KRAFT MAKES THE BEST MACARONI AND CHEESE

Some say Thomas Jefferson introduced macaroni and cheese to the colonies, but no matter who first sent this dish steaming onto our tables, they created America's ultimate comfort food.

Although there are many brands, for just about everybody the name Kraft is synonymous with macaroni and cheese. Kraft's Macaroni & Cheese Dinner is considered the gold standard by many -- and even if it isn't, it's still the benchmark against which all others are judged.

That's why when I spied new Chef Boyardee Mac & Cheese!, I just had to buy a can.

I really wanted to like this stuff, especially since I'm a big fan of Chef Boyardee Pizza Kit -- another of my childhood comfort foods. But the Chef's take on macaroni and cheese just didn't feel fresh. The cheese lacked that zing I've grown to expect from Kraft, and to me, the macaroni's mouth feel is best described as a synthetic sort of half-overcooked, half-al dente.

Don't get me wrong, though. Kraft isn't 100 percent perfect. Ever since childhood, I've been of the opinion that they don't give you enough powdered cheese sauce mix in that little envelope. Mom vainly tried to stop me from supplementing the cheese mix with the packet from a second box until we found that Kraft sold that exact same American cheese powder. It came in a golden-yellow container that was stocked next to the company's grated parmesan cheese, usually in the spaghetti-and-spaghetti sauce section.

A few years ago, Kraft changed the look of this powdered cheese and started calling it Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Topping. The container even uses the same design as on the Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner boxes.

Oddly enough, the company won't admit that people actually buy this stuff to supplement the macaroni and cheese recipe. Instead, consumers are advised to "Shake on popcorn & more!" to "Sprinkle on fish sticks, potato chips, baked potatoes, chicken nuggets, hot popcorn and vegetables" and to "Stir into chili, soup, rice, scrambled eggs, grits and mashed potatoes."

Grits?!

By the way, everyone I know who enjoys eating out is constantly in search of the perfect macaroni and cheese side dish. Leah & Dick and I have vainly sought this rare substance, and so have Bridget and Tammy at Chicago Bites.

So if anybody's found the perfect macaroni and cheese, let me know.

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