Banquet Macaroni and Cheese

May 19, 2006 | Reviewer: Amy

Price: $1.00 (on sale)
Serving: 1 meal, 12 oz.
Calories: 400
Fat: 17%, 11g
Sodium: 40%, 990mg
Carbs: 20%, 59g
Fiber: 16%, 4g
Protein: 16g

Banquet says: Macaroni and Rich Cheddar Cheese Sauce.

Amy says: I got this frozen meal because the price was right. Abi and I had stopped by Safeway to see if they had the elusive Amy’s Pesto Bowl and I stumbled onto the Banquet 10 for $10 sale. I figured that even if it was terrible and I threw it away it was only $1. The directions tell you to heat, mix and then heat again. As I took the mac and cheese out to stir it several things went through my head; these things included, but were not limited to “Gross”, “I can’t believe I am going to eat this” and “Well, I did pay a dollar for it”. While waiting for it to heat, I noticed that this product seemed to have only one ingredient, salt. It is 40% of your sodium intake for the day. Upon reading this, I said out loud to the microwave and its contents “Holy crap”. And then the microwave beeped and it was time to eat.

I must say that it still looked rather unappealing when it first came out of the microwave, but after letting it sit for the prescribed 2 minutes it was more tantalizing. The first bite tasted like nothing, but the second bite was not too shabby. Yes, the noodles were a bit soggy, but the overall flavor was pretty cheesy. It was rather filling as well. I would think twice before buying this meal again due to the sodium, but it is not too shabby for the cost. What else can you say about $1.00 macaroni and cheese? My answer to this question is nothing.

comments

10 Responses to “Banquet Macaroni and Cheese”

Ben Gray on May 20th, 2006

I love Mac and Cheese! Nothing says love like this classic childhood dish.
tg on May 21st, 2006

the packaging/recycling nazi in me hates the idea of this - even as i full well know that the very basis of H.E.&.R. is reviewing frozen/TV dinners. but whereas other frozen dinners do seem to save time and/or help someone who can’t cook, mac & cheez is like the easiest thing on the planet to “make from scratch” (i.e. kraft in a box). and if you “make it from scratch”, that’s just the kraft (or generic, heh) cardboard box, which is a lot more recyclable than the crappy plastic containers you find in this kind of product, which only add another non-biodegradeable item to our ever-growing landfill. let’s have a shout-out for consideration of the landfill! yeah. products that are “cheap” end up costing society more in terms of longterm impact on dealing with the throwaway aftermath & environment. ok, thank you for allowing me this public service announcement. you are too kind.
Abi on May 22nd, 2006

TG- Thats pretty funny because Amy is the self-proclaimed tree-hugger of our office. She even recycles jewel cases (those clear cd boxes). We recycle the paper boxes and plastic containers used in microwaved meals, though I can’t speak for my officemates who don’t write for http://www.HeatEatReview.com. I’m not sure that any of the writers eat microwave meals at home, so I can’t speak for them. I can tell you that I’m more likely to make a grilled cheese sandwich than heat up something in the microwave.

The macaroni and cheese at work makes a lot of sense to me. Reheated Kraft Mac and Cheese is perhaps the least appetizing pasta dish in the history of mankind. Ok, after homemade fettuccini alfredo, which clumps together like nobody’s business.

Most of the mac and cheese eaten at the HeatEatReview headquarters (which is actually an ed. non-profit) is of the Annie’s variety. You can see my review of that meal here: http://heateatreview.com/2006/04/04/annies-microwaveable-mac-cheese/. It is a delicious option when added to a bit of boursin and produces much less waste than most meals (even those made at home).
tg on May 22nd, 2006

what a nice comment to my comment! and i’m glad to get to read about your EXCELLENT, admirable, example-setting recycling habits that will perhaps inspire thousands of people to do the same (and thereby save the planet). meanwhile, if you aren’t willing to bite the bullet and eat reheated Kraft mac&cheez, then you just don’t care enough about the environment, do you! (joking.)

before i left my comment, i did scan to see just HOW MANY mac & cheezes you people were storming thru up there! hee. i hope it’s OK that i opted to skip going back and leaving another long soapbox comment on that Annie’s review, too, tho i’m happy to oblige if you feel it really needs one…
Abi on May 22nd, 2006

I guess we’re all about the comment love on HeatEatReview. Really, the best option would be to buy items at a farmer’s market/butcher shop/fruit stand/etc. where you’re dealing with very, very little packaging. There’s a great book about this called The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=1594200823

I think that we’re a) lazy and b) on a mission to find some great frozen food that will make lunchtimes delicious and life a little easier.
Nicole on May 22nd, 2006

Personally, I’ve contributed homemade from scratch (well, the mac came from a box, but i diced and sauteed onions, made the cheese sauce and baked it…) Mac and Cheese to the HER headquarters more often (twice) than I’ve had micro Mac and Cheese here (once.) But I guess this only underscores that the only thing I bother to cook is the ultimate glorification of cheese, and am generally content with microwavable Salisbury steak (preferable Banquet.)
eeee on September 16th, 2006

try amys, or moosewood, both good.
Marie Callender's Macaroni and Cheese | HeatEatReview.com on September 24th, 2007

[…] HeatEatReview.com staff has also reviewed: Banquet Macaroni and Cheese; Stouffer’s Macaroni and Cheese; Annie’s Microwaveable Mac and Cheese; and Kraft Easy […]
Liz on November 14th, 2007

LOL! Banquet Mac has been around for a very long time, (at least 20 years) and I love it, have loved it since I was small and it came in small containers like the pot pies. Now they only make the bigger, $1.00 variety, and the family sized one too… mainly, tho, anything that is frozen like that is going to have a lot of salt
I give this Mac a 10 when I give other microwaved macs a 2. they all suck.
Chris D. on January 19th, 2008

I bought this for $0.79 and I agree. Not bad from the filling side but tastes like nothing.