Prepackaged Mac n Cheese

[randyjl]

How about some advice on the best refriderated or frozen mac n cheese? This single guy wants some good stuff without all the bother!

[romansperson]

I like Annie's white cheddar boxed mix myself. You can also fancy it up a little by adding a couple of tablespoons of sour cream and couple tablespoons of minced onion, along with a dash of pepper, a la noodles Romanoff, which was one of my very favorite dishes as a kid.

[Ruth Lafler]

I used to think that real mac n cheese was too much bother until I tried the Alton Brown creamy stovetop mac n cheese recipe. It seriously doesn't take any longer than Kraft, since you can assemble the rest of the ingredients while the macaroni is cooking. You can even use pre-shredded cheese if you want to be lazy. If you like it crusty, you can spoon it into an oven proof dish and put it under the broiler for a minute. I've even put it in ramekins and browned it in my toaster oven!

[eatmyfood]

Stouffers. I am embarassed to say I even asked someone for their mac and cheese recipe and the hostess said it was Stouffers!!

my blog http://www.dinnersforayear.blogspot.com

[Janet from Richmond]

Amy's Organic frozen mac and cheese. It's very good. We ditched Stoufers for it.

[Hensley]

This is the only frozen packaged thing I buy, and I still find Stouffers is the best.

[JonParker]

I am shamefully fond of the Boston Market frozen mac & cheese. Please don't tell my friends.

[mollyomormon]

I love the Trader Joe's frozen version!

[Emme]

it's yummy, and definitely beats stouffer's by a mile.

that said, TJ's version is nothing like kraft.

unfortunately, i did not have a good experience with annie's. i had to add salt, and i guess for me, if i'm eating mac'n'cheese (defying my gluten intolerance), i'm not looking for an organic health food, i want comfort foody goodness.

cracker barrel's is better than country crock.

if you happen to live near a ralph's supermarket or gelson's, both of them have great mac'n'cheese in the hot deli section... ralph's i prefer to gelson's.

[coney with everything]

Another vote for TJ's. I can't buy more than one package at a time because my son consumes it like it was crack.

[BobB]

TJ's four-cheese version beats all the major brands hands-down, including Stouffer's. I first heard of it from a very funny packaged food blog, check it out at http://heateatreview.com/2006/12/16/t...

[DanaB]

I totally disagree on the Trader Joe's version beating out Stouffers. I found the TJ version to be grainy and dry, whereas the Stouffers is rich and creamy.

I also *hated* the Amy's frozen mac 'n cheese -- it was not cheesy enough and the noodles had a weird texture.

I'm a Stouffers girl all the way. To each their own!

[BobB]

Grainy & dry? You can't be eating the same stuff I am - the "four cheese" version? I understand different tastes for different folks, but this stuff is so ooey gooey and loaded with cheese that it couldn't possibly be described that way, unless you got a defective batch of the stuff or somehow misprepared it.

[DanaB]

Maybe I got a defective batch, but I prepared it exactly as directed. I bought the TJ's version based on chowhound recommendations, precisely because people previously have said it was better than Stouffers, too. I guess I need to give it another whirl.

[randyjl]

I never heard of Trader Joe's. Guess we don't have it in Texas.

[marmite]

I gave the TJ mac and cheese a thumbs-in-the-middle the first time I tried it, but I ate it again last night and found it better than the first time. Not bad at all. Maybe give it another shot.

[Suzy Q]

Second on the thumbs down for the TJ version. I, too, am a Stouffers devotee, and have been known to devour more than my share of the Blue Box stuff as well.

[pesto]

I know this isn't totally responsive to the question, but , here goes...Annies box prepared according to the directions with the addition of a thick deli slice of muenster cheese (dice and stir in to melt.) Very delicious!

[jnstarla]

Stouffers. It is totally embarrassing to purchase, but it's tasty.

Or there is always the blue box, Kraft.