Mac and cheese almost always hits — even the boxed kind when you’re craving those creamy, cheesy noodles but don’t have time to make it from scratch. Kraft is one of the most popular brands on the shelves when it comes to boxed mac and cheese, and the robust lineup offers quite a range of flavors and consistencies. Lucky for you, a Tasting Table reviewer did the hard work by tasting and ranking 13 different varieties of Kraft mac and cheese – from Thick ‘n Creamy (which you should leave out of your shopping cart) to Jalapeño to Ranch. The winner? Deluxe Southern Homestyle.
As our writer put it, “This flavor takes all the cheesy goodness of the Deluxe Cheddar, but adds crispy breadcrumbs and a black pepper seasoning packet to boot — what’s not to love?” A pepper-forward seasoning and hints of garlic and onion are also mentioned, giving this boxed mac a more complex flavor profile than your typical “original” flavor (which ranked sixth). It was also the only Kraft Mac and Cheese to include a bread crumb topping.
The “deluxe” varieties differ from the original Kraft boxed mac and cheeses in that they include packets of actual sauce (made with real cheese), not a powdered mix. The Southern Homestyle twist seems to be that there is a seasoning blend to mix in that contains black pepper, garlic, onion, buttermilk, and bread crumbs to finish the dish. So how do these ingredients make the mac and cheese “Southern” homestyle?
What makes a Mac and cheese Southern homestyle, exactly?
According to our research, there are a few ways to make a Southern homestyle mac and cheese. These recipes – while they vary with the use of eggs in the sauce, or not — are baked in the oven to create a thick base and crispy cheese crust on top, like a baked mac and cheese casserole. However, breadcrumbs are not usually included. Perhaps the breadcrumbs on the Kraft mac are a shortcut to getting a crispy topping while only being made on the stovetop. It is convenience food, after all.
Regardless of the authenticity of Southern homestyle or not, the few reviews that can be found on the internet seem to approve of this Kraft Mac and Cheese. “My family is super picky and being from true south we are strict about our [mac] n cheese. This is as close to homemade you are ever going to get!” raved one Influenster reviewer, via Kroger’s website. “In fact I keep a box in my pantry for those days I don’t have time to make my own!” they concluded. Another said, “If you are going to eat macaroni and cheese this certainly is the best! So delicious the cheese just melts in your mouth!”
As far as boxed mac and cheese goes, our reviewer’s thoughts echoed that Kraft Southern Homestyle tasted homemade, which is about as high praise as you’re going to get for a convenience dinner that takes less than 20 minutes to make. Sounds like a new pantry staple to us!
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