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Sara Haas
There are plenty of times when I whip up a meal and yell, “dinner’s ready,” and wait for my family to show up at the table. When they get there they’ll ask what I’ve prepared. Often the dish has a name so I respond with, “Oh, I made tacos,” or “insert name of dish here.” But there have been some dishes that are either nameless or have been given a name that only we understand. That’s why when I saw the recipe for “The Cheese Thing,” I laughed. I can almost envision a similar situation with a mom or dad whipping up the dish and hurriedly responding to the family when asked, “What is this?” with “It’s the cheese thing, now sit down and let’s eat!”
What is The Cheese Thing?
When I was asked to try the recipe, or course I had some hesitations. The name was funny, but would the dish taste good? I reviewed the recipe which was simple and straightforward. It began with cooking a pound of penne pasta. Once that’s al dente, it gets tossed with margarine, shredded low-fat Colby cheese, a large can of diced tomatoes with chiles, some sugar, and some salt. That mixture gets poured into a large baking dish and bakes at 400 degrees F for about an hour. It sounded interesting, but I knew if I was going to make it, I would have to make some minor adjustments.
How to Make The Cheese Thing
I stuck to the recipe for the most part, but made a few changes based on personal preference. First up, swapping in butter for the margarine. Of course there’s nothing wrong with margarine; it’s just we’re a family that loves butter, so that modification just made sense. Next up was the cheese. I personally don’t love the texture or taste of low-fat cheese. If I’m cooking with or eating cheese, I’m going all-in with a flavorful, full-fat version, so I brought in sharp Cheddar to replace the low-fat Colby. My final tweak was adding a can of diced green chiles for a kick of heat and more flavor. After making these swaps and baking the dish, I served it to my family, and we were surprised with the results.
What Does The Cheese Thing Taste Like?
Since my family had never seen the dish before, I had a bit of explaining to do. I told them it was a work assignment and that I was looking for their honest opinion of the dish. They’ve done this before, so they promptly scooped some Cheese Thing on their plates and tried a forkful. I wasn’t actually sure they’d like the dish, so I looked at them eagerly for some kind of reaction.
My husband was the first to speak, saying, “this is really good,” calling it a Tex-Mex-inspired riff on a baked ziti. As for my daughter, she’s not as easy to impress, but she admitted to liking it too. I was the final tester and probably the harshest critic since I’m not a huge pasta fan. I was pleasantly surprised. The Cheese Thing was flavorful and seasoned well and reminded me of a spicy baked macaroni and cheese I’d had at a friend’s house. Overall, it was a hit and a dish I’d make again, but with some changes.
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Tips and Variations for The Cheese Thing
You can make the recipe as written, but my family and I enjoyed the modifications I mentioned above. Beyond those changes, I have a few tips to ensure you get the best version of The Cheese Thing.
- Don’t fully cook your penne. Since you’ll also be baking the noodles, I recommend pulling them out of the boiling water about 5 minutes before what’s specified as “al dente” on the package directions.
- Drain the canned tomatoes. The instructions aren’t clear about whether or not you should drain the tomatoes, so I made a judgment call and drained nearly all of the liquid before adding them. I knew I didn’t need all of that extra moisture in my dish, which would only make the noodles soggy, and it ended up that keeping a few tablespoons was the right call.
- Add a cheese topping. Reserve about 1/4 cup or so of cheese to scatter across the top of the penne to create a delightful topping.
- Be ready to cover. I noticed around the 30 minute mark that my noodles were getting golden-brown on the tips. To prevent them from burning, I pulled out a piece of foil and covered the dish during the last 15 minutes of baking.
- Consider adding a protein. To make this a full meal, add some cooked ground beef or turkey or even some shredded chicken to the dish.
- Try a garnish. I added a little chopped cilantro before serving, which added a refreshing touch to a somewhat rich dish. I also like the idea of topping with a bit of crushed corn or tortilla chips for a bit of crunch.
- Let it rest. Resist the temptation to serve the dish right away and instead let The Cheese Thing cool for at least 5 or 10 minutes. This helps firm things up, making it easier to scoop and serve.
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