I keep saying to myself that I need to go to one of those world food sections at my local supermarket and buy a box of Kraft Mac and Cheese to try it,but I always forget - is it really worth it?
Kraft Mac & Cheese is the spiritual equivalent of top ramen noodles, artificial cheese flavor.
There is no intrinsic American cultural value to it. Many of us do grant it some nostalgia value, because we grew up without a lot of money, and it was, and still is, cheap and filling food for poor people. A suitable protein accompaniment is a can of chunk light tuna (solid albacore is for rich folks), hot dogs (aka frankfurters) cut into coin-sized slices, diced bologna slices, Spam, or a hard-boiled egg. To drink, mix up some unsweetened Kool-Aid with 3/4 the ordinary amount of added sugar. If you are feeling flush this month, you may also have a slice of dry white toast with some leftover schmaltz on it.
Looks like it's ~$3 for a pack on this side of the pond.
The more traditionally British options are probably these:
1) In a can: http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=252750031
2) Cheese sauce: http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=258436291
3) As a ready meal / microwave meal: http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=272971891
But I'm more amused by the "Tesco Easy Entertaining Macaroni Cheese 1.4 Kilograms". Is it still necessary to thank the cook, if served this at a party? http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=291659455
Here is an 1859 version of the recipe, from Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.
http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/10136/pg10136-images.htm...
And here's the original, from 1786 in The Experienced English Housekeeper: http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.rsmcze;view=1up;se...
It cleverly evokes the idea of better food, so that what you are actually eating seems somehow less disappointing. There are other brands that reproduce more faithfully the concept of the original recipe, but they may cost 2-5 times as much as Kraft's.
Also, a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese can be prepared in one saucepan on one stove burner or hot plate in less than 15 minutes, spent mostly waiting for the water to boil, whereas "real" macaroni and cheese recipes may involve cheese graters, pasta strainers, multiple saucepans, and maybe even a casserole dish and time in the oven. This point may be important if you have to feed your kids quickly after school, before going to your second job, as many heads of household in the U.S. are required to do in order to fund the monthly budget. (The kids might be able to eat both breakfast and lunch at their schools, depending on the relative affluence of the neighborhood.)
Of course not, Kraft Dinner is the national dish of Canada.
The main advantage of packet-mac-and-cheese is convenience, compared to laboring over a stove to make a smooth roux.
I used to take a couple of packets with me when bicycle-camping but I can't say that I enjoyed them. They 'fill a hole' as we say here.
Casserole!