Half The Cheese It Used To Be

Instant cups are a really easy on the fly meal snack for those craving some quick mac n' cheese.  One thing that we do have to worry about (well those of us who seem to eat mac n' cheese with wild abandon) is the caloric and fat intake that the cheesy goodness brings to our arteries and midsections.  A number of national cheese makers have begun making cheese using 2% milk rather than whole milk like cheese is normally made from.  While it cuts down on the fat, some of these 2% cheeses also seem to cut down on the taste.  While Velveeta isn't remotely close to a natural block of cheese, but that doesn't mean that they can't get in on the reduced fat craze.  Now all I'm left to wonder is if this reduced fat cheese affects the taste compared to it's high octane cousin. 


The Review

Brand:
Velveeta Shells & Cheese: 2% Milk Cheese

You don't look any thinner than a regular mac cup.

Portable Green

Vegetables are good for you.  We all know this.  We also know that mac n' cheese doesn't pretend to that it's good for you.  Cheese and pasta?  Fat and carbs?  Good in moderation, but not something you should be eating all the time (well except me, I've made it a job of sorts).  I've had a pair of kids meals that come with veggies thanks to Kid Cuisine and Elmo as well as Helen's Kitchen which gave me broccoli and non-meat nuggets but I have yet to experience any that have come with veggies IN the mac n' cheese when all you need to do is add water.  Velveeta has conjured up a broccoli version for those health conscious mac n' cheesers.  Lets see if it's done any better than our other w/ veggies options.

The Review

Brand:
Velveeta Rotini & Cheese: Broccoli



Green means healthy!



Let's Raise A Cup... Part 1

Welcome to the first review of an actual mac n' cheese dish.  I'm sure that these will evolve over time as I realize that I wasn't thinking to include something as I complete these first reviews but I will try to make sure that the overall format stays the same.  Brand, Cost, Prep, Taste, Final Score.  For self prepared meals (stove top or microwave) I'll be sure to include the packaging preparation directions as well as any tips I discover that should be done to make it turn out better.  Unless something is just out and out wrong I will follow the directions on package to a T as to give all our subjects equal shakes based on what the brand says it should taste like.


Our mac n' cheese reviewed today is a daily meal snack of school and college kids across the country.  Almost instant mac n' cheese in a cup!  Kraft has their 'Easy Mac' line, and though this isn't quite that as today's meal is a Velveeta one (so it's cheese sauce and not a powder) it's in the same family as Kraft owns Velveeta.  If you've eaten the Easy Mac of years past, the stuff was just horrible.  I don't know what deal with the devil Kraft made, but this newer stuff is MILES better than Easy Mac of 6-8 years ago.  It's actually edible. 


The Review

Brand: 
Velveeta Shells & Cheese 'Original' flavor