Six out of 7 nights a week, I cook a beautiful from-scratch meal for my family. I take few shortcuts, as I really believe in the value of fresh ingredients. I also find that even when I do take shortcuts, they do little to benefit me financially or time-wise, and in the process, I often compromise the nutrients in my recipes. So, I decided it was time to conduct an experiment: Homemade vs. Blue Box mac & cheese. THIS WAS EPIC! I tried to use mainly ingredients that could be purchased at Walmart. While I’d prefer to make my mac & cheese with raw cheddar and organic pasta, I wanted to keep this simple. Stonyfield organic whole milk, organic butter, Kraft shredded cheddar, King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour, and Walmart brand whole wheat elbow macaroni.
Here’s how I began. I placed two pots of water on the stove to boil at 6:26. I chose pots that were about the same size and burners that were about the same size. I have to control my variables as best as possible in this “experiment.”
While the water was heating up, I began making my cheese sauce. I started out with 1.5 T of organic butter and 1.5 T of unbleached all-purpose flour.
I combine the two over low heat to create a roux.
I whisked in a cup of organic whole milk to make a beschemel sauce. I had to raise the temperature to medium-high for the sauce to thicken. I also added a little salt and pepper.
I added 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
Here’s my completed cheese sauce. This was finished just in time for me to add the pasta to the boiling water (maybe about 6 or 7 minutes?
The front pot contains the blue box macaroni, rear pot contains the whole wheat macaroni.
When the macaroni reached al dente, I drained both. To make the blue box stuff, I had to create the sauce out of (gulp) this stuff.
To make my mac & cheese, I didn’t have to begin my sauce – it was already made, meaning that I can actually make from-scratch mac & cheese in less time than the blue box stuff. Both were complete at 6:44, 18 minutes later.
Here’s a bowl of the homemade mac & cheese.
My family loved it!
As for the blue box stuff…well, let’s just say my dogs don’t mind that it’s atomic orange-colored.
So here’s the important stuff. We now know that it actually takes about 30 seconds LESS to make the from-scratch mac & cheese. But I know time isn’t the only factor that limits what people prepare for their families. Cost is a huge factor, too. So how did the cost compare? Here’s the breakdown!
The difference was 9 cents per serving. For a family of 4, that would be 36 cents. That’s it. Therefore, cost should not be a factor in deciding what to prepare for your family when deciding between homemade vs. processed.
Okay, so health. How do these two compare health-wise? This is a bit trickier. The blue box stuff suggests using two ingredients I would never use in my home: 2% milk and margarine. And even with those lower-fat ingredients, my recipe is still less calories.
You can learn more about the benefits of butter vs. the harmful effects of margarine here.
You can learn more about the link between obesity and low-fat milk in children here.
So when you see these charts regarding calories, fat, and nutrients in my homemade version of mac & cheese vs. the blue box stuff, keep in mind that children need fat to grow. Keep in mind the number of artificial colors and flavors in the blue box stuff. And keep in mind the nutrients in each. Also, these serving sizes were equal, but obviously if you purchase the ingredients above, you can make a much larger sized portion than just buying the blue box.
If, after reading the above information, you are still concerned about calories and fat, remember, you can make your homemade mac & cheese with low-fat milk, low-fat cheese, and (gasp) margarine, and I would imagine the numbers would be more similar (but clearly still lacking the protein and nutrients found in the homemade stuff).
So, to reiterate, homemade mac & cheese:
- Takes less time to prepare
- Costs just $ .09 more per serving
- Contains more nutrients
After reading this, why would you ever purchase the processed stuff over making it from scratch?
Additional ideas/suggestions:
- This recipe can be made with non-dairy milk (e.g. almond, hemp, soy).
- Substitute half the pasta for fresh broccoli (you can even boil it together in the same pot – just add it mid-way through cooking)
- Add chopped turkey or ham to increase the amount of protein in the dish
- Experiment with different cheeses – havarti, pepper jack, bleu, parmesan – use your imagination!
I love macaroni and cheese – but avoid it because it has an unhealthy repudiation. I have not had the box stuff since college ( over 20 years). I know I am not your “target” audience – but have to say I am so going to make this! There are just days – this “grown-up” needs some comfort food and nothing is more comforting than macaroni and cheese. I find it comicial that you gave the box stuff to your dogs! treat day for them! When I make this – I will tag you! 🙂
I love mac & cheese. You can make it more nutritious by reducing the amount of pasta and substituting broccoli – then add turkey or ham. You can obviously try different cheeses, too. That’s what I love about mac & cheese – so easy to customize.
And OF COURSE you are my target audience. I try to speak to everyone!
Kudos!! Back in the 70’s I was a newly married hippie girl, living in a tent while we were building our first handmade house. I learned then that it was far cheaper to buy fresh ingredients and make several types of meals than any processed food. Hope more people start to do this. Also, when you buy your fresh veggies, cook them as soon as possible and freeze them. Remember that fresh means it has a time limit for quality and nutrition.
Thanks for sharing! Pre-cooking fresh organic veggies and freezing large batches is a great, time-saving method. It probably saves you money, too, if you can buy in bulk. Even some of the warehouse stores now sell organic produce.
This looks yummy!! I’m a blunder in the kitchen but Paul is great at it. He makes all things from scratch instead of the boxed stuff – his best meal – Fettuccine Alfredo. Its to die for!!! But you made this seem easy so I just might try it when I have the kids next 🙂
It’s very easy!! Anyone can make it 🙂 And I love alfredo sauce, too!
I love homemade Mac and cheese a lot more than box stuff, but with that being said, allow me to play devils advocate on the time portion of this experiment. As a busy mother, the 5 or so minutes you spent making the cheese sauce while waiting for the water to boil could be spent unloading my dishwasher, folding a load of laundry, packing tomorrow’s lunches, etc. yes, there was an extra 30 seconds at the end mixing the box stuff, but it also gave me 5 minutes to accomplish other things.
This is totally true, and I definitely considered that while writing this post…but then I figured if I were to make the blue box, I’d probably only serve it as a side, so I’d have to prep something else anyway. I would make this homemade mac & cheese as an entree by throwing in some ham or broccoli or something, so time-wise, I don’t know that it would make a huge difference in my home, but I could see how it would in other people’s homes 🙂
I just can not stop thinking how much I love reading your blog! Too bad I don’t have enough time to read everything on here.
That’s the best compliment ever!! Thanks SO much!! 🙂
Carrie, I love this comparison. I’m wondering about taste. My girls are super selective about the type of Mac N Cheese they eat. They actually prefer the blue bag over the blue box even though it’s by the same brand. I’ve made my own Mac N Cheese in the crockpot and thought it was delicious. They did not. I may just have to try your version to see. When they were babies, I was very cautious about what I fed them – making my own baby food, fish sticks, chicken tenders, etc. – but now, their palates have become very selective.
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Aileen – I’ve been doing only homemade mac & cheese for 5 or so years now, but from what I remember, this tastes more like Velveeta shells & cheese than the regular Kraft stuff. It’s going to have a creamier texture. I would definitely suggest adding in something else they may like if you think they might be hesitant – perhaps ham, bacon, broccoli, cauliflower, or peas? It might make them more inclined to try it 🙂
I would be interested in what the ingredients are and the nutritional info for the mac and cheese they sell at the deli at Winn Dixie. Is is f-n to die for!!! Its not the orange kind but rather white in color. The downside is that its about $8-9 for a large deli container.
My assumption is always – If it’s pre-made, it’s probably junk. I could be wrong, of course, but I’d much rather just make it from-scratch at home, especially if it’s something that can be made quickly like this recipe 🙂