07/09/2023

I Found the Most Delicious Frozen Mac & Cheese on the Planet — & It Makes Busy Weeknights Easier

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If I’m being real, Mom Guilt is the only consistent thing on the menu at our house. As the mom of four boys (three teens and a tween) with a husband who works 60-ish hours every week (yes, even Saturdays!), “busy” is an understatement for my household. Juggling my own full-time job plus everyone’s extracurricular activities plus regular household stuff makes me wish there were at least 26 hours in a day. Although I’d probably just fill those up, too.

Between shuttling kids back and forth to practices, games and club meetings, and keeping up with the looming laundry pile — gotta have those sports uniforms clean! — dinner very often gets pushed to the (figurative) back burner. I don’t even hate cooking; I just can’t find the time. That means too many grab-and-go meals like fast food and microwaved chicken nuggets…and a nagging guilt that I’m not serving my family a nice, warm, satisfying meal every night.

So when I was asked to try Murray’s Classic Mac and Cheese, which is shipped frozen, I honestly wasn’t expecting much. I’ve had my fair share of watery, bland, disappointing freezer-to-oven macaroni. But because a big part of my job as SheKnows‘ Parenting Editor is real-mom testing and recommending (or not!) products that could potentially make families’ lives better, I agreed.

And y’all? I’m so glad I did. Because I completely misjudged this one.

I pulled the Murray’s mac and cheese out of the oven on a typically-busy weeknight, between one son’s football practice and another’s marching band rehearsal, and literally left it on the counter so everyone could grab a portion when they had a minute. My freshman grabbed a heaping forkful on the way past, shoved it in his mouth, stopped dead in his tracks, and literally swiveled around with eyebrows raised to get a better look at what he’d eaten (and also, a second equally-huge bite). Even that didn’t fully convince me, since the kid will eat anything except a mushroom.

But when I took a bite to see if my son’s reaction was warranted, my own eyebrows approached the ceiling. I know it seems dramatic to say I was astonished, but that’s the absolute truth, because simply “surprised” feels like an understatement. It was creamy and gooey, rich and decadent, with the slightest bit of crumb topping — everything you could ever want in a mac and cheese. The kind of comfort food that makes you feel warm inside. It was unlike any other frozen macaroni and cheese I’ve ever had, and I’m not kidding when I tell you that they could’ve plopped some Murray’s on a plate at a fine dining restaurant and I’d never have known it came from the freezer. Yes, it was that good.

Two things to note: one, the container looked small, and I figured it wouldn’t even begin to feed my four ravenous boys, let alone with a morsel left over for me. But to my surprise, it’s so hearty and fulfilling that they all had some, I had some, and there was still some left for when my husband got home! It’s one of those things that you can have a little bit of and be satisfied (and this is coming from a person whose major weakness is overdoing it on the portion sizes).

The second thing? There were no heating instructions on the package, which would have been nice. But all I had to do was Google “Murray’s mac and cheese heating instructions” and I was directed to their webpage, where it says to bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 50 minutes…so ridiculously easy. Their packaging is made of oven-safe (and recyclable!) material, so you don’t have to transfer to another dish or anything like that. And whatever I can make on a busy night by just throwing it in the oven and setting a timer — especially something that comes out tasting that amazing — is a complete and total win. I can feed my family something warm and comforting with practically zero effort, and every busy parent knows you can’t get better than that on an evening when everyone is rushing in and out.

While I was busy field-testing this deliciousness (a hard job, I know!), I also learned about Murray’s Mac and Cheese of the Month Club, which takes the “zero effort” part to a whole other level since it’s literally delivered to your doorstep monthly. You get two standard-sized (32-ounce) macs: one Classic Mac & Cheese and one specialty flavor like their Summer Vegetable Mac & Cheese — which I also got to try and which is, like the Classic, to die for. The Club is available in 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month memberships, and the longer membership you purchase, the more you save.

For the cost of taking my family out to dinner, I can get three months of gourmet mac and cheese —delivered — that I can pop into the oven and that’s it? TAKE MY MONEY.

I don’t love everything I try out for the sake of my job; far from it, actually. But this? This I’m obsessed with. If you’re judging all frozen mac and cheese by the bland and rubbery grocery store standard, you’re missing out. Murray’s mac and cheese will change your perception — proving that you don’t actually have to sacrifice quality and taste for the sake of convenience. You can have your macaroni and eat it, too!