Pasta Roni Shells & White Cheddar

I have a few boxes of mac and cheese I've been working through (and I use the word "working" pretty loosely) over the summer. For today's lunch, I was debating between a few different kinds. I chose the Pasta Roni variety, however, because I realized that many of my recent reviews have been of Kraft products, and while we all love Kraft, variety really is the spice of life.

I initially forgot that Pasta Roni products require slightly different preparation than normal mac and cheese meals, and therefore I had to start over after I accidentally boiled way too much water. After that, though, preparation was pretty uneventful.

Note: Actual pictures are coming soon, I just have to upload them from my sister's camera.

Ratings

Flavor: 3/5. The flavor was just kind of weird. It didn't really taste like cheese, per se; it was more of an awkward creamy sauce with a lot of salt in it. My sister sampled my leftovers and commented that they were "gross."

Consistency: 5/5. This sauce was creamy and thick, a rare feat for a boxed macaroni and cheese product.

Pasta Shape: 4/5. I've stated my love of shells many times before. My only objection is that thick sauces such as this one tend to clump unevenly inside the shell. Which can be really delicious, or moderately annoying, depending on your preference. Most people probably wouldn't notice at all.

Overall: 3.5/5. Not a terrible option, but definitely not the best I've ever had (or even close to it). It's a lot of effort to put in, relatively speaking, when there are plenty of easier and more delicious options out there.

Nutrition Information: Serving Size 1/3 box, prepared; 290 Calories, 110 Calories from Fat; 12g Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 1.5g Trans Fat; 5mg Cholesterol; 730mg Sodium; 38g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 6g Sugars; 9g Protein.

CHEDDAR EXPLOSION VIP

Some of you may recall that I reviewed Kraft's Extreme Cheese Explosion mac and cheese, the release of which coincided with a contest that would allow a kid to pull the trigger to demolish Texas Stadium. The winner was 11-year-old Casey Rogers; the promotional video is below.

Pasta Roni Four Cheese Corkscrew Pasta

This mac and cheese is a little different that most others in that it doesn't attempt to call itself a mac and cheese, per se. Rather, it's marketed as a pasta dish that just happens to have a four-cheese sauce included. The Pasta Roni company (fun fact: it was founded by a guy named Domenico DeDomenico. Seriously.) invites us to "Join the Trolley on a taste adventure around the world. From the zesty to the savory to every delicious corner of the Earth, Pasta Roni takes you on an exciting flavor journey." Basically, it's boxed mac and cheese that they want grown-ups to eat without being embarrassed.

The preparation for this one is a little more involved than your typical Kraft dinner. You're told to boil water, milk, and butter before adding the pasta and "Special Seasonings" (read: orange cheese sauce in a packet). I won't lie, I have never boiled anything besides water and it freaked me out when the mixture started to boil over a little. Thankfully, my roommate, Katie, (who, by the way, is a vegan) was able to rescue me. At least if this mac and cheese sucks I can say it taught me something about cooking.

All the ingredients sitting in the pot. It looks like corn chowder!

Boiling milk, water, and pasta together...weird.

Waiting for it to cool!

Awesome.

Ratings

Flavor: 4/5. There was definitely a decent flavor, and it stood out from other macaroni products. However, the sauce actually tasted better when I sampled it halfway through cooking than it did in the finished product. I felt like the flavor all boiled away (can that happen?). I think I may try making this again, but preparing it in a manner more similar to Kraft or Annie's (i.e. boil the pasta first, then add cheese/milk/butter).

Consistency: 3/5. The sauce looked extremely thin and runny at first; Katie even commented that it didn't look very creamy. "That's what she said" jokes aside, the box did say to allow the sauce to thicken for three to five minutes. I gave it a shot and the consistency did, in fact, improve. It still wasn't as perfect as it could have been, but no major complaints here.

Pasta Shape: 3/5. Don't get me wrong, I like fusilli, but I didn't love it with this sauce. I prefer it with something with a stronger flavor or something thicker.

Overall: 3.5/5. Though this was not my favorite mac and cheese ever, it was decent, and, as I mentioned above, I will probably try it again with an alternate preparation. As I've mentioned before, I'm a purist and don't believe in adding other things to mac and cheese. However, those who enjoy mixing in vegetables, tuna, or meat may want to try that with this kind. I would recommend giving this one a shot, because I could see some people really enjoying it.

Nutrition Information: Serving Size 2.5 oz (about 1 cup prepared). 370 Calories, 140 Calories from Fat; 16g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat; 10mg Cholesterol; 890mg Sodium; 49g Carbohydrates; 2g Fiber; 11g Protein.

Lean Cuisine Macaroni and Cheese

I'm always extremely wary of low-calorie versions of high-calorie foods. There's a reason delicious foods so often have high calorie counts, and I find that it's better to enjoy a small quantity of the high-calorie version than a whole lot of the low-cal. That said, who doesn't secretly wish for a less fattening version of their favorite food?

Lean Cuisine describes this product as "Tender macaroni in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce." I don't know how creamy or cheesy something with under 300 calories can be, but I'm keeping an open mind. Users on the Lean Cuisine website have given this mac and cheese a rating of 3/5, which is slightly promising, but I also have to keep in mind that these are people who are probably dieting and therefore used to eating blander food than the rest of us.

Halfway through the cooking process.

Ready for eating. Looks delicious. Too bad it wasn't.

Ratings

Flavor: 1/5. I don't even know if I should have given any points because there was literally no flavor. None. I might as well have been eating thick orange water on pasta and I probably was.

Consistency: 4/5. Despite the horrible flavor, the sauce was relatively thick and appeared creamy. Unfortunately, good consistency means nothing when the flavor is as bad as this was.

Pasta Shape: 3/5. Elbows: a safe but solid choice.

Overall: 1/5. Normally, I give consideration to all factors equally when determining this ranking. However, the flavor was so disappointing and terrible that nothing could remotely redeem this mac and cheese (if you could even call it that). Do not buy this under any circumstance. If you're really trying to watch calories, buy a better mac and cheese and save half of it for another meal.

Nutrition Information: 290 Calories, 60 Calories from Fat; 7g Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 0g Trans Fat; 20mg Cholesterol; 620mg Sodium; 41g Carbohydrate; 2g Fiber; 8g Sugars; 15g Protein.

Annie's Deluxe Shells & Real Aged Cheddar

Although Annie's is known for its classic shells with white cheddar, they do have a number of varieties to satisfy people like my boyfriend, Steve, who refuses to eat macaroni and cheese that isn't neon orange. Upon opening the box and seeing the silver packet of sauce, his first comment was, "This looks like Velveeta in a more expensive package." This comment was not made in a derogatory manner, since we all know Velveeta is delicious, but it was definitely interesting. Despite the Annie's brand's commitment to organic ingredients and environmental issues, I often think that many of their products are Kraft foods in nicer packaging. Sure, they used real aged cheddar in this mac and cheese, but how processed is it? After all, cheese doesn't naturally come in a creamy form that can be squeezed out of a packet. That said, if a food is delicious, I'm not inclined to complain about the packaging or the company's marketing strategies.

Steve adding the sauce to the pot. Velveeta or Annie's?

Ready for serving.

Delicious!!

Ratings

Flavor: 4.5/5. This had a great, cheesy flavor, and I actually could tell that it was real cheddar. It definitely lacked the processed flavor of many similar products.

Consistency: 3.5/5. I always find it a little creepy when sauce comes pre-made in packets, like this one did, because it looks so gross and weird when you squeeze it out. However, it stuck nicely to the pasta and ended up being really good.

Pasta Shape: 5/5. See my previous Annie's review if you want to know my feelings on shells.

Overall: 4/5. I wanted to give this a 4.5, but Steve claimed that I shouldn't have because "we could have bought the same thing in a Velveeta box for less." We compromised on a rating of 4. This is a seriously delicious mac and cheese and it may have replaced original Annie's as one of my favorites.

Nutrition Information: Serving Size 1 cup prepared; about 3 ½ servings per box. 320 Calories, 90 Calories from Fat; 10g Fat, 6g Saturated Fat, 0g Trans Fat; 25mg Cholesterol; 760mg Sodium; 46g Carbohydrate; 2g Fiber; 4g Sugars; 14g Protein.

Annie's Shells and White Cheddar

When I was a kid, I remember being caught in the eternal debate between Annie's and Kraft. I had friends on both sides of the (often-heated) argument, but I personally loved both and was therefore able to remain neutral. I knew that I would eventually end up writing about Annie's for this blog simply since I eat so much of it; it's not unusual for me to finish a box in one sitting, and my roommate and her boyfriend even bought me a six-pack for my birthday. As a freshman in college, I would order cases of Annie's and cook it in my dorm kitchen. Annie's has a lot of delicious memories for me, as you may have gathered, but I tried to remain neutral in my review.

A close-up taken just after preparing.

Deliciousness in a bowl? Perhaps.

Ratings

Flavor: 4.5/5. Annie's has a flavor that's pretty different from most other boxed mac and cheeses. They use white cheddar, as opposed to the typical orange cheese "product" used in many other products. This results in a less intense kick of flavor, but its mild goodness is delicious and comforting.

Consistency: 3/5. One of the things that has always bothered me about Annie's is the fact that the cheese sauce is relatively thin. I have found, though, that adding extra butter remedies this problem to an extent.

Pasta Shape: 5/5. I love shells; they're so versatile and I really feel that they can work with almost any type of sauce. In this case, they hold the white cheddar nicely and are fun and easy to eat.

Overall: 4/5. Annie's pretty much always comes through, and their mac and cheese is a delicious classic. I recommend adding more butter and a little less milk than instructed, as it really enhances the flavor and texture of the cheese.

Nutrition Information: Serving Size 2.5 oz (about 1 cup prepared). 280 Calories, 40 Calories from Fat; 4g Fat, 2.5g Saturated Fat; 10mg Cholesterol; 530mg Sodium; 47g Carbohydrates; 2g Fiber; 10g Protein.

Get Free Mac and Cheese!

This isn't a review, but definitely a piece of news worth noting for all mac and cheese aficionados. I learned today that if you become a fan of Kraft mac and cheese on Facebook, you can get a coupon for a free box of any of the new Kraft flavors: Extreme Cheese Explosion, Cheddar Explosion, or Grilled Cheese Explosion. I've reviewed the Extreme Cheese Explosion thus far and will be reviewing the Cheddar Explosion this weekend (along with my trusty boyfriend and guest reviewer), but haven't yet seen the Grilled Cheese Explosion in stores.

If you're not yet a fan of Kraft (and really, why aren't you?), click here to check it out.