So, the Mild Fiancée and I have a history with Mac and Cheese. The last time we decided to bring it to a family meal, there were all sorts of shenanigans. As it turns out, though, this was not an isolated incident.
In that particular case, we decided to bring a very healthy version of mac and cheese. This time around, however, we decided to go the exact opposite route. There was no Greek yogurt this time around. No, instead, we put bacon and chorizo into it this time. We also put in something like five cheeses. I say "something like" because I'm not even sure how many ended up in the mac and cheese.
In fact, that was part of the hilarity. We started with a very vegetable-heavy base (onions and celery), as we are wont to do. Then we added the cheeses. I had personally grated 3 different kinds of cheeses, and the Mild Fiancée had grated a different one, so let me tell you: there was a lot of cheese. However, the sauce still didn't have that gooey, yellow color that we wanted. We had decided not to get Velveeta or one of the similar "cheese products," so it was all natural coloring. Still, this would not do.
So, I volunteered to go to the store to acquire more cheese. It was raining, but we own umbrellas. When I arrived at the store, I realized that they only had small 8 ounce blocks of cheese, and they only had a couple of them. Given how much macaroni we had made, this would not do. They did, however, have pre-grated blends of cheeses. It looked yellow enough, and we were going to have to grate them anyway, so this seemed like a good idea to me. Better yet, they were the same price as the blocks of cheese.
I got myself home with the cheese, and that's when I noticed that the package was actually a blend of cheeses. They called it a blend of Mexican cheeses. Now, there was Monterey Jack in there, so I'm not entirely sure I'd consider it "Mexican" cheeses (yes, the Wikipedia article says the original version of Monterey Jack was made by Mexican friars. It also says it was made in California). Well, hell. That's why I say I'm not entirely sure how many cheeses ended up in this thing. There were a lot, let's just say that.
Regardless, we made our food, baked it, and let it cool. I was going to bring it to a family event the next day anyway, so I had to let it cool so I could refrigerate the thing. It made my life a whole lot easier, since I could more or less walk out of the house with food in hand. I didn't have to cook, or otherwise prep stuff. I just had to remember to grab it on the way out.
Now, this was a family gathering, so there were a lot of jokes. The Mild Fiancée was indisposed at that time, so I was going all by my lonesome. So, naturally, I had a cousin suggest that I would have to be extra engaging to make up for my better half not being there. Mind you, this was before any of us showed up that day. It wasn't even the day of, and I was hearing it remotely from the peanut gallery.
It also didn't help that I had told the Mild Fiancée that I wasn't sure how I'd deal with left-overs, and she replied with, "left overs? No, there better not be left overs. You make sure everyone has their fill." Let's just say that I was greeted with even more laughter when I conveyed this sentiment to my relatives. My brother, however, was amused by this whole process in reverse. He actively tried to dissuade people from eating the mac and cheese, precisely so that I would have to take left-overs home. He was ultimately foiled in his attempts, but I laughed out loud when I heard him say, "nah, don't eat any of it. Sam wants to take left overs home." Good times, I tell you.
All in all, I think I've decided that mac and cheese brings all sort of amusement. I'm going to suggest we make it every time we have to go to a gathering or a potluck. It's batting 2 for 2 on the amusement scale so far.
In that particular case, we decided to bring a very healthy version of mac and cheese. This time around, however, we decided to go the exact opposite route. There was no Greek yogurt this time around. No, instead, we put bacon and chorizo into it this time. We also put in something like five cheeses. I say "something like" because I'm not even sure how many ended up in the mac and cheese.
In fact, that was part of the hilarity. We started with a very vegetable-heavy base (onions and celery), as we are wont to do. Then we added the cheeses. I had personally grated 3 different kinds of cheeses, and the Mild Fiancée had grated a different one, so let me tell you: there was a lot of cheese. However, the sauce still didn't have that gooey, yellow color that we wanted. We had decided not to get Velveeta or one of the similar "cheese products," so it was all natural coloring. Still, this would not do.
So, I volunteered to go to the store to acquire more cheese. It was raining, but we own umbrellas. When I arrived at the store, I realized that they only had small 8 ounce blocks of cheese, and they only had a couple of them. Given how much macaroni we had made, this would not do. They did, however, have pre-grated blends of cheeses. It looked yellow enough, and we were going to have to grate them anyway, so this seemed like a good idea to me. Better yet, they were the same price as the blocks of cheese.
I got myself home with the cheese, and that's when I noticed that the package was actually a blend of cheeses. They called it a blend of Mexican cheeses. Now, there was Monterey Jack in there, so I'm not entirely sure I'd consider it "Mexican" cheeses (yes, the Wikipedia article says the original version of Monterey Jack was made by Mexican friars. It also says it was made in California). Well, hell. That's why I say I'm not entirely sure how many cheeses ended up in this thing. There were a lot, let's just say that.
Regardless, we made our food, baked it, and let it cool. I was going to bring it to a family event the next day anyway, so I had to let it cool so I could refrigerate the thing. It made my life a whole lot easier, since I could more or less walk out of the house with food in hand. I didn't have to cook, or otherwise prep stuff. I just had to remember to grab it on the way out.
Now, this was a family gathering, so there were a lot of jokes. The Mild Fiancée was indisposed at that time, so I was going all by my lonesome. So, naturally, I had a cousin suggest that I would have to be extra engaging to make up for my better half not being there. Mind you, this was before any of us showed up that day. It wasn't even the day of, and I was hearing it remotely from the peanut gallery.
It also didn't help that I had told the Mild Fiancée that I wasn't sure how I'd deal with left-overs, and she replied with, "left overs? No, there better not be left overs. You make sure everyone has their fill." Let's just say that I was greeted with even more laughter when I conveyed this sentiment to my relatives. My brother, however, was amused by this whole process in reverse. He actively tried to dissuade people from eating the mac and cheese, precisely so that I would have to take left-overs home. He was ultimately foiled in his attempts, but I laughed out loud when I heard him say, "nah, don't eat any of it. Sam wants to take left overs home." Good times, I tell you.
All in all, I think I've decided that mac and cheese brings all sort of amusement. I'm going to suggest we make it every time we have to go to a gathering or a potluck. It's batting 2 for 2 on the amusement scale so far.
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