I'll admit it. I regularly purchase boxed macaroni and cheese. (Much to my eight year old's dismay. She prefers it made from scratch.) It isn't that I am particularly fond of boxed macaroni and cheese. It is just that is so darn convenient and cheap. Seriously, I can get a box at Aldi for $0.29. Easy and cheap fixin's are nice to have on hand for lunches.Recently I won a House Party package. Among the party items were pouches of macaroni and cheese that promised to taste more like homemade. I made them for a picnic we attended, and the macaroni cheese was good. It did taste more like homemade than when it is made from the powdered cheese that is contained in the cheap boxes.
But I had to wonder, as I made it, how is this any better or easier than homemade? The only thing more convenient was that the ingredients were already measured out for you. The steps involved were exactly the same. Cook macaroni. Melt butter. Stir in flour and seasonings. Stir in cheese. Add in macaroni. Serve or put in a baking dish to bake for a bit.
People, that is exactly how you make macaroni and cheese from scratch. Seriously, have we come so far from cooking from scratch that we are willing to pay more for a mix, containing mostly over processed food goods, that really only saves us time because the ingredients are pre-measured? Really?!
Yes, I buy and serve my family the stuff in the box. It is convenient and cheap. But if I want to take the time to make good homemade macaroni and cheese, then I plan to make it from scratch. Thank you very much.
Photo credit: Wasabibratwurst
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I tried to make homemade mac'n'cheese once before, but I think I used too much flour, so it tasted.... flour-y. This recipe looks GOOD, so I might try it tonight! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI love homemade macaroni and cheese. It's so easy and cheap since I usually have all the ingredients on-hand anyway! I'm like you and keep a box of it around "just in case" but I usually stick with homemade.
ReplyDeleteKristina - to get rid of the floury taste, let the flour cook for a few minutes in the butter. It will cook that raw flour taste right out!!! ;D
that looks so good. I saw paula deen's mac and cheese, she chilled it then wrapped it in bacon and deep fried it. I know fattening but delish!!!
ReplyDeleteI stopped purchasing boxed macaroni & cheese this year. It's just so easy to make from scratch but I had to stop buying the boxes to take away the temptation of using them.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point. I have made homemade macaroni a few times and it's definitely better than the box kind... however I always seem to go back to the box kind b/c it's seems easier to make somehow. But you're right... it's essentially the exact same process! Lol.
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