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Mac & Cheese and natural Sargento cheese
by
Danielle Nichols
Calificación: 4.0
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...I%20made%20it%20using%20American%20Cheese.%20Aaack.%20I%20don't%20know%20why%20I%20even%20tried%20that.%20The%20only%20time%20I%20eat%20American%20Cheese%20is%20when%20it's%20on%20a%20cheeseburger%20or%20inside%20a%20grilled%20cheese%20sandwich.%20But%20in%20my%20defense,%20I%20was%20young%20and%20stupid%20ignorant.%20%20I%20tried%20other%20various%20recipes...even%20one%20that%20used%20velveeta%20cheese.%20I%20think%20what%20I%20was%20ultimately%20trying%20to%20do%20was%20make%20something%20that%20tasted%20like%20mac%20&%20cheese%20in%20the%20little%20blue%20box%20cuz%20that's%20what%20I%20grew%20up%20on.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENot%20long%20ago,%20my%20girlfriend%20showed%20up%20for%20a%20bbq%20with%20homemade%20mac%20and%20cheese%20and%20it%20was%20wonderful!%20The%20first%20homemade%20version%20that%20I%20actually%20enjoyed.%20Then%20recently%20I%20made%20the%20Poblano%20Mac%20&%20Cheese%20which%20was%20a%20great%20alternative%20to%20the%20norm.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThrough%20the%20Foodbuzz%20Tastemaker%20program%20with%20Sargento,%20I%20was%20able%20to%20get%20some%20Sargento%20cheese%20and%20pairings.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20love%20cheese%20(mild%20to%20medium....nutty,%20buttery%20kinds.%20I%20can't%20do%20the%20stinky%20cheeses)%20and%20I%20was%20excited%20to%20have%20the%20chance%20to%20give%20Sargento%20the%20test.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20macaroni%20and%20cheese%20test.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFirst%20I%20had%20to%20%22cultivate%20my%20experience%22.%20With%20the%20help%20of%20the%20tasting%20guide%20that%20Sargento%20sent%20me...I%20became%20familiar%20with%20the%20differences%20between%20natural%20cheese%20and%20processed%20cheese%20through%20the%204%20points%20explained%20to%20me...%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E1.%20Look%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESargento's%20real%20cheese%20(medium%20cheddar)%20on%20the%20left%20and%20the%20processed%20cheese%20on%20the%20right.%20You%20can%20see%20the%20sheen%20and%20rubbery%20appearance%20of%20the%20processed%20cheese.%20The%20sliced%20Sargento%20cheddar%20cheese%20looks%20as%20it%20would%20if%20you%20had%20sliced%20it%20yourself,%20not%20to%20mention%20the%20deep%20rich%20color.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E2.%20Touch%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI'm%20sure%20by%20looking%20at%20the%20photo%20above%20you%20can%20imagine%20how%20they%20feel.%20Now%20notice%20in%20the%20photo%20below.....%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20processed%20cheese%20(now%20on%20the%20left)%20tore%20into%20smooth%20rubbery%20pieces%20while%20the%20Sargento%20cheese%20broke%20more%20than%20tore.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E3.%20Smell%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHave%20you%20ever%20smelled%20processed%20cheese?%20The%20first%20thing%20I%20smelled%20was%20salt.%20Then%20nothing.%20Of%20course%20the%20Sargento%20natural%20cheese%20smelled%20like....cheese!%20I%20mean...it%20smelled%20like%20cheddar%20cheese.%20You%20knew%20what%20you%20were%20going%20to%20experience%20once%20it%20hit%20your%20palate.%20Which%20leads%20me%20to%20the%204th%20point...%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E4.%20Taste%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20tried%20both%20cheeses....%20alone,%20with%20fruit%20and%20with%20wine.%20Actually....I%20only%20tried%20the%20processed%20cheese%20alone%20and%20with%20wine.%20Then%20stopped.%20No%20flavor.%20Bland.%20Ack.%20I'm%20beginning%20to%20wonder%20what%20it%20is%20I%20like%20about%20it%20on%20even%20a%20cheeseburger.%20Surely%20it%20can't%20be%20contributing%20to%20the%20flavor.%20The%20Sargento%20cheese%20on%20the%20other%20hand%20was%20so%20flavorful%20that%20I%20finished%20the%20slice%20of%20cheddar%20and%20started%20in%20on%20the%20muenster%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20could've%20just%20made%20this%20my%20dinner.%20The%20smooth%20salty%20buttery-ness%20of%20the%20muenster%20and%20the%20nutty,%20full%20bodied%20flavor%20of%20the%20medium%20cheddar.%20Even%20after%20you%20finished%20with%20the%20bite...the%20flavors%20danced%20in%20your%20mouth...creating%20the%20urge%20for%20a%20second%20(and%203rd)%20round.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAnd%20then%20came%20the%20real%20test.%20I%20mean...what%20better%20way%20to%20test%20cheese%20than%20to%20make%20America's%20%231%20side%20dish....Macaroni%20and%20Cheese%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20used%20a%20very%20basic%20recipe%20and%20I%20reduced%20it%20down%20tremendously.%20I%20didn't%20need%20a%20huge%20casserole%20dish%20lying%20around,%20threatening%20my%20mid-section,%20if%20you%20know%20what%20I%20mean.%20I%20ended%20up%20with%20some%20sauce%20left%20over,%20which%20I%20will%20be%20saving%20for%20later%20this%20week%20to%20use%20on%20some%20veggies%20or%20maybe%20to%20pour%20over%20a%20baked%20potato%20(cuz%20I%20don't%20feel%20so%20threatened%20by%20cheese%20soaked%20potatoes?%20Who%20the%20hell%20am%20I%20kidding!)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBtw...my%20girlfriend...Dianna,%20who%20brought%20the%20mac%20and%20cheese%20to%20the%20bbq%20sent%20me%20her%20recipe.%20She%20cracks%20me%20up.%20She%20warned%20me...%22I%20don't%20use%20a%20recipe%20with%20measurements%22.%20%20And%20then%20proceeds%20to%20write:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E'Mac%20N%20Cheese%20-%20Macaroni%20-%20Butter,%20Cheese,%20Half%20&%20Half,%20flour,%20salt,%20pepper.%20Cook%20the%20no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