Are you a fan of Panera’s mac and cheese? I sure am. It’s the highlight of my meal when I go.
But recently you may have seen a viral TikTok showing just how it’s cooked – or, rather, reheated. Many viewers have expressed their dismay, but the shocks don’t end there: the employee was fired for her video!
Ok, let’s put aside the employee being fired for a second (just a second, I promise). Reheating (and cooking) food in food-safe plastic bags is actually a pretty standard method. If you aren’t familiar, sous-vide (the fancy name for cooking food sealed in plastic in a water bath) is a five-star chef way of cooking. In fact, there is a whole system behind it.
“Sous-vide is a cooking technique that utilizes precise temperature control to deliver consistent, restaurant-quality results. High-end restaurants have been using sous vide cooking for years to cook food to the exact level of doneness desired, every time.”
You can buy a fancy sous-vide setup for your home, or you can give it a low tech go by following these three simple steps – once you gather the right pot and thermometer you are ready.
1. Attach your precision cooker to a pot of water and set the time and temperature according to your desired level of doneness.
2. Put your food in a sealable bag and clip it to the side of the pot.
3. Finish by searing, grilling, or broiling the food to add a crispy, golden exterior layer.
This technique distributes heat at an even temperature around the food, giving it exact “done-ness.” Forget the scorching, or overcooked noodles – it’s consistent results, every time.
The only thing that could be wrong about Panera’s technique? How about a flash broil on the top to make the cheese bubbly? Cause, come on.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz0po8glPvw/
Ok, back to the employee being fired.
While Panera won’t comment on “personnel matters,” the employee posted this followup video:
And frankly, I think it was a missed opportunity – instead of firing their employee, they should have played it up to the media like, “Hey, we serve sous-vide mac and cheese just like Michelin chefs!”
Because corporate America doesn’t need to keep doing shady stuff to cover up shady stuff.
Just sayin’.
