This, my friends, is an old stand-by. It’s probably the best tasting mac 'n cheese on the market, and can serve either one incredibly hungry person or two people who have side dishes. It even comes in a variety of flavors: cheddar, Mexican, etc. It’s far, far better in terms of basic cheese and pasta quality than Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (which must be made with dehydrated cheese whiz product, and which I would give the score of a D+). I realize that some people adore Kraft’s product, but I find it downright offensive to the tongue, the stomach, and the soul. Annie’s, on the other hand, is a progressive company: each box gives information on how to buy stock. Plus, the box features a darned cute bunny. Like most mac 'n cheese box sets, there are instructions for low-fat versions. My biggest problem with Annie’s is that for some reason, my digestive system doesn’t like it -- and as far as I know, I’m not lactose intolerant. But for most people, it’s good food for a good price.

About on par with Knorr’s Alfredo pasta, these boxes include (like mac 'n cheese) both a packet of dehydrated cheese stuff and the pasta. Now, I happen to like these because I’ve figured out a way to make a good meal out of them. You cook up some chicken breast or crab meat, some vegetables of your choice -- I prefer broccoli, mushrooms, possibly asparagus and spinach -- and add them to the pasta. If you steam the veggies, they taste fresher, but if you sauté them, you can cook them in lemon juice or cooking wine to give them a nice tang. I also add capers and sliced black olives to give it a "hey, this isn’t boxed food!" feeling. Others may wish to include bits of bacon (but not bacon bits) or leave vegetarian. These boxes are versatile, and have a milder taste than Annie’s so they actually work as full alfredo dishes. On the other hand, they are very very mild. I usually add some lemon juice and/or white cooking wine and garlic powder/paste to give it a little flavor. Of course, when I make it, the olives and capers overpower the rest. Also, watch the sodium on this product: each serving accounts for about 46% of your daily needs, even though it doesn’t taste like it if you cook it like I do. To sum: a good basic boxed pasta, but not terribly interesting in and of itself.

Those of you who are fortunate enough to live near a Trader Joe’s should shop there. Often. Their frozen fish tastes the same or better than most supermarket fresh fish, and is a whole lot cheaper. They also have fresh high-quality bread and decent, nutritious frozen meals. However, Joe made a big mistake with his Teriyaki Rice. First of all, what’s this all about? Can’t we just have normal rice and add soy sauce? Joe’s end result is a hella more palatable than Kraft Mac 'n "Cheese", but so salty it assaults the tongue. Granted, a lot of boxed starch dishes -- particularly pilaf -- are so salty that you’re best off using only a smidgen of the "spice packet". Same advice goes here. I’ve had worse, but would prefer better.

At 33 cents a package, this is the cheapest thing you can buy and use as food. It’s even cheaper than a candy bar. Think about that for a minute. Now, ramen is both high in salt and fat -- god knows how, since it looks like dehydrated styrofoam -- but it is sometimes strangely compelling. Plus, like alfredo cheese sets, it’s darned versatile. You can make it as a soup or just as a pasta. My recommendation is to throw out the spice packet (unless you want to experience sodium shock) and have fun with your own spices. Happy additions include soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic paste, and ginger. If you want to make it as a soup, add a raw egg or two to the boiling water. Add cooked veggies and chicken to the cooked ramen and suddenly you have a delightful dish. It takes work, but it can be quite serviceable. Or, like someone I know, you can just pour peanut butter on the cooked pasta and call it pad thai. I don’t recommend that, but if you’re desperate, there are worse things. Ramen is cheap, not terribly nutritious or tasty on its own, but you know what you’ve gotten.

At last! Pilaf that’s not so salty it makes you gag. Each serving has 22% of your daily sodium and the pilaf has a delightful nutty taste. I like to add roasted pine nuts and sautéed exotic or white mushrooms to this for a mouth-watering side dish that’s good reheated. Near East’s couscous is good too, and as with all couscous, lends itself well to the addition of raisins, figs, pine nuts, etc. It’s a little expensive compared to other boxed dishes, but still less than $5. In practice, each box makes 2-4 servings. Near East makes a bunch of other boxes of yummy things, like their "creative grains". Good job, Near East!