When it comes to no-frills mac & cheese, Amy’s Macaroni & Cheese is one of our favorite frozen options. It’s got everything we look for in a basic macaroni dish, from perfectly cooked pasta to a thick and creamy sauce. When we saw that Amy’s Kitchen had spiced up their macaroni line with the Meatless Pepperoni Mac & Cheese, we wondered how it would stack up against our old favorite.
When we popped this dish out of the microwave, our nostrils were hit with a strong, savory aroma. As we stirred the meal, we noticed that this had the same creamy cheese sauce that we’ve grown to love. That said, we were a little nervous that the chunks of pepperoni would dominate the dish. Those fears weren’t entirely misplaced, but this is still a very appealing meal.
The meatless pepperoni is very similar to the tofu-based pepperoni used in Amy’s Meatless Pepperoni Pizza. The pepperoni slices are thinner here, which makes it a little bit closer to the real deal, but it’s still not going to fool any meat-lovers. The flavor is close, but the texture of the pepperoni is completely wrong. It’s soft, crumbly, and falls apart at the touch of a fork. That said, we kind of enjoy the way the pepperoni crumbles mix with the cheese sauce. The imperfect texture kind of works here.
That said, the flavor of the pepperoni dramatically changes the profile of this dish. Every bite tastes like pepperoni, even the bites that don’t contain any pepperoni at all. That’s not necessarily something to complain about — this is pepperoni mac, after all — but we wish the sharp flavor of the cheese sauce would stand out a little more.
The folks at Amy’s Kitchen have also added some spices to give the dish some extra heat. There’s quite a bit of paprika in the cheese sauce, and that gives it a nice kick.
If you’re a vegetarian that misses pepperoni, Amy’s Meatless Pepperoni Mac & Cheese is definitely a meal you’ll want to check out. Even though Amy’s Kitchen can’t mimic the texture of real pepperoni, you’ll appreciate the meaty flavor. However, if you prefer simple, traditional mac and cheese meals, Amy’s classic Macaroni & Cheese is a much better choice.
To learn more about the nutrition content or ingredients in this Amy’s mac and cheese, check out our package scans below.
