When the menu at Friar’s Nook received a New Year’s makeover, Mac & Cheese-loving hearts went all aflutter over the spins on this classic comfort food.

Bacon Cheeseburger Macaroni and Cheese debuted alongside of Blue Cheese Macaroni and Cheese with Balsamic (and a more traditional take topped with Panko crumbs arrived as well).

So, changes at Friar’s Nook aren’t entirely unexpected, but we have to admit that we were a little surprised to spot another one so soon: The Blue Cheese Macaroni was recently replaced on the menu with Pot Roast Macaroni and Cheese.

So, prepare yourself for a bowl of comfort food topped with hearty helping of… MORE comfort food!

The first thing I noticed was the topping on this dish is less involved than its counterpart, the Bacon Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese. Where the Bacon Cheeseburger Mac is topped with ground beef, bacon, lettuce and tomato, the Pot Roast Mac & Cheese is topped with simply that: a pile of pot roast on top of the macaroni.

Things started out great: the pot roast was very well-prepared. Tender and juicy — and mine had very little in the way of fat. OK, not that that’s huge concern when you’re eating beef-covered mac and cheese ;), but my point is, the meat was really good, and actually  tasted homemade.

The second component is, of course, the Mac & Cheese. There is even more cheese to this mac & cheese than the name implies. For those accustomed to the mac & cheese found at buffets around Disney property, or commonly offered as a Kids’ option, there seems to be more shredded cheese in addition to the melted cheese sauce that we’re used to.

While the flavor is outstanding, and the cheese tasted great with the pot roast, the extra cheese lends a heaviness to this dish that [Read more…]