To kick things off, I made Annie’s boxed macaroni and cheese. I picked their Yummier Than Ever version which is their traditional cheddar and noodle combo. Annie’s offers a variety of cheese flavours and pasta shapes, but for this project, I wanted to go with what I considered to be the most classic boxed mac style.

In terms of the process, making the mac could not be any easier. The steps are as follows…

  1. Cook the pasta in boiling water for 6 minutes.
  2. Drain the pasta, and in the remaining pot combine 2TBSP of butter and 3TBSP of milk (the exact measurements of butter and milk can vary depending on the consistency you want, these are just the standard recommended ratios).
  3. Incorporate the cheese powder into the butter/milk mixture.
  4. Add in the pasta and stir until combined.

In four steps and approximately 10 minutes, you have mac and cheese. The minimal effort required makes it perfect for busy or late nights. However, where boxed mac and cheese wins points for convenience, there are other elements that it lacks quite significantly.

For starters, making the boxed version develops one’s cooking skills in a very limited capacity. Outside of boiling water and using tablespoon measurements, nothing is gained or learned. Thus, there is no sense of accomplishment or individuality. Along the lines of individuality, there is not typically a lot of memory or meaning associated with boxed macaroni. Unlike a personal or family recipe, it hasn’t been passed down or made especially for family events. The experience that boxed macaroni gives could be referred to as generic or processed. To clarify, I have nothing against boxed mac. I eat it relatively frequently, I enjoy it, and of course, it might be really meaningful to somebody. However, in the grand scheme of things I believe that boxed mac does fall at the bottom of the list in terms of personality. Which is why I am using it as the base for what I want to find out during this project. I want to take all of the elements that I feel boxed mac and cheese is missing, and try to find people and recipes to fill those voids.

As I outlined above, one major aspect missing from boxed mac is a personal connection. I want to seek out recipes that truly mean something to people. The plan is to start with friends, family, and the people in my cohort (who honestly feel like both). By making these recipes with them I want to not only discover how personal history can contribute to the pleasure of cooking and eating, but also forge new connections with the people in my life.

Next, I want to find the flavour and textural elements that I associate with a good mac and cheese that the boxed version just doesn’t provide. While eating my Annie’s I came up with a list of what I felt was missing. I then decided on five main aspects that I want to focus on which I wrote out on Post-it Notes.

  • Cohesiveness – With the boxed version, some of the pasta stuck together while most of the others were just single noodles with a light coating of sauce. I want it to be gooey and in some cases, I even want there to be some cheese pull.
  • Colour – The boxed mac and cheese is often characterized by what I would describe as an electric orange. To achieve their colour, Annie’s uses annatto extract. I want my mac and cheese to have colour and be vibrant, but not look like it was made with a colour additive.
  • Texture – Annie’s texture is very basic. You get a little bit of chew from the pasta, but the sauce is indistinguishable in terms of texture. I want a good cheese sauce with a mouthfeel, and with some recipes even toppings to break up the creamy texture (such as breadcrumbs).
  • Flavour – The boxed mac and cheeses have flavour, but I wouldn’t say it is necessarily cheesy. It is yummy, but usually also has a bit of an aftertaste. I want the cheese flavour to be prominent, as well as with some other elements of flavour that could be incorporated by the add-ins.
  • Add-Ins – Annie’s is simply made up of pasta and sauce. I want to see what else I can put in to create more flavour and more textures. What spices can I use? Vegetables? Toppings?

With these five aspects, I now have criteria for what I want the recipes I find/try to have. I am looking forward to searching for them, making them, and connecting through them.