Box Mac-n-cheese Expiration Date?

[Okiepan]

One would assume if you repackage the pasta in a vacuum sealed bag as well as the cheese ( powder type ) it possibly could last the 25 yrs like it's Freeze Dried cousin.
As long as the items are stored correctly it should work out just fine .

 

[tortoise]

I think I'm going to buy another case and stash it in the freezer. DH will never know!

I've been cooking up 4 boxes at a time. It goes fast. I'm making chili to serve with mac n cheese tonight. Who doesn't love chili-mac?

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Way back in the day, when I was a child (forEVER ago) when we would go camping my mother would make this "stuff." She'd cook a box of mac and cheese, then dump in a can of chili, and a can of mushroom soup and mix it up and call it "camping casserole." I'm trying to remember if it had a can of tomato soup in it. Seriously can't remember. But, we scarfed that stuff up.

 

[flowerbug]

Way back in the day, when I was a child (forEVER ago) when we would go camping my mother would make this "stuff." She'd cook a box of mac and cheese, then dump in a can of chili, and a can of mushroom soup and mix it up and call it "camping casserole." I'm trying to remember if it had a can of tomato soup in it. Seriously can't remember. But, we scarfed that stuff up.

tuna slop was a big thing here. can of tuna, package of frozen veggies and a box of mac-n-cheese. we ate so much of that for years that while i like it and could eat it again, do i really have to? nope. i'll make something else instead. like we'll easily eat just plain macaroni and tomatoes.

 

[tortoise]

Way back in the day, when I was a child (forEVER ago) when we would go camping my mother would make this "stuff." She'd cook a box of mac and cheese, then dump in a can of chili, and a can of mushroom soup and mix it up and call it "camping casserole." I'm trying to remember if it had a can of tomato soup in it. Seriously can't remember. But, we scarfed that stuff up.

My XDH's family made "cowboy casserole". Box of mac n cheese, can of diced tomatoes, pack of cheap hot dogs chopped up. It feeds the kids when you are broke. XDH liked it.

 

[tortoise]

tuna slop was a big thing here. can of tuna, package of frozen veggies and a box of mac-n-cheese. we ate so much of that for years that while i like it and could eat it again, do i really have to? nope. i'll make something else instead. like we'll easily eat just plain macaroni and tomatoes.

Another one of XDH's family meals. "Mac-Cheez-Tu-Pea" They used peas, obviously. I'll admit to liking this one. I forgot about it! Thanks for the reminder!!

 

[Hinotori]

We had a lot of casseroles. Bechamel sauce is cheap and easy to make. Then add cheese for a cheese sauce. Tuna noodles, chicken noodles, beef noodles, deer or elk noodles.

Ate a lot of potatoes growing up. Great uncle farmed them and would give 50 lb boxes. Mom still goes up and gets her 6 boxes for the winter. So we had potatoes every day almost. Gravy is cheap and any that was left over after potatoes were gone could be lunch of bread and gravy.

Dad will not eat mac and cheese. They ate it too much when he was a kid.

Hubby won't eat canned ravioli because of a cruise where they served it every day for months. I don't know if the Navy got a deal on it or what. Usually the carriers had better food options.

 

[Finnie]

The one food I remember reading about where you should pay attention to the expiration date is Cake Mixes; the baking powder used definitely has a finite shelf life, and the cake won't rise well.

I was going to mention cake mix too. Because I’ve had some that were past their date, and when I opened them, they smelled kind of musty. I cooked one anyway just to see if it would be ok, and yup, the cake smelled bad too. Now I try to use cake mixes up well before their date, and pretty much don’t keep them on hand until I expect to need one. I guess vacuum seal or freeze would be another option.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I tried a box of Mac&Cheese that was 4 years old - it was not good.
I tried a box of the cooked butterscotch pudding that was 4 years old and that was bad also.
I found a box of food stuff that was never unpacked and used up after we moved, so that is why the 4-year mark was hit. Now anything over 3 years old that has dairy type ingredients is automatically thrown away. Over 1 year is used with caution.

 

[flowerbug]

we grew up on some rather lean times so i personally can eat about anything if i really have to. i mean, give me flour and water and i'll eat it as a paste, or plain cold tofu, etc. i can eat it. doesn't bug me. 10 days in a row. mentally sometimes i just put it down as food is food and leave it at that. i can think about other things as i'm eating.

cold cream of wheat, white corn grits cold, oatmeal cold, etc. all ok. surely not my favorite but edible if nothing else is about.

do i want to eat like that? nope. but hey, sometimes it's just what is ready and i'm fine with what is ready.