Off to a So-So Start

So, Monday I was supposed to make Chili-Mac Casserole but the children were not cooperating and all the sudden it was 5:15 and I hadn't even started cooking.  So instead I pre-heated the oven and cooked Trader Joe's breaded Tilapia filets (frozen) and served it with Trader Joe's yummy tartar sauce, Trader Joe's awesome frozen sweet corn (seriously, I have a problem) and some leftover mashed potatoes I had from the end of last week.  Everyone was happy (although I have to take the breading off of the fish for Evan - he's an odd kid).

Since I had the beef for the Chili-Mac Casserole* defrosted I figured I would make it tonight.  And it was good.  I mean it was really really good.  I know it sounds weird but I really love Chili-Mac.  I first discovered it in college.  When I graduated high school my mom gave me my first cookbook, the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook that every single person should get before they go to college (mine came in a three-ring binder which is awesome if you can find it because I can pull out a page at a time when I'm cooking and not have to deal with the whole book).  In this cookbook I learned about all kinds of food I'd never seen (growing up every dinner was pretty much a protein, vegetable, and starch so Chili-Mac wasn't on the menu).  I came across Chili-Mac one night and I was like, "Okay, I love ground beef... I love macaroni... I love kidney beans... score."  And it was a score.  And this casserole just takes it one step further.

Evan feels the same way about Chili-Mac and he scarfed down tonight's dinner.  Brian, however, was a different story.  He came home late so he didn't eat with me and Evan**.  And his response was, "What's for dinner tomorrow night because I would like it to be something I want to eat."  Now, in defense of Chili-Mac, there are some confounders here:

1. Brian doesn't like beans (I know, he's a freak).  And even though he has liked Chili-Mac in the past, his serving tonight had a lot of beans.
2. Brian is stressed at work right now and when Brian is stressed he wants to eat the food of his childhood (chicken parm, big bowl of pasta and meatballs, braciola - for those non-Italians reading this you can get a description here, and other food heavy in red sauce).

Because of these confounders the Chili-Mac probably didn't stand a chance.  Poor little Chili-Mac.  But that just means more for me and Evan!  The dish make a lot so I put some in the fridge to give to Evan for lunch after school on Thursday and I froze the remainder in 2 portions for Evan and I to eat on nights when Brian is out or working late. 

Recipe: Chili-Mac Casserole
Ratings: Evan (I'm pretty sure I could give this a Brian but I'm not gonna push it... I do however plan on making it again so we will see how he reacts)
Future Recommendations: For the casserole, the only thing I would change is I would put less cheese on top at the end.  I know this sounds crazy since I LOVE cheese... but it overpowered the casserole.  For sides (I was going to have a salad but it never happened... you know how much work is involved with opening a bag of salad, putting it in a bowl, and adding dressing... come on) I would make sure to have that salad and I also think it needed something solid, like a corn bread... yummy Jiffy corn bread would do.


*This recipe calls for a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes.  Turns out I didn't have diced tomatoes but I had whole plum tomatoes without the skin so I just cut them up.  It turned out really good and now I don't even want to use the diced tomatoes.  Also, I know that store brand is cheaper (I use them sometimes) but when you are going to actually taste the tomatoes you must use a quality canned tomato.  I use Muir Glen and highly recommend it.

**Cooking without Brian to distract the kids is always an adventure.  Check out what we were doing here.