Price: $1.19
Serving: 1 Package, 2.19 oz.
Calories: 180
Fat: 5%, 3 g
Cholesterol: 3%, 10 mg
Sodium: 27%, 640 mg
Protein: 14%, 7g
Carbohydrates: 10%, 31g
Fiber: 0%, 0g
Sugar: 4 g
Weight Watchers Points: 4 POINTS

Velveeta says: New! Ready in 3 ½ minutes: Velveeta Shells & Cheese made with 2% milk cheese – ½ the fat of regular microwaveable shells & cheese

Michelle says: This mac ‘n’ cheese rocks. It is quick. It is creamy. And it is easy to prepare. You just have to fill water to the indented line on the inside of the cup and microwave. The package says to it will take 3 and a half minutes, but for me, 3 minutes was just fine for al dente shells. Then, tear open the silver cheese package, squeeze the cheese provided onto the pasta, stir, let it sit and thicken, and enjoy. It comes with a loose powder on the noodles, which keeps them from sticking together during the cooking process, but doesn’t affect flavor.

Now I do have to admit this is not for the heartiest of eaters. This microwavable cup of cheesy noodles could be lunch, a side dish to complement your dinner, or a snack. It would go really great with a few simple ingredients added in to make it a meal. Broccoli, ham, and bacon, would all work well in this dish, but you could choose any protein or veggies.

Another downside is that the cup is only filled half way (leaving room for boiling water), but if you have a macaroni & cheese craving and do not want to make a full box, this hits the spot. I was also surprised by the fat content. Three grams of fat for this little guy is not too shabby. It is thick and creamy, but I will have to mention it is not AS thick as the larger box.

For only having two main components, shells and cheese, I was surprised by the ingredients list, but glad to see wheat flour thrown in there and real milk. I really would recommend this product, because for a buck, and not a ton of calories, it hits the spot. For the many people who are watching what they eat, this is a good alternative to something higher in fat and calories, like regular Velveeta. Regular Velveeta weighs in at 330 calories per serving and 4.5 grams of fat. Yow. And who doesn’t love the fact you can store it in your cupboards for a rainy day or in your desk at work for easy access. This is definitely worth a try… again and again

Price: $1.00
Serving: 1 package, 2.05oz.
Calories: 220 per cup
Calories from fat: 45
Fat: 8%, 5g
Cholesterol: 2%, 5mg
Sodium: 24%, 580mg
Protein: 8g
Carbohydrates: 12%, 37g
Fiber: 4%, 1g
Sugar: 2g
Weight Watchers Points: 5 Points

Kraft says: Ready in 3.5 minutes (which is true, that’s exactly how long it takes)

Abi says: I’m confused when quick-meal manufacturers start using ingredients that are usually found only in homemade or high end food. On one hand, I delight in items like herbed goat cheese, caramelized onions and roasted garlic. On the other hand, I’m eating noodles out of a cup. From a microwave. I’m in powdered orange cheese mode. That and I’ve personally experienced the pain of microwaving garlic. Don’t do it.

In the instance of Kraft’s EasyItalia (may or may not be one word) cup, the roasted garlic is amusing (reconstituted from dried roasted garlic! Space Age!) and problematic (sticky, unfortunately over-sweet). I love me some roasted garlic in dip or on bread, but I can do without nubs of it ruining an otherwise pleasantly cheesy cup of pasta. What’s more, if you have garlic-averse coworkers they will NOT be happy when you bring this into your poorly ventilated, CPU-heated office.

The serving size is exactly the same as the Triple Cheese Easy Mac Cup, yet seems smaller. This could be due to the shape of the noodles, which are flat and spirally. Flat, spirally noodles do not have the volume-inducing air/sauce holes of elbow macaroni. Furthermore, tiny size of this meal is alarming because it weighs in at 5 Weight Watchers Points. And that’s the same number of Points you’d find in Weight Watchers Smart Ones Thai Style Chicken and Rice Noodles. Unfortunately, Smart Ones Thai Style Chicken and Rice Noodles cannot be stored in my desk drawer for extended periods of time.

While its fun to experiment with a variety of on-sale cup-noodles, I’m sticking to my beloved Triple Cheese Easy Mac for now.

Price: $2.50 (Free from Abi)
Serving: 1 oz.
Calories: 340 per serving
Fat: 18%, 12g
Cholesterol: 27%, 80mg
Sodium: 31%, 750mg
Protein: 22g
Carbohydrates: 12%, 35g
Fiber: 16%, 4g
Sugar: 3g
WW Points: 7 Points

South Beach says: WHITE MEAT CHICKEN DICES, SOUTHWESTERN STYLE BROWN RICE & BLACK BEANS WITH A ROASTED PEPPER & CILANTRO SOUR CREAM SAUCE, TOPPED WITH REDUCED FAT CHEDDAR CHEESE

Jess says: I’ve always stayed away from the South Beach series. I think it’s because I didn’t really understand what the South Beach diet was. From the insanely skinny people I’ve seen on beach vacation brochures, I can say that they look happy, relaxed and tan, but don’t really look like foody people. These are not the folks that I’d go to for meal advice. Also, it’s the packaging. Everything about it says, “Gross diet food. Bland. Bland. For the love of fullness, don’t eat me.” I never got that same vibe from Lean Cuisine which says, “Eat me. I’m cheap. I’m probably tasty. And oh yeah, I love your heart more than Marie Callender does”. I did finally look up the South Beach diet, and it’s insanely complicated. It’s eating along the biblical dichotomy of good versus evil. And there are phases. Whatever dude.

As far as taste goes, though, it turns out that I was wrong and I had judged on the base of packaging to my own loss. This meal tasted like the insides of a delicious burrito. The meal was nicely spicy, with a sour creamy burrito sauce that was much thicker and more substantial than what I was expecting. The chicken was in these small bits so that each bite included a well-proportioned mix of chicken, beans, rice and sauce. The portion was about average for the lean food varieties. Looking at the nutrition information I see that it’s on the salty side for a “healthy meal” and my current thirst agrees. But this was an entirely acceptable lunch meal which I would probably eat again. Double true if it was cheap or free. And if the side affect of eating this meal is a well-preserved hot beach body and a tan, you won’t hear me complaining.

Price: $4.99
Serving: 1/8 container, 42g
plus milk and butter
Calories: 140 plain, 200 as prepared
  Calories from Fat: 45 plain
Info below does NOT include milk/butter
Fat: 8%, 5g
  Saturated Fat: 10%, 2g
  Trans Fat: 0%, 0g
Cholesterol: 3%, 10mg
Sodium: 19%, 460mg
Protein: 4g
Total Carbohydrates: 6%, 19g
  Fiber: 4%, 1g
  Sugar: 3g
Weight Watchers Points: 3 Points

Kraft says: Made with Velveeta cheese sauce and potatoes. Quick and easy to make in the microwave or on the stove. The whole family will love the great Velveeta flavor in every bite.

Abi says: With too many people at a potluck all you get is a taste of the really great items and tiny portions of pretty good but not exactly terrific items. When too few people are at a potluck you have what is essentially a regular dinner; main dish, salad, side and two desserts. Okay, so the two desserts aren’t usual, but there isn’t a whole lot of variety. Potluck equilibrium requires planning. It also requires that the host have on hand items that can be quickly made into a suitable side should your guests be not completely satisfied with a salad.

These mashed potatoes from Velveeta made an emergency appearance at the last potluck I attended. They’re the typical powdery potato flakes one finds on the a supermarket shelf, but with the added bonus of a pouch of velveeta. It was until I moved to Texas and started eating an unhealthy amount of addictively delicious queso that I realized the brilliance of Velveeta.

I don’t have a single fond childhood memory of Velveeta, thus the promotional line “The whole family will love the great Velveeta flavor in every bite.” makes me feel sorry for the families out there who are intimately familiar with the flavor of Velveeta in non-queso form.

These potatoes have a creaminess not usually found in those powdered potatoes, plus the Velveeta gives them an extra anti-clump factor. Preparation appeared to involve some milk and a bit of butter simmered over the stove, plus stirring. Not bad when you’re trying to entertain a bunch of guests. The flavor is slightly cheesy and more than slightly salty. This turns out to be one of those rare cases where I only pepper my potatoes, leaving the salt shaker along.

For their innocuousness, these potatoes earn three stars. They are neither scary nor particularly delicious.