I haven't blogged. Don't worry, blogging is in my heart first. I really enjoy journaling in my blog. But catching up with old friends is fulfilling too. I'm so grateful for the internet right now. How did we ever live without it years ago?! Yes, it has it's downfalls (and we all know what those are), but the positives outweigh the negatives for me since I have chosen to use the internet for good. :)
Leanne Sig.

2 Whaddaya have to say about this post?:

Nikki said...

Sounds like some yummy options here- I wonder if my kids would like the mac n cheese? I like facebook too- although I don't do too much with it. It is kinda fun to see how everyone has ended up after all these years.. and I enjoy all of Tim's blast from the past videos and pictures.

Leanne said...

Oh me too. I love his old road show videos!