We didn’t get boxed mac and cheese very often when I was a kid. I grew up in the days of stay-at-home moms who cooked almost eveything from scratch. When we’d see stuff on a commercial, we’d nag until Momma would buy it.
Or she’d give is the money to buy it at the grocery store, but we’d get hounded to “bring back the change!”
I fell in love with the boxed stuff.
Fast forward to early married life and no money, and the generic boxed mac and cheese was a Gawd send!
Add a couple of kids to the mix, plus both parents working, and boxed mac and cheese to the rescue! It was a glorious day when the kids learned how to fix it, and I had help in the kitchen!
The kids love that crap as much as I do.
Bring the story to present day: Mr VOW had a heart attack on January 17th. He’s doing really well now, and part of the reason is that he’s on a salt-free diet and the entire kitchen has been revamped. I purged my spice cabinet of salt, and I’m working on the pantry.
I have an unopened box from Sam’s Club that has a dozen boxes of that mac and cheese in it.
When I was living in Budapest back in the late 90s and early 00s, boxed Kraft Mac & Cheese was like gold to the American expats there. Whenever one of us visited the homeland, we’d bring back half a suitcase full of the stuff to distribute among our American friends.
These days, I still like the convenience, and I still prefer the creamy stove-top mac & cheese to the baked versions. There is a neat little recipe, though, for that sort of style that is pretty easy to make for anyone who may want a similar result, but not use the boxed versions: equal parts, by weight, of cooked macaroni, evaporated milk, and cheese. I usually use deli American cheese or even Kraft singles for the meltability, but you can use any cheese or combination of cheeses. (I particularly like mixing Land O Lakes Italian blend, which is a processed deli cheese that melts well, with deli American). But I also have the boxes or the microwavable cups for when I run out of ingredients or just feel like nuking something in a jiffy.
The only problem I have with boxed mac and cheese is the size. One box is a really big meal for one, or a really small meal for two, and it doesn’t leave over well. I’d rather have boxes about 2/3 the size.
I was a 70s latch key kid and I lived on that stuff. I would mix it with a can of tuna fish or chicken. In college I’d mix in a few crumbled up slices of bacon and grate in some extra cheddar cheese.
That was a regular part of my diet for years (although I think I ate the shells and cheddar version). As for the OP, could you instead make macaroni and cheese from scratch while avoiding excess salt? It’s still a carb and fat laden bomb but at least thee’s not so much sodium.
When I was single I would mix it with a can of baked beans and some cut up hot dog for two meals. When Ms. P and I moved in together I switched to veggie dogs. I don’t eat it much any more (although we have made from scratch mac and cheese pretty often), but our younger son likes it and will make it for himself. His girl friend is also a big fan. They were separated on the day of their one year anniversary, so they both dressed up and virtually shared a meal of Annie’s mac and cheese.
Don’t quote me, VOW, but the lion’s share of the sodium seems to be the cheese sauce, so you probably don’t need to give away the macaronis; like Dewey says, maybe you could make a low-sodium cheese sauce.
Oh man, I love boxed mac & cheese. My husband doesn’t like any kind of macaroni, even scratch made, so I never get to eat it any more. < Big sad eyes in VOW’s direction >
I’ve been listening to old radio episodes of “The Great Gildersleeve” (sponsored by Kraft). One of the things they recommend is pressing Kraft Macaroni & Cheese into a ring and then serving with creamed beef or creamed seafood in the middle. Mm-mm good!
President’s Choice White Cheddar in the black box from (da) Jewel(s). I’d add plenty of black pepper and maybe some peas. They stopped carrying it years ago and I no long had much reason to go there anymore. The Annie’s white cheddar is ok.
I have been eaten Walmart’s Great Value brand mac and cheese for years. I buy the one with foil pouch of cheese sauce where you just squeeze in the hot cooked macaroni and stir it up. I think it is just as good as the brand names (and cheaper as well).
I’ve found there are three distinct tiers of mac-n-cheese, aka Kraft dinner.
[ol]
[li]The stuff that comes with a packet of cheese sauce is the best. Boil noodles, drain, squeeze on the cheese.[/li][li]Kraft, as in the actual brand name Kraft, with the powder that’s mixed with milk and butter. This is the canonical stuff. Food of the demigods, at least. [/li][li]The generic stuff. It’s terrible! Avoid at all costs.[/li][/ol]
I acquired a couple boxes of “Premier Pantry” m&c at the food bank warehouse as someone sliced into them when opening a carton so they couldn’t be used. It’s like vaguely cheese-flavored salty grit on pasta. At least the pasta is OK.
D’oh! Yes, I should have been clear about that. Weighed at the uncooked stage, but you want to cook it before you mix everything together. So, 8 oz uncooked macaroni, 8 oz evaporated milk, 8 oz cheeze. Cook macaroni a little bit short of your desired final texture. Drain. Simmer evaporated milk and cheese together, whisking, until well melted. Add drained noodles to pot and cook another two minutes or until your desired macaroni doneness.
Or look at Serious Eats’s method. Same recipe at 6 oz each ingredient, but slightly different cooking process (they do it without draining, but add just enough water to cook the macaroni through.)
Salt is an intregal part of cheese. There are “low sodium” cheeses, but that’s like saying something is low cal if it is only 10,000 calories instead of 50,000 calories.
When doing drastic cuts in a sodium diet, it’s best to consider cheese as a condiment, or even a decoration. Mr VOW isn’t a major cheese fan, so just a sprinkle of cheese on a taco is plenty for him.
A sprinkle of cheese in macaroni and cheese is…impossible.
~VOW
