Thread 21640702

I tried this for the first time today and I was disappointed.

I'm European so they don't sell these here, but an opportunity presented itself for me to grab 4 boxes to try out.
I prepared it according to instructions on the box, and it was bland. That might be on my part as I didn't salt the pasta water (it wasn't specified), but even after adding salt and pepper to the sauce, it just didn't hit right.
Maybe I shouldn't expect too much from boxed stuff, be we have other brands here (sauce only) that come out way better for the same amount of effort.

Is Kraft just overrated like most US stuff? Or is it my plebeian taste buds not accustomed to glorious way of corn syrup?
What hacks could I try to make the other three boxes more enjoyable?

>>21640702 (OP)
>What hacks could I try to make the other three boxes more enjoyable?
this is really simple. no you’re not defective for not liking it as is. once you’ve got your macaroni sitting in the strainer, you make a cheese sauce in the pot with butter, milk, the provided cheese packet, actual cheese (up to 20 different kinds) and seasoning. maybe a little salt, but definitely black pepper

>>21640708
>black pepper
You mean white pepper.

>>21640708
Is there benefit to leaving the pasta out for a bit, or can I just drain the water and dump the ingredients into the pot with pasta still in it?

>>21640709
sure whatever. some people like to add mustard powder or just mustard. garlic and onion powder if you like

>>21640712
Yes there is a benefit. It’s probably not going to mix properly if you just dump everything straight into the mac

>>21640702 (OP)
Add a couple slices of American cheese, like the stuff you'd use for burgers.

>>21640702 (OP)
Kraft is not overrated here in the US. It's considered an inoffensive, quick meal for picky children. It's manufactured to be bland for them.

>>21640799
Has Kraft Mac n Cheese been enshittified as well?
Would you say that once it tasted better?

>>21640702 (OP)
No, you're not wrong. At some point in the last 10 years, they changed the recipe and lowered the amount of salt in the cheese sauce. I don't make this stuff very often, but when I do I use the thick and creamy version instead of original, I use cream instead of milk, add salt and a pinch of msg to the sauce. It comes out much better.

>>21640702 (OP)
I use half and half instead of regular milk and that alone is a pretty big upgrade. I always add additional ingredients to mine as well, though. My standard is louisana hot link sausages, sliced and sauteed, along with chopped green onions and a decent amount of tabasco sauce. Ham or salami can work well too. Putting chili (con carne) in it is also a classic and works well.

>>21640994
No, it was always bland crap. Adding a generous amount of butter to it helps a bit but it's still shitty.

reminder that its 6 bucks to make two lbs of homemade mac and cheese provided you already have fllour and a spice drawer

>>21640702 (OP)
It is bland yes. Homemade is better. But this stuff is a powder and keeps pretty shelf stable so I think if you also had dehydrated milk it could work with that.

For homemade
Like you said, salt the water, cook the pasta, reserve small amount of starchy water, separate pasta. Mix with milk and some real cheese, melt it down, stirring. Can add a bit of corn starch to make the cheese sauce blend together better. Add a bit of mustard powder, paprika, black pepper. Add pasta back in and stir it all up.

>>21640712
It is harder to melt the cheese and stir to a good consistency if you need to reduce down a milk based sauce that is too watery if you also have pasta in it at the same time. So yes I leave the pasta in the strainer till the sauce is ready.

>>21641224
nigga do you not know how to fucking cook. add flour and make a roux.

melt flour and add chopped garlic and onion, mix equal part flour and butter to make a roux, cook for two minutes, add milk, heat on low until boiling, add cheese, salt and add seasoning and then pour over pasta.

>>21640702 (OP)
Half as much milk, twice as much butter. Lots of salt.

>>21641240
>melt flour
nice going there dickhead

>>21640702 (OP)
Its 50 cents nigger. one pot and its fast. that is the whole fucking point, Americans actually have things to do, we are busy, unlike you assholes who just take an entire month off every other month
So, super wise European, how about you suggest something wholesome and filling I can get for 50 cents?

>>21641432
This, flour has a melting point of over 3000 degrees, even higher than steel beams. You're not going to melt flour at home unless you have a vintage German oven from the 1940s. (Manufacturers have never been able to achieve the same efficiency since.)

>>21640702 (OP)
They changed the ingredients fairly recently. It's never been great, but it used to be much better. It used to have powdered buttermilk in the sauce, but they've since taken that out.
Any time a company changes the packaging on a product, they will also likely change the formula. It's convenient for them at that point, as they can update the ingredients list printing at the same time.
Very unfortunate. Sorry that happened, anon.

silly captcha: 0w0HP

>>21641443
thank you chat gpt

>>21640708
>actual cheese
So what's the point of the cheese packet?
Anyway real Mac&Cheese enjoyers know to add a tiny bit of English mustard to make the sauce cheesier

>>21641984
you can fix this by grating real cheese on top

>>21640702 (OP)
Use milk, not water, and salt or bacon or ground beef.

>>21640994
I feel like it was better but maybe my tastes have just changed.
Don't follow the instructions or the pasta comes out overcooked. You can also get cup ramen that is basically a better version of the same thing.

>>21640702 (OP)
think like an American
add a block of butter, cheese, doritos, dew, you know, get creative like that

toss in a few slices of murica cheese and some cut up hot dogs

>>21641240
You dont need garlic.
Yes you can use flour but it sucks and makes it worse.

kraft is really good if you only use butter and no milk for the cheese sauce

pic unrelated

>>21642523
based skeleton ribcage style noodle

>>21640702 (OP)
Why are Europeans so afraid of stating their nationality?
EU brainwashing?

>>21642554
is the specific country relevant?

That's normal. KD got the "new look, same great taste" treatment around 10 years ago and it's trash now. It wasn't amazing by any means but if you wanted hot slop that took 10 minutes to make then it's chemicals would stimulate your taste receptors. Now it's just bland.

Pretty much any other instant macaroni brand blows it out of the water these days, even store brand shit.

>>21640702 (OP)
I'm not a big fan of kraft. It mostly tastes like buttered noodles with like an American cheese flavor.
Try Annie's or Cracker Barrel brands if you ever see them. They're much more flavorful imo. I always add some extra butter and parmesan btw

>>21640702 (OP)
It tastes like cheese and macaroni, any other flavors you want are up to you to add.
This is a "childhood classic" because it is very cheap without the parents having to measure out the pasta or prepare the cheese themselves and for no other reason. You get it because it's cheaply available in bulk.

>>21642629
Seconding Annie's, specifically the white cheddar shells.
It is still not gourmet it's just cheap easy food.

>>21640702 (OP)
Are you dumb? This is for children, adults only eat it for comfort via childhood nostalgia, same way your type has tasteless bland comfort kid food like french fries on hamburger buns

Kraft tastes like butter, salt, and a hint of something mildly cheesy. It's designed for toddlers pallets, America invented Mac and cheese you can't do better. You can't even beat Wisconsin in annual cheddar tournaments

OP here
On top of salting the water (which brought out interesting flavor in the pasta), I added two slices of cheese and some garlic powder and it's better. Still not as good as what I usually eat.
I think it could use some freshness next time so I'll try the half and half.

This might sound crazy but the microwave cups are way better than boxed KD if you can find them. I don't know what's different about them ingredient-wise but they're no where near as bland.

>>21642569
Well yeah. Kraft M&C is widely available in most European countries.

>>21642554
many Americans don't know all the European countries

>>21642693
>I added two slices of cheese
put a gun in your mouth

>>21643343
We don't have those in Europe retard.

>>21642554
>EU brainwashing
This or americans larping as yuros and think yuros consider themselves as one big country, the EU.

>>21642650
Nipples where? This sort of clothing style makes no sense to me.

>>21643449
Huh. Internet says you do, and the internet has never lied to me before.

>>21642843
They don't require butter, which to me says it has a slightly stronger cheese powder.

I still mix those with fingers full of shredded cheddar though and usually a squirt of hot sauce

>>21643469
It's a fantasy design meant to give fifteen year olds boners

>>21642511
you suck at cooking and deserve to eat bland food. every dish needs garlic

the original box kind of sucks. the shapes a re somehow better tasting even though it's supposed to be the same flavor. the best one is the three cheese box with the mini shells.

>>21641202
I can't eat 2lbs of macaroni and cheese in one sitting and it never reheats well.

>>21643711
Mac and cheese can only be seasoned with pepper

>>21643860
you can make 1lb and make the other lb at another time

>>21643864
disgustIng midwest fatty cuisine

>>21640702 (OP)
Be sure to dry out the pasta as much as you can and add plenty of butter and milk to the packet. Adding cheese can also be applicable if you desire but in the end it’s meant to be a fast and easy meal. It was a wartime thing for soldiers before it came for public use.

Go to the store and buy a pound of Philips lump crab meat and add to it and tell that to me again.

I used to crumble up white cheddar Cheez-it crackers and sprinkle them on top when I was younger. I bet it would be even better with the extra toasty flavor.

>>21643864
Abhorrent and dumb. Try

>>21644228
At least get the Deluxe stuff for that

Pickled jalapeno slices and crushed up flaming hot cheetos. Pepper as needed

I can't speak for the American formula, but growing up in Canada and eating tons of kraft dinner as a child, I never followed the package's directions, I just eye balled it with as much butter, milk, salt and pepper I deemed necessary, which for me is probably twice the amounts specified. Especially butter.
But there's also a lot of nostalgia involved. I wouldn't find it surprising to learn this slop tastes horrible to anyone who didn't grow up eating it as a kid.

>>21646223
I did grow up eating it and now it tastes like bland slop to me. It’s destined for the tastebuds of children

>>21640702 (OP)
Use half the recommended butter and stir in heavy cream instead of milk until the consistency is correct.