Store brand elbow macaroni saved my week last Tuesday

I was broke with $4 left until payday and threw together a box of Great Value mac with a can of tuna and some frozen peas. Honestly couldn't tell the difference from the name brand stuff, anyone else find certain store brands are just as good?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricialee1mo ago

Right, the "couldn't tell the difference" part really hits home. I've found most store brand pastas are pretty much the same thing once it's cooked and sauced up, your mileage may vary on the sauce though.

mark36123d ago

My own grandma used to say the secret to her spaghetti was to rinse the noodles with cold water after draining... then she'd add a splash of olive oil to keep them from sticking. Drove me nuts as a kid because I wanted that hot pasta right away. Turns out she was partially right about the rinsing for cold pasta salads, but for hot dishes it just makes everything cold and sad. Still can't bring myself to rinse pasta anymore, even when the recipe says to.

alice3361mo ago

My grandmother actually swore by the Walgreens brand elbow macaroni, she said it held its shape better in mac salad because the ridges were slightly deeper. One time I did a blind taste test with my roommate using just butter and salt, no sauce, and the store brand had a slightly different texture, almost like it was cooked a minute less but at the same time. The name brand got a bit mushier in the center actually. For baked mac and cheese I've noticed the off brands can get a little more grainy on top, but for anything with a sauce or tuna helper style dish it's totally fine.