How To Make Kraft Mac And Cheese Taste Just How You Remember It

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The internet can agree on the '90s being the best decade for rollerblading by the beach with your collectible Beanie Babies, *NSYNC, computers announcing "You've got mail," and Kraft Mac and Cheese. That warm, creamy, blaze orange pasta was perfection in a bowl, easily boosted with BYO milk and butter — or not (Still good). But if you've tasted these world-famous elbows recently, you might be missing the tug on the ol' heartstrings. It's not you, it's Kraft — and completely new ingredients. Still, you can keep the spark alive with a few key adjustments ... and a packet of Velveeta (which is not real cheese).

This isn't the bittersweet reality of fading memories. Kraft Mac and Cheese tastes totally different today than it did almost 100 years ago, when it debuted in 1937 in a box of four servings for 19 cents. It was still processed and shelf stable, but back then, it had [gasp] — cheese — in it. Early days packaging noted semolina pasta, sharp American cheddar, skim milk, salt, sodium phosphate (to help the cheese melt), and artificial coloring. That's it. Fast forward to today, and the Kraft Original Blue Box boasts a slew of tongue-twisting ingredients, vitamin-boosted pasta, and a whey-based "cheese sauce mix" that derives from 15 ingredients — now with natural color from turmeric and annatto seeds.

While there were many low-key revamps over the years, the '90s Kraft mac recipe is clearly the one that got away. It had cheddar cheese and buttermilk in it, and you'll never get it out of your head.

With Kraft Mac and Cheese still flying off the shelves to the tune of 7 million boxes a week, worldwide, there's no stopping this processed cheese pasta train. But here's how you can dry your macaroni tears and grab hold of your destiny to recreate the magic of the '90s gold standard.

According to those who know, what appears to be missing these days is chewy pasta structure, and creamy, flavor-packed cheese. (Okay, so, just the entire box.) You can pump up the flavor by mixing an individual Velveeta cheese packet with the Kraft cheese mix, and cooking the rest of the box as directed. While some have suggested adding powdered cheddar to the stuff from the box (try Accpo brand's KD shaker), others opt for extra butter or half-and-half instead of milk. Melty Kraft singles lend creaminess, and you'll also definitely want to go lighter on the suggested cooking time. Fun pasta shapes cook up particularly bleh, so skip those and consider adding your favorite al dente macaroni, instead. Then, bust out your best Abercrombie cardi, it's practically 1995.

Kraft continues to dominate by wriggling into the hearts of Gen Alpha (and soon, Gen Beta, and Gen Beta Juniors ...) with trend-bending flavors like Everything Bagel, Ranch, and Jalapeño in microwaveable cups. (Some of us had to walk uphill to the stove back in the day!) Of course, there's even Kraft Mac and Cheese ice cream. We may be drifting further and further away from our comfort food's tangy, cheesy heyday — and, sure, there may be other mac and cheese brands on the market – but with a few tricks, you can taste the good life in a bowl of Kraft Mac and Cheese.