Instant mac and cheese is this American staple that seems to find its way into every American pantry. Well, to those with small children. I remember always having a box handy in my house just in case it was something that I was craving. Which is strange because no one living in my house particularly likes mac and cheese. Or at least instant mac and cheese.
Nevertheless, there isn’t a whole lot of innovation coming from the instant mac and cheese world. We have mac and cheese that you can put in the microwave, different shaped macaroni, different ratios of cheese… In my mind, I thought we hit peak instant mac and cheese potential. However, the universe just likes to prove me wrong in all ways because the good people at the Cheeto corporation has decided that they are going to be the ones to push the instant mac and cheese innovations forward with their brand of Cheetos mac and cheese.
The Flavors of Cheetos
Now, there are two different classic flavors of Cheetos that have become associated with the brand: the original and Flaming Hot. But in more recent years, Cheetos has been pushing their new jalapeno cheddar flavor on their customers. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of Cheetos. I think that the majority of their flavors taste like nothing, and the only flavor that’s worth getting is the Flaming Hot because if I’m not going to experience any real flavor, I can at least have some kind of spice.
When I was informed that they made a mac and cheese, I assumed that it was only going to be the one kind of Cheeto: the original. However, it looks like the company took it upon themselves to make flavors based on all three of their top sellers: original, Flaming Hot, and Jalapeno Cheddar. Each of their boxes sporting a different toxic color.
Bad Decisions Made…
You would think that I would sparse them out over a period of time but nope. I wanted the suffering to end sooner rather than later, so I cooked and ate all three of them in one night (I want to thank both of my friends, Alison and Arushi for helping me finish the majority of these monstrosities). Each pot of macaroni looked like a different kind of toxic waste that should never be consumed by the public. But other than that, the cooking instructions were pretty standard for mac and cheese. Boil the water, put the macaroni in there, drain when soft, mix in the butter, milk, packet… It’s nothing out of the ordinary.
Aesthetic and Shape
One thing that I actually liked about the aesthetic of this mac and cheese was the shape of the noodles. I think that the spiral shapes made for a more dynamic look, and it was reminiscent of the original Cheeto product. I liked how intentional they were in those aspects.
However, the smells were something… Less than desirable. I guess, they got it right though because it smelled exactly like the Cheetos that they are based on. But somehow, that just made me more anxious about eating them. Instead of getting the expected texture that you get from the smell, I would be getting something extremely different. Very… Very different…
Original Cheetos Mac and Cheese
The original Cheeto flavor was completely underwhelming. It tasted exactly like a regular mac and cheese with the Cheetos as a smell. It was as if someone took Kraft mac and cheese and sprinkled a little bit of Cheeto dust on the concoction. Nothing was too out of the ordinary except for the smell, I just could not handle the smell coming out from the pot. Otherwise, it was just a regular pot of mac and cheese.
Flaming Hot Cheetos Mac and Cheese
The next one I tried was the Flaming Hot. I would be lying if I didn’t say that my expectations for this one was different than the others. I mean, it is the only Cheeto that I would willingly buy. I think I have a right to have a different expectation. Now, the smell was a bit different than what I would expect from a bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos. Cheetos are already artificial, but these smelled more artificial than usual.
This mac and cheese had no flavor. Nothing at all. Which shouldn’t surprise me that much because that’s how the base flavor is, but I thought that they would have altered it a little bit in order to make it stand out among its mac and cheese competitors. However, it was reminiscent of a specific type of Korean ramen: buldak. If anything, it was just buldak with none of the chicken flavor. Definitely not something that I would recommend.
Jalapeno Cheddar Cheetos Mac and Cheese
Last, but certainly not least, was the Jalapeno Cheddar Cheetos mac and cheese. I wasn’t expecting much from this flavor, but I was proved wrong on so many different levels. This mac and cheese flavor changed the game for me. I think that the jalapeno flavor comes out well, and it balances with the cheddar to create a combination that has been seen before in instant mac and cheeses, but not like this.
Each bite was packed with flavor, and the creamy texture of the sauce was perfectly accented the noodles. It was… Honestly… The best instant mac and cheese that I’ve ever had. I don’t know what it was? Maybe it’s because I wasn’t expecting a lot from the experience in general, but this mac and cheese really blew me away. I think that I will be buying more of this flavor just because this one was so high quality for the price.
Price Factor
And that’s another thing to factor into the flavor these mac and cheeses. One thing that I love to find is a good deal of food, especially foods that will keep after long periods of time. I don’t know what it was, but these boxes were going for very cheap. Less than a dollar for each box! When compared to the other mac and cheeses on the shelves, it was insane. So price needs to be a factor into my rating even if I only thought that one of them was worth getting.
Final Ratings
Cheetos Mac and Cheese: 6/10. I think that it just tastes like a regular mac and cheese. Nothing special and no real flavor.
Flaming Hot Cheetos Mac and Cheese: 2/10. How dare they do this to me.
Jalapeno Cheddar Mac and Cheese: 8/10. Would buy again. Flavors were nice, and I will probably be getting a few more boxes for myself.
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