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.

Price: $2.50 (sale)
Serving: 1/2 tray, 6 oz.
Calories: 350
Fat: 17%, 26g
Sodium: 38%, 920mg
Protein: 15g
Calcium: 30%

Stouffer’s says: Al dente macaroni in a creamy, sharp cheddar cheese sauce.

Colleen says: As far as macaroni and cheese goes, this is perhaps as good as it gets for frozen or packaged versions. Unlike Kraft macaroni and cheese, which is relatively flavorless and made from powdered cheese, Stouffers’ version is pretty darn close to home made. Of course with better taste comes more fat and calories, but I would be willing to make that sacrifice again.

The noodles could stand to be a bit firmer, but they stay intact even after re-heating and do not mush in your mouth. The most important part of the dish –the cheese part of course– is a nice creamy sauce and there’s certainly plenty of it! Although the cheese sauce could stand a dash of salt to spice it up, it is a quite tasty cheddar-flavored, just-creamy-enough sauce.

Word to the wise: make sure to keep the macaroni and cheese hot while you eat it because for some reason or another, the taste changes as it cools down. I can’t begin to explain the mystery of why microwave macaroni and cheese requires a specific temperature in order to maintain its homestyle flavor, so just trust me and re-heat if necessary.

Price: $3.99/box, 80 cents ea.
Serving: 3/4 cup
Calories: 230
Fat: 7%
Sodium: 24%

without boursin

with boursin

They say: This product is made with organic pasta and the best totally natural white cheddar cheese.

Abi says: A long-time lover of Annie’s Organic Alfredo shells and Cheddar, I was introduced to this microwaveable mac and cheese by Amy. All you do is open the macaroni packet and pour it into a bowl, then add a half cup of water. I eyeball it and generally end up cleaning pasta-water out of the microwave when it overflows. Microwave for 1.5 minutes, then stir in the contents of the cheese packet.

Unfortunately, when I followed the instructions, I found that my mac and cheese just didn’t look as good as Amy’s. The cheese didn’t really seem to coat the pasta. Turns out she adds a smidgen of boursin to her mac and cheese. Wow, what a difference it makes when one adds cheese made with cow’s milk and cream, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley and chives

I like this meal as a back-up plan. I keep a box in my cube area and just make some when I forget to bring a heartier lunch.

I am hoping that Amy will take me with her when she goes to Trader Joe’s so that I can buy some boursin too. Maybe some more for her also, considering that I have partaken of hers on three occasions now.

About Boursin: http://www.boursincheese.com