Hopping To It

I've really prided myself on the fact that every mac that I've reviewed I never had to buy more than the one container/serving/order of (hopefully) cheesy pasta.  All those frozen meals are individual purchases.  Same with all these just add water cups and bowls I've reviewed, only one container to purchase.  Restaurants won't only sell me two orders of mac n' cheese unless I'm crazy enough to order them so unless I'm making a big a big casserole dish of the stuff at home, I don't have to worry about lots of extras either.  In the end this means that I'm not saddling myself with multiples of a cruddy variety of mac. 

That is of the utmost importance with this blog.  While some would want to begin to hoard their favorite versions, I'm here to review them all (darn you 'gotta catch em all, Poke-Cheese' mentality), not stop at the best or give up on the worst.  In my regular wanderings looking for the next meal to add to the review pile, I have really only come upon a scant few macs that I consistently keep saying "Nope" to and that's exclusively because of quantity that I need to buy in order to review them.  Target has a whole grain pasta just add water cup that only comes in a four pack and Annie's Homegrown microwaveable options only are sold in 5 single servings boxes.  I don't know why I decided to pull the trigger, other than it was most likely the sale that Target going on at the time, but I broke down and bought two of the three options (the gluten free wasn't on sale and was much more expensive so behind it stayed).

While I've had Annie's very yummy Cheddar Bunnies a number of times, I have yet to try any of their many varieties of mac n' cheese.  Their just add water version is just as good as any to start with and since I've got a box of five to eat/give to others at work, I best get started.


The Review

Brand:
Annie's Homegrown Microwaveable Mac & Cheese with real white cheddar

Now the only REAL difference between white and yellow Cheddar is that there is a coloring agent annatto, used to give it the orange we're used to seeing today. The coloring doesn't affect the taste of the cheese, that all comes from the aging process.

Price:
$4.39 at Target (On sale two for $6.00 when purchased)

Packaging Description:
(On Front)
*No Artificial Flavors, Synthetic Colors or Preservatives  *A Good Source of Calcium & Protein  *Cheese from Cows not Treated with the Growth Hormone rBST
Enlarged to show detail. See nutritional information for sodium content.

(On Back)
The front of the box is the back of the box just horizontal instead of vertical.  It's an inception box! Also, see above for what's on the 'back'.
Preparation:
*We'll go ahead and assume that you've opened the cardboard box.  If you haven't... well open it.

Open sesame!

*Pull from the box one noodle package and one cheese powder package.  Don't forget a bowl in which to dump the contents!

While I only made one package, the packaging also offers suggestions to make more than one pouch at a time and to make it richer by adding milk and butter to the mix.

*Open the package containing the noodles and pour them into a bowl.  After you do that get 1/2 cup of water and pour it into the bowl with the noodles.


The office measuring cup didn't want to give me a good shot of the measuring scale.  Fear not, I have added the proper amount of water into the measuring cup!



Just in case you're not sure of what pouring water into a bowl of noodles looks like.

*Place the bowl in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes. (Or until tender as the box says)

Well I don't know how to tell if you're tender or not without opening the microwave and burning my mouth on hot noodles, so 3 minutes it is.

*After you have removed the bowl from the microwave (it will be hot, be careful!), add the cheese sauce and stir well.

You don't look like sauce. Maybe with the power of alchemy you become sauce?

Stirring....stirring....

*After you've stirred in the sauce, let the bowl stand for one minute to cool.

I think the alchemic power of the powder made my cheese go ninja and not sauce.

*Commence with the nomming!



Taste:
Out of the microwave I smelled cooked pasta.  After adding the cheese powder before stirring (and during) I experienced that cheese powdery smell you get from packets like this, but no real cheesy smell otherwise.  The noodles were tender and cooked. There was not much in the way of a sauce (actually there wasn't any).  Whatever moisture that was left post cooking made the cheese powder cling to the noodles, but didn't leave anything else to manifest itself into a sauce.  The bowl was mostly lacking in taste, though the little bit that I could taste had a sharp, yet salty twang to it.

Final Score:
It can be hard not to go into a review without some expectations, especially when you've heard so many things about how good a brand is.  I know a number of people who really prefer Annie's Homegrown products, I just don't think that this is one of them.  I won't let this color any other reviews of their products I make (which by just looking at the grocery store shelves, will be many).  While I had good noodles, I had a nonexistent sauce and no flavor.  That is just not how a mac should be. 

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size 1 Macaroni and 1 Cheese Pouch (61g)
Makes about 3/4 cup

Calories 240
Calories From Fat 40
Total Fat 4.5g (7% Daily Value)

Saturated Fat 2.5g (13% DV)

Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 15mg (3% DV)
Sodium 920mg (38% DV)
Total Carbohydrates 51g (17% DV)
Dietary Fiber 2g (8% DV)
Sugars 4g
Protein 13g