Gluten Free Food Reviews

Another home-style favorite of adults and kids alike- good ‘ole mac & cheese. I found this on my last trip to Minnesota and just had to try it out and compare it to one of my frozen food favorites- Amy’s Rice Mac & Cheese. No stores in my local area carry this gluten free frozen product, and I was curious to see how the two compared. I purchased this 10.6 ounce box cost $5.29.

Fresh out of the package, this is what the gluten free mac and cheese looked like:

To be honest, it looked a pretty bad- a little freezer burn going on? I popped this product in the microwave for a total of five minutes, and this is what the mac& cheese looked like straight from the microwave:

It came out very soupy and not very appetizing. Yuck. So, I cooked it for another 40 seconds and let it cool until the sauce thickened up. The final result is the picture at the top of this review. Thank goodness it ended up looking OK.

The brown rice noodles seemed very dense and chewy, and the sauce tasted quite mild due to the fact that this product features a three cheese blend of monterey jack, cheddar and parmesan. The sauce tasted creamy and smooth, but appeared clumpy on the noodles, similar to Amy’s gluten free Rice Mac and Cheese . This Glutino Mac & Cheese tasted less homemade than Amy’s and reminded me of a gluten free version of Kraft mac and cheese flavor, minus the neon orange coloring. When I read the nutritional information on the back of the packaging, I almost fell off my chair! This product contains a whopping 20 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat. WOW!

Overall, this is a good gluten free version of macaroni and cheese, but I have to say I still prefer the strong, cheesy, homemade flavor of Amy’s.

PROS: easy prep, mild flavor for those that aren’t sharp cheddar cheese fans

CONS: soupy at first, pricey, high in fat

RATING: 3 1/2 stars

Please click HERE to view the packaging, ingredients and nutritional information.

Do you have some extra time and want to whip up a batch of homemade gluten free mac & cheese? Check out Shauna’s recipe at Crazy Orange Turtle’s Gluten Free Kitchen- it looks like a winner!

Since I enjoy Amy’s frozen version of gluten free macaroni and cheese, I was curious to see what this packaged product would taste like. I purchased the 9.1 ounce bag for $4.59 at my local natural food store. After tasting it myself and researching this gluten free macaroni and cheese online, I have found that you will either love the Heartland Finest white cheddar macaroni & cheese, or you will hate it. Unfortunately, I did not love it.

This gluten free macaroni and cheese is fairly easy and quick to prepare. Just boil the noodles for a mere four minutes, then mix in butter, milk, and the cheese pouch, just like most boxed or prepared macaroni products. This mac and cheese was ready and on the table within 10 minutes! That was impressive! What was also impressive was the fact that each serving provides a whopping 14 grams of protein and six grams of fiber. Very nice. It’s too bad I didn’t like the flavor.

The noodles seemed dense and chewy with a heavy bean flavor and a hint of corn. To me, they just didn’t taste that good, but that may be because I am not a huge fan of bean flour used in noodles and baked goods. The sauce was thick and creamy, but had a slightly sour aftertaste that did not compliment the flavor of the noodles. To me, it isn’t as good as some of the other gluten free macaroni and cheese products out there. I prefer a softer, lighter pasta with a heavier cheddar flavor, and this product featured neither.

Did you try it and like it? Post your comments!

PROS: fast cooking time, high in protein and fiber

CONS: heavy bean flavor, cheese has an odd taste

Rating: 2 stars

Wanna try Heartland’s Finest White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese for Yourself?

Click HERE to purchase from glutenfree.com.Â

Ingredients: Navy Bean Flour, Yellow Corn Flour, Cheddar Cheese (milk, salt, cheese cultures, enzymes), whey, buttermilk, salt, disodium phosphate.

Today I have a house of sick and grouchy kids, and a husband that is out of town on business ( not a good combination). After coaxing saltines and sips of Sprite and Pedialite, I needed something quick, filling, comforting, and naturally, gluten free for myself. The box of Amy’s Macaroni & Cheese in my freezer seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I believe I purchased this boxed and frozen product for $3.09 at my local grocery store.

The prep for this gluten free propduct couldn’t be easier. I popped it in the microwave for a total of six minutes, pausing after four minutes for a brief stir. I was also pleased to discover this product did not splatter and mess up my clean microwave. There’s nothing I hate more than food splatters that stink up the microwave! I admit, initially the mac and cheese looked pretty scary fresh from the box:

But the final product looked a bit more appetizing!

This product actually tasted pretty yummy! The noodles were great- soft, but firm enough to hold their shape with no mushiness. The sauce was fairly thick, and stuck to the noodles in little clumps here and there. However, the texure of the sauce was smooth, it just looked a bit clumpy because it was so thick. The flavor of the sauce was also quite satisfying- it tastes like a homemade cheese sauce- no artificial or processed flavors here! If you are looking for the thin, kraft-style sauce, this isn’t for you.

Overall, this Amy’s Macaroni & Cheese frozen product is a yummy product that has a nice homemade flavor. The ingredients are high quality and the portion size is perfect for one person. Add a salad or fruit and you have yourself a nice, satisfying meal in a matter of minutes. This product really fit my needs tonight- fast, tasty and filling. I must note, though, that part of the reason it was so filling was probaly due to the high fat/saturated fat content - 16 total grams of fat per serving- yikes! However for ocasional use, I will definately buy this product again.

PROS: Great flavor and texture

CONS: sauce is really thick; high saturated fat content ( 10 grams!)

Rating: 4 stars

Amy’s Rice Mac & Cheese may be purchased at most local grocery stores in the frozen foods section ( Wegmans, Walmart, Giant, Weis etc).

Ingredients: organic rice macaroni ( organic rice flour, water), organic lowfat milk, cheddar cheese, butter, rice flour, sea salt, annato. No trans fat, added MSG, no preservatives