Skip Kraft Deluxe Mac & Cheese: Dollar Tree's Copy Cat Has A Smoky Variety That Tastes Homemade

Why splurge for a name-brand product when a copycat costs less and tastes better? Many budget-conscious consumers don't, hitting discount stores to stock up on food items that may not feature a well-known label but nonetheless deliver a delicious bellyful of goodness for a lower cost. One such example is Premier Pantry Smoked Gouda Premium Elbows and Cheese Dinner, a boxed macaroni and cheese product that can be found at Dollar Tree for $1.50 per box. Leading branded macs like Kraft Deluxe Mac & Cheese, in contrast, can exceed $3 per box, depending on where you buy them.

This premium-quality pasta dish features real Gouda and cheddar cheeses among its ingredients, and purchasers report achieving homemade-quality results when they make it. Some even find that those they serve it to like it better than homemade mac. In addition to its delightful, creamy cheesiness, this dairy-rich meal in a box has a unique smokiness, owing to the addition of natural smoke flavoring.

Fans claim that this popular product isn't always easy to get ahold of, so a good rule of thumb is to visit your local store on a weekday morning — the best time to shop at Dollar Tree — after goods have been restocked following the weekend rush, with Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays typically representing your best bets for finding freshly replenished items. You can also order this tasty mac and cheese in bulk from the Dollar Tree website.

In addition to the Smoked Gouda pasta, the Premier Pantry brand offers an Original Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner and an Original Premium Shells & Cheese Dinner. Both items are available at Dollar Tree for $1.50 per box.

Since the smoked Gouda mac is so delicious all on its own, it also makes a terrific foundation for some experimental upgrading. Mixing things up with some innovative add-ins just further increases the illusion that it's a homemade dish.

One reviewer on the Dollar Tree product page recounted turning this boxed pasta into an enthusiastically received lobster macaroni and cheese creation by adding seafood seasoning. You can also maximize your mac's comfort food vibes by topping it with juicy pieces of Buffalo chicken, which bring heat and tanginess that pair perfectly with the smokiness of this packaged dinner. Adding a spicy liquid, like Cholula Original Hot Sauce, can similarly heat things up in the flavor department.

Other scrumptious ingredients that upgrade boxed mac include chopped bacon, breadcrumbs for crunch, crispy fried onions, and veggies like broccoli and cauliflower, which you can boil right alongside the elbow noodles for a cooking shortcut. At my house, everybody's favorite mix-in for mac is sliced hot dogs, which you can also boil right in with the pasta for an easy and tasty protein addition. Other meaty add-ins that pair well with the cheesy dish include shredded chicken, ground pork, diced ham, and various types of sausage. Mixing in some Italian-style sauce can also create what I came to call "pizza mac" in my budget-strapped college days, to which you can also add some pepperoni slices as a zesty topper.