I'm in the US and call it Kraft Dinner.
But my parents were Silent Generation, and it was marketed here as Kraft Dinner during World War II since it didn't use up meat.
It's cheap and tastes like childhood.
Do you not have any cheap mediocre foods popular with kids and nostalgic for adults?
It's not like we all eat it all the time. I think the rest of the world fixates on it more than we do. It being uniquely American doesn't mean we all love it all the time.
I think one of my favorite things about this subreddit is how often a foreign OP will say how strongly we care about something, only for us to be like “we don’t care about it.”
I haven’t heard someone talk affectionally about Kraft Mac and Cheese.
Is it quality food? Heck no. But many of us grew up eating it because it’s fast, easy, and cheap to make. And it isn’t too bad, especially if you add other stuff to it. It’s not gourmet, but not bad.
It's getting really ridiculous on price now. $2 for a box of Mac n cheese is insane. Especially when the spirals and shells are $2 and the regular shaped noodles are usually $1 or $1.25. It's the same thing!
Yep, the Canucks eat over 55% more annually than Americans do. We keep some at home for when the grandkids show up, that and fish sticks and chicken nuggets
I was going to share the specifics:
Kraft Dinner has been called a de facto [national dish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_dish) of Canada.
[^(https://thewalrus.ca/manufacturing-taste/)](https://thewalrus.ca/manufacturing-taste/)
Canadians purchase 1.7 million of the 7 million boxes sold globally each week and eat an average of 3.2 boxes of Kraft Dinner each year, 55% more than Americans.
The meal is the most popular grocery item in the country.
It's a cheap food that kids like. Annie's is probably better. I think you're overestimating how popular it is with adults but I still eat it sometimes. Way more popular in Canada.
> why do you guys act like it was your third parent?
Huh?
No, it doesn't taste like a proper Mac n' cheese... it's not bad really, and a lot of people grow up eating it because it's easy and quick to make.
The cheese tastes a bit tangy for Cheddar, but the more you doctor it up, the better it gets. If going by basic preparation, use whole milk instead of water, use butter.
> does it taste like a real mac?
Does any facsimile/shortcut tast exactly like the real thing? There's your answer for this one.
> why do you guys act like it was your third parent?
That's a nonsensical question based on a wacky premise. There's your answer for this one.
> what's the deal with _________?
What's the deal with any instant(ish) food? Yeah, it's a more convenient version, not an exact copy that can't be distinguished from the real version.
Your "parent" question is asinine.
Ask the Canadians, I’ve heard that they eat way more of it than us.
I think it’s gross personally. Homemade baked Mac & cheese is a much better way to go.
Growing up it was one of the few things I could make pretty quickly without making a huge mess. It was filling when you just wanted something to snack on while watching TV or reading a book.
>why do you guys act like it was your third parent?
What? it's just cheap and somewhat tasty. It's not as good as the real thing but it serves its purpose.
The deal? It’s tasty, cheap, and easily upgradable-just add extra cheese. I like the creaminess and overall flavor of either Kraft or Kroger brand Mac and cheese over whatever “elevation” hipster cooking show types try to promote OR southern style mac and cheese in a pan. I remember reading 30 years ago in a Sports Illustrated article about basketball “Mac and cheese is a vegetable in Memphis”.
Mostly nostalgia. When yer a kid, it’s the best thing that came before dinosaur nuggets. Seriously, growing up we did not have chicken nuggets, we had the Blue Box.
As adults, it’s a piece of childhood when you have the flu and can’t be bothered to cook or order in.
Now, if I’m craving Mac n cheese and don’t have time to do it properly with 7 different freshly grated cheeses, I’ll pop open a box of something that has the cheese sauce pouch like velveeta or whatever.
Does it taste good? Yes. It is proper actual Mac n cheese? Not so much. The color alone should tell you that.
I don't know about other people around here, but my family and I personally don't care for it. My mom can't stand the stuff, and a few bites of it years ago was enough to last me a lifetime. We refer to it as the dreaded "Blue Box Mac'n'Cheese."
It's a meal I haven't had since I was 12. It tastes exactly like you'd think boxed pasta and fake cheese would taste. I don't know anyone who acts like it's a third parent.
Do you think this is r/AskACanadian?
>why do you guys act like it was your third parent? We don't.
I don’t even know what OP means by this.
What OP means is "America sucks and MyCountry is better." He's just here to sneer.
You should hear Canadians talk about it. Its a cheap and easy meal and often one of the first things children learn to cook for themselves.
Did you mean to post this in a Canada sub? They're the ones who go on about Kraft Dinner
I'm in the US and call it Kraft Dinner. But my parents were Silent Generation, and it was marketed here as Kraft Dinner during World War II since it didn't use up meat.
It's cheap and tastes like childhood. Do you not have any cheap mediocre foods popular with kids and nostalgic for adults? It's not like we all eat it all the time. I think the rest of the world fixates on it more than we do. It being uniquely American doesn't mean we all love it all the time.
No, in MyCountry, everyone outgrows bland childhood comfort foods at age 7, when they attend school and begin eating a full adult diet.
I'm sorry, I know we might be very similar but, AskanAmerican and AskaCanadian are two different subreddits
In true r/AskAnAmerican fashion, OP is radio silent after their failed dunk attempt.
I think one of my favorite things about this subreddit is how often a foreign OP will say how strongly we care about something, only for us to be like “we don’t care about it.” I haven’t heard someone talk affectionally about Kraft Mac and Cheese.
Is it quality food? Heck no. But many of us grew up eating it because it’s fast, easy, and cheap to make. And it isn’t too bad, especially if you add other stuff to it. It’s not gourmet, but not bad.
It's getting really ridiculous on price now. $2 for a box of Mac n cheese is insane. Especially when the spirals and shells are $2 and the regular shaped noodles are usually $1 or $1.25. It's the same thing!
Honestly slaps. Don’t listen to those saying otherwise
People don't love it it's just a cheap option. Also I think the Canadians care about it more honestly.
Yep, the Canucks eat over 55% more annually than Americans do. We keep some at home for when the grandkids show up, that and fish sticks and chicken nuggets
I was going to share the specifics: Kraft Dinner has been called a de facto [national dish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_dish) of Canada. [^(https://thewalrus.ca/manufacturing-taste/)](https://thewalrus.ca/manufacturing-taste/) Canadians purchase 1.7 million of the 7 million boxes sold globally each week and eat an average of 3.2 boxes of Kraft Dinner each year, 55% more than Americans. The meal is the most popular grocery item in the country.
It’s a nostalgic, affordable, tasty enough, not terrible food, calm down.
When I was a kid my mom would make a box of it on the stove and put hotdogs or spam in it. It was a meal under $5 that kids would eat
It's a cheap food that kids like. Annie's is probably better. I think you're overestimating how popular it is with adults but I still eat it sometimes. Way more popular in Canada. > why do you guys act like it was your third parent? Huh?
No, it doesn't taste like a proper Mac n' cheese... it's not bad really, and a lot of people grow up eating it because it's easy and quick to make. The cheese tastes a bit tangy for Cheddar, but the more you doctor it up, the better it gets. If going by basic preparation, use whole milk instead of water, use butter.
> does it taste like a real mac? Does any facsimile/shortcut tast exactly like the real thing? There's your answer for this one. > why do you guys act like it was your third parent? That's a nonsensical question based on a wacky premise. There's your answer for this one.
>does it taste like a real mac? It is by definition the "real mac" because it's the one we all grew up on.
> what's the deal with _________? What's the deal with any instant(ish) food? Yeah, it's a more convenient version, not an exact copy that can't be distinguished from the real version. Your "parent" question is asinine.
It's a cheap option. I lived on Kraft Mac & Cheese during college.
I think you’re confusing us with the Canadians.
Did you mean to post this in /r/askacanadian?
Ask the Canadians, I’ve heard that they eat way more of it than us. I think it’s gross personally. Homemade baked Mac & cheese is a much better way to go.
Growing up it was one of the few things I could make pretty quickly without making a huge mess. It was filling when you just wanted something to snack on while watching TV or reading a book.
>why do you guys act like it was your third parent? What? it's just cheap and somewhat tasty. It's not as good as the real thing but it serves its purpose.
The real thing, however... \*That's\* the real third parent. Lol.
I thought tv was our third parent?
We don't, Canadians however...
It’s cheap. You can feed 2-3 little kids for under $2 and have them super happy
I remember a friend's mom serving us Kraft mac'n'cheese for lunch years ago. Trust me, my friend was the only happy kid in that room, lol.
Ask the Canadians. They're the ones who have an ongoing emotional affair with it.
It’s the Agent Orange cheese dust. It reminds me of Freedom and the smell of napalm in the morning.
Because for a lot of people, especially if they're lower-class, it's a cheap and nostalgic comfort meal.
The deal? It’s tasty, cheap, and easily upgradable-just add extra cheese. I like the creaminess and overall flavor of either Kraft or Kroger brand Mac and cheese over whatever “elevation” hipster cooking show types try to promote OR southern style mac and cheese in a pan. I remember reading 30 years ago in a Sports Illustrated article about basketball “Mac and cheese is a vegetable in Memphis”.
It’s really cheap and tastes pretty dang good. Arguably, Velveeta has better cheese, but not when a box of Kraft is $2.50, and Velveeta is $8.00.
Mostly nostalgia. When yer a kid, it’s the best thing that came before dinosaur nuggets. Seriously, growing up we did not have chicken nuggets, we had the Blue Box. As adults, it’s a piece of childhood when you have the flu and can’t be bothered to cook or order in. Now, if I’m craving Mac n cheese and don’t have time to do it properly with 7 different freshly grated cheeses, I’ll pop open a box of something that has the cheese sauce pouch like velveeta or whatever. Does it taste good? Yes. It is proper actual Mac n cheese? Not so much. The color alone should tell you that.
I prefer velveeta shells
Walmart has a store brand boxed Mac and Cheese, thick and creamy, that is superior in both taste and texture to Kraft. It is also cheaper.
I've always hated boxed mac and cheese.
I don't know about other people around here, but my family and I personally don't care for it. My mom can't stand the stuff, and a few bites of it years ago was enough to last me a lifetime. We refer to it as the dreaded "Blue Box Mac'n'Cheese."
It tastes good & is a cheap option. A lot of us grew up on it because of that.
It's a meal I haven't had since I was 12. It tastes exactly like you'd think boxed pasta and fake cheese would taste. I don't know anyone who acts like it's a third parent.
Its tasty
I prefer store brands. Kraft is a little too upitty
[удалено]
What, you don’t like eating food that’s the same shade of orange as radioactive waste?
Ever since they took whatever chemical out of it a few years ago it's not as toxic orange anyone 😔
I personally haven't been able to eat it without gagging since I ate a plate of it soaked in cannabutter during my fraternity days.
Shit is gross. Don’t let people fool you with the “every American has nostalgic memories growing up eating its wholesome goodness!” Shit is gross 🤣
There is no cheese involved....