Velveeta. No good cheese ever tastes right. Gotta be velveeta. Heat it up with milk or cream and toss noodles.

What your kids might be missing are the high sodium and saturated fat content from the boxed versions.

If you're set on matching the meal to their palates consider adding more salt and butter.

Then send them outside to play in the neighborhood. :)

King Arthur Flour has a cheese powder that I've always wanted to try. Some of the organic healthier brands of boxed mac and cheese (annie's?) might work too.

just melt a lot of cheddar with a bit of butter and milk. doubt it'd taste the same, but you'd get the same color.

Moshe, what a coincidental question! I just made this today. It's fantastic. I use Alton Brown's recipe--video here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/best-ever-mac-and-cheese/230.html and recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/stove-top-mac-n-cheese-recipe/index.html. The episode has Alton teaching all kinds of mac 'n cheese recipes to his nephew, but alas, the nephew wants the blue-box kind, like he and his friend likes. This is Alton's answer. I can report that it's fantastic, worthy of discriminating adults, too.

I have to agree with TransplantedSotan.

Alton Brown's recipe for stove-top mac 'n cheese is unbeatable. You can dial down the dry mustard and hot sauce for sensitive palates. On another day, try with some gouda or gruyere.

caedstrom - I'm a huge fan of boxed mac&cheese - not for the nutrition, but the comfort foodiness it provides. The "healthier" versions like Annies just don't cut it. There's an odd aftertaste thats not present in a Kraft or Velveeta box. (disclosure - I'm 26 and have been eating boxed mac for oh, about 20 years now... actually probably less since my mom thought boxed mac was gross so she didnt make it too often...)

the best I've gotten is to melt american cheese singles (even organic ones) over noodles with butter. It isn't the same, but tastes just as artificial =)

I'm excited to see what people add in here! Also - Moshe, if your kids eat tomatoes try chopping one up and adding it to the mac&cheese - its REALLY good and adds a little bit of nutrition to the dinner

I went through this phase - I personally cannot even eat the boxed stuff, but the wife and kids love it. Maybe a year ago I made Alton's and personally really liked it. Unfortunately the wife and kids didn't care for it as much as the boxed. Baffling to me what the appeal is. I guess i just didn't grow up with it.

Oh yeah--I forgot to mention that I left out the mustard and the hot sauce, knowing that they were flavors absent in the blue-box variety. And I used extra-sharp cheddar, since that's what I had on hand. I wanted to see how close it really could be to the childhood favorite. It turned out to be a pretty good competitor. (Though I could be mistaken...it's probably been 15 years since I had the Kraft kind.)

If you're horrified by the idea of using velveeta or american cheese squares, unaged white Manchego has a very similar flavor profile to american cheese. It's like what American cheese slices would be if they were delicious instead of questionable! Adding a teensy bit of oil will help get the flavor and texture kids love out of the box too.

The aged yellow manchego does not melt well, the one you want comes in white - so if your kids like the bright orange color you might need to add some bright colored but mild cheddar to get it right.

I was literally just talking about this same subject with my girlfriend yesterday - she had mac & cheese as a side dish with her ribs last night and I wondered aloud if there were a way to make healthy MnC. Going to have to give this a shot now I think.

Just to offer another alternative: my daughter will sometimes reject a slight variation on a favorite food, but will happily try something that seems quite different. I think it's the clash between her expectation and what's on her plate that bothers her sometimes. You could cook up a gourmet version of mac and cheese and call it pasta al formaggio and they might eat it. And it can't be elbow macaroni! THAT is mac and cheese, not pasta al formaggio! Try shells or farfalle or really anything.

I bet part of it is the looks, so perhaps a drop or two of orange food coloring to your recipe will fool them.

Also, a good way to add salt to a cheese dish is by throwing in some shredded Romano cheese, it has a nice salty cheesy taste.

I don't usually go in for tricking kids, but I know some people who have had good luck buying a box of the store stuff and leaving it out while they are cooking. If you get close enough to the original or if they don't have it very often especially young kids sometimes just assume it's the same.

I like the idea of trying something extra special though. My dad always made mac & cheese with a white sauce and sometimes he would throw in different types of cheese. I went through a "swiss cheese" phase where it was all I wanted and I was super impressed that that could be made in to mac & cheese too. Now I love making it with pepperjack.

Honestly, I think a lot of it has to do with the pasta, not just the cheese sauce. If you notice, the blue-box mac is really thin, long, gets soft in no time. It's such a specific texture that's hard to copy.

I agree with caliH- I bet part of it is the bright orange color- we eat with our eyes after all.

I'd try turmeric though instead of the food dye.

I'll add another voice for the Alton Brown recipe. Delicious. The sauce is a bit more healthy since it's made with evaporated milk and eggs and it cooks up very quickly. Not like a bechamel. Definitely a good recipe for kids learning to cook (with adult help) and the seasonings are easily adjustable for their palates.

The texture of the boxed cheese sauce is really thin, almost soupy. The closest version I've had in a healthier boxed mac & cheese is from Simply Organic. Similarly shaped pasta with a familiar orange hue. The other suggestion would be to try Cabot's cheese powder to make a cheese sauce.

This is one issue I as a parent would not budge on. Real Mac and Cheese (yeah, the kind with bechamel and Sharp white cheddar) is so frigging fabulous I would never attempt to 'cook' anything that in anyway resembles kraft mac and cheese.
My SO asks occassionally for the kind with orange cheese and for that I will split my batch of bechamel and make an orange version with wisconsin mild cheddar and a white version for me!
I'm sorry your kids are such picky eaters. Remember that kids tend to be overly sensitive to bitter flavors, and strong spices, so maybe you'll have some success cooking for them if you mild it up in general?
Good luck. I really dont envy your position.

The Fat Free Vegan Blog has an Easy Mac and Cheeze recipe that is very close to the boxed kind. The texture is very similar.

Eek! You want to imitate the imitator?

Try some canned cheese sauce over boiled macaroni.

While the pantry has several boxes of "BlueBox" mac'n'cheese, I don't pretend that it is the real stuff. You can add cheese to pasta in about a zillion ways, but in my book none comes across as good as macaroni, bechamel and good grated cheese blended and baked. It really isn't that hard or time consuming and once you master it, you may not want to go back.

I know this is not what you are looking for, but my adult mac and cheese is pasta with pureed roasted butternut squash. It's orange and sweet and creamy, and a little tangy if you add some grated cheese or some melted cream cheese or goat cheese. I also add sage. You wouldn't fool anyone into thinking it's from a blue box, but, well, couldn't hurt to try it and see if they like it.

it's been a while since i've had the blue box, as i am now gluten free, but coincidentally i got a craving for it yesterday and made some up on the fly. and it was REALLY good.

i made a rout with butter and arrowroot powder, and the secret ingrediet: a little leftover chicken gravy. just about a tablespoon but it gave a great punch of umami. then i added milk, a bit of dijon mustard, grated parmesan, extra sharp cheddar, and a softer raw milk cheddar. i also added a bit of tumeric for color and salt, of course. i also think it's important to undercook the pasta and let it finish cooking in the sauce as it thickens up. it gives it that comforting box-like texture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/90465639@N00/sets/72157625060612395/with/5091189152/

Try using the powdery parmesan that comes in a can.

My husband and son used to prefer the boxed mac n' cheese (my husband grew up with it - it was comfort food for him). I just stopped making it, and replaced it with a simple stovetop mac n' cheese made with cheddar. It didn't take long for them to prefer the real stuff!

The noodles themselves are the dealbreaker at our house. I can make a fantastic cheese sauce but will be declined by kids if on the "wrong" pasta. 2 tricks: 1)they pick the pasta and 2)barilla makes a new small pasta line great for kids and soups-
http://www.barillaus.com/Pages/Product-Landing.aspx?brandID=4
They have the similar tube noodle.
I have been also known to use the blue box pasta and cover it w/homemade cheese sauce.

You need a good sauce recipe? Here you go:
White sauce from butter and flour, add salt & white pepper, milk or 1/2 and 1/2, whisk until smooth. Add shredded montery jack, some mild yellow cheddar, and a slice of the nasty stuff (white american) and a teensy sprinkle of (I am going to duck now) s.u.g.a.r.
That's it and my kids prefer it to the orange powder. Only 'IF' it is on the right noodles (see above)

I don't remember this at all, but my mom swears that when we were kids, she always made homemade mac and cheese...until one day we told her we wished we could have the GOOD kind like we got at our cousins' house (aka Kraft). That was it, from then on it was the blue box for us. LOL.

I've replicated it with Velveeta, though my taste buds have matured and now I only make it with real cheese.

Have you tried to do half boxed, and half homemade? I know it sounds like a pain in the bottom, but I think that's the best way to wean them. Or leave the box out, make homemade, and tell them they're crazy, can't they see the box? LOL!

Adding tumeric -http://www.jimspancakes.com says that if you leave tumeric out to 'go stale' then you'll get the color without the flavor profile. Since you're obviously trying to reduce the artificial factors, it might help.

As for the posters who turned their noses up at the blue box...you obviously don't have any 2 or 3 year olds living at your house. Not every fight is worth fighting. My niece loves the stuff with real cheese and I do too. Still, for me, the blue box IS comfort food since that was about the only pre-packaged food I was allowed to eat as a child..it was and still is a treat.

I've started using cream cheese instead of processed cheese slices on sandwiches and things like that. It's creamy and has kind of a sharpness to it similar to the fake kind, I think. From what I've read Transote seems to be on to something, but maybe try adding a little bit of cream cheese with the cheddar.

Why not just give in to this one thing for your kids. If they are not eating it everyday and it's not their main source of nutrition, then once in a while is ok. It's a treat, maybe it could be a side instead of a main course. It sounds like you are doing a great job with feeding them healthy foods.

Oh I'm with Jamie550. Processed food is processed. There is no WAY velveta over noodles with butter tastes like the blue box. Absolutely no way. Just give them the blue box occasionally. PS. The tumeric idea...it was previously stated that these children are picky. And you're going to dump TUMERIC in the dish? Stick with jamie550.

Another nod to Jamie550. Just use the boxed kind as a special treat. Alton Brown's stovetop mac is really good, it's true, but it's most definitely not the same, even if you dial down the seasonings. I'd say keep experimenting (especially with different pastas ... the thin, soft tubes are key!), but don't feel guilty about giving in once in a while.

(I'll try any mac and cheese recipe once, the "realer" the better, but my boyfriend and I still go back to the box on rare occasions [like last night!] when we're too tired or uninspired to make something better. Definitely comfort food.)

The reason I make homemade mac/cheese is because it DOESN'T taste like the box.

We've never used the boxed kind and my 3 year old was baffled by it when he tried it at my sister's. "Where is the cheese?"

Sugar and salt are the answer. I find the boxed kind quite sweet and salty.

Also, renaming your dish can help. Don't pretend it is the same.

And we sneak in a little ham which makes all the difference to our 3 year old.

Er, just noticed name of requestor. Maybe a little turkey ham?

My kiddo is lactose intolerant, and while it's just not the same as the "real" (er, fake) thing, I've had pretty good results with "Cheddar flavored" Lisanatti Almond "cheese," some Earth Balance, a little salt and unsweetened soy or almond milk.

Of course, I suppose the same can be done with cow's milk, american "pasteruized process cheese" deli slices (still questionable IMHO but healthier than the individually wrapped "pasteurized process cheese food" which is essentially just colored, flavored corn oil with some casein thrown in for good measure).

I've never actually included flour in my recipes for a true bechamel, and never had a problem with the cheese sauce thickening....

Yes! Cream cheese! Cream cheese is my answer. Bechamel with half a pack cream cheese and some mustard stirred in tastes surprisingly like sharp cheddar cheese. And definitely has that Velveeta-like creamy texture to it. It won't be orange, but add enough salt and it'll be delicious.

I support the idea of calling it something else.

I'm not proud, I LOVE Kraft Mac n Cheese. I also love quality macaroni and cheese.

But they are different foods entirely, and one cannot substitute for the other. (I can also report back that the Trader Joe's version is gross.)

TOTALLY agree with Jamie550...
I love all forms of mac n' cheese, and despite having created an amazing version of baked mac, I still love my Kraft dinner. It is such a good treat. Salty, ambiguously 'cheesy', comforting... And I was never a picky eater as a child. Just make it with real butter and skim milk (never olive oil- once my dad did this because he thought it was healthier [aka he was out of butter] and it was awful), and indulge your kids' desires a bit.

Also Kraft dinner is important for grown-ups too-- it's an excellent hangover food. :)

p.s. if you want to use some American, try deli American cheese, like the kind you have to ask for and is sliced for you at the deli counter. I think it's pretty good and while processed, can't possibly be as processed as the rubbery individually wrapped slices.

ooh i love this post, not for the goal to find something blue-boxish, but for the comments and the ideas they're giving me. i love mac and cheese and want to try everyone's interesting variations. except the tumeric...
also, i think i might be with jamie on the once-in-a-while rule. but maybe with the simply organic version that gah mentioned.

Hi all, and thanks for your amazing!!! help!
The goal is (kind of a holy grail) - make a HEALTHY version of the BOXED type, so good recipes for home made mac&cheese might be delicious, but don't fit the bill.

I'm going into the testing phase, your replies have given me quite a few new things to try. but I think the first thing is to find the right cheese (got to have cheese).

Kosher is a requirement for me but I didn't state it since I can usualy find a good sub for the un-kosher ingredient or combination - JudiAU - you have very good eyes, but once you put cheese/milk into a dish, no sort of meat/poultry can be added - even if it is kosher :-)

Once I complete my testing cycle I'll be sure to report back to the good editors of this blog and hope they pass the information back to you!

Again, thank you all VERY MUCH! you've been a huge help...

Moshe

I know you've probably sorted through a ton of posts, but I'll tell you that I was in exactly the same boat as debssss - raised on the boxed stuff, and couldn't find anything else that met the comfort-food requirements. And I'll tell you, it's not the color I care about. There's a flavor issue! The best thing I've found is a recipe from my half-italian friend, who got it from her italian grandmother. I don't have it off the top of my head, but the key ingredient is American cheese from the deli (Land-o-Lakes or similar). No other cheeses added, and lots of butter. That might be your best bet.

Why not just accept that home made food tastes different? Dare I say it, it tastes better?

Hey Moshe,
you say you're having trouble getting your kids to eat pasta... you might want to try gnocchi. Its a different texture, and you can even get them to help make it occassionally, which always helps with buy in.
(You dont have to always make it from scratch - the prepacked versions are pretty good. But the first time you make it you could get the kids to hlep mash potatoes, and roll and cut the gnocchi. Its very forgiving and kid friendly.)
Just a pasta suggestion beyond mac and cheese. Gnocchi is great with all kinds of kid friendly sauces: pesto, cheese sauce, tomato/cream. It might be worth a try!

My husband was also a fan of the blue box mac&cheese. He now appreciates a real bowl of pasta and cheese sauce. Hopefully I won't ever have to wean my kids off the fake stuff, because I won't have given it to them in the first place. Hopefully. :)