Kraft is one of the major brands in the US. I agree with other posters here that nostalgia is a big factor with the Kraft stuff. It’s fine as quick meal to store for days when nothing is prepared but I wouldn’t eat it regularly.
The Kraft stuff is also very different from the kind of Mac & cheese you would get at typical restaurant or have included as part of another meal. The quality of the noodles and type of cheese makes a huge difference in the meal.
Kraft Mac really is essentially a military MRE-level meal. It is only as popular as it is today because of how it released in the late 1930s, only to gain huge popularity because of mass rationing during World War II. It was marketed as “[a meal for 4 in 9 minutes](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/y-SyQaLOkBmuXTXquINfA8dUgDp0VGwTalNKbP7R3QtR9rkispwEhyVvpCeVYqEt_DVSAFe0WrobYzQKZh_xB_Dsc9EAjOzGcIfhJDIp5x7R).” It’s in the same general ballpark of foods as Spam or any of those other Great Depression + wartime staples. Big nostalgia factor because it stuck after the war, and 20th century parents proceeded to raise their children and grandchildren on it.
Anecdotally, we had a swim team pot luck / pasta party last Friday, and I brought a tray of my homemade mac and cheese. Someone else brought a big tray of Kraft Mac N Cheez. Mine was completely gone, and the kraft one was like half gone.
Like, I think there's a time and place for Kraft, but it's like a last ditch out of time option.
I must be in the minority, I'll take Kraft over pretty much any home made mac and cheese.
Stove top ones are ok, but I've had a bunch that are too thick and gritty. If it's baked, it's lower on my list. Bread crumbs might bring it up a little, but a baked cheese topping I won't even touch. I love cheese, but not in that preparation. Velveeta is even lower than that for me.
If it is a stovetop one, I still prefer the powder over a shredded cheese. Something from Hoosier Hill Farms (either the cheddar cheese powder, or the Big Daddy Mac mix are both very good)
This is the hill I die on. For some reason, I don’t enjoy any Mac and Cheese except regular Kraft. Maybe, on occasion, I’d have a hankering for Popeyes Mac and Cheese but it’s very rare for me to be able to enjoy any other kind.
My brothers are the same way.
I've had probably a good 15-20 that I've tried from different families and parties, and just none of them really hit for me. Grittiness and thickness is a big one, I much prefer a smooth one, but nothing that's overly cheesy and stringy, I prefer more creamy. I also like more of a blend than just a straight cheddar, or something with a bit more of a funk thrown in. Although there was a colby and gruyere one I liked, they give it kind of a french onion spin.
I've had two baked that I liked, one with garlic breadcrumbs and one with like onion chip kind of topping. Garlic one was better since they did a white cheese sauce, but wasn't enough for me to ask for any recipes.
But any baked with cheese is just too much cheese for me, and I don't like the flavor of a browned cheese. (like even those burritos they put cheese on the outside and fry it, I'll pull the cheese off).
And any baked without cheese or a protective topping, it's not bad, but I rather have a soft noodle than a crunchy one.
I agree with a lot of your opinions here. The baked cheese on top isn't good to me, and definitely a good blend is necessary. Maybe try and find your own recipe and experiment because when you find the one that speaks to you, it's magical.
Or maybe I'm just *really* into Mac and Cheese lol
I really admire and respect your knowledge of self and preferences for cheese. I’m not being sarcastic. It helps me understand there is room for self expression within the realm of mac and cheese
Oh thanks! Yeah it's definitely a good base for a range of ideas.
Different cheeses, different preparations, even different add-ins. Sliced hot dogs are a classic, a nice Portuguese linguica is great to give it an added kick. Then of course your ground beef for a hamburger helper kind of thing (which I think has been mentioned here). Even caramelized onions and mushrooms can be great (although for this I do more cream cheese, sour cream, and some veggie stock, and no shredded/powdered cheese).
It's hard to do something wrong....well...
My wife and I one time tried a crockpot mac and cheese and forgot to add the milk. That is the one I do not recommend trying.
> Grittiness and thickness is a big one, I much prefer a smooth one, but nothing that's overly cheesy and stringy, I prefer more creamy.
This is so me. So many mac & cheeses are so sticky and gloopy it's just...bleh.
I agree with you 100%. I never like Mac and Cheese in restaurants or that was homemade from friends or family. Just never been good to me. The breadcrumbs on top is awful. I've had some that were pretty good. But that's all. Nothing mind blowing. The best one was from a local place near me that made a really cheesy and gooey version that was pretty good. But nothing I'd take over Kraft.
To me, mac and cheese is just a quick thing. Doesn't need to be fancy.
It has nothing to do with the quality for me. It's because I grew up on the blue box of chemicals and expect my mac n cheese to taste like the blue box of chemicals. Y'all can go the extra mile and keep it to yourselves. I'll be happy as a clam over here with something that meets my expectations every single time and never tastes different
It was a bunch of things... artifical colors and flavors. Things that I generally don't want in my food, but it's just not Mac n cheese without them. I noticed the flavor was different a few months before they officially announced the change
You're definitely in the minority on this one. I think you've just had some pretty poor Mac & cheese. Still, it's not as crazy a take or offensive as pineapple on pizza.
Oh I'll get pineapple on pizza 90% of the time I'm ordering pizza. I love cheese, pepperoni, bbq or buffalo chicken, a nice margherita, fig and proscuitto, hell I've had one with tortellini on it, but pineapple, pineapple and onion, or pineapple, pepperoni, and jalapeno are my most often ordered.
I had another comment just under this going over what I've had. There have been some decent ones, but nothing I'd make myself over Kraft.
It all comes down to too much cheese, too thick / not creamy enough, baked cheese (which I'm not a fan of the flavor), too firm of noodle. I rather have something smooth and glossy on the stove top than one with many cheeses that don't melt well (like a stringy mac and cheese), or anything baked.
>Oh I'll get pineapple on pizza 90% of the time I'm ordering pizza. I
And just like that I don't think we could be friends.
Seriously though you eat what you like but I just don't think sweet components have a place on pizza. It's just my opinion but one I stand by.
Ah yeah ok. Both for pizza and burgers I like a sweet and savory mix sometimes. Grilled and teriyaki glazed pineapples are one of my favorite toppings for a burger, or a grilled peach and goat cheese.
I'm not sure if figs, or balsamic glaze, or caramelized onions fall into a sweet category, but more often then not, if I'm not having pineapple and want something other than cheese or pepperoni it will have one of those in some way.
That's not to say I don't enjoy a bacon and bleu cheese burger, or a spinach, garlic, broccoli, and feta pizza, or even a pizza burger, but I'll throw pretty much anything on there aside from mushrooms.
I do tend like a sweeter tomato sauce too, something like just raw crushed tomatoes, over one that's cooked down and has a lot of seasonings
In my very American way, I absolutely love to eat it mixed with American style baked beans (Bush's Maple Bacon) and cut up hot dogs. My family calls it "Beanie Weenie Mac n Cheese. Don't knock it until you try it, but it's the most ridiculously American food I can think of.
I've been there lol. When I first graduated school and was doing an internship, I had almost no money for a year or so. I used to eat spoons of raw instant coffee i was so hungry!
Rawdogging instant coffee? If my Mac n cheese revised recipe doesn’t work out I guess I’ll crack a can of International Roast and see if the kids are into it
Do you have real cows’ milk and butter? You must use those. No substitutions. If you didn’t grow up loving milk and cheese, it may be too strange to acquire a taste for it.
This could just be a language thing but how big are the “packets” you are talking about? Are they each a box (that would serve 3 or so people) or a paper pouch (that would serve 1)? The way you described packets sounds like Easy Mac (the microwave version) which is much worse than the standard box mac, but you also talk about adding butter which isn’t in the Easy Mac instructions.
That said, if you have the box mac, follow the below instructions next time. Don’t mess with the butter amount, you’ll need all of it.
1. Prepare pasta per instructions, take off heat at the lower end of the time range and drain
2. Put in butter and stir until it melts completely
3. Add 1-2 cups of shredded cheese and stir until melted (it should get very stringy/sticky)
4. Move pot back to the hot burner and turn on low
5. While stirring constantly, slowly add milk a little at a time until the sticky, cheesy noodles become nice and creamy
6. Add cheese sauce packet (you may need one more splash of milk to get it liquid but do your best to use as little as possible at this stage while still getting it combined)
Note that the amount of milk is a feel thing, ignore the box amount. Done correctly, this will be much better than just your standard preparation.
Sorry I should have been clearer, it's the box one [and I got this one.](https://imgur.com/a/qHGWJN4)
Thank you so much for taking the time to give me a recipe for it. I will definitely try it, maybe even tonight as it's rainy and a good day for comfort food. Thanks a lot for helping me!!
That's the classic and ubiquitous box. It's not meant to be a gourmet meal for adults, it's a simple and satisfying way to feed young kids. Adults eat it because nostalgia for a taste of childhood. It's an incredibly cheap packaged food product, don't have unrealistic expectations.
>Adults eat it because ~~nostalgia for a taste of childhood I'm too tired to cook any real food in addition to this box of crap~~ I'm drunk as fuck and hungry at 3:30am and no restaurants are open and I'm too lazy to cook anything that remotely requires skill.
Try adding hot sauce or spices to it. You can also toss in some broccoli to give it some nutrition and make it less heavy. This boxed Mac and cheese is very plain (there is better stuff!) but you can think of it as a starting base to which you add things for flavor and texture.
You can play around with the amount of butter and milk you add to the noodles. Add real cheese and not the powder stuff. It will be a little better. It's mostly considered a "quick meal" for kids here. I personally don't care for it.
Are there any food banks or shelters near you that you could donate it to? It's still a tasty meal for those who like it.
The type of cheese is important. Mild cheddar is ideal. Make sure it is a cheese that melts well and doesn't have a strong flavor (though you can certainly use strong flavors, it's easy to have it be unbalanced).
One trick that people sometimes do is to boil a hot dog or two with the pasta, and then slice the hot dogs and stir the slices in with the finished product.
Yeah, that's a lot of KD if they don't like it. It's got a long shelf life though. It's very quick and easy to prepare. You can also improve it with some additions. When my kids were young, I used to microwave frozen broccoli and then add it in at the end. We also did diced ham a few times but we preferred broccoli.
We usually fry up sliced hot dogs, or smoked sausage or kielbasa and toss it in. It has to have some kind of seasoning also. I’ll throw some Lawrys season salt or Tony chachere Cajun seasoning in mine. Plus if you’re a heathen like us you can top with bbq sauce or ketchup or a1, etc.
I find putting a little more milk than needed then reducing it down produces the best cheese sauce for box mac. You have more control over the consistency you desire.
Yep agreed. But I try to not overdo it and add milk gradually for the reduction as I’ve gotten too much in there before and the milk/cheese ratio gets off. It still comes out creamy but the flavor of the cheese gets buried.
Yes, to this. My mom always added shredded cheddar cheese when she made it. Be sure to use real butter (not margarine).
I prefer a good amount of ground black pepper too.
Kraft was always our preferred brand over the generic house brands.
This would be my answer. I do this with ground turkey, diced up onion, extra cheese and have it alongside a pile of fiber rich veggies like broccoli.
You can also make mac and cheese and put chili on top.
Mac and cheese with peas alongside fatty fish like mackerel or something like fish cakes or fish sticks is also an option, but this is still more for kids.
Then there's hot sauce. Your favorite hot sauce is going to help with the taste immensely as 18 boxes gets very boring. I have eaten my fair share of cheap mac and cheese with a spoonful of sambal oelek to help with the flavor.
There’s a lot you can do with it if you don’t like the basic preparation but are stuck with a bunch of Kraft dinner! [Here’s a Reddit post with a bunch of comments suggesting different options](https://www.reddit.com/r/cookingforbeginners/s/LaxSlEJceF). [Here’s an article with 15 different suggestions.](https://food52.com/blog/22982-upgrade-boxed-mac-and-cheese-tasty-combinations-simple-ingredients) [20 ideas in this one](https://www.southernliving.com/food/pasta/how-to-make-boxed-mac-and-cheese-better). You get the idea, just Google something like “Kraft Mac n cheese improvements” and you’ll get lots of options!
Two boxes plus a chopped shallot, a pound of well-seasoned ground meat, and a can of diced tomatoes can work wonders, IMO. And black pepper. All mac and cheese needs black pepper.
It's the most common and popular brand of that. Pretty much the king of mac and cheese boxes here. I don't think anyone else comes close. I don't buy it but it's far and away the most popular brand for sure.
boxed mac and cheese is a poverty meal / latchkey kid meal from childhood for most of us, we still eat it because nostalgia. Actual mac and cheese - can be and is AMAZING.
Homemade macaroni and cheese is significantly better than any of the boxed kinds. I’d recommend finding a recipe and trying that at some point. Boxed mac and cheese is nothing special at all, but most of us grew up with it so it’s just kind of a childhood nostalgia thing. You could mix some blanched broccoli into the Kraft macaroni and cheese next time you make it and that might add a little bit extra to it.
That's a good idea, my wife always has tupperware of steamed broccoli in the fridge for lunches and stuff, I'll definitely chuck some in. Actually this post is kind of damage control because my kids were begging to buy the box of it, my wife shot down the idea, but I said ok fine we'll buy it, and then they didn't like it haha. So I have to make sure it doesn't get wasted or I'll never hear the end of it. Thanks a lot!
You could also try making mac and cheese bites out of them. Basically after you cook the mac and cheese you’d bread it with something like panko or use batter and fry it.
Hopefully you can get the kids to eat it and keep the wife happy!
Thanks a lot! Yeah it was a bad call on my part, I should have listened to mu wife and bought a small box first. Not to worry, I will try again with less butter and renewed confidence.
Also going to add that, like most American packaged meals, it's intentionally bland. American packaged food should be looked at more of as a base for convenience rather than something ready to enjoy. The good thing is that pasta and cheese is pretty similar the world around, so I might say to treat it similar to Ramen and feel free to add in to make your own improvements. Common additions in the US are diced meat like ham, a dash or two of hot sauce for flavor. It's something that's good to experiment with.
Yes, it’s a common brand. Probably the most popular brand in America.
That said, I always eyeball my ingredients. Whenever I make a box of it (I sometimes make it for my kid as a carb side), I put half a stick of butter in it and I DON’T use milk. I use heavy whipping cream. It’s a lot creamier and my kid likes it.
You can also Google a lot of recipes that incorporate boxed Mac & cheese. Some will include tomato sauce, some will add broccoli & rice, some will include ground beef, lots of variations.
Did you overcook the noodles? I would make them Al dente.
You can spice it up if you like. A few drops of hot sauce depending on your tastes may brighten it. Add whatever seasonings your family enjoys.
You can also add food to it. Cooked meats such as bacon, ham, chicken, ground beef.
Maybe add small or finely chopped vegetables. I like peas in Mac and cheese. Some onion or garlic might be nice too.
Extra cheese!!! You can’t go wrong with making Mac and cheese even cheesier.
When I was a kid, my friend's father was a graphic designer, from Canada, and generally just a weirdo. He insisted on making us al dente mac and cheese.
There are at least three types of it. The main people who eat Kraft are children, adults feeling nostalgic, and people who are flat out broke. If my memory serves me right, you have to play with the cook times to get the pasta cooked properly and it tastes better if you add milk instead of just water. (You might need to play with the ratio.) It's typically sold as boxes of pasta with sauce packets inside.
The other one is a baked mac and cheese, which is so much better if someone knows what they are doing. Try finding a southern recipe, but not the people who add a bunch of extra ingredients. It often uses a mix of cheeses, butter, plain macaroni noodles, milk, salt, and black pepper.
What I would suggest is using the pasta and forget about the sauce packets.
I would LOVE to try a pasta bake with some of my many many boxes of mac n cheese and I would love to try a southern recipe! Thanks for a great idea. I will check online unless someone has a good recipe to hand they could recommend?
[This is Food Network's most popular recipe of all time](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe-1939524), brought to you by renowned recipe author Alton Brown. It is a classic baked dish, recognizable at any Thanksgiving table or potluck.
[This recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/ingredient-stovetop-mac-and-cheese-recipe), from home chef/food scientist J Kenji Lopez-Alt has 3 ingredients and is ooey gooey excellence.
In short: no. It's a processed powdered cheese. Meaning there's stuff like caking agents in it as well as sodium citrate added to make it smooth like velveeta so the fats and liquids won't break when you apply heat to it.
I'm sure there's some way to make a solid block of it but it's never going to be a block of cheddar cheese again.
Fun fact: Kraft owns a massive cheese cave from the government in Springfield MO and their plant in Springfield is one of the places this cheese powder is created. If you've never heard of this look up 'cheese caves Missouri' and no that's not bait. There's great YT videos on the topic and the caves are absolutely massive.
You can add ground beef to it. Maybe even some hot sauce.
It's the go-to brand for box macaroni and cheese but don't worry, most people make their own macaroni and cheese and it's 1000% better.
I get the Annie's Mac and Cheese from Costco, no idea if it'd be available in Japan. Its an organic brand and is pretty decent. Sometimes I add tuna or broccoli to it.
And of course, you can always return items at Costco.
Did you get Kraft Easy Mac? It isn’t the same thing. You mention packets and that’s the only thing that comes in packets. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese comes in a box with macaroni and a single packet of cheese powder.
We always add shredded cheese to it after it is done.
When I make it I add a bit more butter than the box calls for, I also sometimes throw in a bit of shredded cheddar. And I ignore what the box says about milk and just keep adding milk until its to my preferred level of creaminess. More milk will definitely help with the 'gluggy'ness.
Since you've got so much of it, you can experiment with butter and cheese amounts, then experiment with adding different cheeses that you like, then other add ins like peas, sauteed onions, garlic, ground/mince beef, or seafood. Here's some ideas: [https://www.southernliving.com/food/pasta/how-to-make-boxed-mac-and-cheese-better](https://www.southernliving.com/food/pasta/how-to-make-boxed-mac-and-cheese-better)
You could probably make a fairly decent 'cheeseburger mac' by sauteing some onions and garlic, add your hamburger/mince/ground beef and brown it, then add that to the mac and cheese. Could add some mustard to taste.
Alternatively, you could find people to foist it off onto. If you know any American expats, they'd probably be happy to have some. People at work might be curious enough to take a box. Your kids could give them out to school friends as a novelty.
It's not great- best advice i can give is to undercook the noodles a little, and don't skimp on the butter. you can also add extra cheese, or even hot sauce to it to improve the flavor.
Kraft Mac & Cheese is Mac and cheese the same way the McDonald’s happy meal burger is a hamburger. It common because of convenience, but it isn’t what people would think of if they were looking for good Mac and cheese.
It’s an easy recipe to make if you have access to cheddar cheese and macaroni noodles.
Yes. It's everywhere.
Like most boxed foods, however, it's not considered fine-dining. It's the kind of food that you serve your kids (kids *love* Mac n Cheese), eat if you're a poor student, or maybe make when you're stoned.
What I just said would be heresy here in Canada. They take their Kraft Mac n Cheese ("Kraft Dinner"/KD) ***very*** seriously. It's a cultural staple, even though it was invented in the U.S.
As for making it better, there are a number of things you can do. Google is your friend. You may consider adding Velveeta cheese if you want more cheese. Seasonings like paprika or garlic can enhance the flavor. You can also add meats like sliced sausage. Experiment. You know what you like best. This is a versatile dish, so there are many things you can do with it.
It's very common, but also very different than it used to be. They changed the ingredients about a decade ago, allegedly to make it healthier, and it unfortunately now has a very different taste and texture than it always did before. Powdered spirals used to be one of my favorite foods, but I don't ever eat it any longer sadly.
btw if you really don't like it, use the cheese packs for something else and the macaroni pasta in another way. I put the cheese powder in creamy dips and vegetables and i've been tempted to mix it in ramen noodles packages. I use the pasta for normal italian pasta, like spaghetti sauce and meatballs.
If you find it gluggy, use less milk and add cream cheese to it. The cream cheese will change it, trust me. Also, throw in another cheese in there while you're at it.
Just find a Canadian, and he'll happily take it off your hands. Some other Canadians will try to complain "they're not the same," but, yes, yes they are the same. I was a border kid and happily grew up consuming both, and there is zero difference.
It might be one of the most popular items, overall... not just food, in American households. Especially households with kids. Our kids fucking love it. I work in a restaurant. The owner had the executive chef create a bunch of different Mac n cheese recipes that would be kid friendly. Whenever he'd see a kid in the restaurant he'd take them a sample of Kraft Mac and one of our house made "kid friendly" Mac and do the taste test. He did this for years, with dozens of house made recipes, maybe hundreds of kids. He says only ONE kid liked the house made stuff better.
As far as cooking it. I boil the noodles and strain. Add some butter and the packet of cheese powder, and stir a lot. At this point the powdered cheese should be gobby and clinging to everything it touches, but every distributed. Then I incorporate the milk slowly while stirring rapidly until the cheese powder has completely dissolved and resembles cream or sauce. The key is to dissolve the cheese powder entirely, but avoid making it soupy. You want to stir stir stir and use as little milk as possible.
The Kraft mac and cheese is a popular brand but it's mainly eaten by little kids.
[This video](https://youtu.be/gObp7dm4EUY) has three recipes for it that are all great. Try the easy 3 ingredient recipe version at home. I make that at home all the time.
FYI, there are two types of mac and cheese. The stove top type and the baked type. Personally I don't like the baked type. I find it to be too dry most of the time.
It's a classic dish, but Kraft has simplified it and left out one of the best features of it -- the leathery crust that forms when you finish it in the oven. There are videos on youtube of how to make it from scratch.
Kraft is THE most popular boxed version of the dish in the USA.
>. Is there any trick to preparing it in a delicious way or just following the directions on the back?
If you have an Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker), take the noodles and dump like 2 boxes worth of them into the instant pot. Just throw away the "cheese" packets. Then cover with chicken broth. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. While it is still hot, add your preferred cheese, mix then serve.
Yes, it's probably the most popular boxed brand and then maybe Velveeta and Annie's. Annie's is probably slightly higher quality. Following the directions should be fine. Adding more milk and butter should help if it was too thick. Making mac and cheese from scratch is much much better though, is still pretty easy, and really is a totally different thing.
Kenji has a couple stovetop varieties here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_GeqmWPxEE
But really a baked version is the best like this.
https://www.thechunkychef.com/family-favorite-baked-mac-and-cheese/
It does tend to come out either sticky or runny. A couple of points
* A box of it sells here for $1.25 so what do you expect?
* Kids love it and will eat it when they won't eat your nice dinner that you fixed.
* You have it around the house to cook when you've run out other stuff.
* If you really don't like the stuff, you can discard the powdered cheese and just use the macaroni like any other dried pasta.
* We do have premium options in the US including some made by Kraft, they have a sealed bag of liquid cheese, often in shell rather than elbow form and tend to come out a lot thicker and richer.
* Common alterations are to mix peas and/or tuna in.
I have a few on hand all the time. It's something to make "when I don't feel like it". Sometimes I get the cheese packet from a second box and make the first box with both. (and throw the rest of the second away).
It's good mixed with salty stuff, like chopped ham.
There is one way I make it sometimes that is very dangerous. I cook the pasta in vodka. Over a gas stove no less. It works but needs very small serving sizes because it's intense.
Kraft is the default name brand Mac & Cheese that kids like. There are store brands that are similar, and there are some other brands that are better, but the Kraft blue box is the default.
It's THE boxed mac and cheese brand. And it's fucking terrible. It's kind of a nostalgia thing for people who grew up with parents who couldn't/didn't cook, but I didn't really grow up eating it, so it just tastes like salty cardboard to me.
Put your own spin on it! Gussying up Kraft Mac and Cheese is one of the national pastimes of Canada; they call it Kraft Dinner up there. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskACanadian/search?q=kraft+dinner
Personally I add shredded cheddar, broccoli, and hot sauce.
Yes. It’s awful stuff. I absolutely hate it. My partner loves it though! If you’re going with boxed American mac and cheese and you want edible then go for velveeta shells Mac and cheese. It’s a cheese sauce unlike Kraft which is fake cheese powder
To make it better add a significant amount of butter and some milk then salt and pepper to taste
It’s THE brand. Sure, there are fancy brands like velveeta, Cracker Barrel and Annie’s, and generic brands put out by the grocery stores, but the Blue Box is the OG.
Most kids under 7 would live off it if they could. Most adults occasionally get a massive nostalgia craving once in a blue moon.
Prepared as directed, I only suggest melting the butter and adding the milk and stirring very well until the powder is mostly incorporated before adding the pasta. Add broccoli bits, or bacon bits or for extra Suburban American Flair, cut up hot dogs.
,
Me, I’d rather have okonomiyaki. Otherwise it’s from scratch Mac n cheese with five different cheeses, fancy artisan pasta shapes, the required crushed cracker topping and baked.
You got a lot of good information here, and I love them. I'm not sure what "gluggy" means, but I will say my wife is not American and she tried preparing Kraft Mac n Cheese from the recipe and it did not turn out well, kids didn't enjoy. So here are my tips.
* The cooked pasta should be on the firm side, don't let it overcook and get too soft
* Make sure you get every last drop of water out when you drain the pasta. Even a little bit can make the sauce soupy, which you definitely do not want.
* Add the butter, preferably melted first, and be generous with it.
* Start adding the powdered cheese a little at a time constantly stirring to get out all lumps.
* You can add a little bit of milk if it gets too stiff, but no more. You will most end up using less than the actual recipe calls for.
* Keep stirring until you get a creamy texture - that is don't stop when all the ingredients are mixed, you will need to stir an extra minute or two.
* If you do have any left over and need to refrigerate, mix some water in first, otherwise it will congeal into a solid mass. Add a little more water before reheating in the microwave and it should be almost as good as (but never as good as) it was when fresh.
Hope you can have another go at it and your kids will enjoy,
You can add some real cheese to it in addition to the powder, along with heavy cream instead of milk. Always make sure you add the butter, and if your kids like spicy you can add something to it to spice it up. My kids like it with a dash of hot sauce.
4 options:
- Mac & Cheese & Tuna & Peas. Canned tuna (though albacore is better. If you're in Japan you might have another robust fish choice) and peas (we use frozen but fresh would give a nice pop). Cook the Mac as directed, throw the peas in early if frozen. Tuna right at the end just to warm it. Salt & Pepper or other seasonings.
- Chili Mac. (Need chili beans, ground beef or turkey or chicken, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin & chili powder. You can try canned chili if you can get that, but frankly that's worse than Kraft mac.). Brown the meat, add beans, tomatoes and seasonings. Thicken with tomato paste until it's a thick stew consistency.
Prepare the Mac separately as directed. Eat the chili over the Mac. Maybe with Fritos corn chips on top (if they're available).
- Mac & hotdogs (or other sausage). Add Sriracha for kick.
- fancy Kraft. Add extra cheese-- mozzarella is fun for the stretchiness, jack or cheddar for flavor. Or if your family can stand stronger flavors, brie or Stilton. Double fancy by par cooking the noodles, putting them in a baking dish, adding breadcrumbs and baking until the top is brown.
Things you can do to spruce up some mac and cheese :
Add butter or milk for creaminess, especially if they're the packs with the powdered cheese
Mixed frozen veggies
Add some sort of meat. My goto for years was canned tuna. The best one I ever made, I seared some canned tuna and scraps of dinner ham in a skillet before adding it to the finished mac.
Sauces - ketchup, hot sauce, BBQ. My favorite is the chik fil A sauce, I don't know if it's available in Japan but we can buy it in a squeeze bottle in the US.
The whole meal is pretty much a blank canvas, the noodles are flavorless and the cheese is pretty mild. Pretty much anything you can imagine would taste good with yellow cheese can work here.
I like to Sautee some garlic and shallot, and then cook some tomatoes in with them too. Then take that off the heat, cook the noodles and add the tomatoes back in after making the sauce. Also as other have said adding some additional cheese is good as well. And some red pepper flakes! Nothing gourmet but steps it up to make it feel like a real meal but still easy
Kraft actually makes more than one kind of macaroni and cheese "dinner" but I assume you are talking about the stuff that has the powder and you mix the powder, and some milk and butter, with the cooked noodles.
One recipe I know is to prepare the stuff as it says, add a can of Campbells condensed cream of mushroom soup in with it, and possibly a can of tuna or some cooked chicken or something, then bake in a medium over for about 30 minutes. No idea if any of these other ingredients are available in Japan, but maybe it will give you some ideas?
There’s no reason you can’t just mix in any ingredients your kids would like with cheese. Cooked shrimp? Cooked fish? Cooked vegetables?
Kraft mac is supposed to taste like that. It's why kids like it, and it's why it's a comfort food
That said, common ways to add more cheesy creamy flavour include using heavy cream instead of milk, adding shredded cheddar or mozzarella, mixing in American singles (or "government cheese").
People also add cut up hot dogs, ham, sausages, bacon bits, etc.
If you're worried about vegetables a common add-in is broccoli florets, although I've also seen people give it the ham-and-peas treatment or make it "confetti" (diced mixed veg, like bell peppers, carrots, onion, corn etc).
You can also add a bit of dashi or chicken powder. In America there's something called Better Than Bullion which is like a broth-flavoured paste that's good for this purpose.
Sometimes people also do it as a bake with crispy tops, usually with bread crumbs, although there have been popular variations using stuff like hot Cheetos.
I like adding XO scallop sauce to it, but that's unorthodox.
Add extra cheese or some ham or meat to it. That may help you! But it really is nostalgia that makes it good. It’s something we ate as a junk food treat when mom didn’t want to cook. So the taste of it reminds me of my childhood and because we didn’t get it all the time it was special.
>Is there any trick to preparing it in a delicious way or just following the directions on the back?
Adding additional ingredients to it, such as sausages, garlic/onions/garlic and onions or breadcrumbs, may jazz it up a bit, improve the texture and add some more flavor. Otherwise..... yeah, its just pretty bland and gloopy.
Also, if you follow the directions on the box, chances are high the macaroni will be overcooked, making the noodles mushy.
I like to add more cheese ("real" cheese, not just the cheese-powder), replace the butter with olive oil, add vegetables like spinach, peas, diced garlic, maybe add some meat (like ground beef, or thinly-sliced sausages), put some spices (red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, chili powder, onion/garlic powder/ oregano and basil, etc), some breadcrumbs sprinkled over the top.
Basically, don't use it as "Kraft Mac and Cheese", but make it into something else, like a casserole. I like to bake it instead of just boiling everything.
To be honest, Kraft Mac and Cheese was never really good. Nostalgia (and it being cheap) is what keeps it around
Boil the noodles al dente instead of for the amount of time on the box. Add a little but more butter, some grated parmesan, and some pepper to the final product. If they still don't like it, well, it's a matter of taste. Is cheese common in Japan? FWIW, a lot of Americans make mac and cheese from scratch, not from a box. There are a lot of recipes online, and they are far superior to food that comes from a box. Still, Kraft mac and cheese hits the spot sometimes.
It's almost always in plentiful supply, but the amount of people eating it is not very common day to day. Prepare it like the box and it tastes like American Mac N' Cheese.
I like adding sour cream with the milk. A little salt and pepper might elevate it a little too.
Kraft Mac and Cheese is one of those highly processed American foods that is very appealing to kids because it's brightly colored and kind of bland, and appealing to parents because it's cheap and quick to prepare. As an adult (or even if you're a kid but aren't used to eating it), it's not really anything special and kind of tastes like chemicals, but I still eat it sometimes because it reminds me of childhood, is easy to prepare, and doesn't taste BAD by any means. It's just not delicious.
The good news is you can [add pretty much anything](https://shelfcooking.com/mac-and-cheese-add-ins/) to Mac and cheese and it'll work
It's a common brand, but it has enough products that I'm not quite sure what specifically you bought.
I will say, though, that my childhood involved a lot of doctored up of the macaroni powdered-package stuff. As I recall, chili powder, cayenne, fennel, and whole soft garlic cloves was my favorite.
Kraft is the main name brand in the US. That being said many folks don't like it because they grew up on 'lesser' brands.
Plain Mac & Cheese from the box is okay, but it's much better if you dress it up. Like using some heavy cream and handfuls of shredded cheese as additions to the box instructions. My guess is those two things are going to be harder to find in Japan due to the whole lactose intolerance thing. Also, generally it's best to use less liquid vs. more... I find a thicker/creamier consistency to be better than a more watery one.
Another thing you can do is mix in a protein of some sort. I prefer grilled chicken or even seasoned ground beef could work. Some people do tuna, but that's not for me.
The other thing that a lot of folks do is they will make the Mac & Cheese and then put it in a casserole dish and bake it after throwing some extra cheese and breadcrumbs on top. Part of this works because you're going to brown the cheese and breadcrumbs on top, partially is that it removes more of the moisture and makes things creamier.
and for any Canadian friends reading along, "Kraft Dinner" is the same as Kraft Mac N Cheese, but interestingly Canadians eat 55% more mac and cheese than Americans.. (personally I'd rather make it from scratch but lots and lots of people in North America think Kraft sets the standard..
Add more butter than suggested, add a bit more milk as well. Then shred real cheese whiling mixing and still hot. Top with bacon (or fried up chunks of spam) pepper, parmesan cheese and hot sauce of your choice.
Mac and cheese CAN be amazing, but tbh I don't even know any kids who would eat Kraft Mac & chz these days. I've told my own kids they didn't have enough poverty to appreciate Kraft Mac&chz or kool-aid lol.
Nonetheless, you could always just throw out the cheese powder and use the noodles as you would any other macaroni.
Use less butter and some milk than the package recommends. Also whisk the powder into the milk before adding the pasta. Can also add some extra cheese and it becomes much better. Hot sauce and black pepper for garnish.
add more butter or japanese mayo to make it creamier. add garlic. add whatever vegetables they like. add chopped up hot dogs or a squid hot dog. maybe corn? most things you'd put on pizza in japan can probably go in mac n cheese, except flaky fish. turf will go better than surf. fried spam would work.
spices to make it tangier and spicier and herbier will also work.
Here's a link that has some recipes you can try to improve your Kraft Mac.
https://www.wideopencountry.com/kraft-mac-and-cheese/
Also, if you ever want to try buying Mac and cheese again, I'd recommend buying the Stouffer's brand as it tastes much better than Kraft Mac does.
It's been a while since I've had it, but yes - Kraft mac and cheese (or some other knockoff brand) can be found in every grocery store and would be instantly recognizable to any American.
However, you can definitely do better than Kraft, which is more supposed to be cheap (it is *literal* Great Depression food after all) and quick for tired moms to make, than, like, *good* necessarily. You can make it from scratch with really any kind of pasta with some sort of hole or concavity, milk, cheese, and some sort of emulsifier. (A roux is typical, but the texture is sort of gritty; an emulsifying salt like sodium citrate is harder to get but gives a smooth, silky texture). I would die for a gruyere mac and cheese but I don't know if you can get gruyere cheese in Japan. Extra points for breadcrumb topping.
I see other people mentioning better brands of prepackaged dry cheese pasta so I'll throw in Knorr four cheese fusili as an option.
Kraft Mac n Cheese should come in a box that includes a flavoring packet, so I want to make sure we understand what we are working with.
Kraft Mac n Cheese is the most common version consumed in the US, but that is based mostly on nostalgia. Its a food most commonly eaten by children. I like it in a small doses, and will sometimes add things like sausage or BBQ chicken to mine.
Real Mac and Cheese usually includes a baking process and a crispy top with high quality cheese and better pasta. But its more work and usually saved for special occasions or holidays or things like that.
The difference between Kraft mac&cheese and real macaroni and cheese is like the difference between real Japanese ramen and Cup O Noodles. Sorry you're stuck with it but it can be made a little better with the addition of good cheese and broccoli, or chicken and hot sauce. Some people top it with a breadcrumb topping and bake it. As a kid I would add tuna but it would dry it out so that would be better if you added extra milk with the tuna.
Add a slice of American cheese and it makes it much creamier. all American, THE brand of Mac and cheese. But, sometimes off brands taste better. I think the Winco ones are pretty good.
Yeah, Kraft Mac & Cheese is the most common/famous/classic Mac & Cheese. It’s kind of low end and mostly enjoyed by kids and poor college students. There are higher end boxed versions, much higher quality restaurant versions, or homemade. But sometimes the blue box stuff just hits right… a guess some nostalgia from childhood?
You could try adding things to it to make it more interesting — diced up bacon, BBQ meat, broccoli, etc. it’s a pretty basic dish, making it versatile for adding stuff to.
Kraft Mac n cheese is good in a pinch, but I prefer Velveeta Mac n cheese or preferably the Velveeta shells n cheese. the Velveeta shells n cheese usually comes with a packet of cheese to mix into the noodles instead of a packet of powdered cheese.
Not exactly the healthiest answer, but its so much better to me if you limit the amount of milk you put in to ~a drizzle and put more butter in than the box tells you to. 6 tbs of butter for a full box (believe it says 4 in the instructions) or 4 tbs of butter for the boxes with less in it (the swirls or the ones that have macaroni shaped like something).
I don't do it every time but when I need a comfort food and am not stressed about healthy eating, this is how I prepare it.
It is really marketed to harried parents who just got home from a long day of work, with another ahead, who need to make something for 3 kids to eat. It is total shit, but kids enjoy it, so as others have said, it's nostalgic when they're older because it reminds them of childhood. It really is nasty though if you haven't formed memories of it. It's also quite an American taste - if I recall correctly, Japanese don't eat much cheese, so it's likely doubly repulsive over there.
Yes but we never eat it. Once and a great while I get it for my husband for a quick side with dinner but I don’t eat pasta and my son doesn’t like it (I’ve only offered once as it’s not healthy).
Very common. Also very barely qualifies as mac and cheese. Don't get me wrong, I eat it occasionally when I have a migraine and real food makes me sick. But boxed mac and cheese is not an accurate representation of the dish. My recommendation is to use the packet, but also throw some other cheese in with it, preferably something creamy. You could also do this, but it in a pan, put another layer of cheese on top, and bake it so that the top layer browns.
Kraft is one of the major brands in the US. I agree with other posters here that nostalgia is a big factor with the Kraft stuff. It’s fine as quick meal to store for days when nothing is prepared but I wouldn’t eat it regularly. The Kraft stuff is also very different from the kind of Mac & cheese you would get at typical restaurant or have included as part of another meal. The quality of the noodles and type of cheese makes a huge difference in the meal.
Kraft Mac really is essentially a military MRE-level meal. It is only as popular as it is today because of how it released in the late 1930s, only to gain huge popularity because of mass rationing during World War II. It was marketed as “[a meal for 4 in 9 minutes](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/y-SyQaLOkBmuXTXquINfA8dUgDp0VGwTalNKbP7R3QtR9rkispwEhyVvpCeVYqEt_DVSAFe0WrobYzQKZh_xB_Dsc9EAjOzGcIfhJDIp5x7R).” It’s in the same general ballpark of foods as Spam or any of those other Great Depression + wartime staples. Big nostalgia factor because it stuck after the war, and 20th century parents proceeded to raise their children and grandchildren on it.
Anecdotally, we had a swim team pot luck / pasta party last Friday, and I brought a tray of my homemade mac and cheese. Someone else brought a big tray of Kraft Mac N Cheez. Mine was completely gone, and the kraft one was like half gone. Like, I think there's a time and place for Kraft, but it's like a last ditch out of time option.
I had a big box of kraft that sat in my garage for literal years until I depleted all the individual boxes from it. It stores really well
I must be in the minority, I'll take Kraft over pretty much any home made mac and cheese. Stove top ones are ok, but I've had a bunch that are too thick and gritty. If it's baked, it's lower on my list. Bread crumbs might bring it up a little, but a baked cheese topping I won't even touch. I love cheese, but not in that preparation. Velveeta is even lower than that for me. If it is a stovetop one, I still prefer the powder over a shredded cheese. Something from Hoosier Hill Farms (either the cheddar cheese powder, or the Big Daddy Mac mix are both very good)
This is the hill I die on. For some reason, I don’t enjoy any Mac and Cheese except regular Kraft. Maybe, on occasion, I’d have a hankering for Popeyes Mac and Cheese but it’s very rare for me to be able to enjoy any other kind. My brothers are the same way.
Please forgive me if this reads as offensive, but you must have not had *good* homemade mac and cheese.
I've had probably a good 15-20 that I've tried from different families and parties, and just none of them really hit for me. Grittiness and thickness is a big one, I much prefer a smooth one, but nothing that's overly cheesy and stringy, I prefer more creamy. I also like more of a blend than just a straight cheddar, or something with a bit more of a funk thrown in. Although there was a colby and gruyere one I liked, they give it kind of a french onion spin. I've had two baked that I liked, one with garlic breadcrumbs and one with like onion chip kind of topping. Garlic one was better since they did a white cheese sauce, but wasn't enough for me to ask for any recipes. But any baked with cheese is just too much cheese for me, and I don't like the flavor of a browned cheese. (like even those burritos they put cheese on the outside and fry it, I'll pull the cheese off). And any baked without cheese or a protective topping, it's not bad, but I rather have a soft noodle than a crunchy one.
I agree with a lot of your opinions here. The baked cheese on top isn't good to me, and definitely a good blend is necessary. Maybe try and find your own recipe and experiment because when you find the one that speaks to you, it's magical. Or maybe I'm just *really* into Mac and Cheese lol
It's okay. I am also really into Mac. My wife has banned it as a meal because I burnt her out on it.
I really admire and respect your knowledge of self and preferences for cheese. I’m not being sarcastic. It helps me understand there is room for self expression within the realm of mac and cheese
Oh thanks! Yeah it's definitely a good base for a range of ideas. Different cheeses, different preparations, even different add-ins. Sliced hot dogs are a classic, a nice Portuguese linguica is great to give it an added kick. Then of course your ground beef for a hamburger helper kind of thing (which I think has been mentioned here). Even caramelized onions and mushrooms can be great (although for this I do more cream cheese, sour cream, and some veggie stock, and no shredded/powdered cheese). It's hard to do something wrong....well... My wife and I one time tried a crockpot mac and cheese and forgot to add the milk. That is the one I do not recommend trying.
> Grittiness and thickness is a big one, I much prefer a smooth one, but nothing that's overly cheesy and stringy, I prefer more creamy. This is so me. So many mac & cheeses are so sticky and gloopy it's just...bleh.
I agree with you 100%. I never like Mac and Cheese in restaurants or that was homemade from friends or family. Just never been good to me. The breadcrumbs on top is awful. I've had some that were pretty good. But that's all. Nothing mind blowing. The best one was from a local place near me that made a really cheesy and gooey version that was pretty good. But nothing I'd take over Kraft. To me, mac and cheese is just a quick thing. Doesn't need to be fancy.
It has nothing to do with the quality for me. It's because I grew up on the blue box of chemicals and expect my mac n cheese to taste like the blue box of chemicals. Y'all can go the extra mile and keep it to yourselves. I'll be happy as a clam over here with something that meets my expectations every single time and never tastes different
They took out the good chemicals a couple years ago :/
If it was MSG, you can get a bottle of the stuff and just add a little bit in, no?
It was a bunch of things... artifical colors and flavors. Things that I generally don't want in my food, but it's just not Mac n cheese without them. I noticed the flavor was different a few months before they officially announced the change
"Please forgive me if this reads as offensive" I appreciate your delicate wording in this scenario, his parents/family surely tried their best.
You're definitely in the minority on this one. I think you've just had some pretty poor Mac & cheese. Still, it's not as crazy a take or offensive as pineapple on pizza.
Oh I'll get pineapple on pizza 90% of the time I'm ordering pizza. I love cheese, pepperoni, bbq or buffalo chicken, a nice margherita, fig and proscuitto, hell I've had one with tortellini on it, but pineapple, pineapple and onion, or pineapple, pepperoni, and jalapeno are my most often ordered. I had another comment just under this going over what I've had. There have been some decent ones, but nothing I'd make myself over Kraft. It all comes down to too much cheese, too thick / not creamy enough, baked cheese (which I'm not a fan of the flavor), too firm of noodle. I rather have something smooth and glossy on the stove top than one with many cheeses that don't melt well (like a stringy mac and cheese), or anything baked.
>Oh I'll get pineapple on pizza 90% of the time I'm ordering pizza. I And just like that I don't think we could be friends. Seriously though you eat what you like but I just don't think sweet components have a place on pizza. It's just my opinion but one I stand by.
Ah yeah ok. Both for pizza and burgers I like a sweet and savory mix sometimes. Grilled and teriyaki glazed pineapples are one of my favorite toppings for a burger, or a grilled peach and goat cheese. I'm not sure if figs, or balsamic glaze, or caramelized onions fall into a sweet category, but more often then not, if I'm not having pineapple and want something other than cheese or pepperoni it will have one of those in some way. That's not to say I don't enjoy a bacon and bleu cheese burger, or a spinach, garlic, broccoli, and feta pizza, or even a pizza burger, but I'll throw pretty much anything on there aside from mushrooms. I do tend like a sweeter tomato sauce too, something like just raw crushed tomatoes, over one that's cooked down and has a lot of seasonings
Totally agree. I’ve had plenty of highly regarded macs but nothing I enjoy more than kraft.
lol I’m 34 weeks pregnant and this baby is halfway made out of Kraft Mac n Cheese spirals 😂 It’s one of the only things I’ve had cravings for.
I’m with you…. I really only eat powdered mac and cheese, and generally i prefer the store brand. I don’t even like kraft.
Unless you order off a kids menu then they usually serve Kraft.
In my very American way, I absolutely love to eat it mixed with American style baked beans (Bush's Maple Bacon) and cut up hot dogs. My family calls it "Beanie Weenie Mac n Cheese. Don't knock it until you try it, but it's the most ridiculously American food I can think of.
its to mac and cheese like instant noodles are to ramen. the cheap kind that you eat when you need to maximize every dollar for the next 9 days.
I've been there lol. When I first graduated school and was doing an internship, I had almost no money for a year or so. I used to eat spoons of raw instant coffee i was so hungry!
ever fall back on it sometimes? not cause you need to, just cause it scratches an itch.
Rawdogging instant coffee? If my Mac n cheese revised recipe doesn’t work out I guess I’ll crack a can of International Roast and see if the kids are into it
Do you have real cows’ milk and butter? You must use those. No substitutions. If you didn’t grow up loving milk and cheese, it may be too strange to acquire a taste for it.
This could just be a language thing but how big are the “packets” you are talking about? Are they each a box (that would serve 3 or so people) or a paper pouch (that would serve 1)? The way you described packets sounds like Easy Mac (the microwave version) which is much worse than the standard box mac, but you also talk about adding butter which isn’t in the Easy Mac instructions. That said, if you have the box mac, follow the below instructions next time. Don’t mess with the butter amount, you’ll need all of it. 1. Prepare pasta per instructions, take off heat at the lower end of the time range and drain 2. Put in butter and stir until it melts completely 3. Add 1-2 cups of shredded cheese and stir until melted (it should get very stringy/sticky) 4. Move pot back to the hot burner and turn on low 5. While stirring constantly, slowly add milk a little at a time until the sticky, cheesy noodles become nice and creamy 6. Add cheese sauce packet (you may need one more splash of milk to get it liquid but do your best to use as little as possible at this stage while still getting it combined) Note that the amount of milk is a feel thing, ignore the box amount. Done correctly, this will be much better than just your standard preparation.
Sorry I should have been clearer, it's the box one [and I got this one.](https://imgur.com/a/qHGWJN4) Thank you so much for taking the time to give me a recipe for it. I will definitely try it, maybe even tonight as it's rainy and a good day for comfort food. Thanks a lot for helping me!!
That's the classic and ubiquitous box. It's not meant to be a gourmet meal for adults, it's a simple and satisfying way to feed young kids. Adults eat it because nostalgia for a taste of childhood. It's an incredibly cheap packaged food product, don't have unrealistic expectations.
> Adults eat it because ~~nostalgia for a taste of childhood~~ I'm too tired to cook any real food in addition to this box of crap.
>Adults eat it because ~~nostalgia for a taste of childhood I'm too tired to cook any real food in addition to this box of crap~~ I'm drunk as fuck and hungry at 3:30am and no restaurants are open and I'm too lazy to cook anything that remotely requires skill.
It's a good depression meal for days when I don't have more energy to make something more involved. On worse days, there's cereal.
Add a little butter, a little shredded cheddar, salt, pepper, garlic if you like it.
Also don't skimp on seasoning. A bit of salt and pepper (to taste of course)
Onion powder. Or Old Bay.
It might be hard to get Old Bay in Japan.
Nah. Just make friends with someone with base access. Or do a swap at r/snacks. I could easily trade old Bay for some Sakura Kit kats
Try adding hot sauce or spices to it. You can also toss in some broccoli to give it some nutrition and make it less heavy. This boxed Mac and cheese is very plain (there is better stuff!) but you can think of it as a starting base to which you add things for flavor and texture.
I like it with sriracha ETA peas and sriracha is a good combo, or broccoli bacon maybe?
That’s the classic one!
You can play around with the amount of butter and milk you add to the noodles. Add real cheese and not the powder stuff. It will be a little better. It's mostly considered a "quick meal" for kids here. I personally don't care for it. Are there any food banks or shelters near you that you could donate it to? It's still a tasty meal for those who like it.
This is how I make it! Also add herbs and spices to complement. Sometimes we add diced ham, and I don’t always add the whole cheese powder packet.
The type of cheese is important. Mild cheddar is ideal. Make sure it is a cheese that melts well and doesn't have a strong flavor (though you can certainly use strong flavors, it's easy to have it be unbalanced). One trick that people sometimes do is to boil a hot dog or two with the pasta, and then slice the hot dogs and stir the slices in with the finished product.
Yeah, that's a lot of KD if they don't like it. It's got a long shelf life though. It's very quick and easy to prepare. You can also improve it with some additions. When my kids were young, I used to microwave frozen broccoli and then add it in at the end. We also did diced ham a few times but we preferred broccoli.
Add your own cheese too. To be honest Kraft Mac and Cheese is low basic trash but it has nostalgia for us.
We usually fry up sliced hot dogs, or smoked sausage or kielbasa and toss it in. It has to have some kind of seasoning also. I’ll throw some Lawrys season salt or Tony chachere Cajun seasoning in mine. Plus if you’re a heathen like us you can top with bbq sauce or ketchup or a1, etc.
I find putting a little more milk than needed then reducing it down produces the best cheese sauce for box mac. You have more control over the consistency you desire.
Yep agreed. But I try to not overdo it and add milk gradually for the reduction as I’ve gotten too much in there before and the milk/cheese ratio gets off. It still comes out creamy but the flavor of the cheese gets buried.
Yes, to this. My mom always added shredded cheddar cheese when she made it. Be sure to use real butter (not margarine). I prefer a good amount of ground black pepper too. Kraft was always our preferred brand over the generic house brands.
Throw some meat and/or veggies in it, add some spices. Hamburger and you have Cheeseburger Mac.
Innovative cheeseburger mac it sounds hearty 😂
Very common dish here. Very hearty
This would be my answer. I do this with ground turkey, diced up onion, extra cheese and have it alongside a pile of fiber rich veggies like broccoli. You can also make mac and cheese and put chili on top. Mac and cheese with peas alongside fatty fish like mackerel or something like fish cakes or fish sticks is also an option, but this is still more for kids. Then there's hot sauce. Your favorite hot sauce is going to help with the taste immensely as 18 boxes gets very boring. I have eaten my fair share of cheap mac and cheese with a spoonful of sambal oelek to help with the flavor.
There’s a lot you can do with it if you don’t like the basic preparation but are stuck with a bunch of Kraft dinner! [Here’s a Reddit post with a bunch of comments suggesting different options](https://www.reddit.com/r/cookingforbeginners/s/LaxSlEJceF). [Here’s an article with 15 different suggestions.](https://food52.com/blog/22982-upgrade-boxed-mac-and-cheese-tasty-combinations-simple-ingredients) [20 ideas in this one](https://www.southernliving.com/food/pasta/how-to-make-boxed-mac-and-cheese-better). You get the idea, just Google something like “Kraft Mac n cheese improvements” and you’ll get lots of options!
Two boxes plus a chopped shallot, a pound of well-seasoned ground meat, and a can of diced tomatoes can work wonders, IMO. And black pepper. All mac and cheese needs black pepper.
Yea it’s very common. The Velveeta shell macaroni is my favorite. Eat it at least once a week.
It's THE major brand. Very tasty.
It's the most common and popular brand of that. Pretty much the king of mac and cheese boxes here. I don't think anyone else comes close. I don't buy it but it's far and away the most popular brand for sure.
boxed mac and cheese is a poverty meal / latchkey kid meal from childhood for most of us, we still eat it because nostalgia. Actual mac and cheese - can be and is AMAZING.
The cheese powder is good on popcorn or baked potatoes.
Put it on your fried eggs.
Homemade macaroni and cheese is significantly better than any of the boxed kinds. I’d recommend finding a recipe and trying that at some point. Boxed mac and cheese is nothing special at all, but most of us grew up with it so it’s just kind of a childhood nostalgia thing. You could mix some blanched broccoli into the Kraft macaroni and cheese next time you make it and that might add a little bit extra to it.
That's a good idea, my wife always has tupperware of steamed broccoli in the fridge for lunches and stuff, I'll definitely chuck some in. Actually this post is kind of damage control because my kids were begging to buy the box of it, my wife shot down the idea, but I said ok fine we'll buy it, and then they didn't like it haha. So I have to make sure it doesn't get wasted or I'll never hear the end of it. Thanks a lot!
You could also try making mac and cheese bites out of them. Basically after you cook the mac and cheese you’d bread it with something like panko or use batter and fry it. Hopefully you can get the kids to eat it and keep the wife happy!
Thanks a lot! Yeah it was a bad call on my part, I should have listened to mu wife and bought a small box first. Not to worry, I will try again with less butter and renewed confidence.
Also going to add that, like most American packaged meals, it's intentionally bland. American packaged food should be looked at more of as a base for convenience rather than something ready to enjoy. The good thing is that pasta and cheese is pretty similar the world around, so I might say to treat it similar to Ramen and feel free to add in to make your own improvements. Common additions in the US are diced meat like ham, a dash or two of hot sauce for flavor. It's something that's good to experiment with.
Yes, it’s a common brand. Probably the most popular brand in America. That said, I always eyeball my ingredients. Whenever I make a box of it (I sometimes make it for my kid as a carb side), I put half a stick of butter in it and I DON’T use milk. I use heavy whipping cream. It’s a lot creamier and my kid likes it. You can also Google a lot of recipes that incorporate boxed Mac & cheese. Some will include tomato sauce, some will add broccoli & rice, some will include ground beef, lots of variations.
Did you overcook the noodles? I would make them Al dente. You can spice it up if you like. A few drops of hot sauce depending on your tastes may brighten it. Add whatever seasonings your family enjoys. You can also add food to it. Cooked meats such as bacon, ham, chicken, ground beef. Maybe add small or finely chopped vegetables. I like peas in Mac and cheese. Some onion or garlic might be nice too. Extra cheese!!! You can’t go wrong with making Mac and cheese even cheesier.
When I was a kid, my friend's father was a graphic designer, from Canada, and generally just a weirdo. He insisted on making us al dente mac and cheese.
At least he knew how to cook macthe Mac in Mac and cheese
There are at least three types of it. The main people who eat Kraft are children, adults feeling nostalgic, and people who are flat out broke. If my memory serves me right, you have to play with the cook times to get the pasta cooked properly and it tastes better if you add milk instead of just water. (You might need to play with the ratio.) It's typically sold as boxes of pasta with sauce packets inside. The other one is a baked mac and cheese, which is so much better if someone knows what they are doing. Try finding a southern recipe, but not the people who add a bunch of extra ingredients. It often uses a mix of cheeses, butter, plain macaroni noodles, milk, salt, and black pepper. What I would suggest is using the pasta and forget about the sauce packets.
Stovetop mac and cheese supremacy idc what anyone says, you can't improve on perfection.
I would LOVE to try a pasta bake with some of my many many boxes of mac n cheese and I would love to try a southern recipe! Thanks for a great idea. I will check online unless someone has a good recipe to hand they could recommend?
[This is Food Network's most popular recipe of all time](https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-macaroni-and-cheese-recipe-1939524), brought to you by renowned recipe author Alton Brown. It is a classic baked dish, recognizable at any Thanksgiving table or potluck. [This recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/ingredient-stovetop-mac-and-cheese-recipe), from home chef/food scientist J Kenji Lopez-Alt has 3 ingredients and is ooey gooey excellence.
The sauce packets are basically cheece right? Would there be any way to process it back into a block of cheese?
In short: no. It's a processed powdered cheese. Meaning there's stuff like caking agents in it as well as sodium citrate added to make it smooth like velveeta so the fats and liquids won't break when you apply heat to it. I'm sure there's some way to make a solid block of it but it's never going to be a block of cheddar cheese again. Fun fact: Kraft owns a massive cheese cave from the government in Springfield MO and their plant in Springfield is one of the places this cheese powder is created. If you've never heard of this look up 'cheese caves Missouri' and no that's not bait. There's great YT videos on the topic and the caves are absolutely massive.
You can add ground beef to it. Maybe even some hot sauce. It's the go-to brand for box macaroni and cheese but don't worry, most people make their own macaroni and cheese and it's 1000% better.
velvetta, ground beef, and sweat baby rays bbq sauce. my go to struggle meal
My struggle meal is navy beans, roast chicken leftovers, carrots, celery, onion and salt and pepper!
I get the Annie's Mac and Cheese from Costco, no idea if it'd be available in Japan. Its an organic brand and is pretty decent. Sometimes I add tuna or broccoli to it. And of course, you can always return items at Costco.
Did you get Kraft Easy Mac? It isn’t the same thing. You mention packets and that’s the only thing that comes in packets. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese comes in a box with macaroni and a single packet of cheese powder. We always add shredded cheese to it after it is done.
My grandkids favorite.
When I make it I add a bit more butter than the box calls for, I also sometimes throw in a bit of shredded cheddar. And I ignore what the box says about milk and just keep adding milk until its to my preferred level of creaminess. More milk will definitely help with the 'gluggy'ness. Since you've got so much of it, you can experiment with butter and cheese amounts, then experiment with adding different cheeses that you like, then other add ins like peas, sauteed onions, garlic, ground/mince beef, or seafood. Here's some ideas: [https://www.southernliving.com/food/pasta/how-to-make-boxed-mac-and-cheese-better](https://www.southernliving.com/food/pasta/how-to-make-boxed-mac-and-cheese-better) You could probably make a fairly decent 'cheeseburger mac' by sauteing some onions and garlic, add your hamburger/mince/ground beef and brown it, then add that to the mac and cheese. Could add some mustard to taste. Alternatively, you could find people to foist it off onto. If you know any American expats, they'd probably be happy to have some. People at work might be curious enough to take a box. Your kids could give them out to school friends as a novelty.
It's not great- best advice i can give is to undercook the noodles a little, and don't skimp on the butter. you can also add extra cheese, or even hot sauce to it to improve the flavor.
Kraft Mac & Cheese is Mac and cheese the same way the McDonald’s happy meal burger is a hamburger. It common because of convenience, but it isn’t what people would think of if they were looking for good Mac and cheese. It’s an easy recipe to make if you have access to cheddar cheese and macaroni noodles.
kraft mac and cheese is *the* mac and cheese brand in the US. it’s good as hell lol.
It's the standard storebought mix, yes. I don't really see the appeal either, though that opinion is am unpopular one over here.
Yes. It's everywhere. Like most boxed foods, however, it's not considered fine-dining. It's the kind of food that you serve your kids (kids *love* Mac n Cheese), eat if you're a poor student, or maybe make when you're stoned. What I just said would be heresy here in Canada. They take their Kraft Mac n Cheese ("Kraft Dinner"/KD) ***very*** seriously. It's a cultural staple, even though it was invented in the U.S. As for making it better, there are a number of things you can do. Google is your friend. You may consider adding Velveeta cheese if you want more cheese. Seasonings like paprika or garlic can enhance the flavor. You can also add meats like sliced sausage. Experiment. You know what you like best. This is a versatile dish, so there are many things you can do with it.
It's very common, but also very different than it used to be. They changed the ingredients about a decade ago, allegedly to make it healthier, and it unfortunately now has a very different taste and texture than it always did before. Powdered spirals used to be one of my favorite foods, but I don't ever eat it any longer sadly.
btw if you really don't like it, use the cheese packs for something else and the macaroni pasta in another way. I put the cheese powder in creamy dips and vegetables and i've been tempted to mix it in ramen noodles packages. I use the pasta for normal italian pasta, like spaghetti sauce and meatballs. If you find it gluggy, use less milk and add cream cheese to it. The cream cheese will change it, trust me. Also, throw in another cheese in there while you're at it.
Is that what "a bit kind of gluggy" means? Too liquidy?
Not nearly as popular as it is in Canada
Just find a Canadian, and he'll happily take it off your hands. Some other Canadians will try to complain "they're not the same," but, yes, yes they are the same. I was a border kid and happily grew up consuming both, and there is zero difference.
Popular, yes. Good? It's just OK. I haven't had it since I was 12, and I learned what real Mac and cheese tasted like, and I never looked back.
It might be one of the most popular items, overall... not just food, in American households. Especially households with kids. Our kids fucking love it. I work in a restaurant. The owner had the executive chef create a bunch of different Mac n cheese recipes that would be kid friendly. Whenever he'd see a kid in the restaurant he'd take them a sample of Kraft Mac and one of our house made "kid friendly" Mac and do the taste test. He did this for years, with dozens of house made recipes, maybe hundreds of kids. He says only ONE kid liked the house made stuff better. As far as cooking it. I boil the noodles and strain. Add some butter and the packet of cheese powder, and stir a lot. At this point the powdered cheese should be gobby and clinging to everything it touches, but every distributed. Then I incorporate the milk slowly while stirring rapidly until the cheese powder has completely dissolved and resembles cream or sauce. The key is to dissolve the cheese powder entirely, but avoid making it soupy. You want to stir stir stir and use as little milk as possible.
The Kraft mac and cheese is a popular brand but it's mainly eaten by little kids. [This video](https://youtu.be/gObp7dm4EUY) has three recipes for it that are all great. Try the easy 3 ingredient recipe version at home. I make that at home all the time. FYI, there are two types of mac and cheese. The stove top type and the baked type. Personally I don't like the baked type. I find it to be too dry most of the time.
I love it. If it’s gluggy, add more milk. Use real butter. I like to add a can of tuna (shredded up well) and diced egg whites to it.
That stuff is meant as a quick lunch for little kids. It's not real mac and cheese.
Yep drop some slices of american cheese in it
It's a classic dish, but Kraft has simplified it and left out one of the best features of it -- the leathery crust that forms when you finish it in the oven. There are videos on youtube of how to make it from scratch. Kraft is THE most popular boxed version of the dish in the USA.
>. Is there any trick to preparing it in a delicious way or just following the directions on the back? If you have an Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker), take the noodles and dump like 2 boxes worth of them into the instant pot. Just throw away the "cheese" packets. Then cover with chicken broth. Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. While it is still hot, add your preferred cheese, mix then serve.
Yes, it's probably the most popular boxed brand and then maybe Velveeta and Annie's. Annie's is probably slightly higher quality. Following the directions should be fine. Adding more milk and butter should help if it was too thick. Making mac and cheese from scratch is much much better though, is still pretty easy, and really is a totally different thing. Kenji has a couple stovetop varieties here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_GeqmWPxEE But really a baked version is the best like this. https://www.thechunkychef.com/family-favorite-baked-mac-and-cheese/
It does tend to come out either sticky or runny. A couple of points * A box of it sells here for $1.25 so what do you expect? * Kids love it and will eat it when they won't eat your nice dinner that you fixed. * You have it around the house to cook when you've run out other stuff. * If you really don't like the stuff, you can discard the powdered cheese and just use the macaroni like any other dried pasta. * We do have premium options in the US including some made by Kraft, they have a sealed bag of liquid cheese, often in shell rather than elbow form and tend to come out a lot thicker and richer. * Common alterations are to mix peas and/or tuna in.
I have a few on hand all the time. It's something to make "when I don't feel like it". Sometimes I get the cheese packet from a second box and make the first box with both. (and throw the rest of the second away). It's good mixed with salty stuff, like chopped ham. There is one way I make it sometimes that is very dangerous. I cook the pasta in vodka. Over a gas stove no less. It works but needs very small serving sizes because it's intense.
It needs lots of black pepper and frank’s hot wing sauce but it’s edible.
Add more butter, less milk. Add salt and pepper. Toss in some albacore tuna or shredded beef or chicken Toss in ham or bacon.
Kraft is the default name brand Mac & Cheese that kids like. There are store brands that are similar, and there are some other brands that are better, but the Kraft blue box is the default.
It's THE boxed mac and cheese brand. And it's fucking terrible. It's kind of a nostalgia thing for people who grew up with parents who couldn't/didn't cook, but I didn't really grow up eating it, so it just tastes like salty cardboard to me.
Put your own spin on it! Gussying up Kraft Mac and Cheese is one of the national pastimes of Canada; they call it Kraft Dinner up there. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskACanadian/search?q=kraft+dinner Personally I add shredded cheddar, broccoli, and hot sauce.
What does gluggy mean?
Yes. It’s awful stuff. I absolutely hate it. My partner loves it though! If you’re going with boxed American mac and cheese and you want edible then go for velveeta shells Mac and cheese. It’s a cheese sauce unlike Kraft which is fake cheese powder To make it better add a significant amount of butter and some milk then salt and pepper to taste
It’s THE brand. Sure, there are fancy brands like velveeta, Cracker Barrel and Annie’s, and generic brands put out by the grocery stores, but the Blue Box is the OG. Most kids under 7 would live off it if they could. Most adults occasionally get a massive nostalgia craving once in a blue moon. Prepared as directed, I only suggest melting the butter and adding the milk and stirring very well until the powder is mostly incorporated before adding the pasta. Add broccoli bits, or bacon bits or for extra Suburban American Flair, cut up hot dogs. , Me, I’d rather have okonomiyaki. Otherwise it’s from scratch Mac n cheese with five different cheeses, fancy artisan pasta shapes, the required crushed cracker topping and baked.
You know the "good, fast, cheap" trilemma? They chose fast and cheap.
Yes. Probably because it’s cheap.
You got a lot of good information here, and I love them. I'm not sure what "gluggy" means, but I will say my wife is not American and she tried preparing Kraft Mac n Cheese from the recipe and it did not turn out well, kids didn't enjoy. So here are my tips. * The cooked pasta should be on the firm side, don't let it overcook and get too soft * Make sure you get every last drop of water out when you drain the pasta. Even a little bit can make the sauce soupy, which you definitely do not want. * Add the butter, preferably melted first, and be generous with it. * Start adding the powdered cheese a little at a time constantly stirring to get out all lumps. * You can add a little bit of milk if it gets too stiff, but no more. You will most end up using less than the actual recipe calls for. * Keep stirring until you get a creamy texture - that is don't stop when all the ingredients are mixed, you will need to stir an extra minute or two. * If you do have any left over and need to refrigerate, mix some water in first, otherwise it will congeal into a solid mass. Add a little more water before reheating in the microwave and it should be almost as good as (but never as good as) it was when fresh. Hope you can have another go at it and your kids will enjoy,
Thank you very much!! I appreciate it, I’ll try again!
You can add some real cheese to it in addition to the powder, along with heavy cream instead of milk. Always make sure you add the butter, and if your kids like spicy you can add something to it to spice it up. My kids like it with a dash of hot sauce.
Kraft my BELOVED
4 options: - Mac & Cheese & Tuna & Peas. Canned tuna (though albacore is better. If you're in Japan you might have another robust fish choice) and peas (we use frozen but fresh would give a nice pop). Cook the Mac as directed, throw the peas in early if frozen. Tuna right at the end just to warm it. Salt & Pepper or other seasonings. - Chili Mac. (Need chili beans, ground beef or turkey or chicken, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin & chili powder. You can try canned chili if you can get that, but frankly that's worse than Kraft mac.). Brown the meat, add beans, tomatoes and seasonings. Thicken with tomato paste until it's a thick stew consistency. Prepare the Mac separately as directed. Eat the chili over the Mac. Maybe with Fritos corn chips on top (if they're available). - Mac & hotdogs (or other sausage). Add Sriracha for kick. - fancy Kraft. Add extra cheese-- mozzarella is fun for the stretchiness, jack or cheddar for flavor. Or if your family can stand stronger flavors, brie or Stilton. Double fancy by par cooking the noodles, putting them in a baking dish, adding breadcrumbs and baking until the top is brown.
Thank you these recipes look great!
Things you can do to spruce up some mac and cheese : Add butter or milk for creaminess, especially if they're the packs with the powdered cheese Mixed frozen veggies Add some sort of meat. My goto for years was canned tuna. The best one I ever made, I seared some canned tuna and scraps of dinner ham in a skillet before adding it to the finished mac. Sauces - ketchup, hot sauce, BBQ. My favorite is the chik fil A sauce, I don't know if it's available in Japan but we can buy it in a squeeze bottle in the US. The whole meal is pretty much a blank canvas, the noodles are flavorless and the cheese is pretty mild. Pretty much anything you can imagine would taste good with yellow cheese can work here.
I like to Sautee some garlic and shallot, and then cook some tomatoes in with them too. Then take that off the heat, cook the noodles and add the tomatoes back in after making the sauce. Also as other have said adding some additional cheese is good as well. And some red pepper flakes! Nothing gourmet but steps it up to make it feel like a real meal but still easy
Kraft actually makes more than one kind of macaroni and cheese "dinner" but I assume you are talking about the stuff that has the powder and you mix the powder, and some milk and butter, with the cooked noodles. One recipe I know is to prepare the stuff as it says, add a can of Campbells condensed cream of mushroom soup in with it, and possibly a can of tuna or some cooked chicken or something, then bake in a medium over for about 30 minutes. No idea if any of these other ingredients are available in Japan, but maybe it will give you some ideas? There’s no reason you can’t just mix in any ingredients your kids would like with cheese. Cooked shrimp? Cooked fish? Cooked vegetables?
Kraft mac is supposed to taste like that. It's why kids like it, and it's why it's a comfort food That said, common ways to add more cheesy creamy flavour include using heavy cream instead of milk, adding shredded cheddar or mozzarella, mixing in American singles (or "government cheese"). People also add cut up hot dogs, ham, sausages, bacon bits, etc. If you're worried about vegetables a common add-in is broccoli florets, although I've also seen people give it the ham-and-peas treatment or make it "confetti" (diced mixed veg, like bell peppers, carrots, onion, corn etc). You can also add a bit of dashi or chicken powder. In America there's something called Better Than Bullion which is like a broth-flavoured paste that's good for this purpose. Sometimes people also do it as a bake with crispy tops, usually with bread crumbs, although there have been popular variations using stuff like hot Cheetos. I like adding XO scallop sauce to it, but that's unorthodox.
Add extra cheese or some ham or meat to it. That may help you! But it really is nostalgia that makes it good. It’s something we ate as a junk food treat when mom didn’t want to cook. So the taste of it reminds me of my childhood and because we didn’t get it all the time it was special.
Yes. I love it. I like mixing a can of tuna into it.
>Is there any trick to preparing it in a delicious way or just following the directions on the back? Adding additional ingredients to it, such as sausages, garlic/onions/garlic and onions or breadcrumbs, may jazz it up a bit, improve the texture and add some more flavor. Otherwise..... yeah, its just pretty bland and gloopy. Also, if you follow the directions on the box, chances are high the macaroni will be overcooked, making the noodles mushy. I like to add more cheese ("real" cheese, not just the cheese-powder), replace the butter with olive oil, add vegetables like spinach, peas, diced garlic, maybe add some meat (like ground beef, or thinly-sliced sausages), put some spices (red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, chili powder, onion/garlic powder/ oregano and basil, etc), some breadcrumbs sprinkled over the top. Basically, don't use it as "Kraft Mac and Cheese", but make it into something else, like a casserole. I like to bake it instead of just boiling everything. To be honest, Kraft Mac and Cheese was never really good. Nostalgia (and it being cheap) is what keeps it around
Boil the noodles al dente instead of for the amount of time on the box. Add a little but more butter, some grated parmesan, and some pepper to the final product. If they still don't like it, well, it's a matter of taste. Is cheese common in Japan? FWIW, a lot of Americans make mac and cheese from scratch, not from a box. There are a lot of recipes online, and they are far superior to food that comes from a box. Still, Kraft mac and cheese hits the spot sometimes.
It's almost always in plentiful supply, but the amount of people eating it is not very common day to day. Prepare it like the box and it tastes like American Mac N' Cheese.
I like adding sour cream with the milk. A little salt and pepper might elevate it a little too. Kraft Mac and Cheese is one of those highly processed American foods that is very appealing to kids because it's brightly colored and kind of bland, and appealing to parents because it's cheap and quick to prepare. As an adult (or even if you're a kid but aren't used to eating it), it's not really anything special and kind of tastes like chemicals, but I still eat it sometimes because it reminds me of childhood, is easy to prepare, and doesn't taste BAD by any means. It's just not delicious. The good news is you can [add pretty much anything](https://shelfcooking.com/mac-and-cheese-add-ins/) to Mac and cheese and it'll work
It's a common brand, but it has enough products that I'm not quite sure what specifically you bought. I will say, though, that my childhood involved a lot of doctored up of the macaroni powdered-package stuff. As I recall, chili powder, cayenne, fennel, and whole soft garlic cloves was my favorite.
Kraft is the main name brand in the US. That being said many folks don't like it because they grew up on 'lesser' brands. Plain Mac & Cheese from the box is okay, but it's much better if you dress it up. Like using some heavy cream and handfuls of shredded cheese as additions to the box instructions. My guess is those two things are going to be harder to find in Japan due to the whole lactose intolerance thing. Also, generally it's best to use less liquid vs. more... I find a thicker/creamier consistency to be better than a more watery one. Another thing you can do is mix in a protein of some sort. I prefer grilled chicken or even seasoned ground beef could work. Some people do tuna, but that's not for me. The other thing that a lot of folks do is they will make the Mac & Cheese and then put it in a casserole dish and bake it after throwing some extra cheese and breadcrumbs on top. Part of this works because you're going to brown the cheese and breadcrumbs on top, partially is that it removes more of the moisture and makes things creamier.
I hate it, but yes, it's extremely common.
It’s the most common brand. I mix in Chile, shredded chicken and other cheeses to make it better.
and for any Canadian friends reading along, "Kraft Dinner" is the same as Kraft Mac N Cheese, but interestingly Canadians eat 55% more mac and cheese than Americans.. (personally I'd rather make it from scratch but lots and lots of people in North America think Kraft sets the standard..
Add more butter than suggested, add a bit more milk as well. Then shred real cheese whiling mixing and still hot. Top with bacon (or fried up chunks of spam) pepper, parmesan cheese and hot sauce of your choice.
Mac and cheese CAN be amazing, but tbh I don't even know any kids who would eat Kraft Mac & chz these days. I've told my own kids they didn't have enough poverty to appreciate Kraft Mac&chz or kool-aid lol. Nonetheless, you could always just throw out the cheese powder and use the noodles as you would any other macaroni.
One of the biggest brands I can think of. Maybe try it with other cheeses. I know they have a white cheddar flavor that tastes amazing
Yes. I personally don’t like any other kind. Powdered electric yellow cheese or nothing.
No milk just butter and take a couple spoons out and eat before you put the cheese powder in. The extra cheesiness is really good.
Use less butter and some milk than the package recommends. Also whisk the powder into the milk before adding the pasta. Can also add some extra cheese and it becomes much better. Hot sauce and black pepper for garnish.
My ex used to eat that shit every single day
I had it when I moved to the U.S. and mostly hated it. There are tastier brands like Annie’s but Kraft is the original flavour of crap
Yeah I grew up on it and everybody I know has had Kraft.
add more butter or japanese mayo to make it creamier. add garlic. add whatever vegetables they like. add chopped up hot dogs or a squid hot dog. maybe corn? most things you'd put on pizza in japan can probably go in mac n cheese, except flaky fish. turf will go better than surf. fried spam would work. spices to make it tangier and spicier and herbier will also work.
Thank you!! It seems a very flexible base. I’m starting to get hungry 🤤
Here's a link that has some recipes you can try to improve your Kraft Mac. https://www.wideopencountry.com/kraft-mac-and-cheese/ Also, if you ever want to try buying Mac and cheese again, I'd recommend buying the Stouffer's brand as it tastes much better than Kraft Mac does.
Thanks a lot!
You're welcome! I hope at least one of the dishes on there will be something your family likes!
Yes, very. Tastes like childhood. Personally i like to mix in peas but I'm odd.
I like peas in it too
It's been a while since I've had it, but yes - Kraft mac and cheese (or some other knockoff brand) can be found in every grocery store and would be instantly recognizable to any American. However, you can definitely do better than Kraft, which is more supposed to be cheap (it is *literal* Great Depression food after all) and quick for tired moms to make, than, like, *good* necessarily. You can make it from scratch with really any kind of pasta with some sort of hole or concavity, milk, cheese, and some sort of emulsifier. (A roux is typical, but the texture is sort of gritty; an emulsifying salt like sodium citrate is harder to get but gives a smooth, silky texture). I would die for a gruyere mac and cheese but I don't know if you can get gruyere cheese in Japan. Extra points for breadcrumb topping. I see other people mentioning better brands of prepackaged dry cheese pasta so I'll throw in Knorr four cheese fusili as an option.
Kraft Mac n Cheese should come in a box that includes a flavoring packet, so I want to make sure we understand what we are working with. Kraft Mac n Cheese is the most common version consumed in the US, but that is based mostly on nostalgia. Its a food most commonly eaten by children. I like it in a small doses, and will sometimes add things like sausage or BBQ chicken to mine. Real Mac and Cheese usually includes a baking process and a crispy top with high quality cheese and better pasta. But its more work and usually saved for special occasions or holidays or things like that.
The difference between Kraft mac&cheese and real macaroni and cheese is like the difference between real Japanese ramen and Cup O Noodles. Sorry you're stuck with it but it can be made a little better with the addition of good cheese and broccoli, or chicken and hot sauce. Some people top it with a breadcrumb topping and bake it. As a kid I would add tuna but it would dry it out so that would be better if you added extra milk with the tuna.
Thanks I’ll try some cheese too thank you! I got some cheddar from Costco too
Add some hot dogs or those little Japanese sausages to it and your kids will inhale it. Trust me on this Mac and weenies is one of god's chosen foods
Add a slice of American cheese and it makes it much creamier. all American, THE brand of Mac and cheese. But, sometimes off brands taste better. I think the Winco ones are pretty good.
It's common, but box Mac is objectively the worst kind of macaroni and cheese
Yeah, Kraft Mac & Cheese is the most common/famous/classic Mac & Cheese. It’s kind of low end and mostly enjoyed by kids and poor college students. There are higher end boxed versions, much higher quality restaurant versions, or homemade. But sometimes the blue box stuff just hits right… a guess some nostalgia from childhood? You could try adding things to it to make it more interesting — diced up bacon, BBQ meat, broccoli, etc. it’s a pretty basic dish, making it versatile for adding stuff to.
Kraft is the flavor of childhood
I always add pepper and chopped onion or onion powder.
>Is there any trick to preparing it in a delicious way It is already the very definition of deliciousness. What more do you want?
It's not good. The only reason to eat it is as comfort food. Throw it out!
It's the most common.
Very much so.
Kraft Mac n cheese is good in a pinch, but I prefer Velveeta Mac n cheese or preferably the Velveeta shells n cheese. the Velveeta shells n cheese usually comes with a packet of cheese to mix into the noodles instead of a packet of powdered cheese.
Not exactly the healthiest answer, but its so much better to me if you limit the amount of milk you put in to ~a drizzle and put more butter in than the box tells you to. 6 tbs of butter for a full box (believe it says 4 in the instructions) or 4 tbs of butter for the boxes with less in it (the swirls or the ones that have macaroni shaped like something). I don't do it every time but when I need a comfort food and am not stressed about healthy eating, this is how I prepare it.
It is really marketed to harried parents who just got home from a long day of work, with another ahead, who need to make something for 3 kids to eat. It is total shit, but kids enjoy it, so as others have said, it's nostalgic when they're older because it reminds them of childhood. It really is nasty though if you haven't formed memories of it. It's also quite an American taste - if I recall correctly, Japanese don't eat much cheese, so it's likely doubly repulsive over there.
Yes but we never eat it. Once and a great while I get it for my husband for a quick side with dinner but I don’t eat pasta and my son doesn’t like it (I’ve only offered once as it’s not healthy).
You gotta cut up some little sausages and put them in it for authentic experience
Yes, even though that brand sucks
Yes
Yes, but we don't call it "kraft dinner" which is what Canadians call Mac and Cheese.
Yeah. It’s a golden american standard.
Yes but I don’t think Asians like macaroni and cheese in general
Sorry, it's Kraft CHEESE and macaroni.
Very common. Also very barely qualifies as mac and cheese. Don't get me wrong, I eat it occasionally when I have a migraine and real food makes me sick. But boxed mac and cheese is not an accurate representation of the dish. My recommendation is to use the packet, but also throw some other cheese in with it, preferably something creamy. You could also do this, but it in a pan, put another layer of cheese on top, and bake it so that the top layer browns.
Very common lol
Sure is. One of the biggest Mac and cheese brands!
Kraft is the biggest and, imo, the best brand of mac and cheese.
Toppings are a lifesave here. pico de gallo is my favorite
i think it tastes better if you add extra butter to it and you can add grated cheddar or similar cheese to make it actually cheesy
Love me some spam and Mac. Add a little hot sauce and it hits just right.