Kraft Dinner with veggie dogs.

Regular Kraft Dinner preparation, boiling water with pasta-noodles inside the pot, cheese powder package and colander to the right.

Kraft Dinner, also known as KD, Kraft Mac n' Cheese, or Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, is a pasta dish of macaroni and cheese that is produced by the Kraft company. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixels, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixels, file size: 2. ... Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... Macaroni and cheese with a breadcrumb topping. ... Kraft Foods Inc. ...

The product was originally marketed as Kraft Dinner, but is now known in the United States and other countries as Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. In the United Kingdom it is marketed as Cheesey Pasta, while in Canada it has retained its original name of Kraft Dinner.

The product is also heavily promoted toward teenagers in the United States on television with the promotional name Kraft Cheese & Macaroni. When advertising to younger children, the television advert encourages the children to ask for The Blue Box.

The product comes in three primary compositions:

• The traditional form of dry macaroni pasta and powdered processed cheese. To prepare the dish, one boils the pasta, and then adds milk, butter and the cheese powder.
• The deluxe form, with the powdered processed cheese replaced with Velveeta cheese spread. This allows the cheese to be applied directly to the cooked pasta without additional preparation or ingredients.
• Kraft Easy Mac - single servings that includes a portion of macaroni and a mixture of processed cheese and milk powder. Unlike the boxed version, it is designed to be prepared using only water and a microwave in 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Instructions are included on each individual packet. Recently, Kraft released new additional flavors and sizes of Easy Mac, meant for varied appetites (the original version is small enough that a standard serving for an adult consumer was actually two packets).

Note: The dish may be prepared the "poor man's way" with boiling the pasta, straining the water out, placing on a plate and sprinkling on only the cheese. Penne, a very common kind of maccheroni in Italy. ... American process cheese Processed cheese, process cheese, or prepared cheese is a food product made from regular cheese and sometimes other unfermented dairy ingredients, plus emulsifiers, extra salt, food colorings and/or whey. ... A glass of cows milk. ... For other uses, see Butter (disambiguation). ... American process cheese Processed cheese, process cheese, or prepared cheese is a food product made from regular cheese and sometimes other unfermented dairy ingredients, plus emulsifiers, extra salt, food colorings and/or whey. ... Country of origin United States Region, town Source of milk Cow Pasteurised Yes Texture soft, rubbery Aging time n/a Certification Velveeta is a brand name of processed cheese first made in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey of the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. ...

While many love it, and the product has become a standard meal and late night snack for college students, it has frequently been decried for its unnatural yellow-orange color, its lack of nutritional value, and the artificiality of its ingredients. In the United States from the late 1980s to late 1990s, the marketing term "Kraft Cheese and Macaroni" was used to emphasize its flavor (advertised as "the cheesiest"); however, this term was never used on the actual product boxes, which remained labeled "Kraft Macaroni and Cheese" throughout the period. College (Latin collegium) is a term most often used today to denote an educational institution. ... Color is an important part of the visual arts. ...

Variations

There are many modifications to the basic recipe. In 1937, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese dinner was introduced in the U.S. and Canada. The timing of the product's launch had much to do with its success. During World War II, rationing on milk and dairy, and an increased reliance on meatless entrees, created a captive market for the product, which was considered a hearty meal for families.

The following decades introduced improvements in flavor, shelf life and, eventually, different shapes. New shape expansions to the brand began in 1975 with spirals, and then wheels in 1988. In the mid-1990s, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese expanded into even more innovative shapes with noodles in the form of popular kids' characters, including: Super Mario Brothers, Flintstones, Bugs Bunny and Friends, Rugrats, Pokémon, Blues's Clues, Scooby Doo! and SpongeBob SquarePants.

New product lines, including: Kraft Thick ‘N Creamy, Deluxe Four Cheese, Cheesy Alfredo, Light Deluxe and Premium White were introduced into the market throughout the 1990s. Kraft Easy Mac was launched in 1998 to provide kids and parents with easy-to-make, single-serving pouches of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese that only needs added water and can be cooked in the microwave.Some use two packages of cheese for more flavour. An interesting recipe called "Bucket of Glue" consists of Kraft Dinner mixed with tuna which is covered with Velveeta cheese and then baked. Others serve it mixed with chicken and broccoli, canned tuna, chitterlings, ground beef, sliced sausage bits, sliced hot dogs, cut-up Spam or with ketchup. Bologna or canned meatballs in gravy is a common side dish in Newfoundland. The milk can also be replaced with water, and the butter with cooking oil. Also, the butter can be used to fry additions such as onions or mushrooms while the pasta is draining. Country of origin United States Region, town Source of milk Cow Pasteurised Yes Texture soft, rubbery Aging time n/a Certification Velveeta is a brand name of processed cheese first made in 1918 by Swiss immigrant Emil Frey of the Monroe Cheese Company in Monroe, New York. ... For other uses, see Tuna (disambiguation). ... Chitlins in broth. ... Image:Minced beef USDA.jpg Minced beef in industrial grinder Ground beef, beef mince or hamburger meat, is a meat product, made of beef finely chopped by a meat grinder. ... A large hot dog with ketchup A hot dog is classified as a type of sausage or, alternatively, a sandwich on a suitably shaped bun with the sausage and condiments on it. ... This article is about the canned meat product. ... This article is about the condiment. ... Bologna sausage is an American version of the Italian mortadella (a finely hashed/ground pork sausage with lard pieces, which originated in the Italian city of Bologna). ... This article is about the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ...

The Kraft company has also released many varieties of the dish:

• Original Kraft Dinner (The Cheesiest)
• Kraft Dinner with Egg Noodles
• Kraft Dinner Sharp Cheddar
• Kraft Dinner White Cheddar
• Kraft Dinner Alfredo
• Kraft Dinner Shapes
• Kraft Dinner Cheese and Tomato
• Spaghetti & Cheese Kraft Dinner
• Spaghetti in Tomato Sauce Kraft Dinner
• Kraft Dinner Extra Creamy (Thick 'n Creamy Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner in the United States)
• Tomato Marinara
• Creamy Garlic
• Cheese & Bacon
• Deluxe Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese
• Three Cheese Macaroni & Cheese Dinner

There are regular promotional tie-in versions of the Kraft Dinner. Packages have come with noodles in the shapes of characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Amazing Spiderman, Super Mario Bros., Shrek, Rugrats, The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly OddParents, The Incredible Hulk and others. TMNT redirects here. ... Cover to The Amazing Spider-Man #530. ... This article is about the Super Mario Brothers video game for the NES. For other uses, see Super Mario Bros. ... For other uses, see Shrek (disambiguation). ... A rugrat may also be a pejorative term for a toddler. ... The Flintstones is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions. ... Scooby-doo is also British naval divers slang for civilian sport scuba diver. Scooby-Doo is an important character in animation up to this day Scooby-Doo is a long-running animated series produced for television by Hanna-Barbera Productions from 1969 to 1986, 1988 to 1991, and from 2002... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... The Fairly OddParents is an American animated television series about the adventures of a boy who has two fairy godparents. ... The Incredible Hulk The Hulk, often called The Incredible Hulk, is a Marvel Comics superhero. ...

Other companies have created similar macaroni and cheese products. In Canada, the no name and President's Choice brands have both had some success. Macaroni and cheese with a breadcrumb topping. ... no name (French sans nom) is a brand used by Loblaws and No-Frills grocery stores in Canada to refer to their value line of private label brand products. ... Presidents Choice is the upscale private label brand of Loblaw Companies Limited, covering a wide variety of food, drinks and other products found, in Canada, only through Loblaw-owned or -supplied stores including Loblaws, Zehrs, Maxi, Provigo, The Real Canadian Superstore, Atlantic Superstore, and (in Newfoundland and Labrador) Dominion. ...

Kraft Dinner in Popular Culture

The song "If I Had $1000000" by the Canadian group Barenaked Ladies includes a memorable lyric about how, if the singers were wealthy, they would not have to eat Kraft Dinner. But they then go on to say that they would actually eat MORE Kraft Dinner. Barenaked Ladies (often abbreviated BNL or occasionally BnL) is a Canadian alternative rock band currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Steven Page, Ed Robertson, Tyler Stewart, and formerly Andy Creeggan. ...

In the group's live performances, fans formerly would frequently throw boxes of Kraft Dinner onto the stage at that point in the song. These are now collected at the door and later given to charity.

References

Kraft. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Accessed on Dec. 12, 2005, http://www.kraft.com/100/innovations/kraftmac.html

See also

• Cheez Whiz
• Hamburger Helper

Country of origin United States Region, town Source of milk Cow Pasteurised Yes Texture thick, viscous liquid Aging time n/a Certification Cheez Whiz is a thick processed cheese sauce or spread introduced by Kraft Foods in 1952. ... The Helping Hand in a Hamburger Helper commercial Hamburger Helper is a brand of boxed meal product produced by General Mills and sold under its Betty Crocker brand. ...

External links

• Kraft Macaroni and Cheese
• KraftCanada Kraft Dinner
• The Original No-Drain Microwave Directions (webarchive of KraftDinner.com 2006)