Safeway “O” Organic Mac ‘n’ Cheese

It’s been getting mighty wintery around here lately, at least by San Francisco standards, so last night I figured to make myself a comforting bowl of macaroni and cheese. Lately I’ve been trying to master the art of Mac ‘n’ Cheese but that cheesy, creamy phenomenally addictive quality keeps eluding me. With my recent failures, small though they may be, still lingering, I opted instead for the box of Safeway “O” Organic White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese that had been tucked away for weeks in my kitchen cabinet.

I was leary as I eyed the box, wondering just how much cheesy goodness could really lie within. Would this grocery giant, whom I generally dislike for being one of the most inefficient, un-customer friendly chains I have ever experienced, really be able to pull off organic?

I even went so far as to rummage through my fridge to see what I had for Mac ‘n’ Cheese-worthy cheese. Nothing. The box it would be. After going through the typical Kraftesque motions, I sat down with what appeared to be a quite normal bowl of that most perfect of comfort foods. And to my surprise, it was halfway decent. Nothing spectacular, mind you, but what cardboard box full of powdered cheese ever is?

Packaging: Standard cardboard box with envelope of powdered cheese, apparently not made from recycled materials. Not too surprising, as the O brand is focused on health, not sustainability or eco-friendliness. It carries the USDA Organic label. As with most foods, the actual food fills up only 1/3 of the entire package. C-

Preparation: The same as any boxed mac ‘n’ cheese. For once, the boiling time (8-10 min.) is actually accurate. Add in a little butter, milk, and the accompanying powdered cheese and you’ve got yourself a dinner. The only problem was that the cheese wasn’t easy to melt (even though I left it simmering while I added everything in). B

Appearance: Looks darn good, if you ask me. White cheddar cheese means there’s not much color, but it looks creamy and cheesy. B+

Taste: It tastes like quality cheese, as opposed to fake powdery stuff. It doesn’t have that addictive quality (I prefer Annie’s for that), but it also doesn’t feel too heavy. Because the cheese didn’t melt very well, the result was a somewhat uneven cheesiness. Ah well, you can’t ‘em all. B+

The upshot: A great alternative to any of the conventional brands. I have yet to try Annie’s Organic Shells & White Cheddar, but my local Safeway charges almost a dollar more for it. That’s one of the advantages of the house labeled products. If Safeway were my only shopping option, I’d likely keep a couple of boxes on hand for emergency dinners. But for now, I’ll stick to scratch until I master the Mac ‘n’ Cheese. B