Boxed Mac 'n' Cheese

I promised some product reviews, so here ya go.

If you are like me (and everyone else who grew up in America since about 1937) sodium-rich boxed macaroni and cheese is probably one of the first solid foods you knew on a first-name basis.

So here are the best GF products that I've found: DeBoles 7.25oz Gluten Free Rice Pasta & Cheese (2.19 at Kroger), and Trader Joe's 6oz Gluten Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar (1.99 at Trader Joe's). Both are great tasting, but slightly different.

Ingredients:

DeBoles: Elbow style pasta (rice flour and rice bran extract) and Cheese Sauce Mix (Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese [Milk, Salt, and Enzymes], and Dry Buttermilk). 100mg sodium per 1/2 cup serving

Trader Joe's: Rice Pasta (rice flour), Cheddar cheese (cultured pasteurized milk, salt, enzymes), whey, buttermilk, butter, salt, natural flavor, sodium phosphate, annato extract (color). 390mg sodium per 1 cup serving

Underground thoughts:
The box of Deboles seems like a lot more macaroni looking into the pan. I also had forgotten that it is white cheddar, which even if it's just psychological, I think caters to a more sophisticated palate. The orange-ness of the Trader Joe's makes me think of screaming kids, who deserve food that they can enjoy too. So everyone wins if you keep a box of each of these in the cupboard.



I don't know how the sodium compares with kraft, you know the one we grew up on that was apparently a celiac killer. Probabaly a lot better for you.

Speaking of Kraft, I had a real hankerin' for some Mac 'n' Cheese and wrote to them, to ask if they could sell the sauce mix independently of the pasta, or offer a gluten-free version of their product (something like, "Can you either make available your cheese sauce alone-without noodles-so we can make our own rice noodle mac 'n' cheese..." etc.). They told me about this product: Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Topping

So, there is life after wheatey-mac. If you want it. Or just that occasional hankerin'. I find that it's probably a lot better to look for less starch in my diet, e.g. more fiber and fruits and vegetables. But it sure is nice to know that you aren't denied any particular foods, we really do have everything we need...GF Life is Good!

P.S. You probably want to avoid Annie's GF mac 'n' cheese in the blue box. The bunny on the box is cute. It's been a few years since I tried it, but I remember that the cheese was OK, but the pasta was horrid....save your money on that one.