White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

[NinoniAndBoosBoos 6]

thanks everyone...some great ideas for sure...making my own, trader Joes, Amazon and going back are all great ideas,,,good to see so many others are missing their White Cheddar Mac & Cheese..good to chat with my fellow canucks...

[Krikit 1,164]

Their idea of an aged cheddar is 6 months! That barely qualifies as a new cheddar. Old Cheddar should be measured in years, not in months !

I know! I kind of froze at the cheese counter when I reached for aged cheddar and read "Aged 6 months". I'm lucky enough to live in an area, now, where good cheese is easy to find. (Not so lucky when I lived in Florida, though.) They even have Canadian cheddar here!

The US Mac and cheese was weird to me at first, but I've got used to it. I actually forget how the canadian version tastes, but in the back of my mind, I know its better!

On the other hand, I can't get used to American ketchup. I get the "simple Heinz" and its pretty close... much better than the regular kind.

I miss pizza pops too! And vachon flakies....

I find Simply Heinz is pretty close too. And, YUM, Vachon cakes!!

I've never tried the US mac and cheese because I don't eat KD. I do really like the Stouffers (frozen) mac and cheese every once in a while, though.

I find the products which I have to bring back from Canada are getting less and less as I find comparable products here. I still can't find a substitute for Piller's or PC pepperettes, though. Sux, because my husband loves them in his lunch so I have to ration them out. Oh, and I also can't find (or make) a decent substitute for German rye or malt bread.

[Marilyn. 340]

I have found Annie's White Cheddar macaroni and cheese to be the best of the alternatives - not the same but still pretty decent tasting. Far better than the US Kraft version. That being said, I also use the Canadian instructions for KD than the Americans which involves using butter as well as a little bit of milk, and I've often added more cheese as well. You have to be really careful about the rather generic American cheeses too. You need to find a good quality of cheddar from an identified cheese factory rather than the stuff that passes for cheddar in the grocery stores. Their idea of an aged cheddar is 6 months! That barely qualifies as a new cheddar. Old Cheddar should be measured in years, not in months !

I am confused..lol are you saying that the American instructions doesn't call for milk and butter or the Canadian version? I just checked the American Mac and cheese and it does call for adding milk and butter.. and I know the Canadian version says the same

I never follow the exact measurements on the box...lol.. I just add a hunk of butter and pour in a little milk and if I have I will add some extra cheese..

as for ketchup I buy Hunts no HFCS kind...

Edited March 24, 2012 by Marilyn.

[Marilyn. 340]

the only things I really miss are things they don't sell down here...like, Alphagetti, pizza pops, all-dressed chips, white freezies that taste like Cream Soda, coffee crisps..

I do miss Canadian cheese-whiz though.. the stuff they sell down here is gross..

Edited March 24, 2012 by Marilyn.

[canada_socks 97]

The Kraft Mac N Cheese here tastes horrible Besides ordering it online you could try making it at home. Costco has a nice selection of cheese- we just picked up a big hunk of delicious white cheddar the other day for only 8 bucks.

Has anyone ever found Pilsbury Pizza Pops here? The only thing I've found is some knock off ones (can't remember the brand name, it startes with a T) and it was positively horrendous D: My husband had no idea what I was talking about when I said I wanted pizza pops and thought I was nuts because I was so dejected when I couldn't find them, lol. I've looked EVERYWHERE.

There are no Pillsbury pizza products here at all. I actually used to work at a Pillsbury factory from 2003 to 2007, and we were the sole Pizza Mini plant. That plant makes all the Pizza Mini's across Canada. We also made Pizza Pops now and then when the Winnipeg plant needed help. Pizza Mini's and Pizza Pop's are not sold in the USA, it is a Canada only product unfortunately. Something to do with the meat.

It was a pretty cool job.

[keysjangle 145]

I've eaten so much American Mac n Cheese I can't tell the difference :\

Annie's is fantastic though, it's what I buy in Canada

[Kathryn41 3,205]

The American mac and cheese says to mix the cheese powder with milk and then add it to the cooked macaroni. The Canadian one says to add the cheese packet to the macaroni, then add butter and a bit of milk so that the sauce is also made right in the mac and cheese. The Canadian version of the sauce is thicker and creamier while the American version is more watery.

[Marilyn. 340]

The American mac and cheese says to mix the cheese powder with milk and then add it to the cooked macaroni. The Canadian one says to add the cheese packet to the macaroni, then add butter and a bit of milk so that the sauce is also made right in the mac and cheese. The Canadian version of the sauce is thicker and creamier while the American version is more watery.

I just checked my box and it just says to dump everything into the mac and cheese... I usually add the margarine and stir that til it is almost melted and then I add the cheese powder and milk...

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I just checked my box and it just says to dump everything into the mac and cheese... I usually add the margarine and stir that til it is almost melted and then I add the cheese powder and milk...

Hmmm, interesting! Well, I don't have a box on hand and I must admit it was many years ago I last tried the American version. I do know that the instructions then said to mix milk and the powder separately and add it in but that could have changed or it may not have been the Kraft version of Mac and cheese that I made then. I thought it was, but I could be wrong.

Edited March 25, 2012 by Kathryn41

[Darnell 8,478]

what happened? why you upset your friends in Canada, to the point where they won't take your money and they won't ship you things?

Come on - get back in touch with someone in Canada, get some monies in their hands, ship over a case of this stuff , soonish.

[Darnell 8,478]

The American mac and cheese says to mix the cheese powder with milk and then add it to the cooked macaroni. The Canadian one says to add the cheese packet to the macaroni, then add butter and a bit of milk so that the sauce is also made right in the mac and cheese. The Canadian version of the sauce is thicker and creamier while the American version is more watery.

I learned the difference this century, it was messy.

what I do -

after the macaroni has cooked, drain all in a big strainer/drainer, set it aside for a moment.

then in the same pan, throw down the butter. let it melt.

once melted, add in the milk.

when it starts to get hot (not before) then throw in the powder.

MIX VIGOROUSLY for 2 minutes, then heat once till bubbles start forming.

Take it off the heat, add the macaroni from the strainer/drainer, mix with a spoon.

This makes a much thicker sauce.. it's nice

[Marilyn. 340]

Hmmm, interesting! Well, I don't have a box on hand and I must admit it was many years ago I last tried the American version. I do know that the instructions then said to mix milk and the powder separately and add it in but that could have changed or it may not have been the Kraft version of Mac and cheese that I made then. I thought it was, but I could be wrong.

back in Canada I would sometimes mix the milk and cheese powder packet together while the noodles were cooking and let it sit and add it in after the butter, it would get nice and thick... the directions didn't say to do this I did it on my own...

[NinoniAndBoosBoos 6]

The American mac and cheese says to mix the cheese powder with milk and then add it to the cooked macaroni. The Canadian one says to add the cheese packet to the macaroni, then add butter and a bit of milk so that the sauce is also made right in the mac and cheese. The Canadian version of the sauce is thicker and creamier while the American version is more watery.

so do you add the peanut butter first than the jam, or spread it on both side and than slap it together..still all turns out the same...except of course the quality of the product can make all the difference...still wont buy the orange Kraft one..yuck!!!!! too much food colouring here....

[CAdreamer 14]

Good thread! I'm now making my pre-packing shopping list... 1 case of KD, half dozen bottles of Cheez Whiz, and 1 case of all-dressed chips. We may have to leave some clothes behind if there's not enough room in the U-Haul! ;-)

[keysjangle 145]

Best way to make the cheese sauce is how Annie's suggests: while pasta is straining, mix everything (milk, butter, cheese) in the warm pot (I'll sometimes turn the heat on very low to keep things melting) then add the pasta and stir together. You don't get any chunks of powdered cheese and the best coverage