CSN and Rachel Ray!

Oh yah baby! CSN stores are the best! When they approached me to do a review I couldn't have been more excited. It was so hard to choose a product to review since they have over 200 stores to choose from.

I had been curious about the Rachel Ray bakeware since seeing it on her show. It was the perfect opportunity to try it out since my husband has all but banned me from purchasing any more cookware. I don't know why, it's not like I don't cook. I guess it is the fact that our small kitchen is busting at the seams with cookware and gadgets.

I received the Rachel Ray Bubble and Brown 2 piece stoneware baker set in blue. They are so pretty in real life. I was surprised how low the sides are since she uses it to bake and serve all kinds of pasta dishes. My husband thought they were serving trays!

To give it a fair review I used a Rachel Ray recipe. I have never even made a Rachel Ray meal before although I have seen many I thought looked good. I searched her site and settled on the Cheesy Italian Penne Shepherds Pie. We love shepherds pie and love macaroni and cheese. It seemed like a good combo.

The basics of the recipe call for making a meat and vegetable base layer:
Then top it with a macaroni and cheese layer:Then you bake it in the oven to finish it off.

To be honest it reminded me of a fancy home made version of hamburger helper. You know the disgusting excuse for a meal you make with ground beef and a box mix? Well, this is a "from scratch" version that tastes good and is healthy for you. The bonus is the whole family will like it. My daughter is 20 months and often I end up making her a dinner and then making something more grown up for us. This is something she can and will eat and something us grown ups can enjoy. The down side of this recipe, a lot of dishes for something that is really a simple casserole. You use one pot to boil the noodles, one pot to brown the meat, vegetables, and one pot to make the cheese sauce. Then you finish it off in the bubble and brown dish which you then have to wash as well. It is an odd shape so you can't really use it to keep left overs. The low sides on the dish also lead to messy serving. You end up spilling over the sides and through the handle.

To sum it up folks...
CSN, a huge hit! I have shopped this site for Christmas gifts and would shop it again for great deals and awesome variety.
Rachel Ray Recipe, kind of a lot of work for a simple meal but it is something healthy the whole family can enjoy. I think the second time around I could even simplify the process more.
Rachel Ray Bubble and Brown Stone ware, it is pretty, but I think you are better off with a more traditional stone ware set that has higher sides and thus less mess. The 4 quart stone ware oval casserole dish looks like a great buy with none of the troubles I found in the open dish. Man, now I am going to want that one!!

Must...stop...buying...kitchen....gear.

Thanks CSN for the opportunity to review the Rachel Ray bake ware. I did receive a free Rachel Ray bake ware product from CSN but all opinions shared here are my own.