My roommate swore by adding a can of chickpeas to boxed mac and cheese for a full meal

I thought it sounded gross, but after trying it last week, it's actually filling and costs less than $3 total. Has anyone else found a weird pantry staple that actually works?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaron88415d ago

That chickpea trick is a total texture crime. Canned chickpeas are always a little grainy and they make the whole dish feel weird and sandy. I tried it once and the mealy beans just ruined the smooth cheese sauce for me. It might be cheap but the mouthfeel is all wrong. You're better off just making a bigger portion of the normal stuff.

daniel_lane308d ago

Totally get the texture hate. I once tried that trick and ended up with what felt like cheesy beach sand. My partner took one bite and just slowly put their fork down, which is way worse than them saying it's bad. I'm clearly not trusted with the food processor anymore, since I probably gave up after like thirty seconds. Some of us just don't have the patience for a five minute blend, and it shows in our gritty, sad dinners.

cora_scott7715d ago

Ever try blending them longer? My friend swore canned chickpeas ruined her mac and cheese too, just like you said @aaron884. She was so mad about the gritty feel. But then she tried blending the heck out of them in the food processor for a solid five minutes, way past when she thought it was done. It actually got super smooth, no sandiness at all. She said it made the sauce creamy and thick without that weird graininess. Maybe the trick is just not blending them enough?