Mac and Cheese :

[DaveSail]

Just wondering .

Not counting the microwave cups , etc., there are two " regular " KRAFT Mac and Cheese kits in grocery stores . One has a squeeze - pack of the
cheese sauce , while the other requires butter and milk . Is the one with the squeeze - pack so heavy that it is not a good idea ?

With the other , I suppose you could use powdered milk , but what to use instead of the butter ? I know a small bottle of Olive Oil is used a lot for cooking on the trail . Would " EVOL " make a weird - tasting Mac and Cheese ?

Wouldn't it be more economical to just buy a pound - box , weigh the proper amount into your Zip - Lock and buy one of the many , bottled
cheese - sauces from the grocery store ?

I'm sorry if this subject has been beaten to death on this forum below ; I didn't have time to read everything !

David V. Webber

[Spokes]

I never used milk or butter when I made trail m/c. Just cooked the noodles and mixed in the powdered cheese packet with some left over pasta water- YUM! I use olive oil in most every dinner to get the extra calories.

Why not go out in the back yard and do some cooking experiments to perfect your m/c technique before the next hike?

Heck, you could end up on a Bobby Flay throw down episode on the Food Network!!!!!

[topshelf]

I use the microwave bowls.

I bring the water to a boil in my pot, as soon as it's ready to boil I turn off the heat and pour in the macaroni. I just let it sit until the macaroni is soft. The pour on the cheese "sauce" and mix. I then just add some summer sausage and I'm good to go.

It will require more water than ya might think, but you can always drain off excess, just dont take away too much for the cheese sauce mix.

Just cause it says microwave doesn't mean ya have to. Try it at home, see if you like it.

o and by the way, I take everything out of the cup and put it into a zip lock bag to go in my pack. A sandwich bag is more than big enough

[Feral Bill]

the gooey cheese in the 'delux' mac and cheese has plenty of calories for the weight, and is somewhat less appalling to eat than the regular.

[Odd Man Out]

Why not go out in the back yard and do some cooking experiments to perfect your m/c technique before the next hike?



Just remember, food will taste 100 times better on the trail than at home.

[sarbar]

If I am eating boxed mac n' cheese the deluxe versions with the squeeze cheeze is way tastier IMO :)

[Farr Away]

I don't very often put butter in boxed mac n cheese at home even. I just use a little more milk - about 1/3 a cup instead of 1/4.

No one has ever noticed the difference. YMMV.

[jeepcachr]

We made the regular boxed kraft last night and were low on butter. We had just over half of the amount that the box called for. YMMV but my kids asked why it tasted better than usual. Next time I'm going to see if they like it without butter.

[weary]

When I make mac&cheese -- either on the trail or at home -- I bring a cup of macaroni in two cups of water to a boil and simmer for about 11 minutes, add a few sprinkles of salt, powdered, canned, or whole milk, a bit of pepper, some powdered mustard seed, and enough cut up cheddar cheese until the mixture looks about right, and eat.

I occasionally do buy the packaged stuff from Kraft if I find it on sale for 60 cents or so.

Weary

[ZeroLozen]

Powered milk is what I use at home and at camp...I hate milk but this seems to substitute well for a lack or absence of butter...but I always prefer the cheese you squeeze out of a package...easy to store if you don't want to eat a whole box in one sitting.

[Dicentra]

I don't very often put butter in boxed mac n cheese at home even. I just use a little more milk - about 1/3 a cup instead of 1/4.

No one has ever noticed the difference. YMMV.

I do the same.

I like mixing in tuna or salmon and something green - broccoli, kale etc to make trashy sort of trail casserole. Yum!

[Farr Away]

I do the same.

I like mixing in tuna or salmon and something green - broccoli, kale etc to make trashy sort of trail casserole. Yum!

When my oldest kids were little, I had packs of precooked add-ins for mac n cheese in my freezer. Usually some kind of a protein with some vegetables. Made for a very quick dinner when I was in a hurry.

tuna & peas
hamburger & mixed vegetables
diced ham & corn
diced chicken & broccoli

You could do something similar with pouched or dried protein and freeze-dried or dehydrated veggies for the trail.

One of my favorite FBC meals is tuna or salmon with dehydrated pasta, freeze-dried veggies and cheese (usually velveeta if it's just an overnight).

[Torch09]

While i prefer the 'gooey' mac and cheese as far as taste, the weight has kept it out of my pack thus far. Also, the clean up seems more difficult. I've made the powdered variety without butter or milk... its not bad. Just don't drain all the water.

[Dicentra]

There's a broccoli-cheddar soup mix that makes an excellent cheese sauce as well.

[IronGutsTommy]

one thing with olive oil.. the extra virgin has a heavier more pronounced olive taste than regualr olive oil. i find the regular kind is alot more versatile/less overpowering when it comes to trail food and other applications outside of italian dishes. it works alot better in oatmeals, etc where you want the nutrients but not so much the olive taste. Trust me, im a chef, i may not know alot but i know these things

[SKessler]

I actually TAKE the butter on hiking trips. I typically use the recipe as stated on the box, but include a bit extra powdered milk, salt, pepper, and chili powder. I put the butter in a separate ziplock inside the ziplock used to store the other things. It works pretty well...stays fairly firm and doesnt go bad. The calories are really important to me on the trail.