# Cheapie boxed mac and cheese **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 18, 2020, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910 "2020-06-18T15:42:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/21 "2020-06-18T19:50:48Z")
It’s the unofficial “National Dish” of Canada. From what I’ve heard theirs is slightly different than what we buy in the States, but I’ve not been able to compare them directly. I suspect they’re completely identical save for the packaging, but again, I can’t confirm. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/22 "2020-06-18T19:55:31Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I haz a sad face:( > > I used to make it for the kids afterschool snack. I ate exactly one bite, everytime. > I might have to make it for the Grandwrex soon. You mentioned your hoard has canned milk. To make boxed mac and cheese even more glorious-er: Take three boxes and cook macaroni. While macaroni drains, put 1/4 cup real butter in the pot and melt. Dump pwdered cheese on top of butter, stir until blended, and simmer just a little bit like a roux. Pour in one can evaporated milk. Stir with a whisk over low heat. When it is a nice, blended creamy goodness, add back the cooked macaroni and eat immediately. I found the one can of milk to three boxes of mac and cheese to be the ideal ratio. _sniff_ Have a bite for me, too. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/23 "2020-06-18T20:07:32Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > 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. To be honest, it never occurred to me that there’s a lot of salt in cheese. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/24 "2020-06-18T20:46:39Z")
There was something better than the powdered Kraft M&C, Golden Grain. Of course, they don’t make it any more ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/25 "2020-06-18T21:42:02Z")
My mom wasn’t a cook, and after myriad Sunday dinners at my aunts’ house, I eventually taught my mom to cook a basic roast chicken dinner. So, given that background, Kraft Dinner was filling, but it was never something I looked forward to with anticipation. When the IGA opened up down the road, they had some type of deluxe shells with cheese, and the cheese was already made and in a packet, and was far superior. However we were on food stamps, so it was only a rare treat, as it cost considerably more than Kraft Dinner. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/26 "2020-06-18T21:53:19Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 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. If you buy the cutesy-shaped verions, like Spongebob or Star Wars, that’s just about what you’ll get! ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/27 "2020-06-18T21:58:48Z")
It’s what’s for dinner tonight at my place. With a couple of tweaks, of course! First, heaps of broccoli florets, a smattering of bacon bits and a slice of American cheese. Side of garlic bread! Hubs loves it, makes a real simple meal for me when I’m exhausted and it’s too hot to cook! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/28 "2020-06-18T21:59:53Z")
> [@MissGypsy](#): > > If you buy the cutesy-shaped verions, like Spongebob or Star Wars, that’s just about what you’ll get! I hadn’t heard of the weird shapes of the pasta in the Kraft mac and cheese products until I saw [this article](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-kraft-uses-patents-to-dominate-the-mac-and-cheese-wars-1679578/) from Smithsonian Magazine (which also links to one from the Wall Street Journal, but that’s behind a paywall). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/29 "2020-06-18T22:05:18Z")
I’m not crazy about the boxed mac & cheese with the powdered cheesy product, but I do like Velveeta Shells & Cheese, or their assorted knockoffs, and they’re even better with some kind of meat added to it, like ham or hot dogs. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/30 "2020-06-22T21:19:25Z")
I’ve tried many off-brands of cheapo boxed mac and cheese. Some were better than others, but none were bad, and the current premium one would have to pay for Kraft certainly doesn’t seem worth it. Now for the true subject of this post- got a dollar (in 1982)? Go to the store and get a box of the cheapest mac and cheese and a can of the cheapest tuna in oil you can find, the fishier the better. Cook the macaroni, drain, and then mix in the undrained tuna and the orange powder. The oil takes the place of the milk and butter- quick gratification for two hungry drunks! Yum! ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/31 "2020-06-22T21:24:11Z")
I make it all the time. And I’ll eat the whole box. I’ll throw some frozen corn or peas in when the water is boiling, and on the side, I’ll slice up some fried hot dogs or kielbasa and dump in when mixing. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/32 "2020-06-27T15:09:34Z")
And for the super lazy, [Stouffer’s](https://www.stouffers.com/en/our-dishes/classics/family/macaroni-cheese) frozen mac and cheese. That was a treat when we were dating. Last time I bought boxed mac and cheese it was Annie’s white cheddar. Pretty good stuff. But then I’m the weird one that got a grilled cheese sandwich at a steak restaurant. Just wasn’t in the mood for steak. Especially if there’s cheese. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/33 "2020-06-27T16:49:33Z")
I grew up eating Kraft Dinner. I was surprised to find out Macaroni and Cheese can be made without the boxed ingredients. I love eating the cold leftovers, that was a great treat when I was a kid. Now I prefer to get the Velveeta Shells and Cheese because after cooking the pasta you just have to squeeze the sauce out of a packet and stir it in, perfect for the dinner in a rush, and pretty much the same genuine fake cheese flavor as Kraft. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/34 "2020-06-27T17:04:43Z")
Original size (not family size) is just right for me. I always heat up a can of early spring peas to go with it. The peas have a gray label, not sure of the brand, I know it when I see it. I plate it in the same shallow bowl, side by side, sort of a yin/yang thing. I love it. Oddly enough, I never ate it with peas until I grew up. Still reminds me of my childhood. Too bad _Bozo’s Circus_ doesn’t play reruns. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/35 "2020-06-27T17:10:41Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > [Stouffer’s](https://www.stouffers.com/en/our-dishes/classics/family/macaroni-cheese) frozen mac and cheese I have always found Stouffer’s frozen mac and cheese mushy and rather bland. The wife loved the stuff, I’d take a dried box over it. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/36 "2020-06-27T19:35:12Z")
I can’t get into the ones with the liquefied cheese pouches. I think they’re too rich and, I dunno, sticky? > [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > Too bad _Bozo’s Circus_ doesn’t play reruns. Careful trying to rewatch your childhood favorites. They’re often terrible. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/37 "2020-06-27T23:08:30Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Careful trying to rewatch your childhood favorites. They’re often terrible But I never get to see plate spinners anymore. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2020, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/38 "2020-06-28T08:44:08Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > 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 That may be so, but there’s no law saying you have to use the macaroni AS mac and cheese. It could be the basis for a macaroni salad, or a tuna casserole. And the cheez powder can be sparingly sprinkled over freshly-popped popcorn, as an occasional treat. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2020, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/39 "2020-06-28T15:38:23Z")
It just made more sense to give away the intact boxes of mac and cheese. If I want to construct a macaroni dish, I have a bag of elbow macaroni in the pantry. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2020, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910/40 "2020-06-28T17:44:59Z")
This thread has inspired tonight’s dinner. Not cheapie by any means: Cracker Barrel White Cheddar M&C. It’s a good-sized box, so the wife will portion out hers (mainly plain) and then leave the rest for me to mess with by adding sliced kielbasa and topping with stuff that is best left unmentioned to anybody but me and **Qadgop**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheapie-boxed-mac-and-cheese/855910.md?page=3)