I found it! I was so happy. That's right, my local grocery store has finally brought in gluten-free Kraft Dinner! ^_^ So, yes, I had to buy it and give it a taste test. Here is a link to their Gluten-Free KD website if you are interested.

Initial Impressions

At the store, the packaging looks the same as Original KD. Like that the product has gluten-free printed in large letters on the front of the product.

Expensive! Just like most gluten-free products it costs a lot more than the regular Original KD. Also, the amount of pasta you get compared to the Original Gluten KD is less.

As I followed the gluten-free Kraft Dinner story on social media, concerns about different shaped pasta in the package arose. People worried it might indicate contamination with regular pasta. From my inspection, the pasta shapes varied, some were straight and others curved, but they all appeared to be the same gluten-free material.

Below is another photo of some of the different shaped gluten-free pasta I removed from the plate to compare to the photo on the packaging. As you can see the photo has different shapes in it that are similar to the actual pasta. I personally do not have any worries that a regular pasta got mixed in with the gluten-free just because the shapes are not all the same.

Gluten-Free Certification

I'm confident in this product's gluten-free status, thanks to the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) certification symbol on the packaging. The NSF is a USA company that offers 3rd party gluten-free certification. This certification ensures the product contains less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten and is manufactured in a gluten-free facility. For more details, visit the NSF website.

If you're newly diagnosed with celiac disease in Canada, check out the Canadian Celiac Association. They offer valuable resources like this label reading guide. Note that you can see the different certified gluten-free symbols used on packaging at the bottom of this guide. I highly recommend joining the Canadian Celiac Association as they provide lots of information on their website about celiac disease and how to navigate eating gluten-free. They provide free online classes regarding label reading and shopping. It is the best place to get up-to-date information on celiac disease and how to live with it.

Cooking and Tasting

Okay! Let's get cooking. ^_^

I cooked the pasta following the package instructions: boiled for 9 minutes, then drained. I like my pasta on the soft side so 9 minutes was perfect. and mixed with butter, milk, and the cheese packet. The result was a tasty dish with a texture similar to the original KD when hot.

Then, as per package instructions, I added the 3 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of milk and stirred until it was melted. Then I added that lovely little package of powdered cheese and mixed until well combined.

Below is a photo of the finished gluten-free KD Kraft Dinner macaroni and cheese in a bowl. Tasty! The pasta is gluten-free, so the texture is of gluten-free pasta. Not as chewy as gluten pasta, but it kept it's shape when cooked and had a slight bounce to the bite. The pasta is made from corn flour and brown rice flour.

The cheese sauce was the same and the pasta had a nice texture while hot. I did try it cold the next day and the gluten-free pasta had that typical hard and brittle texture. The only thing I miss about regular pasta is that it stays soft even when eaten cold. I hope someone can make a gluten-free pasta that is able to be the same as regular pasta when cold.

Overall I enjoyed it and thought it tasted very similar to regular Original KD.

Personal Preferences: Ketchup or No Ketchup?

Pasta shapes aside. The real question is: ketchup or no ketchup? I know that people can have strong opinions on this. I enjoy KD both ways. Sometimes the sweet and spicy taste of ketchup is perfect, other times I savour the cheesy flavor on its own. Where do you stand?

Are there other condiments that you prefer? One of my friends loves mustard and mayo! How about you?

Price Comparison

I bought my gluten-free KD Macaroni and Cheese at Safeway. The gluten-free version weighs 170 grams compared to the original 200 grams and costs more than double! The original KD is $1.99 each or three for $1.69 each, while the gluten-free KD is $4.19 each, and no buy more than one sale price.

Some gluten-free product pricing can be so frustrating!

If you prefer using your favorite gluten-free pasta, you can buy Kraft's powdered cheese separately. I enjoyed KD as a kid, so it was fun to have a boxed pasta again. For those interested in making their own, check out my Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese recipe.

Conclusion

Have you tried KD's gluten-free macaroni and cheese? What did you think?

I enjoyed the experience of making it. Took me back to my childhood. I think it would be great for kids with celiac disease because they could feel they aren't left out. I like that they kept the box the same as the Original KD, and that the "gluten-free" wording is large and on the front of the box. It can be time consuming looking for the words "gluten-free" on products when they are printed on the back or side.

I like the texture and flavour. The sauce was just like the original. My non-celiac family members tried the Original KD and the Gluten-free KD and even though the pasta texture is definitely different they liked both.

I will buy it again. It will be that every once and awhile treat! I will go to the city and look for sales. On social media celiac's are posting that they are sometimes finding it on sale.

Note: These are my personal experiences and opinions. Always seek out a medical opinion for medical concerns. Not sponsored. If sponsored I will always say so at the top of the post.