10 May, 2009
Episode 93: Mac Cheese Frodown Part 1: Boston Market
Posted by: Gregory Ng: The Frozen Food Master
We are kicking off Mac Cheese Week at Freezerburns with the first of 5 episodes in an epic Mac Cheese Frodown. Today’s Mac Cheese contender is Boston Market’s Macaroni and Cheese. How will it compare against the others this week? And will the fact that it says “Macaroni” but is really “rotini” prevent it from getting a quality score from the Frozen Food Master?
Nutritional Facts:
Servings Per Container: 2
Calories: 320
Calories from Fat: 80
Total Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Sodium: 880mg
Total Carbs: 45g
Dietary Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 5g
Protein: 14g
Price: $2.19
FreezerBurnsTM is a video review show on a mission to deliver you real reviews and real answers to one of life’s most stressful decisions: choosing the best frozen foods on the planet. Greg is the Frozen Food MasterTM and acts as both food critic and guinea pig. Join him every tuesday and friday as he eats his way through the freezer aisle one box at a time, only on Hungry Nation.
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View Comments to "Episode 93: Mac Cheese Frodown Part 1: Boston Market"
1 | Chris
May 10th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Finnaly, ive been waiting for this
Cant wait to see the other 4
2 | Chris
May 10th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
though im still dissapointed at no banquet mac and cheese :/ IMO, they have one of the better versions of mac and cheese.
3 | Gregory Ng: The Frozen Food Master
May 10th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Chris, having already shot the entire Mac Cheese Frodown for this week, I can tell you there are just too many brands out there to not do a Frodown 2. I’ll put Banquet on that list.
4 | Tod
May 10th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Actually you are incorrect. Macoroni includes rotini and all the variety of macoroni shapes. Macoroni includes all the shapes. I really enjoy your videos Greg and glad I found you on youtube! I am in culinary or hospitality school now. Keep the interesting and fun to watch vids coming!
All the best,
Tod
5 | Gregory Ng: The Frozen Food Master
May 10th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Tod, Thank you so much for clarifying that! I guess people like me always associate elbow macaroni as just macaroni and anything else as something else.
That being said, it is the only one of the five that didn’t use elbows.
6 | Tod
May 10th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Hi Greg by the way I live in Ohio and would be so honored to work with you like along side with you to critique different products. I love how you act and how you convey your messages! You have a great way of delivering your vidoes. I really would like you to seriously consider allowing me to be with you and hang out. If I ever did help you out I would probably be sipping on some beer
I know pasta, macaroni, and noodles can be confusing as far as defining it all. I am excited to find out which mac and cheese wins! I was suprised too that Boston Market was that teriffic and that you gave it four stars. I am glad that I was able to shed a little light for you. I usually always just call instead of spaghetti i just call it macoroni. What state do you live in? I put some videos on youtube and I would like it if you checked my stuff out. Just to let you know my vids have nothing to do with frozen food. By the way I really enjoyed your Margaritiville Cocunut Shrimp vid, that was the very 1st vid I watched. I saw it like a week ago. Let me know if you would ever be interested in using me for some help or anything else. Thanks a lot Greg.
Let’s keep in touch
Tod
7 | donnrfl
May 10th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
SWEET, i love mac and cheese
im very excited for this week
8 | anutterNWOpuppet
May 10th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Note to Tod: Greg is a straight-shooter (in and out of bed.)
No offense…and keep wearing the apron in your house!
9 | Crystal
May 10th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
I didn’t like the boston market when I tried it,mine stayed soupy and not alot of flavor.I have 4 boxes of stouffer’s mac n cheese in my freezer right now lol.I have tried all the others and this one wins for me hands down!
10 | Skye
May 10th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Would it be called rot’n cheese then?
11 | Todd
May 10th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
The rotini looks like a great type of pasta shape to gob up all of that tasty cheese. It reminds me of the shape of those wooden or plastic dippers that is used to get honey out of a jar
I’m going to have to try this one!
Thanks for the review
12 | Trish
May 10th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Greg, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment starting out with Boston Market. I’ve had the others and they taste okay but Boston Market is the gold standard for frozen mac and cheese.
13 | Bear Silber
May 11th, 2009 at 2:40 am
Man, this going to be epic!!! These may beat the Thanksgiving Frodown….5 days of Mac & Cheese….awesome! Great freakin’ review. The whole Macaroni/Rotini thing kinda gets me too…I know it’s technaically correct but to me, and my guess is to others, Macaroni means the traditional elbow mac….oh well.
I loved the face you made after each bite…it reminded me of a kid eating his first bite of “Cheese”cake….he mom has told him it was a dessert so he’s willing to try it but…cheese…..ewww. Then they’re pleasantly surprised
Man o man am I looking forward to each morning this week to a new M&C episode….great freakin’ idea….I’m giving Amy’s the odds here…but I DO think TJs would’ve beat ‘em all
14 | Joyce
May 11th, 2009 at 6:01 am
Great review, great subject. Can’t wait for the rest of the week. Though I have to wonder what you thought could have been on your hand that would smell…..:)
15 | Tod
May 11th, 2009 at 6:05 am
to nutternwopupet whats that supposed to mean?
16 | Meg
May 11th, 2009 at 7:29 am
I have to admit that I am a “blue box” mac and cheese lover. May have to try a frozen one after this. My main concern with Boston Market is the sugar….why is there sugar in Mac and Cheese? Cheese doesn’t have sugar and pasta doesn’t have any, right? It is becoming a pet peeve of mine when they add sugar to everything. Being the Amy’s lover that I am (oops, that didn’t come out right, but you know what I mean)..I’m hoping it’s the best!
17 | Bear Silber
May 11th, 2009 at 9:03 am
@Meg – Seriously?!? Kraft? I never understand how people like that…M&C can be made SO SO good…especially homemade.
18 | rob
May 11th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Nothing can beat Stouffers, it is the King of freezer aisle mac and cheeses.
If we could bet money on this I would put everything I own on Stouffers.
19 | Gregory Ng: The Frozen Food Master
May 11th, 2009 at 9:20 am
@Meg I must admit, Sometimes I love me some good ol’ Kraft Cheese and Macaroni too. It is the Cheeziest after all.
@rob That is spoken like someone who has consumed a ton of Stouffer’s Mac and Cheese.
20 | Meg
May 11th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Bear, I know, it’s weird, but I like the powered cheese. I’ve always disliked cheese sauces. like when they put cheese sauce on Nacho’s instead of real melted cheese…ick. Well, ok Kraft is not even real melted cheese, but it’s one of my many cute quirks
21 | Isabella
May 11th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Can’t wait to see your Amy’s mac & cheese review! I usually love their frozen meals!
22 | Thomas
May 11th, 2009 at 11:34 am
I agree with Chris, I would’ve replaced the lean cuisine meal with banquet, since stouffers and lean cuisine are basically the same brand of food.
23 | Bear Silber
May 11th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
@Meg – Did you see the “Chopped” episode where they had to use the Kraft Blue Box? That was kinda fun
To everyone speaking of other M&C varieties, the FFM states:
“having already shot the entire Mac Cheese Frodown for this week, I can tell you there are just too many brands out there to not do a Frodown 2.”
24 | Meg
May 11th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Bear, “chopped” episode? Enlighten me, not sure what website you are talking about…not this site, right?
25 | Ryan
May 11th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I’ve been known to pummel mac and cheese at Boston Mkt…haven’t tried the store version. I crumble up Boston Mkt cornbread into my mac and cheese and it’s amazing.
26 | Bear Silber
May 11th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
@Meg – “Chopped” is a show on the Food Network with Ted Allen as the host and they have 4 chefs all make dishes (apps, entree & dessert, 3 rounds) each round one of the chefs gets voted off by a panel of three judges. They give them a basket of “mystery” ingredients which are usually strange items…like M&C Blue Box, doughnuts, pineapple…etc, etc. It’s like Iron Chef meets Project Runway meets American Idol meets any other show like that….it’s pretty good…sometimes better than others.
27 | Tod
May 11th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Chopped kicks ass! i love that show. It is the only show I watch on foodnetwork. *wink*
28 | Madison
May 11th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Wow, that’s my boyfriend’s favorite mac and cheese. I’ve tried it when he eats it and it’s pretty darn good.
Of course, he says it’s the best one of all but I’ll ask him again after the fro-down is done!
29 | Jim
May 13th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I think Tod is a nut-job!
30 | Jim
May 13th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
REMOVED BY MODERATOR
31 | Isolder74
April 29th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Just for your information, the term Macaroni only actually refers to the fact that the pasta is made without adding eggs. So nearly any shaped pasta can be macaroni. Because the type most often marketed by the term macaroni is the elbow noodles the confusion is not too hard to understand. So bear that in mind whenever you are in the pasta isle at the store. Macaroni is technically any pasta made of no egg semolina pasta dough.
32 | Isolder74
April 29th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
My favorite pasta shape is RADIATORE. It is a bit hard to find but it has losts of little grooves to hold onto sauce.
33 | witheringsanity
May 9th, 2010 at 6:16 pm
rontini IS macaroni. he's thinking of the shape: elbow. so it is mac and cheese
34 | crosswalkernest
May 17th, 2010 at 10:46 pm
You're like the non-fat, non-Scottish version of Fat Bastard, lol.
35 | Rollin_wimpy
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:32 am
scotch Korean thats a contradiction eating…..well mac and cheese
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