7 ms·
"She boiled elbow pasta from Kraft, measured an identical amount of white cheddar cheese as was in the Kraft packet, added butter and milk, and then... “Whoa!”
by jerf 6y ago
"She boiled elbow pasta from Kraft, measured an identical amount of white cheddar cheese as was in the Kraft packet, added butter and milk, and then... “Whoa!” was the summation of her first bites."
I've done that too, with cheese powder from Amazon. It does seem incrementally better. If there's a "secret ingredient" to macaroni & cheese, it's just the cheese powder which you can readily buy by the pound, and then use for other things. Like putting it on your popcorn (add onion powder to really round it out).
The nice thing is that you end up with a lot more versatility when your cheese powder isn't confined to a Mac&Cheese container. I also like to use it as part of cheese sauces for broccoli and such. It's not a staple in my kitchen, but I probably manage to go through a pound in about 6-9 months, and it still generally tastes good even at the end.
- w0mbat 6y agoKraft's own cheese powder is incredibly bland by comparison with Annie's. Whenever I happen to eat Kraft mac and cheese, I am surprised by how flavorless it is, but maybe some people like it that way.
- dualboot 6y agoNostalgia is funny that way.
- w0mbat 6y agoI think the formula for Kraft must be different in the UK where I grew up, vs the USA where I live now. I have already proved that US Kit Kats (made by Reese/Hershey) have almost no chocolate smell compared to Euro Kit Kats (made by Nestlé) which have a rich cocoa aroma.
- sp332 6y agoKraft did change their recipe drastically in 2016. https://money.cnn.com/2016/03/08/news/companies/kraft-mac-and-cheese-recipe/index.html https://money.cnn.com/2016/03/08/news/companies/kraft-mac-an... Despite the PR, it is noticeably different.
- AuryGlenz 6y agoMy wife and I noticed that right away and it’s nice to have confirmation. We don’t eat it all that often but it was around that time we noticed it was less flavorful. We started buying powdered cheese to add in.
- bluedino 6y agoThe .33 cents box of Kraft or the 2.00 box of Kraft? The latter is much, much better
- yellowapple 6y agoI mean, sometimes that's a feature rather than a bug. The blandness can tip the scales in favor of some fussy eater actually eating it, and makes it easier to cover up with other ingredients (butter and black pepper make anything taste better, and Kraft Dinner ain't an exception).
- sneak 6y agoFun trick: adding a pinch of salt and a pinch of MSG to most foods (that haven't already employed this trick from the factory) instantly multiplies "flavor" (for savory foods) by 2x in almost all cases. It's sort of like the loudness trick for headphones. Even for sweet foods, adding a pinch of salt is sometimes an insane flavor-enhancer. It doesn't just work on caramel.
- clairity 6y agosaltiness is also a rough heuristic for the quality of ingredients in prepared foods (whether boxed or fresh). it’s why fast food and mass market sit-downs tend to be saltier than more expensive restaurants.
- azinman2 6y agoIf you're making Mac & cheese from scratch, why not just use real cheese? Or multiple cheeses (and herbs and...)?
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- lejohnq 6y agoUsing real cheese is surprisingly difficult because it doesn’t melt in the nice creamy way without additions. Sodium citrate for example helps your cheese melt creamily. The powder likely contains the right balance of additions that give you a great creamy mac & cheese. A good reference: https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/11/sodium-citrate-baked-mac-and-cheese.html https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/11/sodium-citrate-b...
- UncleOxidant 6y agoBaking is usually best when making mac&cheese with actual cheese.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 6y agoBaked mac & cheese is just plain better. There, I said it.
- archagon 6y agoIn lieu of sodium citrate, I think you can just put a bit of a Kraft single in your sauce to emulsify it.
- GordonS 6y ago> Using real cheese is surprisingly difficult because it doesn’t melt in the nice creamy way Eh, is this a US thing? Here in the UK, I just use cheddar - any brand, any maturity you fancy, and it melts just fine. I spent several months in the US around 2005, and I do recall the cheese was pretty terrible - bland, with an odd, plasticy texture.
- clairity 6y agopowders are a great trick for reducing costs, since you don’t pay to transport the much heavier water that makes up the bulk of the hydrated counterpart, given we already have water at home. unfortunately, many people also buy bottled water by the case, which is puzzling (a filtration system can be employed if concerned with tap water).
- astura 6y agoMy husband swears the bulk cheese powder is not at all the same product and doesn't taste nearly as good. I've tried a couple brands (Kraft cheese powder included) I think it's fine. Shrug Of course, the taste changes if you use a different type of pasta, and the macaroni that comes in the box is significantly longer/straighter than the elbows you can buy in the store.