# I ruined macaroni and cheese... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277 "2013-02-04T01:54:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/1 "2013-02-04T01:54:09Z")
Okay, this is rather mundane and pretty pointless, but it’s about food, so here we go. Yesterday, I decided to make macaroni and cheese. I’ve had a box in the pantry, haven’t made it from the box in a while, decided I’d give it a go. I’ve been using the Kraft easy mac because it cooks up quickly in the microwave and it doesn’t require milk to come out creamy and good. But I figured for 8 minutes I could get a pot with multiple servings, and I’d see how it turned out without the milk. I suspect it will be okay. So I boiled the water. I put the noodles in and boiled them sufficiently. Drained them, leaving a bit of water, put in the margarine. Everything was going fine. Then I opened the packet and dumped it in. It was brown. Erm, it’s supposed to be yellow, this can’t be good. Then I smelled it. It wasn’t the worst smell ever, but it wasn’t on the list of things you’d want to eat. GAH! Brown and stinky. I checked the expiration date. 2009. :o Yeah, I threw that shit out. (The sad part is it was perfectly good up until I put the “sauce” in.) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/2 "2013-02-04T02:02:03Z")
Good move. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/3 "2013-02-04T02:17:51Z")
You are smarter than me. I made the grave error of buying a Quicke Mart sandwich to take on a hike today because I was running late. 2 hours after lunch I was sick enough I had to stop. Fortunately, the trail crossed a road, so I stopped there and waited while the other folks finished the hike and then came back and got me a couple of hours later. WTF was I thinking? ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/4 "2013-02-04T02:29:47Z")
I bought some cornbread mix the other day - exportation date 2009. ETA: damned auto-correct. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/5 "2013-02-04T17:11:08Z")
I opened some long-expired canned tomato soup once. :eek: Gah, it smelled like canned death. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/6 "2013-02-04T22:13:49Z")
Just FYI, I bought a new box, and mixed it up without milk but within shelf life. It came out okay. Edible. Not particularly creamy tasting, kinda extra bland (even for kraft mac and cheese). I ate it, but I’ll stick to the easy mac. ---
**Author:** ![dexter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dc4da7/32.png) [@dexter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dexter)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/7 "2013-02-05T01:05:23Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > You are smarter than me. > > I made the grave error of buying a Quicke Mart sandwich to take on a hike today because I was running late. 2 hours after lunch I was sick enough I had to stop. Fortunately, the trail crossed a road, so I stopped there and waited while the other folks finished the hike and then came back and got me a couple of hours later. > > WTF was I thinking? Well, at least it wasn’t gas station sushi. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/8 "2013-02-05T05:44:45Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Just FYI, I bought a new box, and mixed it up without milk but within shelf life. It came out okay. Edible. Not particularly creamy tasting, kinda extra bland (even for kraft mac and cheese). I ate it, but I’ll stick to the easy mac. So, what do you have against adding milk? I almost responded early on to your OP that you actually saved yourself some trouble of making some really craptastic Mac and Cheese as would have happened by skipping the milk. If you really want to skip the milk yet want the big old pan of cheesy goodness and a fraction of the cost of the easy mac… get the Kraft Deluxe Mac and Cheese… there is a packet of cheese sauce… no milk or butter required. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/9 "2013-02-05T07:08:28Z")
Why in the world did you leave in some water? No wonder it tasted awful. I’ve got the Mac & Cheese process down to an art. Always do classic prep. 1/4 cup milk (2% at the very least), and 1/4 cup of BUTTER. Drain noodles completely, melt butter in the now empty pot, add in milk and noodles, stirring it around a bit before adding the powder. Add salt/pepper. Perfection. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/10 "2013-02-05T11:31:54Z")
My exBF makes the best carrot cake you will ever taste this side of heaven. It’s a sheet cake he makes in a big disposable lasagna pan. He puts in a whole pound of finely grated carrots, pineapple, toasted pecans, and tops it, of course, with cream cheese frosting. However, he tends to keep groceries, perishable and non-perishable, too long without checking dates. He was Mr. “Oh, that bacon’ s only six months old–it doesn’t smell all THAT bad.” I’m talking about an opened package of bacon. One time I noticed some black substance dripping from a pantry shelf and traced it to an ancient can of tomato sauce that had split its seam. One day I came home and he was making the carrot cake-- yum! The taste buds were revving up in eager anticipation. After it was cooled and frosted, I took a big bite of a big piece…and immediately gagged and spit it out. It looked fine, but I swear, every one of the ingredients was spoiled, rancid, moldy, you name it. The eggs were bad, the nuts tasted bad, the butter or margarine was spoiled, the pineapple was fermented. There was something wrong with the cream cheese. I think the carrots were okay, but that was all. BTW, you may not know this, but unopened Velveeta does not keep indefinitely. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/11 "2013-02-05T13:41:46Z")
> [@dexter](#): > > Well, at least it wasn’t gas station sushi. :eek: Yeah 🙂 I’m still kinda sick damnit. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/12 "2013-02-05T14:32:01Z")
The whole “Mac and Cheese with/without Milk” thing reminds me of when I was a kid, I had a friend over, and we made a box of Mac & Cheese. She took a bite, and looked at me with big eyes and said “This is REALLY cheesey, did you use two packages of cheese?” I hadn’t, I just made it like the directions say. As it turns out, in her family, they never measured anything, and just poured in a bunch of milk and a ton of butter. Therefor, she was used to eating Mac & Cheese soup, because they put in SO MUCH MILK. In fact, she confessed, the sometimes ate it without the cheese, so they could save up a couple cheese packages, and make it extra cheesy. Because, you know, that was better than just following the directions and measuring out the ingredients. So the moral is, if you add milk, just add what it calls for, don’t make soup. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/13 "2013-02-05T14:38:41Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > Why in the world did you leave in some water? No wonder it tasted awful. I tried it with water + powdered milk instead of regular milk once. Once. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/14 "2013-02-05T15:58:59Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I tried it with water + powdered milk instead of regular milk once. Once. Powdered milk alone is the spawn of satan. I can’t imagine why you’d voluntarily put it into a heavenly object like mac and cheese. Re-reading the thread, I completely missed that the OP wasn’t using milk in their mac and cheese. Why not? That’s like making cookies and not putting the sugar in them! You can’t omit/change ingredients on a recipe and then be surprised it doesn’t taste good. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/15 "2013-02-05T16:36:58Z")
I’ve been making it without milk for years. Ever since I stopped buying milk. I use less butter, too - just 2 tbs. I don’t leave any water in the pan but I do add like 1tbs of water so the cheese powder gets wet. Lately I’ve been adding a bit of cream cheese. Someone on this board recommended it, and I DO have cream cheese around. It’s all right, but I’m still good without the milk (or cream cheese). ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/16 "2013-02-05T18:47:11Z")
I don’t put milk either, but I will add a tbsp of Cheese Whiz if I have it. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/17 "2013-02-05T19:12:44Z")
At the risk of being an insufferable food snob, I recommend trying [this recipe](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/stove-top-mac-n-cheese-recipe/index.html) for mac and cheese. It takes maybe 5-10 minutes longer than making it from a box, but it’s infinitely more delicious. Just as comforting as box mac & cheese, just tastier. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/18 "2013-02-05T19:20:28Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > Powdered milk alone is the spawn of satan. I can’t imagine why you’d voluntarily put it into a heavenly object like mac and cheese. I was young and ignorant about how powdered milk works. > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > At the risk of being an insufferable food snob, I recommend trying [this recipe](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/stove-top-mac-n-cheese-recipe/index.html) for mac and cheese. It takes maybe 5-10 minutes longer than making it from a box, but it’s infinitely more delicious. Just as comforting as box mac & cheese, just tastier. For better or for worse, I don’t keep 10 ounces of cheddar cheese around at all times. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/19 "2013-02-05T19:28:40Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Okay, this is rather mundane and pretty pointless, but it’s about food, so here we go. > > Yesterday, I decided to make macaroni and cheese. I’ve had a box in the pantry, haven’t made it from the box in a while, decided I’d give it a go. I’ve been using the Kraft easy mac because it cooks up quickly in the microwave and it doesn’t require milk to come out creamy and good. But I figured for 8 minutes I could get a pot with multiple servings, and I’d see how it turned out without the milk. I suspect it will be okay. > > So I boiled the water. I put the noodles in and boiled them sufficiently. Drained them, leaving a bit of water, put in the margarine. Everything was going fine. Then I opened the packet and dumped it in. It was brown. Erm, it’s supposed to be yellow, this can’t be good. Then I smelled it. It wasn’t the worst smell ever, but it wasn’t on the list of things you’d want to eat. GAH! Brown and stinky. > > I checked the expiration date. 2009. :o > > Yeah, I threw that shit out. (The sad part is it was perfectly good up until I put the “sauce” in.) I experienced that once, too. Only I’m too embarassed to say how much more expired my boxed Kraft was. :o ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277/20 "2013-02-05T19:37:38Z")
I like to substitute Cheez Whiz for the butter. And don’t forget the ketchup! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-ruined-macaroni-and-cheese/649277.md?page=2)