Costco's Macaroni and Cheese

I can just imagine the Foods and Marketing Committee for Costco. One day they were in a meeting, tossing around ideas, and answering their Big Question, "What's next?"

And then one member of the team hesitantly said, "I'm just gonna throw this out there. I know it sounds really simple, but...just like our pumpkin pies...what if we came up with America's perfect Macaroni and Cheese?"

One of the collaborators softly snorted and asked, "Dude, are you serious? Mac and Cheese? Everybody does Mac and Cheese! We need to get adults with money to buy stuff, not kids without wallets."

And then, a perfectly choreographed feeling of assurance hit every team member as if on cue. In unison, they all asked, "Why haven't we thought of this before?"

One pitched in, "We'd have to get it perfect, really. Spot on. Perfect."

And another offered, "Big, fat, fluffy noodles. Bigger than all the other Mac and Cheese on the market."

And the one who questioned the whole thing chimed in, "It has to be simple. So simple that it...works. They will LOVE it!"

Someone typed into their shared doc, "Big, fat, fluffy noodles and cheese and butter. What else? Milk maybe?"

And so the recipe was tweaked a time or two and samples were given out and surveys were taken and, and...and it was a GO!"

Comments from the general public included, "This is the kind of leftover dish that I ate for breakfast. I felt bad my husband couldn't take it for lunch that day...but I didn't feel that bad."

This was the genius idea that all started at a little team meeting. And now, folks don't bat an eye at spending $9 on noodles and cheese, because it's that good."