Kraft Dinner
Encyclopedia : K : KR : KRA : Kraft Dinner
Kraft Dinner, also known as KD, KayDee, Kraft Mac n' Cheese, or Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, is an economical and easy-to-prepare pasta dish of macaroni and cheese that is produced by the Kraft company. The product was originally marketed as Kraft Dinner, and although is elsewhere now called Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, except in the United Kingdom where it's known as Cheesey Pasta, it retains the original name in Canada (mostly because of strict Canadian laws which regulate the naming of products as to their real contents. Kraft Dinner does not contain pasteurized cheese as the law understands it, and therefore the name of the product cannot misinform as to its true nature.)
The product comes in three primary compositions:
- The traditional form of dehydrated macaroni pasta and powdered processed cheese. To prepare the dish, one boils the pasta, and then adds milk, butter and the cheese powder.
- The deluxe form, with the powdered processed cheese replaced with Velveeta cheese spread. This allows the cheese to be applied direct to cooked pasta without additional preparation or ingredients.
- Kraft Easy Mac with servings that includes a portion of macaroni and a mixture of processed cheese and milk powder. Unlike the boxed version, it is designed to be prepared using only water and a microwave in under five minutes. Instructions are included on each individual packet. Recently, Kraft released new additional flavors and sizes of Easy Mac, meant for varied appetites (the original version is small enough that a standard serving for an adult consumer was actually two packets).
History
Kraft Dinner was introduced in the United States and Canada in 1937. It was widely advertised on radio, including on popular programs such as "The Great Gildersleeve". Advertisements 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.
Since its creation Kraft macaroni and cheese has had many improvements and changes. This began in 1975 with the introduction of the spiral shaped noodles and the wheel shaped noodle, which began in 1988. In the 1990s there was another noodle shape innovation: popular children’s characters. Some of these popular noodle forms were Super Mario Bros., Flintstones, Bugs Bunny, Rugrats, Scooby Doo, and SpongeBob. Throughout the 90s Kraft also created new lines of Kraft macaroni and cheese products, such as Thick n Creamy, Deluxe Four Cheese, Cheesy Alfredo, Light Deluxe, and Premium White. In 1998 Kraft added Easy Mac to its product line.
Canada has always been the world's largest per capita consumer of Kraft Dinner[link] [link] , and despite its American origins, the product has become a part of Canadian culture. As a slang term, Kraft Dinner is often abbreviated to simply KD; Kraft's advertising slogan since the '90s has been Gotta be KD.
Canadian university students have used boxes of Kraft Dinner during protests as noise makers and as symbols of student poverty due to increased education costs. [link]
In January 2006, as part of the continuing trend of packaged-food manufacturers to address childhood obesity, Kraft introduced "Supermac & Cheese". This new variation is claimed by the company to be a healthier alternative to the "classic" Kraft Dinner, fortified with additional vitamins and containing whole-grain pasta. As of March 2006, it is only available with licensed-character pasta shapes.
On the 10th of May 2006, Jean-René Dufort cooked a 19-year-old box of Kraft Dinner (best before May 3rd 1987). The meal was served to Mario Dumont, leader of the Action démocratique du Québec. Jean-René Dufort later said that the taste was exactly the same but that the odor gained a lot in strength.
Pop culture references related to Kraft Dinner
- Popular Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies recorded a song called "If I Had $1,000,000" in which the narrator states that he would still eat Kraft Dinner despite his newfound wealth (he'd just eat more). The song became so popular in Canada that when it was performed live in concert, fans would often throw boxes of Kraft Dinner on the stage during the song. In recent years they have encouraged their fans to donate the food to charity rather than throw it on-stage (especially when some fans started cooking it beforehand and the cooked macaroni was getting stuck in the instruments). There is usually a sign outside the venue saying Macaroni & Cheese hurts when you get it in the head. BNL would appreciate donations to the food bank instead. Thank You.
- Canadian metal band Annihilator has a song titled "Kraf dinner", in which they sing "macaroni maniac, a cheddar cheese heart attack!"
- British band Hot Chip's 2004 album Coming on Strong includes a track entitled "Crap Kraft Dinner".
- In the episode "Not Without My Anus" of the animated TV series South Park, Kraft Dinner is the favorite meal of Canadian comedy stars Terrance and Phillip where it is pronounced and spelled "Kroff Dinner".
- Kraft Dinner was often featured in (or an element of) many sketches performed by the Canadian comedy group The Kids in the Hall and aired on their television show of the same name (although it was usually not referred to by name). In one sketch, two street musicians who exist almost solely on Kraft Dinner and ketchup see their wildest dreams come true when they are rewarded with a lifetime supply of each, as well as a donation of special food to feed the tapeworms a scientist determined must be living in their stomachs as a result of their peculiar diet.
- Several references to Kraft Dinner appear in the popular Canadian teen show (including an episode where character "JT" shows off his recipe for marshmallows and "KD"). A few special Degrassi edition boxes of Kraft Dinner were produced.
Variations
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, canned tuna, ground beef or with ketchup. Bologna is a common side dish in Newfoundland. The milk can also be substituted 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 the United States)
- Tomato Marinara
- Creamy Garlic
- Cheese & Bacon
- Deluxe Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese
- Three Cheese Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
Other companies have also produced their own similar macaroni and cheese products. In North America, the no name and President's Choice brands have both had some success.
Microwave directions
Microwave directions are not always on the product boxes and can be found on the Internet[link].References
Kraft. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Accessed on Dec. 12, 2005, http://www.kraft.com/100/innovations/kraftmac.htmlSee also
External links
| Kraft brands |
|---|
| Capri Sun | Crystal Light | Dairylea | General Foods | Jell-O | Kool-Aid | Kraft Dinner | Maxwell House | Oscar Mayer | Post Cereals | Tang | Toblerone | Vegemite |
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.