Annie's Real Aged Cheddar with Organic Pasta, Macaroni and Cheese Microwavable Cups, Made with Real Cheese, 8 Ct, 16.08 oz

These Annie's Real Aged Cheddar microwaveable mac amd cheese is made with organic pasta, and tastes delicious! I love the thick, creamy texture of the Mac and cheese; the flavor reminds me of authentic cheddar cheese (not the artifical type). Preparing these are very simple to do; simply add cold water to the fill line, mix around, and microwave for 2 minutes. I like that these take less time to prepare, than other brands I've tried. The mac and cheese tastes so good, and the noodles are firm. I like that they're not all soggy like some of the other brands I've tried. I also really like that this is made by a brand that I trust, and had good ingredients (and practices). These cups are a decent size, and a great snack for my kids and I. The cups themselves are very sturdy too. I'm very happy with these mac and cheese cups, and would definitely order again. Lastly, I think they're a reasonable price for the 8 cups included (currently listed at around $9.99 at the time of this review). Very nice quality, super convenient too! 😊

FIRST time ordering, it was on sale and I wanted to try one without all the chemicals. You know the blue box one most of us grew up on. Anyway, CONS FIRST: HOW to prepare and directions - I read reviews before even ordering. This is one the directions did NOT do it for me. Here's how I prepared and will adjust next time (this was for very first one out of the box). I filled to line as it said, but stirred really well before putting in microwave. Microed for one minute, stirred, microed another minute and it was thick and slimy. ONLY word I can think, look and felt slimy when I stirred. I added a little more word, microd about another min. still slimy, but added packet of cheese and stirred and let sit for about five minutes. NOT as slimy when I went to eat, but noodles, even with extra cooking time, still a little too al dente, not soft enough, for me. NEXT time I will do this but stop and add MORE water after cooking a min, stirring, cooking again, stirring, will add about a third cup more water (it cooks down). AND I will also let sit for at least five-ten mins before eating because when I stir seems less slimy. Portion you wind up with - after cooking you're lucky getting a HALF of the cup to actually eat, another reason I will add more water next time, because it doesn't seem noodles cooked enough. TASTE - I have this as a CON and a PRO. Not super tasty. Not bad, but better if you doctor it up a bit. PROS - INGREDIENTS - I wanted something that I would KNOW what ingredients are in it (looking at the blue box one, I can't pronounce, much less know, what all the ingredients are, some I looked up). I wanted something I felt was healthier, this one ticks that box. EASE of COOKING - After doing one, I figured out how to do the next one. Microwaves vary and you may have to experiment. TASTE - not bad, but again, adding pretty much anything will make it less blend. And I like it doesn't taste unnatural. TEXTURE - depending on how you cook and waiting (crucial) for 5-10 minutes after stirring in cheese, makes the slimy go away a lot. COST - well, I did get with a 20% discount which is one of the reasons I wanted to try, so cost was good BUT considering you only get about a HALF of the carton when the product is done, if you're hungry, you're going to need two. BOTTOMLINE: NOT sorry I got it, the only thing that might prohibit me getting often is the price and quantity you end up with. If I have to make two, becomes obviously more expensive and I will go thru all 12 in six days. CONSIDERING healthy alternatives for quick, relatively healthy meals, this is only one I found, I can eat it, and it was on sale. Will see for future.

It’s a great easy way to have a quick lunch. I usually add real bacon bits to it. Delicious, filling and organic.

Tasty while being quick & easy to make. The powder doesn't mix as easily as some other brands but it is more flavorful. Overall, good quality with a pleasant texture.

It taste great. Quick and easy in the microwave. Long shelf life of 10 months. It is expensive if there isn't a coupon available.

Did not like the taste of cheese

This is the best microwave mac and cheese I've ever had. It really tastes of good cheddar cheese and I like the little macaroni. Some have complained that the cheddar is lumpy, but you have to mix it properly and all the lumps melt away. I microwave for 2 minutes 10 seconds, which for my microwave oven means the cup is pretty hot and the noodles are just past al dente. I once cooled the cup by adding some cool water before I stirred in the cheese. Big mistake! That's when the cheese did NOT dissolve and stayed lumpy. So I recommend to stir when you remove and immediately add the cheddar cheese. Mix thoroughly while the noodles are hot. It takes 30-60 seconds of stirring/letting it sit but the cheese does melt. After that I usually add a bit of water if it's still to hot to eat.

You just add water, nuke it for a couple of minutes, and stir in the cheese. It's great for kids, for a quick lunch at work, or for when you just don't have the energy to cook. Some people have mentioned that the new paper cups can sometimes be a bit flimsy, so you might need to be careful when you're stirring. Also, the taste might not be exactly the same as the boxed version you cook on the stove, but for a microwaveable cup, it's pretty darn good. Overall, if you're looking for a quick and easy mac and cheese snack that uses quality ingredients and tastes good, Annie's is a great option. It's a convenient and tasty little treat for both kids and adults.