Is Kraft’s New ‘Restaurant Edition’ Mac & Cheese Really as Good as Dining Out?
I tried all three fancy new flavors.
Image Courtesy of Kraft
There’s nothing wrong with ripping open a box of macaroni and cheese for a quick dinner. But while many of us have strong childhood (and probably college-era) nostalgia for Kraft Mac & Cheese, you probably won’t find anyone comparing it to a fancy fine dining experience. Except, perhaps, the people at Kraft who launched a new line of “Restaurant Edition” mac & cheese products today.
What is Kraft Restaurant Edition Mac & Cheese?
These elevated takes on cheesy, saucy pasta go well beyond cheddar. Kraft’s new Restaurant Edition lineup includes flavors you are more likely to find on a menu than a pantry: pesto, cacio e pepe and caramelized onion. All three promise a bit more sophistication in your bowl, while still being as easy to make as the macaroni you grew up with — just boil and drain the pasta, add butter, milk and the sauce packet, and stir.
The Restaurant Edition also eschews elbow noodles in favor of bigger pasta shapes, and Kraft says these larger, 9.5-ounce boxes offer about 30% more food than its regular boxes of macaroni and cheese.
Here are all of the new Restaurant Edition Mac & Cheese flavors, as described by Kraft:
- Parmesan Pesto is a fresh-from-the-pantry dish that balances herbaceous basil pesto with sharp Parmesan cheese and Gemelli noodles.
- Romano Cacio e Pepe delivers peppery richness and Pecorino Romano cheese with Pipette noodles.
- Monterey Jack Caramelized Onion — a first to market mac & cheese flavor — balances the savory taste of caramelized onion with milky, mellow Monterey Jack cheese and Cavatappi noodles.
My honest review of Kraft Restaurant Edition Mac & Cheese:
I tried all three flavors of Restaurant Edition Mac & Cheese and agree that they all level up on what you’re used to from boxed mac. These flavors are certainly bolder than some others from the brand.
The Parmesan Pesto had bright, herbaceous and lemony notes, Monterey Jack Caramelized Onion delivered on the rich, savory onion, and Cacio e Pepe offered a strong tang of black pepper.
That said, in some ways, the new flavors are giving more of a side dish vibe than a main event. But Kraft has unique positioning as the star of a meal, so if you consider these a swap for your usual mac, then you might find yourself feeling a little classier as you stir in the powder packet.
What else is new from Kraft?
Anyone browsing the boxed pasta aisle knows that it's come out with quite a few different flavors over the years, from Parmesan and Hot Honey and the kid-beloved Pizza to oddballs like Apple Pie.
But flavors aren’t the only enhancements Kraft is making to its classic mac. The brand recently rolled out Power Mac, boosted with protein. The new Restaurant Edition lineup is just the latest launch from the brand.
Where can you buy Kraft Restaurant Edition Mac & Cheese?
Kraft Restaurant Edition Mac & Cheese flavors hit store shelves nationwide this month and retail for $3.49 each. Good lucking finding a sit-down restaurant with a deal like that.
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