View source for Kraft Dinner

{{Short description|Boxed macaroni and cheese mix}}
{{For|more generalized information|Macaroni_and_cheese#Prepared_and_packaged_mixes{{!}}Macaroni and cheese}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox brand
| name           = Kraft Dinner
| logo           = Macandcheese brand logo22.png
| logo_caption   = Kraft Mac & Cheese logo used in the United States since 2022
| logo_size      = 150
| image          = Kraft Dinner Mac Cheese (crop).jpg
| image_size     = 
| caption        = A bowl of original recipe (aka "original flavour")
| producttype    = [[Macaroni]] 
| currentowner   = [[Kraft Heinz]]
| producedby     = [[Kraft Foods]]
| country        = United States
| introduced     = {{start date and age|1937}}
| discontinued   = 
| related        = 
| markets        = United States and Canada
| previousowners = [[Kraft Foods Inc.]] (1937–2012)
| trademarkregistrations = 
| ambassadors    = 
| tagline        = 
| website        = {{URL|https://www.kraftmacandcheese.com/|kraftmacandcheese.com}}
| module         = <!-- or: misc -->
| module1        = <!-- or: misc1 -->
| footnotes      =
}}

'''Kraft Dinner''' (marketed as '''KD''' in Canada; '''Kraft Mac & Cheese''' in the United States, Australia and New Zealand; and '''Mac and Cheese''' in the United Kingdom and internationally) is a nonperishable packaged [[macaroni and cheese]] mix. It is made by [[Kraft Foods Group]] (or former parent company [[Mondelez]] internationally) and traditionally cardboard-boxed with dried [[macaroni]] pasta and a packet of [[processed cheese]] powder. It was introduced as ''Kraft Dinner'' in Canada and the U.S. in 1937.<ref name="Globe Mail">{{cite news |first=Susan Krashinsky |author=Robertson |date=July 30, 2015 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/kraft-embraces-term-of-endearment-to-rebrand-kraft-dinner/article25770268/ |title=Kraft embraces Canadian term of endearment to rebrand Kraft Dinner |access-date=April 30, 2017 |location=Toronto |quote=The product launched in the United States and Canada in 1937 under the name Kraft Dinner, with smaller print on the boxes identifying it as "macaroni and grated cheese" |archive-date=February 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220210038/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/marketing/kraft-embraces-term-of-endearment-to-rebrand-kraft-dinner/article25770268/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The brand is particularly popular with Canadians, who consume 55% more boxes per capita than Americans.<ref name=":2" />

There are now many similar products, including [[private label]], of nonperishable boxed [[macaroni and cheese]]. Commercially, the line has evolved, with deluxe varieties marketed with liquid [[processed cheese]] and microwavable frozen mac-and-cheese meals. The product by Kraft has added many flavour variations and formulations, including '''Easy Mac''' (now '''Mac & Cheese Dinner Cups'''), a single-serving product specifically designed for [[microwave oven]]s.

The product's innovation, at the time of the [[Great Depression]], was to conveniently market [[nonperishable]] dried macaroni noodles together with a [[processed cheese]] powder. It is prepared by cooking the pasta and adding the cheese powder, [[butter]] (or margarine), and [[milk]].

==History==
The prerequisite to a shelf-stable packaged macaroni and cheese product was the invention of [[processed cheese]], where emulsifying salts help [[Shelf-stable food|stabilize the product]], giving it a longer life. While living in Chicago, [[James Lewis Kraft]] of [[Fort Erie, Ontario]], began to build his cheese business after winning a patent for one such method in 1916.<ref name="chapman201209">{{cite news | url=http://walrusmagazine.com/printerFriendly.php?ref=2012.09-food-manufacturing-taste | title=Manufacturing Taste | work=The Walrus | date=September 2012 | access-date=September 1, 2012 | author=Chapman, Sasha | archive-date=January 5, 2013 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105114605/http://walrusmagazine.com/printerFriendly.php?ref=2012.09-food-manufacturing-taste | url-status=live }}</ref>

During the [[Great Depression]], a [[St. Louis, Missouri]], salesman, Grant Leslie<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yum, Mac 'N' Cheese! Chemistry Article for Students {{!}} Scholastic Science World Magazine |url=https://scienceworld.scholastic.com/pages/promotion/083120/yum-mac-n-cheese.html |access-date=January 12, 2024 |website=scienceworld.scholastic.com |language=en |archive-date=January 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112183748/https://scienceworld.scholastic.com/pages/promotion/083120/yum-mac-n-cheese.html |url-status=live }}</ref> of [[Dundee, Scotland]]{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}, had the idea to sell macaroni pasta and cheese together as a package, so he began attaching [[grated cheese]] to boxes of pasta with a rubber band.{{r|chapman201209}} In 1937, Kraft introduced the product in the U.S. and Canada.<ref name="Globe Mail"/> The timing of the product's launch had much to do with its success: during [[World War II]], the rationing of milk and dairy products, increased reliance on meatless meals, and more women working outside the home created a large market for the product, which was considered a hearty meal for families. Its [[shelf life]] of ten months was attractive at a time when many Canadian homes did not have refrigerators.{{r|chapman201209}} Also, consumers could receive, for one food ration stamp, two boxes. The original box was primarily yellow. 50 million boxes were sold during the war.<ref name="Ctrib">{{cite news|title=Kraft Macaroni & Cheese: A History|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2010/08/14/kraft-macaroni-cheese-a-history/|access-date=October 25, 2017|work=Chicago Tribune|date=August 14, 2010|language=en|archive-date=October 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026110705/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-08-14/business/ct-biz-0815-mac-side2-20100814-12_1_kraft-macaroni-cheese-kraft-s-macaroni-cheddar|url-status=live}}</ref> The box's primary colour changed to blue in 1954, later used in an advertising campaign where children were encouraged to ask for "The Blue Box".

[[Marye Dahnke]], Kraft’s resident chef, suggested reviving macaroni and cheese after Kraft was facing competition from Miracle Whip.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rokke |first=Emily |date=2023-01-31 |title=The History of Noodles and Dinner Kits; Kraft: Part Two |url=https://www.oddee.com/the-history-of-noodles-and-dinner-kits-kraft-part-two-65284 |access-date=2025-01-04 |website=Oddee |language=en-US}}</ref>

A version with spiral-shaped noodles debuted in 1975, while Velveeta Shells & Cheese were introduced in 1984.<ref name="Ctrib" /> A single-serving variation requiring only water for preparation was introduced as Easy Mac in 1999.<ref name="AdAge">{{cite news |title=Kraft Pursues 'Tweens' With Easy Mac Line: Mac & Cheese Product Touted In $10 Mil Effort |first=Judann |last=Pollack |url=https://adage.com/node/1758506 |access-date=May 23, 2021 |work=AdAge |date=January 25, 1999 |language=en |archive-date=March 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240322021330/https://adage.com/article/news/kraft-pursues-tweens-easy-mac-line-mac-cheese-product-touted-10-mil-effort/63732 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2006, the cheddar and white cheddar versions switched to organic macaroni, while Easy Mac Cups were introduced the same year. In 2007, the noodles switched to 50 percent whole grain.<ref name="Ctrib" />

Macaroni & Cheese Crackers also debuted in 2007. The crackers were discontinued in 2008, as they did not meet company targets. A sub-line, Homestyle Deluxe, was added in 2010 in three flavours: cheddar, four-cheese sauce, and Old World Italian.<ref name="Ctrib" />

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese sold in the United States used to include [[Yellow 5]] and [[Yellow 6]] to make the food a brighter colour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Manufacturers/Kraft-meets-the-foodbabe-but-says-FD-C-Yellow-5-and-6-will-stay-in-Mac-Cheese-for-now|title=Kraft: FD&C Yellow #5 & #6 will stay in Mac & Cheese for now|work=FoodNavigator-USA.com|date=April 2, 2013|access-date=August 12, 2015|archive-date=December 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151219041001/http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Manufacturers/Kraft-meets-the-foodbabe-but-says-FD-C-Yellow-5-and-6-will-stay-in-Mac-Cheese-for-now|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/2013/03/11/is-kraft-mac-cheese-making-children-sick/|title=Protected Blog|access-date=August 12, 2015|archive-date=March 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130315103434/http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/2013/03/11/is-kraft-mac-cheese-making-children-sick/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imperfectparent.com/yummy/macaroni-cheese-manifesto/633_1/|title=Why You Should Never Make Box Macaroni & Cheese Again: A Manifesto|last=Foster|first=Kim|work=Imperfect Parent|date=July 28, 2008|access-date=August 12, 2015|archive-date=October 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018195934/http://www.imperfectparent.com/yummy/macaroni-cheese-manifesto/633_1/|url-status=live}}</ref> In Europe, food that contains Yellow 5 requires a warning label saying, "This product may have adverse effect on activity and attention in children."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/01/health/kraft-macaroni-cheese-dyes/index.html?hpt=hp_t2|title=Kraft removing artificial dyes from some mac and cheese|last=Wilson|first=Jacque|date=November 4, 2013|work=CNN|access-date=November 1, 2013|archive-date=November 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103083049/http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/01/health/kraft-macaroni-cheese-dyes/index.html?hpt=hp_t2|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/kraft-agrees-yellow-dye-mac-cheese/story?id=20745315|title=Kraft Agrees to Take Yellow Dye Out of Mac and Cheese|author=ABC News|work=ABC News|access-date=August 12, 2015|archive-date=August 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150816035924/http://abcnews.go.com/Health/kraft-agrees-yellow-dye-mac-cheese/story?id=20745315|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/mar/12/kraft-maracroni-and-cheese-bloggers|title=Kraft Macaroni & Cheese chemical additives targeted by food bloggers|author=Paul Harris|work=The Guardian|date=March 12, 2013|access-date=August 12, 2015|archive-date=September 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926071234/http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/mar/12/kraft-maracroni-and-cheese-bloggers|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2014, none of the European varieties were made with artificial dyes.

In November 2013, Kraft announced that new pasta shape varieties for children in the U.S. would no longer include Yellow 5 and Yellow 6, the sodium and saturated fat content would decrease, and there would be six more grams of [[whole grains]].

In April 2015, it was announced that those changes, including the elimination of artificial preservatives, would be extended throughout [[Product line|the line]] after January 2016. [[Paprika]], [[annatto]] and [[turmeric]] are used for colouring.<ref name="NYT42015">{{cite news|title=Kraft to Drop Preservatives From Its Macaroni and Cheese|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/21/business/kraft-to-drop-preservatives-from-its-macaroni-and-cheese.html|access-date=April 28, 2015|work=The New York Times|agency=Reuters|date=April 20, 2015|archive-date=April 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424045118/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/21/business/kraft-to-drop-preservatives-from-its-macaroni-and-cheese.html|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Kraft, the changes were a response to consumer feedback.<ref name="KraftFAQs">{{cite web|title=FAQs|url=http://www.kraftmacandcheese.com/FAQs|website=kraftmacandcheese.com|publisher=Kraft Foods|access-date=April 28, 2015|quote=You told us you wanted to incorporate more foods with protein, calcium and whole grains into your diets and with no artificial flavours, preservatives or synthetic colors|archive-date=May 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509193317/http://www.kraftmacandcheese.com/FAQs|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2018, Kraft-Heinz introduced the KD Shaker, which was a plastic bottle of Kraft Mac and Cheese Dinner's [[powdered cheese]], allowing one to use the cheese powder as they wish, without needing to worry about unused pasta. The product is similar to shelf-stable Parmesan cheese powder bottle cans.<ref name=1019-20181211>{{cite news |url= https://boom1019.com/news/4749708/you-can-now-put-kd-cheese-on-everything/ |title= You Can Now Put KD Cheese On Everything |publisher= Boom 101.9 Cornwall |author= Dan Allaire |agency= Corus Radio |date= December 11, 2018 |access-date= January 13, 2020 |archive-date= January 13, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200113101901/https://boom1019.com/news/4749708/you-can-now-put-kd-cheese-on-everything/ |url-status= live }}</ref><ref name=LaPresse-20191113>{{cite news |url= https://www.lapresse.ca/gourmand/alimentation/201911/08/01-5248932-a-decouvrir-sur-les-rayons.php |newspaper= La Presse (Montreal) |title= À découvrir sur les rayons |author= Marie Allard |language= fr |date= November 13, 2019 |access-date= January 13, 2020 |archive-date= January 13, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200113100358/https://www.lapresse.ca/gourmand/alimentation/201911/08/01-5248932-a-decouvrir-sur-les-rayons.php |url-status= live }}</ref>

==In Canadian culture==
[[File:Kraft Dinner logo.png|thumb|150px|Previous logo of the Canadian version<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/kd-r-mac-n-cheese-unveils-first-rebrand-in-nearly-ten-years-marking-the-next-era-for-the-brand-801891757.html|title=KD® Mac N' Cheese Unveils First Rebrand in Nearly Ten Years, Marking the Next Era for the Brand}}</ref>]]
Kraft Dinner has been called a de facto [[national dish]] of [[Canada]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Kraft Dinner is Canada's True National Dish|url=https://thewalrus.ca/manufacturing-taste/|date=September 12, 2012|website=The Walrus|language=en-US|access-date=May 15, 2020|archive-date=September 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120918155902/https://thewalrus.ca/manufacturing-taste/|url-status=live}}</ref> Packaged in Quebec with Canadian wheat and milk, and other ingredients from Canada and the US,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Deconstructing a Canadian classic: tracking the origins of Kraft Dinner|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/2044985/deconstructing-a-canadian-classic-tracking-the-origins-of-kraft-dinner/|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=May 15, 2020|archive-date=October 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004090104/https://globalnews.ca/news/2044985/deconstructing-a-canadian-classic-tracking-the-origins-of-kraft-dinner/|url-status=live}}</ref> Canadians purchase 1.7 million of the 7 million boxes sold globally each week<ref name=":2">''Teens in Canada.'' Kitty Shea. Compass Point Books, 2008 pg. 30</ref> and eat an average of 90 million boxes of Kraft Dinner each year. The meal is the most popular grocery item in the country,<ref>Patrick Allossery, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/national-post/90255617/?locale=en-US "Kraft hits its mark in a cheesy moment: And why Kraft's new ad campaign brings it back to form."] [[National Post]], March 27, 2000</ref> where "Kraft Dinner" has an iconic status and has become a [[generic trademark]] of sorts for macaroni and cheese.<ref>Haddow, Douglas (September 14, 2019). "[http://ballastmag.com/2012/09/the-kraft-dinner-index/ Ballast Magazine] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120918125619/http://ballastmag.com/2012/09/the-kraft-dinner-index/ |date=September 18, 2012 }}." ballastmag.ca. Retrieved 2012-09-23.</ref> It is often simply referred to, and (as of 2023) is now marketed by the initials K.D. As Kraft Dinner has a different name in Canada from the United States and other markets, the Canadian marketing and advertising platform is a made-in-Canada effort that cannot be easily adapted to the US market.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Shaw|first=Hollie|date=March 23, 2012|title=Catering to the Kraft Dinner cult|url=https://financialpost.com/news/catering-to-the-kraft-dinner-cult|access-date=May 15, 2020|website=Financial Post|language=en-CA|archive-date=October 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005072044/https://financialpost.com/news/catering-to-the-kraft-dinner-cult|url-status=live}}</ref>

Pundit [[Rex Murphy]] wrote that "Kraft Dinner revolves in that all-but-unobtainable orbit of the [[Tim Hortons]] doughnut and the [[A&W (Canada)|A&W]] Teen Burger. It is one of that great trinity of quick digestibles that have been enrolled as genuine Canadian cultural icons."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Murphy|first=Rex|title=Canada and Other Matters of Opinion|publisher=Random House of Canada|year=2010|pages=157}}</ref> [[Douglas Coupland]] wrote that "cheese plays a weirdly large dietary role in the lives of Canadians, who have a more intimate and intense relationship with Kraft food products than the citizens of any other country. This is not a shameless product plug – for some reason, Canadians and Kraft products have bonded the way Australians have bonded with [[Marmite]] [sic, recte:[[Vegemite]]], or the English with [[Heinz Baked Beanz|Heinz baked beans]]. In particular, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, known simply as Kraft Dinner, is the biggie, probably because it so precisely laser-targets the favoured Canadian food groups: fat, sugar, starch and salt."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Coupland|first=Douglas|title=Souvenir of Canada, Volume 1|publisher=Douglas & McIntyre|year=2004}}</ref> Immigrants often mention Kraft Dinner when surveys ask for examples of Canadian food.<ref name=":0" /> As a measure of the product's Canadian popularity, its Facebook page, KD Battle Zone, attracted 270,000 fans, despite there being no prizes for the contest.<ref name=":1" />

Canadian rock band [[Barenaked Ladies]] refer to the product in their popular song "[[If I Had $1000000]]", indicating that they would continue to eat the inexpensive foodstuff even if they were millionaires. This has often prompted fans at live concerts to throw boxes of Kraft Dinner onto the stage when the line is sung; the band has discouraged this and has urged fans to donate the boxes to their local [[food bank]] instead.<ref>Robertson, Ed & Frohman, Lorne (Interviewer/Host) (2005). ''Distinguished Artists'' (TV Series). Toronto, Canada: Humber College School of Media Studies.</ref>

On similar note, Canadian thrash metal band [[Annihilator (band)|Annihilator]] celebrated Kraft Dinner in their song "Kraf dinner" ([[sic]]) on their 1990 album ''[[Never, Neverland]]'', and Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter [[Boy Golden (musician)|Boy Golden]] in "KD and Lunch Meat" on his 2021 album ''Church of Better Daze''.

Former Prime Minister [[Paul Martin]] regularly referred to it as his favourite food, though he also confessed that he was unable to prepare it.<ref>{{Cite web|title=KD languish|url=https://johngushue.typepad.com/blog/2004/11/kd_languish.html|website=John Gushue... Dot Dot Dot|access-date=May 15, 2020|archive-date=October 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004110754/https://johngushue.typepad.com/blog/2004/11/kd_languish.html|url-status=live}}</ref> During the same election former Prime Minister [[Stephen Harper]] stated that "I'll never be able to give my kids [[Canada Steamship Lines|a billion-dollar company]], but Laureen and I are saving for their education. And I have actually cooked them Kraft Dinner—I like to add wieners."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Weisblott|first=Marc|date=April 21, 2011|title=Kraft Dinner can't dispute that Canadians associate it with cheap eats|url=https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/kraft-dinner-t-dispute-canadians-associate-cheap-eats-183052161.html|access-date=May 15, 2020|website=ca.news.yahoo.com|language=en-CA|archive-date=October 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004073118/https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/kraft-dinner-t-dispute-canadians-associate-cheap-eats-183052161.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Most Canadians ignore the instructions and use alternate methods of preparing the food, like adding wieners or cheese.<ref name=":1" /> Additional ingredients are not always necessary; simply adjusting the cooking time and the amount of milk or butter/margarine can produce a dish ranging from soft noodles in a creamy sauce to firm noodles in a thin, milky sauce.

In the September 2012 issue of ''[[The Walrus]]'' magazine, the story "Kraft Dinner is Canada's True National Dish" by Sasha Chapman details the history of the Canadian cheese industry and Kraft's impact on it. She notably draws attention to Canada being unique in favouring a manufactured food product (made by a foreign company) as its national dish at the expense of local cheeses. Chapman's article is structured around this question, from the first page:<blockquote>But what does it mean if a national dish is manufactured, formulated by scientists in a laboratory in Glenview, Illinois, and sold back to us by the second-largest food company in the world?<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>Kraft Dinner is a frequent staple of Canadian university student diets. Consequently, university students protesting government funding cuts and tuition hikes have often used Kraft Dinner as a prop to draw attention to their plight.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Galt|first1=Virginia|last2=MacKinnon|first2=Mark|last3=Mackie|first3=Richard|date=February 3, 2000|title=Students protest against government cuts|work=The Globe and Mail|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/students-protest-against-government-cuts/article25454567/|access-date=May 15, 2020|archive-date=May 15, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515082238/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/students-protest-against-government-cuts/article25454567/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Kraft Dinner mentions must stop, teacher told|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/kraft-dinner-mentions-must-stop-teacher-told-1.1001858|date=April 20, 2011|website=CBC News|access-date=May 14, 2020|archive-date=November 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111231044/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/kraft-dinner-mentions-must-stop-teacher-told-1.1001858|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Nutrition==
{{Nutritional value
| name     = Kraft Dinner
| image    = 
| caption  =A bowl of original recipe
| serving_size = 100 g
| kcal    = 382
| fat      = 5.4 g
| satfat   = 1 g
| transfat = 0 g
| sodium_mg = 836
| carbs    = 71 g
| fiber    = 2 g
| sugars   = 11 g
| protein  = 11 g
| calcium_mg = 145
| iron_mg = 3.3
| potassium_mg = 250
| vitD_ug = 0
| source   = FoodData Central, USDA<ref name="usda">{{cite web |publisher=FoodData Central, US Department of Agriculture |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/1592690/nutrients |title=Kraft - Macaroni and Cheese Dinner |date=July 14, 2017 |access-date=June 22, 2022 |archive-date=April 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403171801/https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1592690/nutrients |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

Prepared Kraft Dinner is 71% [[carbohydrate]]s, 11% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]], and 5% [[fat]] (table). In a {{convert|100|g|oz|abbr=off}} reference serving, Kraft Dinner supplies 382 [[calorie]]s and rich contents (20% or more of the [[Daily Value]], DV) of [[sodium]] (56% DV) and [[iron]] (25% DV), with [[calcium]] in moderate content (15% DV) (table).

== Preparation ==
The box describes a simple three-step process (the "cooking instructions") for preparing the dinner. The 1-2-3 directions include "Boil," "Drain," and "Add." "Boiling" is further defined as boiling water and adding the pasta, with no reference to added salt or covering of the pan. The directions indicate the pasta cooking time, usually as a range. The "Drain" step shows a colander being used. The last step, "Add," says to add all the ingredients back to the pot (with no reference to whether to leave the pot on the stove or turn off the burner) and mix thoroughly.

Although many people have their personal preferences for quantities of added ingredients, the box has a "classic prep" list that says to use {{cups|6|US}} water, {{tbspUS|1}} margarine and {{cups|1/3|US}} skim milk. People may also vary the "cooking instructions" to their preferences, including adding salt to the water or omitting ingredients like milk. {{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

==Variations==
New product lines using different flavours and [[pasta]] shapes have been introduced over the decades, and shelf life has increased at various times.{{Citation needed|date=October 2016}} Kraft Dinner is seen as an inexpensive, easy-to-make [[comfort food]], with marketing that highlights its value and convenience.<ref name=krafty>{{cite news |author=D.L. Stewart |date=June 8, 2010 |work=[[Dayton Daily News]] |url=http://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyle/now-krafty-ads-are-targeting-adults-752994.html |title=Now Kraft ads are targeting adults |access-date=June 19, 2010 |archive-date=June 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611102534/http://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyle/now-krafty-ads-are-targeting-adults-752994.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Emily Bryson |last=York |date=November 17, 2008 |work=[[Advertising Age]] |url=http://adage.com/article?article_id=132451 |title=Kraft Mac & Cheese: A Marketing 50 Case Study |access-date=June 19, 2010 |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707023711/http://adage.com/article?article_id=132451 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The product is available in a variety of compositions:
[[File:Burger King Kraft Macaroni.jpg|thumb|150px|Commercial version of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese sold at [[Burger King]]]]
* The Original Recipe of dry [[macaroni]] pasta (roughly 172 grams) and 70 ml (approximately 42 grams) of powdered processed cheese. This category includes additional flavours of powdered cheese sauce (see [[Kraft Dinner#Flavours and shapes|Flavours and shapes]]).
* The Deluxe form, with the powdered [[processed cheese]] replaced with a prepared, processed cheese sauce that comes in a foil pouch (cheese sauce formerly came in a can). This allows the cheese to be applied directly to the cooked pasta without additional preparation or ingredients. The pasta also differs; elbow macaroni replaces the thin, straight macaroni supplied as part of the "Original Recipe."
* The Homestyle form is similar to the "Deluxe" form, though it provides a large size and includes seasoned breadcrumbs to apply to the macaroni and cheese. It has three flavours: cheddar cheese, four-cheese, and Old World Italian.<ref name="Ctrib" /> It is marketed as being a "more premium option" for those who would not eat the "Original Recipe". This version also has the prepared, processed cheese sauce in a foil pouch. Due to the breadcrumb topping, this form has more sodium than the "Deluxe" or "Original Recipe" forms. As of 2015, this variant has been discontinued due to a lack of demand.
* Dinner Cups, formerly Kraft Easy Mac, which makes single-serving portions. This formulation is prepared in a [[microwave oven]] and is popular among college students.<ref name="Ctrib" />
* A commercial version is manufactured for restaurant distribution and is a frozen, fully prepared product designed to be heated in a microwave. The product can be found at [[Burger King]] and [[Applebee's]] restaurants.<ref name="bk-herald">{{cite news |title=Burger King's new meal: apple 'fries,' mac and cheese |url=http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080701/BIZ/315658555 |access-date=June 17, 2010 |newspaper=[[The Herald (Everett)|The Herald]] |date=July 1, 2008 |agency=Associated Press |location=[[Everett, Washington]] |archive-date=October 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005133845/http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080701/BIZ/315658555 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In the summer of 2021, Kraft Heinz released a selection of stir-in flavour boosters in the Canadian market. There are six different Kraft Dinner Flavour Boosts in the following flavours: Jalapeño, Butter Chicken, Poutine, Buffalo Wings, Ghost Pepper, and Cotton Candy. These packets are added to a prepared pot of Kraft Dinner and are designed to enhance the experience by providing a new flavour variation for the eater.<ref>{{citation|title=Kraft Dinner Flavour Boosts web|url=https://kraftheinzbrands.ca/pages/kraft-dinner-flavour-boost|access-date=August 10, 2021|archive-date=August 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810163726/https://kraftheinzbrands.ca/pages/kraft-dinner-flavour-boost|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Kraft Dinner Smart===
Kraft Dinner Smart (also known as KD Smart) launched as a healthy sub-brand of the Kraft Dinner brand. It represents a line of Kraft macaroni and cheese products with no artificial flavours, colours, or preservatives and added ingredients like cauliflower, oats, or flax seed blended into the noodles. It comes in four varieties:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/Products/J-L/KraftDinnerSmart.aspx|title=Kraft Dinner Smart|publisher=Kraft Canada Inc.|access-date=November 25, 2011|archive-date=December 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203144902/http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/Products/J-L/KraftDinnerSmart.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>

Kraft Dinner Smart launched in Canada in March 2010 with two vegetable varieties. In June 2011, the line-up was re-launched with new packaging graphics and two new varieties (Flax Omega-3 and High Fibre).

The product is made with cheddar and is manufactured in [[Mount Royal, Quebec]].

=== Flavours and shapes ===
The shapes come in the original [[tenderoni]], various pop culture icons, alphabet, numbers and spirals. Organic and whole-grain versions are also available, as well as a larger format box called "family size".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Macaroni and Cheese Products |url=https://www.kraftheinz.com/en-CA/kraft-dinner/products |access-date=2025-06-27 |website=Kraft Heinz |language=en-CA}}</ref>

==Marketing==
The product was marketed as Kraft Dinner with the slogan "a meal for four in nine minutes for an everyday price of 19 cents."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.culinate.com/books/book_reviews/The+American+Century+Cookbook|title=Review: The American Century Cookbook by Jean Anderson|author=Keri Fisher|access-date=August 12, 2015|archive-date=September 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923211811/http://www.culinate.com/books/book_reviews/The+American+Century+Cookbook|url-status=live}}</ref> It was re-branded to Kraft Macaroni & Cheese in the United States and other countries, although the word "Dinner" still appeared in small type on the U.S. version until the 2022 rebrand, and is referred to as the “Kraft Mac & Cheese Dinner” in the product webpage for the American variant.<ref>{{cite web |title=Products - Kraft Mac & Cheese |url=https://www.kraftmacandcheese.com/products/ |website=www.kraftmacandcheese.com |access-date=24 August 2024}}</ref> In several markets, it goes by different names; in the United Kingdom, it is also marketed as ''Cheesey Pasta''.

The product is heavily promoted to children in the United States on television. When advertising to younger children, the television advertisement encourages the children to ask for "[[Colour trademark|The Blue Box]]." In 2010, Kraft launched a $50 million multi-media marketing campaign with a nostalgia theme aimed at adults to promote all varieties of Kraft Dinner.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/business/media/27adco.html |title=Kraft Hopes to Encourage Adults to Revert to a Childhood Favorite |last=Stuart |first=Elliot |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 26, 2010 |access-date=May 28, 2010 |archive-date=May 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530074931/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/27/business/media/27adco.html? |url-status=live }}</ref> In Canada, Kraft has advertising programs intended to make the meal appealing to [[Immigration to Canada|newly arrived immigrant groups]].{{r|chapman201209}}

There are regular promotional tie-in versions of the Kraft Dinner aimed at kids. Packages have come with pasta in the shapes of various characters popular with children, such as [[Looney Tunes]], [[Mario (franchise)|Super Mario Bros.]], and [[Star Wars]].<ref name=krafty/> Kraft Foods has also released many products under the product banner. These include other versions of macaroni and cheese with differently shaped pasta and different flavours, but it has also included completely different dishes, such as [[spaghetti]], in several different flavours.

In promotion of the introduction of its "Cheddar Explosion" variety of Kraft Dinner, Kraft sponsored the [[Texas Stadium#Demolition|demolition of Texas Stadium]] on April 11, 2010. In its last act of 2009, the [[Irving, Texas]] city council made Kraft Macaroni and Cheese the official sponsor of the demolition. Kraft paid $75,000 to local charities and donated another $75,000 in Kraft products. A national essay contest directed at children who "have made a difference in their community" was held with the winner allowed to push the button initiating the [[Demolition|controlled demolition]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Irving officials make Kraft Macaroni & Cheese official sponsor of Texas Stadium demolition|author=Wendy Hundley|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-kraftimplode_01met.ART.State.Edition1.4bc22c5.html|newspaper=The Dallas Morning News|date=January 1, 2010|access-date=January 5, 2011|archive-date=July 15, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100715133430/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-kraftimplode_01met.ART.State.Edition1.4bc22c5.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The winning essayist was 11-year-old Casey Rogers of [[Terrell, Texas]], founder of a charity serving the homeless.<ref>{{cite news|title=Terrell boy wins essay contest to trigger Texas Stadium implosion|author=Brandon Formby|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/030910dnmetcheddarexplosion.40e644c.html|newspaper=The Dallas Morning News|date=March 9, 2010|access-date=January 5, 2011|archive-date=July 19, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100719115339/http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/030910dnmetcheddarexplosion.40e644c.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery class="centre" widths="200" perrow="4">
File:Kraft dinner preparation.jpg|Kraft Macaroni & Cheese preparation—pot of boiling water with pasta inside, package of cheese powder (labeled "Kraft cheese sauce mix"), and [[colander]] to separate the noodles from the cooking water
File:Kraft Dinner Cheese Packet 2018.jpg|Kraft Dinner (with the KD label) is packaged with a processed cheese powder packet (Canada, 2018).
File:Kraft Mac & Cheese Original Cheese Sauce Mix.JPG|The American version of the cheese powder
File:Kraft Dinner, additional ingredients for classic prep, plus cheese powder 3.jpg|Additional ingredients are needed for a "Classic Prep" of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese—milk, butter, and cheese powder—which are added to the noodles.
File:Macaroni and cheese (1).jpg|American Kraft Mac & Cheese served on a plate in [[Sweden]], garnished with fresh spinach leaves
File:Flickr qmnonic 123431456--Kraft Dinner and veggie dogs.jpg|A [[Canadian cuisine|Canadian meal]]—Kraft Dinner with added [[Cheddar cheese|Cheddar]] that has been integrated with sliced [[vegetarian hot dog]] and fresh tomato slices
File:Kraft Easy Mac.JPG|Kraft Easy Mac close-up
File:Now I Know For Sure I am in Canada - (15618046301).jpg|Original-flavour Kraft Dinner sold [[Bulk buying|in bulk]] 12-pack sizes in Canada
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Cheez Whiz]]
* [[Hamburger Helper]]
* [[Velveeta Shells & Cheese]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{official website}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20140717080503/http://www.goodguide.com/categories/256023-macaroni-and-cheese Guide to Macaroni and Cheese]}} Spread of ratings for all 130 products in Macaroni and Cheese evaluated by [[GoodGuide]].
* [http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2013/09/05/labels-and-other-krafty-stuff/ "Labels and Other “Krafty” Stuff"]
*
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{{Kraft Foods Group}}
{{The Kraft Heinz Company}}
{{Pasta dishes}}

[[Category:American pasta dishes]]
[[Category:Canadian cuisine]]
[[Category:Dinner]]
[[Category:Kraft Foods brands]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1937]]