Happy Valentine's Day

        For this evening’s meal, I decided to try something that I hoped would become a new family favorite, Crab Macaroni and Cheese.  I have seen lobster macaroni and cheese in the past and thought that it sounded delicious.  Unfortunately, I am a cheapskate and wanted to keep the costs down.  So, instead of using lobster, I used crab meat, canned no less.  I used a recipe that I found on Allrecipes.  I LOVE that website.   

The Prep:

     The recipe was well written and easy to follow.  The only problem that I had was that it takes so long to prepare.  I knew that going in.  The recipe states that it should take 1 ½ hours to prepare.  Somewhere in my alternate universe’s mind, I ALWAYS think that I am faster than any other cook who would be preparing this recipe.   A mom with superhuman speed and no interruptions.  Well, after 2 hours of prep time, cooking, stopping to help with homework, and folding a load of laundry, the meal was done.  It smelled delicious and looked great.  I couldn’t wait to dig in.  I rounded out the meal with salads and warm bread.

Pros: 

        *Easy to make

        *Delicious, even for the picky eaters

     *Versatile, you can use any type of meat that your family likes

       *Definitely has the “WOW” factor, great for dinner parties

Cons:

     *Big time commitment, so I’ll only make this for special occasions.  Not my typical  weeknight meal.

      *Heavy and rich, I’m glad that I lightened it up with a salad.  I would leave the fresh bread out next time and may add a steamed veggie, if I felt that we really needed something else.

       *Makes a lot for a family of 5.  There are definitely leftovers.

The Verdict:

        Five thumbs up.  Everyone loved it.  My sweet hubby had only one request, that next time I add some shrimp to add some texture.  They all agreed that it would be even better with a little more panko crumbs on top.  In the end, these are easy fixes.