More than just mac

Once again I have stumbled upon another box in that same fateful aisle. While shopping this caught my eye because of the brand, the picture, and the easiness. Kraft is a very trusted brand, in my opinion, and is something I know I can count on to have great results.

After opening the box I saw that it contained dried pasta, a small package of sundried tomatoes, and a package of sauce mix. The steps were about the same as you would follow to make the Kraft macaroni and cheese, except no other ingredients like milk and butter were needed which makes this recipe great for a college student like myself.

After boiling the pasta for the directed amount of time, it asked me to put the sundried tomatoes into the pasta and boiling them together for about two minutes, then drain both in a colander. The only problem I saw with this process was when I went to strain the boiled mixture, the sundried tomatoes fell through the slots in the colander which created a mess in the sink.

The next step was to open the package of sauce and put it on the pasta mix in the pot. Another problem arose with this process. The package says "tear here", but I was not able to open it by tearing and used a pair of scissors. When putting the sauce of the pasta, it was incredibly hard to squeeze out and also resembled human body excrement, which was not something I wanted to see just before eating it. I stirred it all together but was having trouble dissolving the sauce to make it thinner. I placed it back on the burner and the mixing became easier and the sauce was distributing better.

The taste of the final product was merely okay. I'm not a huge fan of parmesan cheese, but if you like the flavor then I think you would have enjoyed this recipe more. This box holds three servings, but if served alone with no side dishes would probably only feed two people, which was the case when I made it.

Overall I think this is a good product, and I would possibly buy it again but in a different flavor. The cost is low and it requires no other ingredients which is sometimes hard to find in these type of dinners. I believe that college students would like this product because it is a familiar brand and takes the same amount of time as another one of their Kraft favorites.

For more information regarding this product, and other Kraft dinner products please click here.

Idaho Grown

Mashed potatoes are not an easy dish to fix, especially for a novice chef like a college student. Recently, I discovered a way to make them that only involves adding boiling water: Idahoan Potatoes. They come in a dry mix, and taste like the real thing! What drew me to this product was my undying love for mashed potatoes, and cheap and easy food. The cost for this item is under one dollar! I was skeptical at first, but the finished product proved to be outstanding! This brand also boasts the "Best Taste Award" by ChefsBest in 2007, as well as the use of 100% Idaho potatoes - so you know you are getting the real deal!

Among the different flavors of potatoes are four cheese, butter and herb, and garlic mashed potatoes. Your average grocer should provide at least five of the different flavors listed on the website, here. What I like most about this product besides the easiness of it is the flavor. Some products say their flavor resembles the homemade item, but I feel like this is one of the best representatives when it comes to mashed potatoes! They were moist and flaky, and required little seasoning other than what it came with.

I believe this is a product that college students will like because it is cheap, time efficient, easy to make, and gives students a comfort from home! I will definitely try this product again and explore the different flavors offered by this company!