Boxed Macaroni and Cheese - My way

25th August 2008

Boxed Macaroni and Cheese - My way

posted in Recipes, Tutorials, Food, How-To |

OK this is pretty odd… I have “a way” that I like to make boxed macaroni and cheese. Which is kind of ridiculous, but it always turns out really yummily.

box of macaroni and cheese

YES! Spiderman!

I cook the pasta in salted water…

boil pasta

And meanwhile, I mix the milk and fake gross cheese powder.

mix cheese powder with milk

I use a small whisk or a fork to combine it really well… this way you don’t get powder chunks in your noodles.

combine cheese powder and milk with a fork

Then when the noodles are done, I drain them (and do NOT rinse), put them back in the pot, and add the butter… with the heat still on low.

drain pasta and melt the butter in it over low heat

When the butter is all melted and every noodle is coated with it, I add the cheese liquid. And stir until it’s all combined. Then turn off the heat and let it thicken for a couple minutes.

stir in the fake cheese over low heat until it thickens

It’s soooo delicious. I like mine with a little bit of ketchup on top (but not mixed in). When I was little sometimes I’d eat it with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt.

How do you like your boxed macaroni and cheese? Do you have a method you use every time?

Or do you only eat the “real” good stuff baked in the oven with actual cheese from a cow?

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 25th, 2008 at 6:00 am and is filed under Recipes, Tutorials, Food, How-To. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1 On August 25th, 2008, Annalisa said:

I only eat the “real” good stuff baked with cheese from… at goat! Cow’s milk is a migraine trigger for me, so I have to avoid it and all its products. Life without macaroni and cheese of any kind would be sad indeed, so I make a baked version with goat’s milk, chevre (soft, creamy goat cheese) and a truly excellent smoked jack goat cheese. Panko on top and a healthy dose of chipotle powder make it some pretty special stuff.

The only downside is that the pricier ingredients make mac ‘n’ cheese an extravagant venture in our house. Oh well, it’s worth the splurge.

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 7:07 am

2 On August 25th, 2008, Wendy said:

I haven’t had Mac n Cheese in a while but our FAVORITE way to do it was to get the white cheese kind and combine 2 cheese packets to one box of noodles. Then we did the milk and not the butter. It was so sharp that way

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 7:50 am

3 On August 25th, 2008, Kimikal said:

For our ‘mac ‘n’ cheese’ we cook pasta and then add Ragu double-cheese sauce. I haven’t had the boxed stuff for a long, long time.

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 8:07 am

4 On August 25th, 2008, Brittney said:

I prefer Shells & Cheese, but bulked up. My husband likes tuna mixed in and I like to add frozen vegetables. I just add my choice of mixed frozen veggies into the water while I boil the noodles, they all cook together, then drain and add the cheese. The veggies add a little extra flavor and it’s an easy way to get that extra serving of good stuff.

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 9:43 am

5 On August 25th, 2008, Alyssa Karnes said:

I only eat the “real” stuff, but I actually found a recipe that isn’t baked. So you cook the noodles, make the sauce and combine. It takes about the same time as the boxed stuff, but it’s soooo much tastier. And I can add as much cheese as I want. Mmmm.

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 10:21 am

6 On August 25th, 2008, Will said:

I know this may seem odd, but I actually like my Macaroni and Cheese with the Cheese clumps in it. I don’t know, it gives it a little zip. Now there isn’t any way I can get into ketchup on it, but the seasoned salt sounds like a great idea. YOU HAVE GREAT RECIPES!

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 12:57 pm

7 On August 25th, 2008, Debbie said:

Nope, can’t do the box stuff anymore! It was my fav for a long time and somewhere along the line I tasted Stouffer’s frozen mac and cheese and that or fresh made and baked are all I do.

I hadn’t had Kraft for along time and thought I’d give it a try again, two bites and the whole thing went into the garbage!

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 5:14 pm

8 On August 25th, 2008, Amy said:

Here in Canada, it’s Kraft Dinner, so respected is the dish that it’s more than mere macaroni and cheese. It’s Dinner.

I never thought of mixing the milk and “cheese” separately, but I see your point. My husband likes it fancy - with tuna or vegetables or pieces of spicy tofu dogs. I’m a purist - plain with a drizzle of ketchup.

Not good for you, but isn’t that the point?

posted on August 25th, 2008 at 6:17 pm

9 On August 26th, 2008, Mel said:

I only use the boxed stuff that comes with the premixed cheese in the foil packet but I like to eat mine sprinkled heavily with Spicy Mrs. Dash.

posted on August 26th, 2008 at 12:10 am

10 On August 26th, 2008, Dawn said:

I make it just the way you make it, however, lately I’ve been adding a little something to it. At the end, I stir in a scoop of sour cream (half cup? quarter cup? I don’t measure it) and some shredded cheddar cheese (same thing, I don’t measure it, just pour some in).

The result is an incredibly creamy (and incredibly easy) mac and cheese, and even though it isn’t as good as baked/homemade, I find it much better than “from the box”.

It certainly can’t be good for you, but we might only have it once a month, so I figure “go for it”!

posted on August 26th, 2008 at 4:16 am

11 On August 26th, 2008, Roxy said:

Guess what I had for lunch yesterday, yup you guessed it!!! Kraft macaroni & cheese!! I tried your tip, mixing the power and the milk separately before adding it to the pasta…. what a great tip, no powdery clumps. Thanks for the tip:)

posted on August 26th, 2008 at 7:35 am

12 On August 29th, 2008, Alissa said:

For a little healthier treat, and just as easy, I have switched over to Annie’s Homegrown Mac and Cheese. It’s still yummy, but less “fake” and more healthy. Check it out - http://www.annies.com/organicmacandcheese. Here in AZ I get it at Sprouts, I imagine you can get it at most natural food stores. Give it a try, you may not go back to white pasta and bright orange fake cheese!

posted on August 29th, 2008 at 10:19 am

13 On August 30th, 2008, tetramoon said:

I prepare my boxed mac & chz in a very similar way. I make the sauce separately, mix all together, add fresh ground black pepper, a dash of onion powder, and add about a quarter cup parmesan chz. This is also a good idea if you happen to add too much milk, if you’re like me and never bother to measure ingredients. I eyeball my measurements in most of my cooking projects. Yummy!!

posted on August 30th, 2008 at 10:34 am

14 On September 3rd, 2008, Sew Crazy Dog Lady said:

oh.. my.. gawd… you totally eat mac and cheese EXACTLY the way I do! Right down to the ketchup!

you must be my evil twin.

or….

Wonder Twin! yeah! Wondertwin!

posted on September 3rd, 2008 at 6:15 pm

15 On September 5th, 2008, Trisha said:

I make it pretty much the same way you do but I usually add shredded mozzarella (if I have it) and chopped tomatoes. My mom used to make it with tuna and peas mixed in and I loved it. I still make it that way when I miss her.

posted on September 5th, 2008 at 10:59 pm

16 On September 10th, 2008, Joyful Abode said: