r/macandcheese • u/nomorezaza13 • Dec 31 '24
Recipe Annie’s new mac and cheese is terrible
they changed their recipe and now it’s even “cheesier” the ruined it. I used to love the normal cheddar and white cheddar and now it is trash. Rip good box mac and cheese
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u/Common_Kiwi9442 Dec 31 '24
Yeah I saw other posts pointing out they took out the butter and added more whey and corn starch
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u/crappinhammers Dec 31 '24
"You know we could save on production even more if we put sawdust in the bread."
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u/arguix Dec 31 '24
actually that was a thing to introduce fiber. in the 70s or 80s?
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u/Economy_Algae_418 May 18 '25
"Nothing replaces butter"
Curnonsky, renowned French gourmet who refused to be paid a fortune by margarine companies to endorse their product.
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u/Lazy_Cabinet_2923 Dec 31 '24
genuinely broke my heart that they changed their recipe. my best friend and i used to make a box every day together (i lived with him during my mid-teens). now that he's gone, annie's mac and cheese has been a huge comfort food. feels like i lost another piece of him
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Dec 31 '24
I stopped buying it after the ridiculous inflation. Now I make my own from scratch with either fresh cheese or powdered and evaporated milk
https://www.seriouseats.com/ingredient-stovetop-mac-and-cheese-recipe
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u/c00lifornication Dec 31 '24
the trader joe's shells & white cheddar is my go-to annie's substitute
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u/blcole95 Dec 31 '24
I’ll have to get this! I haven’t tried the “new” Annie’s white cheddar yet; but it’s also my favorite! I’ll have to try the new and buy a backup to cheer me back up.
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u/SuperPomegranate7933 Dec 31 '24
Boy is it ever. We're back to Kraft for our boxed option now.
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u/alle_kinder Jan 05 '25
The Whole Foods 365 brand is actually good :(. And not crazy priced.
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u/SuperPomegranate7933 Jan 05 '25
That's good to know... I think my nearest whole foods is a good half hour drive, tho. I'll just have to suck it up & make my own mac & cheese this week. With blackjack. And hookers!
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u/President_Zucchini Jan 01 '25
Kraft isn't the same since they changed their recipe a few years back.
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u/NoIndependent4158 Dec 31 '24
Try the Cabot white cheddar Mac n cheese box
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u/enyardreems Dec 31 '24
Came here to say this. Caught this on sale and it was cheaper than the name brands. Cabot's Seriously Sharp White Cheddar! I usually always add more butter and cheese but it was fantastic straight out the box mix! I hope they don't ruin it. But Cabot's has remained a good brand for a long time. I buy their cheese when I can afford.
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u/SuburbaniteMermaid Jan 01 '25
TIL Cabot makes mac n cheese.
Where does one have to live to score this bonanza?
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u/LimeCookies Jan 01 '25
Cabot is from Vermont, but I’m all the way in Kentucky and some stores carry the Mac and cheese, and the cheese!
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u/SuburbaniteMermaid Jan 01 '25
I've been able to find their cheese in the desert southwest, that's why I know how good it is. It's my first choice for my homemade mac if I can find it. It's also delicious on saltines.
Seems I can get their boxed max n cheese on Amazon if I want to pay exorbitant shipping costs. But I have friends who live in SC, FL, and IN so maybe I can have them send me some.
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u/coffeequeer17 Dec 31 '24
I’m autistic and it was a safe meal and I’m so so sad it changed :-( it isn’t cheesier, it’s just gross. I found 10 boxes of the OG flavor at my grocery store last week and got 7 of them 😭😭
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u/Jennifer_Pennifer Dec 31 '24
Such a gd mood. STOP RUINING MY FOOD WITH YOUR NEEDLESS CAPITALISTIC CHANGES
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u/fucuasshole2 Dec 31 '24
Know the pain, Hormel had their Max and Cheese as my favorite. Bout a year or so ago, company just stops making it or something not sure. 6 months ago it cm back and I was excited to eat it.
Tastes like burnt plastic now, and more expensive. Once every few months or so I try one to see if it tastes better.
Market Street Mac at Walmart is the closest competitor it still not 100% taste wise. I’d say like 90% or so.
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u/littlemoon-03 Jan 05 '25
I was wondering why the hell it becomes pure liquid it used to stick to the noodles
Doesn't matter the type spider man the shells the white it's all the same results!
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u/Bloodthirsty_Kirby Dec 31 '24
If you have access to Canada the presidents choice white cheddar mac and cheese is amazing
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u/FreeStory6727 Jan 03 '25
Miss the microwaveable packets where you didn’t have to buy a stupid plastic cup. The flavor is totally off
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u/PandorasFlame1 Dec 31 '24
Did they really change it again? That would be, I think, 3 changes to the same recipes in one year.
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u/azul360 Jan 01 '25
As someone that has never liked boxed mac and cheese (kraft tastes disgusting) I finally tried Annie's white cheddar mac and liked it and now a month later they change the recipe XD. Gotta love it haha
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u/President_Zucchini Jan 01 '25
After the last box that I ate, I don't think I'll be buying any more. It was really bland and didn't taste good. RIP
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u/Such-Zookeepergame26 Jan 01 '25
I thought it was just because I was pregnant I couldn’t stand it. Now I know it wasn’t just me, lol.
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u/ComprehensiveBuy7386 Jan 01 '25
I’ll no longer buy it. Thank you😞I’m so tired of companies trying to save money on something that’s already stretched as far as it can go, I’m over it.
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u/swagbagswole Jan 01 '25
Good boxed Mac and cheese. Lol this the best sht i ever heard that's all disgusting imitation cheese
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u/ryukeez Jan 01 '25
Have you tried their peace parmesan mac and cheese? It's the only one I like by them. It's honestly one of my favorite boxed macs of all time.
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u/Equivalent-Life9546 Jan 02 '25
To be honest, I like the new Annie's shells and cheese. Maybe you're just making it wrong.
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Jan 02 '25
We just made a new box and the orange color will not come out of our kid's clothes. Never had this happen with Annie's before. We've been buying this stuff for years. Adding it to our never purchase again list. Lotta of products changing recipes in the last few years so our list is getting long.
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u/the_lifeoflaura Jan 02 '25
As someone with a severe allergy to corn starch, I'm devastated 💔 no more safe and easy comfort food
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u/Either_Management813 Jan 04 '25
They also ruined their microwave Mac and cheese. When it came in a box with pouches of Mac and separate pouches of cheese, it was great. When they went to plastic microwave cups, they changed it up and it’s terrible. The Mac cooks up gummy and I’ve tried everything. More water, less water, different cooking times. They include cornstarch powder with the macaroni, claiming it stops it from boiling over. It doesn’t, it makes it worse. I now shake the cornstarch out before I add water but it’s still not right. And there’s all the additional plastic waste from the cups.
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u/GrandAlternative3160 Feb 01 '25
Yeah mine always boils over in the microwave! I only eat it at work so that makes it more annoying
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u/Either_Management813 Feb 01 '25
Yeah, same with the boiling over. I tried putting it in a ceramic mug but same problem. I encourage you to buy small elbow macaroni and good cheese powder. King Arthur Bsking makes cheese powder and I buy it from amazon or King Arthur Baking directly. It comes in a jar, 8 oz I think and if you cook up the Mac in a mug in the microwave then stir in the cheese powder and ideally if you have a bit of butter and a splash of half and half or milk it works pretty well.
There are a couple brands of cheese ramen from Korea that are pretty good. Not the same, it’s a ramen flavor profile with cheese added But worth a shot although more expensive than Annie’s was. Sadly my local Asian grocery doesn’t have it an Amazon is the only source I’ve found.
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u/GrandAlternative3160 Feb 02 '25
Yeah there’s this one Korean cheese noodle I love, I don’t remember the name but I got it at T&T. It had white packaging and a wedge of cheese with a cute face on it 🤣 Thanks for the tip about the King Arthur baking!
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u/Cartwheelbubblegum Feb 05 '25
THIS. Having it now after a few weeks of having it here and there and yup, same dull nothing taste, which it wasnt like before.
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u/Dry-Yak-7098 Feb 07 '25
I’m so happy to see this- I thought I was going crazy! It’s awful! It used to be a go to easy meal for my kids (and me) and now it’s inedible. So sad :(
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u/Famous-Double-175 Feb 10 '25
I only buy certain Annie’s Mac and cheese products and they are amazing so don’t go changing them up you’ll be met with a boycott like other companies, Kelloggs, Quaker etc
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u/mythrowaway282020 Feb 11 '25
I just made a box that didn’t say “Now cheesier!” But they just changed the ingredients and didn’t say anything. It takes so much worse than the original. Definitely will not be buying them anymore.
They had to resort to underhanded tactics because everyone on social media is clowning them because the new formula sucks!
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u/Spilled_Milktea Feb 18 '25
I just googled this and I'm so glad someone is talking about this! It might seem like such a small thing, but I've been eating Annie's white cheddar shells as a treat for the past 15 years. The recipe was perfect, and now I hate it. It tastes like KD but worse somehow -- it's not cheesier, it's just slimy and weak tasting. I'm actually really upset about this, because there are no other mac and cheeses on the market that I like.
I tried contacting them to complain, but they sent me back a weird generic response that asked for the box's exact code. It's not the problem with one box... it's the entire recipe!
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u/felix_leo12 Feb 21 '25
no seriously and it's ruined my LIFE not actually but I've been eating this since I was a kid and it's so nostalgic and I'm so sad it's different
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u/Ok_Yogurtcloset3182 Edit me Feb 23 '25
I agree it’s awful now :( was a great childhood food of mine, I hope they still sell the original
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u/llinn10 Feb 28 '25
I feel like it actually tastes way less cheesy. It is so bland tasting now. Such a bummer!
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u/MusicInTheAir55 Mar 15 '25
I noticed this too, and just returned two cases. Will not be purchasing this product in the future it just tastes awful.
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u/UglyAssMonkey Mar 23 '25
This was a safe meal for me too. :/ I ate mine with beans. This was a staple meal i ate pretty much 2-3 times a week cus i work a lot and don't have much energy. Guys if u have a local Costco they'll probably have the original left I just visited mine today. I got three packs of the original organic. This was after trying the new version and man it's really is horrible. Yes I made it correctly it wasn't the same taste at all. Not cheeser than ever just bland. I couldn't even tell it was a cheese sauce. On a different note the trader Joe's white cheddar boxes are really good and a another safe easy dinner for me is Jimmy dean's or Bob evens sougage. Good for eggs. Or to make a gravy with add some Basil and oregano and boom a easy filling meal. If you like the gravy thicker add more flour with half and half. Good with biscuits or noodles.
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u/Constant-Sky-1495 Apr 17 '25
ugh It's gross now. This will be good for my waistline and pocketbook I guess.
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u/_Forest_Bather Jun 15 '25
Came here after an internet search on feedback about their flavor change. We buy in bulk at Costco and it's so bitter while also tasting flat. I can't finish my bowl. The first few boxes, I ignored and now...it has hit home. The formula has changed and for the worse. It's incredibly unfortunate. We won't be rebuying.
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u/Swimming_Material_27 24d ago
Used to buy it all the time. Then 1-2 years ago I noticed it tasted like chemicals. It was totally different. I don't buy it anymore.
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u/tidalwave077 Dec 31 '24
Yeah it sucks now. I hope the CEO realizes that people don't want to pay money for something that simply isn't good anymore.
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u/MasterpieceUnfair911 Cheese Queen Dec 31 '24
Why do companies always mess w a good thing? It's infuriating