Cub Foods Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
Price: 50¢
Additives: 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup 2% milk
Synopsis: Right down the middle

Here's a macaroni & cheese secret: Cub Foods has two styles of macaroni & cheese. One is in a plain box with just a picture of noodles and sauce on the front. The other, this one, is endorsed by a cartoon dog in a tank top. But not only are both of these selections exactly the same in content, they are also sold in Super One stores under the Flavorite brand -- also in two box styles, with and sans cartoon dog. Once again, it's all the same stuff inside. All four are distributed by Supervalu, Inc. out of Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

When one thinks of the standard macaroni & cheese, one immediately thinks of Kraft, because Kraft is the brand we presumably all grew up on. But the truth is, Kraft doesn't taste like Kraft anymore. Kraft has branched out into "premium" varieties, "alfredo" and "white cheddar" sauces, the Supermac varieties, and so on. It's hard to find plain Kraft macaroni & cheese these days. Not Kraft Thick & Creamy, not Kraft in Spiderman shapes. Just plain mac & cheese like the kind you had when you were a kid.

However, these four versions of the same thing are that standard mac & cheese. The kind you ate when you came home from morning kindergarten, with hot dogs cut up in it (the wrong way, of course, the choking way, because this was back then and no one knew better) while you were watching Mr. Rogers show you how bubble gum is made.

So while it's nothing special, it certainly isn't bad. Kudos to Supervalu, Inc. for keeping the dream alive.