I made mac and cheese from a cardboard box for the first time in well over a decade last week. It felt good, I'll be honest with you.
Right, I know. Earth Balance Mac and Cheese is far from health food. I know that I should be making cashew cheese sauce from scratch and pouring it over organic quinoa pasta. Bad, bad vegan!
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But there's something so nostalgic about mac from a box, isn't there? Pouring that packet of unidentifiable powder over white pasta with a big scoop of vegan butter reminded me of so many meals that I ate as a kid.
My pops wouldn't make us boxed mac and cheese very often when we were kids. And he'd always "doctor it up." He'd throw a bag of frozen peas and carrots or a panful of sauteed broccoli into the bowl. So, of course, I couldn't just eat my Earth Balance Mac on its own.
I couldn't resist!
Here's where we get to the review part. One thing that I don't remember about old-school mac was the saltiness. Holy moly, you guys! I took a few bites of the Earth Balance Mac and Cheese on its own, so I could tell you how it was. It was salty. I don't know if my palate has changed or if this stuff is super salty, but I don't think I could have eaten it on its own.
When I folded about a cup of sauteed broccoli into my bowl, though, nostalgic perfection. It was so good that I had another bowl.
Which brings me to my second complaint-that's-not-really-a-complaint about Earth Balance Mac and Cheese. The box says that it makes three servings. You guys. I ate the entire box for lunch that day. In one sitting. And I was not sorry.
SO! If you pick up a box of Earth Balance Mac and Cheese, here are my recommendations:
- Get a mix-in. To make mine, I just heated up some margarine on medium high, threw in about a couple of cups of broccoli florets, and cooked until they browned a little.
- Do not share. Unless you're serving this as a side dish, I'd assume two servings per box max. I might have been in the midst of nostalgia when I ate a whole box at once, but I could see myself easily eating half a box on a regular day.
They only had Earth Balance White Cheddar Mac and Cheese when I was at the store, so if there are other varieties, I haven't tried them yet. Are there others? Have you tried them? Also, am I overstating the salt thing? Could I wrap this review up with more questions?
Cadry's Kitchen
There is a regular cheddar version. I just bought a box of it recently for David, who is nostalgic about boxed mac and cheese like you. I'd heard that the portion is very, very small, and so I'm glad to know what I should plan on as far as sides.
I'm a little dubious about trying it, because lately we've been eating Kittee's Ethiopian mac and cheese about once a month, and it has raised the bar crazy, crazy high. I know that a convenience food is never going to compare to something homemade that takes much longer to make. However, it's hard not to draw comparisons.
Becky Striepe
That's good to know - I'll have to keep an eye out for the cheddar one. I liked this one, but the salt was a little bit of a surprise. I wonder if making it with olive oil instead of margarine would help, since EB margarine is pretty salty, too.
Yeah, I hear ya on homemade mac. No powder can stack up!
Chris Moultrie
Yeah, it's definitely 1 serving unless you add to it. I threw in a box of Beyond Meat chicken strips and peas and made a feast out of it. It's certainly salty, but that's what I expect from the pre-packaged products these days. I think it has to do with so much of my stuff coming from scratch, so I'm frugal with the salt. Definitely will buy this stuff again, though!
Becky Striepe
Ha! My sister said the same thing about my reaction to the saltiness. And I guess I do tend to go low salt in most of my cooking. Your vegan mac feast sounds so amazing, Chris! I'm definitely stealing that idea next time I'm on my own for a meal.