Noodles Romanoff looks a lot like Fettucine Alfredo to me. Is it really that different?
But, but, but [quivering lip]. Boxed mac n cheese is sacred. It must be eaten exactly as it comes. Only that is a proper homage to being 5. With ketchup of course. Like any self-respecting 5yo did.
There are much better ways to make some noodles as a side for dinner than starting with that stuff. It’s unrivaled good Kid Food. It’s ghastly as anything else.
I was telling my little daughters (9 & 7) about this the other day. When I lived in Budapest back in 1998-2003 (also when I joined the SDMB), whenever one of the American expats went back to visit the States, we would beg them to bring back two things: a carton of American Marlboro Lights or Reds (not so nice these days), and as many boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese as they could. Stuff was like gold out there. I don’t even remember really likely Kraft Mac & Cheese that much until I was somewhere where it was simply not an option.
Fettucine Alfredo doesn’t have sour cream or onion or garlic. It uses parmesan rather than cheddar/white cheddar and the original Alfredo didn’t have any milk or cream either. Not the same thing at all.
I don’t remember ever putting ketchup on mac n cheese, even as a kid. On scrambled eggs, yes, because that’s what my dad did.
At some point I lost my taste for ketchup, I no longer put ketchup on anything. I will have sliced tomatoes on burgers, hot dogs, or sandwiches, but I eat my fries plain.
Ketchup has gotten real sweet over the years. And I’m now diabetic. So my ketchup consumption is very limited.
A smidgen with, not on, scrambled eggs sometimes. A smidgen with, not on, mac n cheese sometimes. The right way is to pour out a small pool of ketchup then dip a forkful of eggs or macs in it. Try it sometime; you might be surprised. If it’s not tasty, you haven’t wrecked the rest of the mac by getting ketchup all over it.
Some on some hamburgers sometimes. None on fries. That’s about it for me.
I can hardly be in the same room as ketchup. I’m told my dad put it on everything.
I like catsup. But I’ve never put it in mac & cheese, and I’m not going to start now.
I do like to dip my fries into it.
When my daughter was tiny, she put ketchup on everything. She ate so much ketchup that she developed eczema and threw a fit when her mother took her off it.
I’ll put ketchup on hamburgers, hot dogs (with green relish), and fries. Have never had it on either eggs or mac and cheese.
I also like fries with tartar sauce, and with malt vinegar and salt.
Of course, that would necessitate me buying some ketchup, and then if I decide I don’t like using it that way I’m stuck with a bottle of the stuff taking up space in my fridge. Although I could probably use some of the packets of it that they insist on including when I order fries with a burger or other meal.
If you buy some ketchup, decide you don’t like it, then why store it in the fridge for 10 years unused then throw it away all moldy versus simply pitch it promptly and save the cost of cooling it for a decade?
If you already eat ketchup with any regularity on anything, you probably already have a bottle in your fridge.
For sure the packets are the cheapest idea, but that’s also often pretty crappy ketchup.
I doctor up Bush’s Grillin’ Beans with 1/4 cup of brown sugar and some chopped onion.
I also make chicken stock starting with boxed low-sodium broth. “Cheating” but makes it stronger faster. Usually I buy a rotisserie chicken (non-injected), strip it, and make chicken salad, enchiladas, etc. with the meat, boil the bones with the garbage^wtrimmings I find in the freezer: carrot ends, celery leavves, that outer layer of an onion that’s sort of half peel, half onion. This makes prepping vegetables for other dishes much lower-stress: anything suspicious, just throw it in the freezer!
Finally, we’ve started buying cheese pizza from the pizzeria and dressing it at home with mushrooms (that I’ve sauteed), caramelized onion, pepperoni (my wife likes a particular brand), and a bit more cheese to hold that all in place. 2-3 minutes in the air fryer and it’s like fresh pizza, and with toppings we like. More and more places are using canned mushrooms on pizza–yuck! Or pepperoni that’s too spicy.
What is this mythical substance of which you speak? And where can I get some? 
I doctor up storebought frozen White Castles by adding a pickle slice or two. The pickles are a vital component to the experience.
Ditto. I also put ketchup and mustard on them, and a slice of American cheese if they don’t already have one.
I can duplicate the taste of WC hamburgers by steaming them on a bed of rehydrated onion flakes. Weber is the best brand of prepared hamburger patties I’ve found so far.
Fwiw, i try to keep the thermal mass inside my fridge (and freezer) high, so there are fewer temperature fluctuations from opening the door and adding new items.
Both my fridge and upright freezer are generally pretty full, too. I do have to remind myself to rotate the contents of both, particularly the freezer, to avoid having to throw out things which have been in there too long.
Last night I doctored up a frozen cheese pizza-Screaming Sicilian - Bessie’s Revenge with sautéed bell peppers, mushrooms and pepperoni ribbons.
It turned out quite good.
I just bought some Trader Joe’s Penne Arrabbiata, which makes a pretty decent appetizer. But I decided it would not be enough of an entree without added protein, so I’m going to add ground beef sauteed and seasoned with paprika, New Mexico chili powder, and salt. The chili powder is mild because there’s enough heat (for my taste) in the Arrabbita sauce. I’m leaving out the cumin because that seems more like a distinctly Mexican flavor rather than an Italian one.
I rarely buy Kraft Macaroni and Cheese – not because I don’t think it’s good, but because I buy the cheaper Trader Joe or Aldi house brands instead. I usually put the pot on low heat while I add the butter and milk so that it doesn’t cool down too much. Then, when it’s done, I turn the heat off and throw on a handful or two of grated cheddar cheese and put the lid on till it’s melted. Really upgrades the dish IMO.
Also, when I buy pre-made guacamole (which I often do because getting avocados that are ripe but not too ripe is sometimes challenging), I add a couple of tablespoons of minced onion. The freshness of the onion and the added crunch really make the guac seem more homemade.