Review: Kraft® Easy Mac Cups

In The Kitchen Microwave Review: Kraft® Easy Mac Cups

Kraft® Easy Mac Cup
Price: approx $1 each cup
Serving: 1 cup, 2.05 oz.
Calories: 220
Fat: 7%, 4.5g
Sodium: 27%, 660mg
Protein: 14%, 7g
Carbs: 15%, 39g
Fiber: 1g

I've been an exclusive Mom Knows 100 Reviewer at SheKnows.com since its inception this past Spring. I recently had the opportunity to sample the new Kraft® Easy Mac Cups. I thought I'd share my review here with my Multiple Blessings readers.

Kraft says: Kraft® Easy Mac Macaroni and Cheese Cups make it easy to enjoy delicious macaroni and cheese anytime. The microwaveable cups cook quickly and are full of creamy, cheesy flavor.

After you remove the plastic lid, you might be surprised to find the foam 2.05 oz. cup about half full of macaroni noodles. Remove the cheese sauce packet and set aside. Proceed to fill the cup about halfway to the fill line with water (be sure to use the recommended time and water level markings on the bowl.) Please follow the instructions carefully, as there is very little room for error. Stir the mixture well and place it in the microwave on HIGH for 3 and a half minutes or until the pasta is tender. When it comes out of the microwave, it will look remarkably unappealing – there looks to be way too much water in there and you might have some weird bubbles. Disregard. DO NOT DRAIN. Open the cheese mix packet and dump it in, then stir-stir-stir for a minute or two. The cheesy powder is a bit clumpy and you have to really encourage it to mix with the watery noodles, but stick with it and eventually it will blend. It does thicken a bit upon standing. Once it’s done, it tastes pretty much like packaged macaroni and cheese, if done correctly. . Mind you; this is a pretty small cup, about the size of a deli cup of soup, but you’ll find that it’s warm and a filling snack/fairly decent lunch entree. I rounded it out with some cheese and crackers (yes, I know, cheese on cheese) that I’d had stashed in the cupboard-- and it was a perfectly sized lunch. On its own, this probably wouldn’t be quite enough for a fully satisfying meal, but it’s definitely enough to get you through in a pinch until you can consume a real meal. The current available flavors, Original Cheese, Triple Cheese, Alfredo and Bacon. Yes, Bacon, but that's not as good, too tangy and salty for my taste. You really don’t need to mess with a classic, so my fave was the Original and Triple Cheese flavors.
My kids love these for afternoon snacks when they get home from school, or between lunch and dinner. Even my 9 year olds can make them without adult supervision. Most of the time I'll add a touch of margarine, or cream cheese to make it creamier – I loved the suggestion of adding tuna – my kids love it. Maybe even throw in a tablespoon of frozen peas too….mac, tuna, and peas--great combo!
Given my first prep faux pas, I must admit that I was fairly satisfied with Kraft’s® Easy Mac microwave cups. I know that they create waste and cost too much, but they do deliver a decent amount of salty, cheesy macaroni product. Being rather frugal minded, I'd probably only buy them if they were drastically discounted at my local grocery store. Otherwise, for my family--the convenience doesn't justify the expense.
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*I received a product sample for this review, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own.*