Occasionally, as a fun treat for the kids, when it comes time to eat, I’ll tell them they can play diner and choose from any relatively easy-to-prepare dish from the pantry, fridge, or freezer. I gave them that chance yesterday, fully expecting them to dive for the leftover pizza in the refrigerator from Pizza night Friday night.
And because they’re kids…let alone my kids, aka contrarian by nature…they of course each picked an individual pack of Kraft Easy Mac. Personally, I put Easy Mac and well, pretty much any boxed macaroni and cheese concoction based on insidiously ambiguous “cheese powder” as the very definition of “Blech…no, Thank You” (at best).
The kids, though, love it.
I suppose I can see the attraction of having something individualized by nature, of their very own, as a kid. You know, when control of your own life is something you get to exercise about as often as a jolly old elf slides down a chimney.
So I shrugged and proceeded to pull enough packets of Nasty Mac out of the pantry for them. And that’s when it hit me: we’re still down a microwave here at la casa de Puddin.
In case you’re curious, Easy Mac isn’t exactly the definition of effortless when you don’t have a working version of the device for the dish was originally designed.
Still, a microwave couldn’t possibly be required to put the Easy in the Mac, right? Surely I could find some more traditional method of cooking it, right?
Which is how I found myself attempting to boil several single-serving packs of macaroni yesterday in hopes of cooking the “pasta” without turning it into mush, or worse, kindergarten paste.
I don’t know if I succeeded, but the kids liked it. Still, I’m pretty sure I’d serve my in-laws two day-old previously dressed salad (soggy croutons included!) before I gave them that, if you know what I mean.
But at least the kids were happy. Plus, I managed to score a Saturday Debate out of it. So I’m not complaining.
But am I wrong about Easy Mac and all other powder-based mac-and-cheeses? Is it, instead, your manna from heaven?
Convenience Mac-n-Cheese: Packaged Putrescence or Positively Paradise?
As always, the comments are open and waiting for your opinion!
What’s that? You’d like a poll with your convenience food? My Pleasure:
Pud’n
Jason A. Rust: Author 
I don’t really have an opinion about Easy Mac, as it obviously didn’t exist when you were a child; & even if it had we would not have been able to afford the “vessel” required to prepare it! I do know, however, that you and your siblings at that time preferred the kind with the “cheesy sauce” packet, and I have to admit that to this day I purchase that kind if I want somewhat quick Mac&Cheese. The biggest difference now is that it takes two weeks for just two people to eat that much Mac&Cheese; and of course before that can happen, it hits the garbage disposal!!! 🙂
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