Sunday, May 1, 2011

Fake Cheese and an Omelet in a Bag

I have been quite the culinary adventurer this week. Be impressed, because most nights I'm too lazy to cook and end up having a bowl of cereal or McDonald's for dinner. But this week I made two pretty impressive dishes, if I do say so myself. The first was an omelet. I know you're probably thinking, What's so impressive about an omelet? Anyone can make a simple omelet. For some reason, I have never mastered the art of omelet making. Admittedly, I've only tried once or twice, but those failures were enough to deter me from ever trying again. Until last Sunday. But the real reason you should be thinking I'm super awesome is because this particular omelet was made in a Ziploc bag.
I know that sounds strange and probably gross. But I'm telling you, this recipe changed my life. The Ziploc-bag omelet is one of the easiest things I've ever made, and it was delicious. My grandma came across the recipe online and told me about it. I know you're dying to know how an omelet can be made in a Ziploc bag, so now I'll tell you how:
All you do is put all your desired omelet ingredients in the Ziploc bag (make sure it's a freezer bag so it will hold up to the boiling water you'll place it in). I just used eggs (well, duh), ham, and shredded cheese. Mash everything together and seal it. Then place the bag in boiling water. Next, you just boil the bag for 13 minutes. (If the water stops boiling when you put the bag in, don't start timing until it comes back up to a boil.) Finally, your Ziploc-bag omelet is ready to eat. Just open the bag and slide your omelet out. It's as easy as that.
The second new dish I tried out this week was my grandma's homemade mac and cheese. My mom and I actually made it to go along with our Easter dinner, but Mom was the expert for sure. My contribution was gathering ingredients and stirring. But there weren't many steps involved, so I figured I could duplicate this delicious cheesy concoction at home. And that's what I did the very next night.
My grandma's mac and cheese only calls for four ingredients: macaroni, milk, cheese, and cream of mushroom soup. That's right, cream of mushroom soup. Many people think it's weird that we put cream of mushroom soup in our mac and cheese, but I can't eat it any other way anymore. Seriously, even if you're just making Kraft mac and cheese, try it with cream of mushroom soup next time. Your life will be changed. But anyway, Grandma's recipe is super easy, so I won't be using the box stuff anymore. First, you just cook the pasta. I used about a cup of elbow macaroni, and that was plenty for just me. Once you've drained the pasta, just add some milk (eyeball it) and Kraft Singles. I myself was shocked that my grandma used pasteurized prepared cheese product in her mac and cheese, but it's creamy and delicious, so who am I to question her decision? Just add as many cheese slices as you want so that the mac and cheese is at your desired cheesiness. I added three slices, but you can never have too much cheese, right? Stir the pasta, milk, and cheese until the cheese melts. You could stop here, but you'd be missing the best part. Now add the cream of mushroom soup. (I added about half a can for the small amount I made.) Stir it all together and be prepared to die and go to heaven.
Looks like dinner for me just got a little more exciting than Mickey D's and Cap'n Crunch.

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