If you have ever wanted to turn a Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner into a summer salad, then this is the recipe for you!
This is Swingin’ Summer Salad!
AuthorRetroRuth
From Kraft TV recipes mailer, 1971
Tested Recipe!
[cooked-sharing]
Prepare dinner as directed on the package. Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Chill.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare dinner as directed on the package. Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Chill.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Notes
This lovely salad comes from a Kraft TV recipe mailer from 1971. I really, really love these, not just because they are crammed full of Kraft-product-packed recipes, but also because they showcase some of the stars that Kraft had appearing in their shows. This pamphlet had Jack Benny, Dom DeLuise, Perry Como, and Bob Hope!
And Kraft Dinner! We can’t forget about that!
So, I came across two versions of this recipe recently. This one seems to be mostly veggie-based, and the other one had the same sour cream/Miracle Whip additions but instead of veggies had hard-boiled eggs and bacon. I have to admit that I was more curious about the veggies, because adding bacon to mac & cheese has already been proven to be a winning combo.
Just in case you are wondering, like I was, why you would bother to make a Kraft Dinner and then turn it into a cold salad rather than just serving it hot alongside a plate of cut-up veggies, never fear. I have the answer: Kids. Specifically, three-year-olds. Alex has never been more excited about a recipe than she was about this one. Even more excited then when I make cookies. As I was stirring it together she pulled a chair up next to me and practically started jumping on the counter.
“Mom, Mom, Mom! What are you doing to that mackernonin* & cheese?” (*Adorableness*)
“I’m making a salad with it.”
“You’re turning it into salad? Really? It’s going to turn into salad?”
And so on, for about fifteen minutes. She was very excited.
Boom. Done.
Of course, we had to taste-test a bit of the straight Kraft Dinner while we waited for Dad to come home and guinea pig.
“So, what did you guys do today?”
“I turned a hot Kraft Dinner into a cold salad.”
“Oh. Goody.”
“So, how is it?”
“It tastes like you put veggies in mac & cheese instead of hot dogs.”
The Verdict: Fine
From The Tasting Notes –
I have to admit I was expecting this to be amazing or disgusting, but there was nothing objectionable about this salad. Unless you object to having veggies in your Kraft dinner. And eating it cold. It wasn’t spectacular either. The sour cream/Miracle Whip mess added a fun tang, but this pretty much just tasted like Kraft dinner. Alex, on the other hand, was over the moon with this and actually ate quite a bit of it. So if you have a kid who won’t eat veggies you could try this one out on them. Overall, not bad, but not memorable either. Maybe I should have made the bacon version after all?
I remember this salad! My grandmother used to double the vegetables and add about a quarter cup of (Kraft, I’m sure) Italian dressing and an eighth cup of water and it felt and tasted a little closer to actual pasta salad rather than just cold Kraft dinner. And in a move I’m sure you’d appreciate (or at least understand) she always added olives! But for the time investment…it was always more worthwhile to just make an actual pasta salad.
A bit off topic, but I’ve always thought someone should collect kid’s names for food, I’m sure there’s some real cuteness to found. Our son’s contribution would be Teetoras (tortillas). I still smile when I think of it.
You had me until Miracle Whip.
I remember Kraft! Perry Como, especially. This might be equally good with lightly cooked modern frozen mixed vegetables, too, instead of the ubiquitous vintage era vegetables like radishes.
And for goodness sake, mayonnaise, never EVER Miracle Whip.
I’d skip the mayonnaise or miracle whip altogether (I think mayonnaise is disgusting) and add greek yogurt and goat cheese, and instead of the raw veggies, I would add sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts
ive seen this recipe updated when kraft had its free “food and family” cooking mag but kraft used its Velveeta shells and cheese
But if you add tuna you have aunt dianes tuna casserole
One of my staples in college was Kraft Dinner with a can of tuna and a can of peas mixed in! 🙂
I know this one as Gramma Rinehard’s macaroni salad, but she added tuna. It’s more salad like with the tuna.
Long-time reader, first-time commenter. I just have to say, in response to your post about adding tuna to Kraft mac and cheese…my partner introduced me to that and he calls it “cheesey noodles.” We met when we were both in college together and yes, it was a go-to meal for a long time. Apparently it was something his mom made for him and his brother a lot when he was growing up. Given our ages (which I’m NOT disclosing) and his mom’s age, it very well might have been a mid-century recipie that we inherited… 🙂
OK – I know I’m a bit late to the party but when I saw this I had to comment. My mom was famous for a similar macaroni salad … instead of boxed mac & cheese you use plain macaroni, tomatoes, onion, cucumber, the miracle whip, a touch of vinegar and…..cubed Velveeta. As it all sits together the Velveeta kind of melts into the salad and probably gives a similar effect. It’s delicious and still requested by family members for holidays.