The rise and fall of Kraft Mac and Cheese, or as it’s called in Canada – “Dinner”
15 Replies to “Honey, I Finished The Internet”
About 4 years ago in the depths of the covid hysteria I was in Walmart and saw the 10? pack of KD Mac & Cheese for real cheap and … I can’t make an excuse for this, but I put it in the cart and thought this will make for good emergency food.
And the real problem was that I’d gotten used to Superstore’s version, the PC Mac & Cheese with white cheddar. I think it’s closer to “white cheese product” than actual cheese, it does start off as white powder. I normally toss a chopped up slice of actual cheddar in there to mix in and fool myself into thinking this may have to suffice for food today. But it’s $1.25 – $1.50 each. and I know it’s “product” but it tastes ok to me sometimes.
Well, the Kraft Mac & Cheese is something else, I’ve tried cooking the box of 10 to about 10 different “doneness” levels and mixing in less milk, more milk, extra cheddar, and there is actually nothing which can be done to make it less soft plastic tasting, to make it seem like it’s actual food. It’s impossible. This is garbage, and I’m offended with it 10 different ways.
I hope Kraft goes under as a result of this mush, it’s revolting to me. I don’t often toss food out but I’ve put some of this crap in the back yard bird/squirrel feeder and it’s sat there for a few days, very different from any bread type products.
It’s real garbage. When I’ve eaten this as part of a meal, like with a sandwich or a salad or even just tomato slices and toast, every single time, it’s been the worst part of the “dinner”
It’s garbage. I feel I’ve done a dis-service to the butter (real butter) and milk which goes into trying to make this palatable.
They’ve changed the formula who knows how many times since I was a kid.
Less butter to make it look healthier on the label.
I got the deluxe kind with the pouch of liquid cheese goop as survival food- no butter or milk needed. slightly better, but I still regret eating it every time.
“I got the deluxe kind with the pouch of liquid cheese goop as survival food- no butter or milk needed. slightly better, but I still regret eating it every time.”
They shrunk those recently as well.
“Regret” sums up the taste of this well.
I regretted it 10 times, and I won’t regret it again. It isn’t just the taste, the texture seems to be garbage mush level as well and it’s near florescent, I see no redeeming qualities, I felt violated, and it will never be part of my future emergency plan.
Ever.
I wouldn’t have it in the house.
Yeah, yeah … food dyes are unhealthy … and powdered cheese isn’t cheese. And all those chemical names will kill you dead because you can’t pronounce them. But I still managed to consume my fair share of Kraft Mac & cheese powder as a kid … somehow avoided all major diseases, ADHD, Autism, multiple chemical sensitivities … and all the other modern ailments blamed on over processed foods. But yeah … go ahead and convince yourself Annie’s is better or that Socially-influenced Goocaroni is “healthy” food. Puhleeze. At the end of the day .. ALL pasta is pasty flour goo and if you’re lucky it actually has some egg content. It’s all a short train to diabetes. And barely a step above white bread. So enough with the nonsense about “healthy” versions of boxed Mac and cheese.
Having said that … I won’t touch Kraft Mac and Cheese with a 10ft. pole now. It’s been reformulated in every way imaginable. How do I know? Taste, texture … and the worst characteristic of all … even when made with the absolute optimal proportion of REAL butter and Half & half … you have a 5min. MAX time window to eat the stuff before it goes rock solid and inedible. I expect some woke business geniuses fiddled with the product and wrecked it completely.
But that’s what’s great about Capitalism … no business or product is guaranteed a shelf life in the consumer psyche’. Lose the quality … and someone will invent something better … even if it isn’t … better … it’s just different.
Bartender! Give me two fingers of old red dye!
I have to admit, I am a sucker for Velveeta ‘Shells & Cheese’ with either chipped kielbasa, crushed bacon, or ham cubes.. It is one of my lazy ass, just got home from work and don’t feel like cooking vices.. I guess it’s still better for me than smoking cigarettes, soo..
(In Canada) I’ve been a KD fan most of my life…I’m 67. I think it was about 12-15 years ago they changed the formulation of the cheese…the new version was garbage. I tried other brands, and eventually settled on elbow macaroni, butter, and a few slices of cheese melted in. KD eventually changed the cheese again and improved it, though still not as good as 20 years ago.
I mention Canada above, because KD is different from country to country. While on holidays in Australia, I tried their version of KD ‘Original’. It’s even worse than that brief version of Canadian KD from the last decade – the cheese is awful, and the noodles are even worse. I haven’t tried the US version, but I suspect it isn’t so great either.
PS: Isn’t it great not to be b****ing about politics, climate or any of the other major topics?
Apparently, it was originally called “Kraft Dinner” in the US. That is according to the History Channel series Food that made America.
I believe there was even a version where the noodles were made of vegetable flour (cauliflower) and they were horrible!
I’m partial to the Great Value mac n cheese from walmart. the “cheese” powder is superior (esp the extra creamy and white cheddar) and so are the noodles, (they use elbow macaroni in the extra creamy and white cheddar versions).
My “secret” is to use the water left over from boiling, add a small amount of butter, milk is not really needed, but a splash works, and WHISK in the cheese powder. it’s like making TRUE alfredo, true alfredo has no milk or cream, it’s the starchy water from the boil that makes it work!
If you want some good Bachelor Chow, make a pan of ground beef taco meat and incorporate. I call it Taqueroni and Cheese, easy to eat the whole pot! The results are why it’s called Bachelor Chow, if you aren’t one at the start, you will be after eating it all!!
Whenever I am out of half and half … or it pours out of the expired carton in lumps … I use your water option. And it works just fine.
It’s just as easy to make real mac and cheese as it is to make KD. Costs more, but worth it.
Mmm, yes, nothing beats home mac; slather casserole dish in butter, I like to use Scooby Doo pasta for oven mac, add in alternating layers of shredded OLD cheddar and noodles, pour in cream or milk, top with more cheese and for the cruchy topping, I use the dregs from bags of chips, crackers, etc., bake and enjoy!
I like the sound of your comfort food. I’m comforted just reading about it.
About 4 years ago in the depths of the covid hysteria I was in Walmart and saw the 10? pack of KD Mac & Cheese for real cheap and … I can’t make an excuse for this, but I put it in the cart and thought this will make for good emergency food.
And the real problem was that I’d gotten used to Superstore’s version, the PC Mac & Cheese with white cheddar. I think it’s closer to “white cheese product” than actual cheese, it does start off as white powder. I normally toss a chopped up slice of actual cheddar in there to mix in and fool myself into thinking this may have to suffice for food today. But it’s $1.25 – $1.50 each. and I know it’s “product” but it tastes ok to me sometimes.
Well, the Kraft Mac & Cheese is something else, I’ve tried cooking the box of 10 to about 10 different “doneness” levels and mixing in less milk, more milk, extra cheddar, and there is actually nothing which can be done to make it less soft plastic tasting, to make it seem like it’s actual food. It’s impossible. This is garbage, and I’m offended with it 10 different ways.
I hope Kraft goes under as a result of this mush, it’s revolting to me. I don’t often toss food out but I’ve put some of this crap in the back yard bird/squirrel feeder and it’s sat there for a few days, very different from any bread type products.
It’s real garbage. When I’ve eaten this as part of a meal, like with a sandwich or a salad or even just tomato slices and toast, every single time, it’s been the worst part of the “dinner”
It’s garbage. I feel I’ve done a dis-service to the butter (real butter) and milk which goes into trying to make this palatable.
They’ve changed the formula who knows how many times since I was a kid.
Less butter to make it look healthier on the label.
I got the deluxe kind with the pouch of liquid cheese goop as survival food- no butter or milk needed. slightly better, but I still regret eating it every time.
“I got the deluxe kind with the pouch of liquid cheese goop as survival food- no butter or milk needed. slightly better, but I still regret eating it every time.”
They shrunk those recently as well.
“Regret” sums up the taste of this well.
I regretted it 10 times, and I won’t regret it again. It isn’t just the taste, the texture seems to be garbage mush level as well and it’s near florescent, I see no redeeming qualities, I felt violated, and it will never be part of my future emergency plan.
Ever.
I wouldn’t have it in the house.
Yeah, yeah … food dyes are unhealthy … and powdered cheese isn’t cheese. And all those chemical names will kill you dead because you can’t pronounce them. But I still managed to consume my fair share of Kraft Mac & cheese powder as a kid … somehow avoided all major diseases, ADHD, Autism, multiple chemical sensitivities … and all the other modern ailments blamed on over processed foods. But yeah … go ahead and convince yourself Annie’s is better or that Socially-influenced Goocaroni is “healthy” food. Puhleeze. At the end of the day .. ALL pasta is pasty flour goo and if you’re lucky it actually has some egg content. It’s all a short train to diabetes. And barely a step above white bread. So enough with the nonsense about “healthy” versions of boxed Mac and cheese.
Having said that … I won’t touch Kraft Mac and Cheese with a 10ft. pole now. It’s been reformulated in every way imaginable. How do I know? Taste, texture … and the worst characteristic of all … even when made with the absolute optimal proportion of REAL butter and Half & half … you have a 5min. MAX time window to eat the stuff before it goes rock solid and inedible. I expect some woke business geniuses fiddled with the product and wrecked it completely.
But that’s what’s great about Capitalism … no business or product is guaranteed a shelf life in the consumer psyche’. Lose the quality … and someone will invent something better … even if it isn’t … better … it’s just different.
Bartender! Give me two fingers of old red dye!
I have to admit, I am a sucker for Velveeta ‘Shells & Cheese’ with either chipped kielbasa, crushed bacon, or ham cubes.. It is one of my lazy ass, just got home from work and don’t feel like cooking vices.. I guess it’s still better for me than smoking cigarettes, soo..
(In Canada) I’ve been a KD fan most of my life…I’m 67. I think it was about 12-15 years ago they changed the formulation of the cheese…the new version was garbage. I tried other brands, and eventually settled on elbow macaroni, butter, and a few slices of cheese melted in. KD eventually changed the cheese again and improved it, though still not as good as 20 years ago.
I mention Canada above, because KD is different from country to country. While on holidays in Australia, I tried their version of KD ‘Original’. It’s even worse than that brief version of Canadian KD from the last decade – the cheese is awful, and the noodles are even worse. I haven’t tried the US version, but I suspect it isn’t so great either.
PS: Isn’t it great not to be b****ing about politics, climate or any of the other major topics?
Apparently, it was originally called “Kraft Dinner” in the US. That is according to the History Channel series Food that made America.
I believe there was even a version where the noodles were made of vegetable flour (cauliflower) and they were horrible!
I’m partial to the Great Value mac n cheese from walmart. the “cheese” powder is superior (esp the extra creamy and white cheddar) and so are the noodles, (they use elbow macaroni in the extra creamy and white cheddar versions).
My “secret” is to use the water left over from boiling, add a small amount of butter, milk is not really needed, but a splash works, and WHISK in the cheese powder. it’s like making TRUE alfredo, true alfredo has no milk or cream, it’s the starchy water from the boil that makes it work!
If you want some good Bachelor Chow, make a pan of ground beef taco meat and incorporate. I call it Taqueroni and Cheese, easy to eat the whole pot! The results are why it’s called Bachelor Chow, if you aren’t one at the start, you will be after eating it all!!
Whenever I am out of half and half … or it pours out of the expired carton in lumps … I use your water option. And it works just fine.
It’s just as easy to make real mac and cheese as it is to make KD. Costs more, but worth it.
Mmm, yes, nothing beats home mac; slather casserole dish in butter, I like to use Scooby Doo pasta for oven mac, add in alternating layers of shredded OLD cheddar and noodles, pour in cream or milk, top with more cheese and for the cruchy topping, I use the dregs from bags of chips, crackers, etc., bake and enjoy!
I like the sound of your comfort food. I’m comforted just reading about it.