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Kraft Dinner (marketed as such in Canada and in its early years in the United States, but now known in the United States as Kraft Macaroni & Cheese) is an economical, and easy to make pasta dish of macaroni and cheese that is produced by the Kraft company. Its official product slogan is The Cheesiest.
Kraft Dinner has long been a staple among university students and is also popular among children. One box of Kraft Dinner, which is meant to serve four (although many individuals consume an entire box at once), comes with macaroni pasta and a package of dehydrated cheese. To this one usually adds milk and butter. It can be made either on a stove or in a microwave.
While many love it, it has frequently been decried for its neon orange cheese, its lack of nutritional value, and the artificiality of its ingredients.
History
Kraft Dinner was introduced in Canada and the United States in 1937. It was widely advertised on radio, including on popular programs such as The Great Gildersleeve. Advertisments claimed it was nutritious and easy and quick to make, and as tasty as macaroni and cheese made from scratch baked in an oven. It became extremely successful. The popularity increased during World War II when many types of food, such as meat, milk, and eggs, were severely rationed. Kraft Dinner, containing only artificial ingredients, escaped these restrictions.
Canada has always been the world's largest per capita consumer of Kraft Dinner and despite being invented in America and sold by an American company it has become a part of Canadian culture. Due to Kraft's most recent ad campaigns, Kraft Dinner is now often abbreviated to simply KD.
Versions
There are many modifications to the basic recipe. Some use two packages of cheese for more flavour. Others serve it with cut-up hot dogs or with ketchup. The milk can also be replaced with water.
The Kraft company has also come out with many different varieties of the dish:
- Original Kraft Dinner (The Cheesiest)
- Kraft Dinner with Egg Noodles
- Sharp Cheddar Kraft Dinner
- Kraft Dinner Spirals
- Kraft Dinner White Cheddar
- Kraft Dinner Alfredo
- Kraft Dinner Shapes
- Spaghetti & Cheese Kraft Dinner
- Spaghetti in Tomato Sauce Kraft Dinner
- Kraft Dinner Extra Creamy (Thick'n Creamy Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner in USA)
- Tomato Marinara
- Creamy Garlic
- Cheese & Bacon
- Kraft Easy Mac
- Deluxe Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese
- Three Cheese Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
There have also been a number of entertainment tie-in versions of Kraft Dinner. These have included noodles shaped as characters from Super Mario Bros., Rugrats, The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, Pokémon, SpongeBob SquarePants, Blue's Clues, more recently The Fairly OddParents, and many others.
Other companies have also produced their own imitation versions of Kraft Dinner. The No Name and President's Choice brands have both had some success.
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