Noodles With A Tan

I started this blog off with some simple just add water cup o' macs.  I've had 5 varieties sitting in my desk for almost two months just waiting for a chance to shine.  Running low on available frozen options at work (I've got 8 more sitting in the home freezer plus who knows how many more just waiting for me) I dug into my desk and pulled up one at random.  How did lunch go today?  Read on!


The Review

Brand:
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Whole Grain Original Flavor

Silly Kraft cup!  You're not Annie's Homegrown mac n' cheese.  There are no bunnies here!

Price:
$1.29 at Safeway

Packaging Description:
None

Preparation:
*Peel off the lid.

One... take that lid off that cup.  Two...

*Remove the cheese pouch and put it to the side.
*You will probably notice a fine power (oh magic powder, what don't you do).  No you've not stumbled onto Kraft transporting some kind of illicit narcotics.  This helps the pasta cook when in the microwave.

See, the noodles look a 'little' darker than normal, but really if these were in a lineup, there is a 50/50 chance the standard noodle is getting the finger.

*Take the cup to the sink and add water to the fill line on the inside of the cup.

Noodles drowned to proper depth.

*Place the cup in the microwave and cook for 3:30
*Remove the cup from the microwave when done.  Grab the top of the cup, where the pasta isn't.  This will be hot!

Other than being just *slightly* darker, you can't tell at this point that these are even whole wheat.

*Rip open the cheese powder package and dump the contents into the cup.

Nothing says cheese like cheese powder!

*Mix up the powder and noodles until the lumps are gone and it looks like mac n' cheese.

Ya know, that powder sauces up quite nicely.

*Commence with the nomming!

Taste:
This cup did it's best mom impression.  You know how mom hides the veggies in the main dish so that you've got no choice but to eat them, well Kraft did the same.  You couldn't tell that these were whole wheat noodles.  Cooked up, they were cooked but still firm and didn't taste any different from the standard elbow macaroni Kraft uses.  The flavor reminded me of the stove top Kraft.  It was like I was eating a little cup of it.  The sauce was reasonably cheesy (though it could have been a little more cheesy) and coated the noodles well. It did get better after letting it sit for a few more minutes past the suggested no burning mouth period.

Final Score:
An instant variety that tastes like it's big brother counterpart?  What demons have you promised your souls to so that you could create this food scientists?!?  I was pleasantly surprised with this.  Kraft stove top is by no means GREAT mac n' cheese, but it is reasonable mac n' cheese that is easy to make.  This cup is a no fuss version of the stove top that is ready for consumption in ~5 minutes.  This has been so far the best just add water mac I've had.

Nutritional Information:
Serving Size 1 Package (56g)

Calories  220  Calories From Fat 35
Total Fat 4g (6% Daily Value)
Saturated Fat 2g (10% DV)
Trans Fat 0g (0% DV) 
Cholesterol <5mg (2% DV)
Sodium 460mg (19% DV)
Total Carbohydrates 40g (18% DV)
Dietary Fiber 3g (12% DV)
Sugar 6g
Protein 5g