Get your macaroni and cheese ASAP, or schedule your pickup or delivery order for later. With thousands of restaurants at your fingertips, you can enjoy macaroni and cheese your way. Looking at the photographs and eating a big bowl of Breckenridge Mac and Cheese is making me nostalgic. I’m betting you’ll want to add Breckenridge to your bucket list — and the crockpot mac and cheese it inspired — to your dinner rotation.
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First Look
Best Low Sodium:Evol Fire Grilled Chicken Poblano at Amazon
'Each meal has just 350mg of sodium, 6g of fat and 270 calories.'
Best for Kids:Amy's Macaroni & Cheese at Amazon
'A great choice for mixing in cauliflower or broccoli without your picky eaters noticing.'
Best Take-Out Alternative:Saffron Road Pad Thai at Amazon
'It’s both delicious and cheaper than your average Thai restaurant meal.'
Best Wrap: Amy's Light & Lean Bean & Cheese Burrito at Amazon
'Made with whole wheat for the wrap and pinto beans and brown rice, all ingredients that will nourish your body.'
Best Low Fat:Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli at Amazon
'A delicious way to enjoy ravioli without the added fat.'
Best Low Carb: Healthy Choice Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry at Amazon
'With just 15g carbohydrates in every meal, this dinner is a great choice for anyone on Atkins or a similar diet.'
Best Vegan: Kashi Fire Roasted Quinoa Bowl at Amazon
'A delicious, 100 percent vegan frozen meal that will fill you up and keep you sated for hours.'
Best Low Sodium: Evol Lean & Fit Fire Grilled Chicken Poblano
Some companies add a lot of salt to their frozen foods to enhance the flavor and preserve the meal, which can be particularly difficult for anyone on a low-sodium diet. The Evol Lean & Fit Fire Grilled Chicken Poblano is a delicious, low-fat frozen dinner that won’t leave you feeling bloated from a salt overdose. Each meal has just 350mg of sodium, 6g of fat and 270 calories. It’s made with grilled white meat chicken over brown rice, black beans, peppers, corn, and cheddar cheese, and covered with a guajillo chile sauce. Evol products are all made with antibiotic and hormone-free meat, and contain zero artificial flavors or additives.
Reviewers say Evol Grilled Chicken Poblano is delicious and filling on its own, but this frozen meal could be paired with a tortilla or salt-free tortilla chips for a healthy burrito or nacho dinner.
Best for Kids: Amy's Macaroni & Cheese
Amy’s frozen products are known for their organic, whole food ingredients, and their macaroni and cheese dinner is no exception. If you’re looking for a kid-friendly frozen meal that you’ll feel good about serving your family, Amy’s products are a consistently great choice. This nine-ounce mac and cheese dinner is made with organic pasta with a cheddar cheese sauce, and will satisfy even the pickiest of eaters, making it a great choice for mixing in cauliflower or broccoli.
Each container has 400 calories, 16g of fat, 640mg of sodium and 47g of carbs—so while it’s not a diet-friendly option, it’s made without trans fat, added MSG, or soy.
Best Take-Out Alternative: Saffron Road Chicken Pad Thai With Rice Noodles
If you’re watching your wallet, ordering takeout can be a pricey splurge. We love the Saffron Road Chicken Pad Thai With Rice Noodles dinner because it’s both delicious and cheaper than your average Thai restaurant meal. This pad Thai is made with roasted white meat chicken with carrots and scallions, and a peanut sauce that’s reminiscent of what you’d find at your favorite takeout joint. Each 11-ounce container has 500 calories, 12g of fat, 630mg of sodium and 75g carbohydrates. The chicken served is 100 percent vegetarian-fed, and raised without antibiotics.
Saffron Road’s pad Thai is a great alternative to greasy, expensive take-out, especially if you’re searching for an option you can take to work for lunch or pop in a microwave late at night.
Best Wrap: Amy's Light & Lean, Bean & Cheese Burrito
Burritos are one of the most filling wraps out there and this healthy version from Amy's is no exception. These frozen bean and cheese burrito can be made in your oven or in the microwave in less than two minutes. This organic frozen meal option is made with whole wheat for the wrap and pinto beans and brown rice, all ingredients that will nourish your body and provide the fuel you need. This frozen dinner is also soy and tree nut-free, making it a great option for anyone with a specific food sensitivity. At just 280 calories and 5g of fat, this meal from Amy's is a great option to stash in your freezer.
Best Low Fat: Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli
Who says pasta has to be unhealthy? Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli dinner is a delicious way to enjoy ravioli without the added fat. These ravioli are filled with pureed butternut squash and served with walnuts, snap peas and carrots in a creamy sauce. Each serving has a cup of vegetables and just 4g of fat, 260 calories and 620mg of sodium. The 9.8 ounce container serves one, and is the perfect meal for stashing in your work fridge for lunch or bulking up with more veggies during dinnertime. It’s also made without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Fans of Lean Cuisine say this dish is sweet (in a good way) and filling. It’s also a great, nutritious choice for vegetarians.
Best Low Carb: Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Simply Chicken & Vegetable Stir Fry
A low-carb diet can make finding quick and easy dinners difficult, but the Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Simply Chicken & Vegetable Stir Fry is low on carbs without sacrificing flavor. With just 15g carbohydrates in every meal, this dinner is a great choice for anyone on Atkins or a similar diet. It’s made with chicken breast, broccoli, edamame, carrots, red bell pepper and onions, and is covered with a sesame soy sauce. Each 9.25 ounce serving has 190 calories, 4g of fat and 500mg of sodium. The dual steaming tray allows you to heat up the food separately from the sauce, which keeps things from getting soggy.
Take-out Container For Soup
Healthy Choice meals are a great way to keep your diet in check, even when life gets crazy.
Best Vegan: Kashi Fire Roasted Quinoa Bowl
Printable Take-out Container For Gift Card
The Kashi Fire Roasted Quinoa Bowl is a delicious, 100 percent vegan frozen meal that will fill you up and keep you sated for hours. This quinoa and lentil bowl is topped with a veggie medley of yellow peppers, kale, artichokes, and pumpkin seeds for a complete meal. Each 9.5 ounce serving has 260 calories, 12g of fat, 480mg sodium, 10g of protein and 8g of fiber. It’s also non-GMO and made with all natural ingredients.
Note that the fire roasted bowl does have a bit of a spicy kick to it—but it’s not overwhelming and adds a great punch of flavor.
Cheesy, chewy, gooey and oh so good.
Mac and cheese, maybe the ultimate comfort food, comes in many variations, as our roundabout, restless search for the state's best mac and cheese proved. We sampled mac and cheese at 30-plus restaurants, delis and markets around New Jersey -- traditional mac and cheese; lobster mac and cheese; browned on top or not; breadcrumbs and no breadcrumbs; with elbow, rigatoni, gemelli and other pasta; and cheeses ranging from American and cheddar to gorgonzola and asiago.
The top two mac and cheeses were wildly disparate -- one made with no fewer than 12, count 'em 12 cheeses, the other made with Gruyere, Swiss and provolone.
Mac and cheese, maybe the ultimate comfort food, comes in many variations, as our roundabout, restless search for the state's best mac and cheese proved. We sampled mac and cheese at 30-plus restaurants, delis and markets around New Jersey -- traditional mac and cheese; lobster mac and cheese; browned on top or not; breadcrumbs and no breadcrumbs; with elbow, rigatoni, gemelli and other pasta; and cheeses ranging from American and cheddar to gorgonzola and asiago.
The top two mac and cheeses were wildly disparate -- one made with no fewer than 12, count 'em 12 cheeses, the other made with Gruyere, Swiss and provolone.
The River Grille in Chatham won top mac and cheese honors among restaurants, while Double D Market and Catering in Old Bridge had the best market/deli mac and cheese.
'There are actually 12 cheeses!' insisted Josh Gryvatz, whose parents own Double D. 'That (combination) gave us the best creaminess.'
The 12 cheeses are mozzarella, Muenster, cheddar, provolone, white and yellow American, smoked Gouda, asiago, Colby jack, two kinds of Swiss and a cheese sauce.
River Grille's winning entry combined GruyA're, Swiss and provolone, applewood-smoked bacon and ham, wild mushrooms and white truffle oil to stunning effect.
'I like all the flavors in it,' says chef and co-owner Eric Moody. He laughed. 'It's not low calorie at all. There's a lot of cheese.' The white truffle oil gives the mac and cheese 'a nice flavor, finishes it off.'
The dish was also on the menu at Hudson Tavern in Hoboken when he was the chef there. 'I just like mac and cheese,' explains Moody, who also makes it at home. 'I've always fooled around with it.'
Honorable mentions in our best mac and cheese competition include the buffalo mac and cheese at Olives in Princeton; the mac and cheese from At the Table restaurant in Asbury Park; the lobster mac and cheese at Nauvoo Grill Club in Fair Haven; the mac and cheese at the Landmark in Livingston; and the mac and cheese sandwich at Haley's Homemade Sandwiches in Ewing.
That's right: a mac and cheese sandwich, with bacon, cheese and pasta wedged between toasted bread.
River Grille's winning entry combined GruyA're, Swiss and provolone, applewood-smoked bacon and ham, wild mushrooms and white truffle oil to stunning effect.
'I like all the flavors in it,' says chef and co-owner Eric Moody. He laughed. 'It's not low calorie at all. There's a lot of cheese.' The white truffle oil gives the mac and cheese 'a nice flavor, finishes it off.'
The dish was also on the menu at Hudson Tavern in Hoboken when he was the chef there. 'I just like mac and cheese,' explains Moody, who also makes it at home. 'I've always fooled around with it.'
Honorable mentions in our best mac and cheese competition include the buffalo mac and cheese at Olives in Princeton; the mac and cheese from At the Table restaurant in Asbury Park; the lobster mac and cheese at Nauvoo Grill Club in Fair Haven; the mac and cheese at the Landmark in Livingston; and the mac and cheese sandwich at Haley's Homemade Sandwiches in Ewing.
That's right: a mac and cheese sandwich, with bacon, cheese and pasta wedged between toasted bread.
For mac and cheese's place in the comfort food firmament, you can thank Thomas Jefferson, who reportedly introduced the dish to this country after sampling it on a visit to France. He even served it at a state dinner in 1802.
Ronald Reagan's favorite food was said to be mac and cheese; the 40th president's recipe, described in 'The White House Family Cookbook,' includes cheddar cheese, warm milk, dry mustard, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. The best-known mac and cheese is Kraft's boxed version, which the company introduced during the Great Depression. One box could serve four and cost just 19 cents.
The mac and cheeses we sampled ranged from $2.50 for a takeout container to $20-plus for several versions of lobster mac and cheeses. Most of the latter were disappointments, shy on lobster and overall flavor. Nauvoo Grill Club's mac and cheese, a three-cheese blend with Maine lobster, penne pasta and roasted breadcrumbs, was the best of the bunch.
In all, we received recommendations for almost 70 restaurants, delis and markets around the state.
And then there was Gary Ross, a teacher at Woodglen School in Lebanon Township, who recommended the school's homemade mac and cheese.
'One day, Debbie, who runs our middle school cafeteria, gave me some and I had no choice but to eat it as she was right there,' Ross wrote. 'It is THE BEST!'
Peter Genovese: (973) 392-1765, [email protected], Twitter: @NJ_Munchmobile and @petegenovese
Ronald Reagan's favorite food was said to be mac and cheese; the 40th president's recipe, described in 'The White House Family Cookbook,' includes cheddar cheese, warm milk, dry mustard, paprika and Worcestershire sauce. The best-known mac and cheese is Kraft's boxed version, which the company introduced during the Great Depression. One box could serve four and cost just 19 cents.
The mac and cheeses we sampled ranged from $2.50 for a takeout container to $20-plus for several versions of lobster mac and cheeses. Most of the latter were disappointments, shy on lobster and overall flavor. Nauvoo Grill Club's mac and cheese, a three-cheese blend with Maine lobster, penne pasta and roasted breadcrumbs, was the best of the bunch.
In all, we received recommendations for almost 70 restaurants, delis and markets around the state.
And then there was Gary Ross, a teacher at Woodglen School in Lebanon Township, who recommended the school's homemade mac and cheese.
'One day, Debbie, who runs our middle school cafeteria, gave me some and I had no choice but to eat it as she was right there,' Ross wrote. 'It is THE BEST!'
Peter Genovese: (973) 392-1765, [email protected], Twitter: @NJ_Munchmobile and @petegenovese