Souped-Up Review: MAMA Pad Thai, Five-Alarm Peanut version

Ingredients:
MAMA Instant Pad Thai Noodles (originally reviewed here)
Planters Five-Alarm Chili dry roasted peanuts
Oscar Meyer Cutting Board turkey breast

Rating:  Major Upgrade

Sometimes I just get the sense that certain products were made for each other.  You know, like bagels and cream cheese.  These new Planters Five-Alarm Chili peanuts caught my eye in the store, and since they were on sale they came home with me.  I opened the jar and tasted them as soon as I got home, and my first thought was that they would be excellent on top of some Pad Thai noodles.  (My second thought was that they are probably more like three- to four-alarm peanuts, but then again I can be a connoisseur of spicy things.)  So for lunch today, I am going to do another Souped-Up Review to try it out!

I prepared the noodles just as directed on the package, and in the meantime I carefully crushed up a handful of the peanuts with a kitchen mallet.  While stirring in the seasonings, I also tossed in about an ounce of some turkey deli meat that I had warmed in the microwave, just to add some protein, and then I garnished the top with my crushed peanuts.  The noodles are looking good!

I enjoyed these noodles a lot!  The added spice from the peanuts was welcome, and while the turkey meat didn't seem to add that much flavor-wise, the extra substance seemed to fill in a little of what was missing the first time I had these noodles.  It even seemed like the texture was better this time than I described in the original review, I didn't notice the noodles clumping excessively.  It could just be a difference in perception, though, since I was enjoying the flavor this time. 

The meat choice could probably be improved upon, especially if I had some leftover breaded chicken or something like that, but for me, these peanuts are practically a must-add from now on whenever I have these Pad Thai noodles.  I say it is a Major Upgrade!  Who knows, maybe someday it will be as classic a combination as chocolate and peanut butter.

(Okay, probably not.)