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Photo from Chicago Sun-Times

Boston Market Frozen Macaroni & Cheese

I love Boston Market. Like, love. I don't know what it is, but their delectable sides get me every time. However, I had never actually tried any of their frozen meals. I had very high expectations for this mac and cheese, but I attempted to be objective in my critique.

The description of this mac and cheese reads: " It’s simple. Spiral rotini pasta holds the sauce better. And when the sauce is as rich as this one – an unbelievable combination of Cheddar, American, and even a little Bleu – we wouldn’t have it any other way." I was intrigued by the rotini pasta and the promise of bleu (no, it's not a typo) cheese, though I could tell by the dish's appearance that when they said "a little" they meant it. Preparation wasn't anything particularly crazy: microwave with the plastic vented, and stir partway through. As I stirred, I noticed that the cheese seemed slightly runny, and I was hoping that letting the tray sit for a moment before eating would allow the sauce to thicken.

Pre-cooking.

Cooked and ready to eat.

Ratings

Flavor: 4.5/5. Good flavor, but, as always, I wish there had been more cheese.

Consistency: 2.5/5. It literally pains me to give any Boston Market-related product such a low rating, but the sauce was far too runny and didn't stick to the pasta nicely.

Pasta Shape: 3/5. I know some disagree with me, but rotini is not my favorite choice for mac and cheese. Additionally, this shape doesn't really work as well as it could in a frozen mac and cheese because of the fact that it takes longer to cook; my boyfriend felt that the pasta seemed a little undercooked.

Overall: 3.5/5. A solid effort by Boston Market, but needs a little tweaking. (Not to mention the fact that the mac and cheese at the restaurant is infinitely better). Honestly, for the amount of calories and sodium I consumed, I felt that I could have eaten a much better mac and cheese.

Nutrition Information: Serving Size 220g (about half a tray). 320 Calories, 80 Calories from Fat; 9g Fat, 4g Saturated Fat; 20g Cholesterol; 880g Sodium; 45g Carbohydrates; 4g Fiber; 14g Protein.