The few mac’n’cheese addicts I’ve known all prefer their scratch version over instant. 
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Looked over the paywall - you nailed it.
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My God Trump is right, we need that wall!
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And Tucson. But I expect it’s a “reads per month” wall, rather than latitude.
I’m kind of shocked by the Annie’s rating. We always get that (thanks Costco), but I find it pretty bland and a bit skimpy on the cheese.
Pretty much lived on whatever the Pasta-roni or Hamburger Helper version was in college.
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My go-to was noodles in a packet. I think Lipton made them, now Knorr does. E.g. boil some milk and water, stir in the packet, and 7 minutes later you have fettucine alfredo or some semblance thereof. My daughter who won’t eat the scratch recipe will eat Knorr.
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I would have, but like ramen, the sodium levels scared me off. That said, I haven’t eaten Kraft in ages, either.
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The dirty secret is that we can get away with a lot more salt (even need a lot more salt) that doctors have traditionally told us. My guess is that the Salt Lobby in DC is a bit underfunded.
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I believe you mean Kraft Dinner, or the more colloquial ”KD”.
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Generational myopia prevents the reviewer from recognizing the nostalgia millennials have for Kraft Mac&Cheese; only Velveeta gets points for nostalgia because the reviewer believes their nostalgic feelings are universal. Nostalgia shouldn’t be a factor, just taste and texture. At least the reviewer understands that Annie’s White Cheddar Shells is where it’s at.
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That judge is not wrong.
I smell a new slogan!
I ate so many of those when I was in the AF. My goto was the Alfredo noodles, made with milk. Even while eating it, I knew it was a bad idea, but it never stopped me.
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So true. I’d be interested in a recipe that actually tries to replicate the distinct entity that is Mac and Vaguely-Resembling-Cheese. I associate standard oven-backed Mac and Cheese primarily with blandness.
Cheezus of Nazareth?
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Didn’t need to click to know TJ’s would win the frozen category. Their mac and cheese is amazing. I have two boxes of it in the freezer right now. Add a little dijon mustard and pepper and it tastes like homemade.
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Try the yoghurt preparation.
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The secret to making passable boxed mac’n’cheese I have found is to definitely use butter, and use heavy cream (half and half will work too) instead of milk. Seriously turns it into something tasty. Add in some bacon and then it gets even better.
ETA I have done this with store brand boxes and tastes just as nice as using fancy brand name ones.
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another simple trick…add in a couple slices of plain ol american cheese. Agreed on lots of butter and cream though too.
Edit: pass on the bacon. I like bacon just fine; but I am seriously over and sick to death of the “PUT BACON ON/IN EVERYTHING TO MAKE IT BETTER” campaign. Adding bacon to everything generally just makes those things taste like bacon. Again…I like bacon, but I want my burger to taste like a burger…not bacon.
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BLECH!
My wife does that, and loves it. I tolerate it for her sake.
Yogurt is not milk (I mean it’s made of it, but), it’s not butter and it is certainly not cheese. If you really love yogurt, great. I even like it, as yogurt. But sell it to someone who wants the other things, and you’re just going to piss them off.
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And your favorite hot sauce!
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Well if I was going that route I would toss in some chipotle powder.
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Fair enough. But really any ham, bacon, pancetta, etc make a nice protein addition. Most of the time I just make it without. If I check the fridge and go hmm 2 slices of bacon left that need to be used, in it goes.
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