We have mostly good things to say so far about Stouffer’s Urban Bistro line of frozen foods, and we love mac and cheese. So obviously, we just had to try the Urban Bistro Smoked Gouda & Chorizo Mac as soon as we possibly could. And today, we’re happy to report, is the day that happens. We’re very excited about this, so let’s dive right in.
One thing we find ourselves constantly pointing out about Stouffer’s food is that a lot of it takes quite a long time to cook. The Urban Bistro foods so far seem to have cook times that seem a bit more normal for frozen foods, though this mac and cheese is right on the line at five minutes even (cook for three minutes, then stir, then cook for two more).
Now, this isn’t your typical elbow pasta — this features cavatappi noodles to give it an upscale, grown-up feel. This isn’t the sort of mac and cheese you feed to your kids; this is something you’ll be tempted to call macaroni. Cute nicknames like “mac” just don’t seem appropriate here (even though that’s what the box says).
The smoked gouda cheese isn’t your typical macaroni sauce either — it’s subtle and garlicy instead of sharp and cheddary. Now, we’re not completely sure we agree with that choice, as this is perhaps a bit too subtle. We hesitate to use a word like bland, but we do think this could use a little more flavor.
And then there’s the chorizo. The chorizo pulls triple duty here, as it’s there to add some much-needed flavor, give the sauce a meaty texture, and to spice this whole meal up a notch. It’s successful at all three things, though the flavor still isn’t quite there and we wouldn’t really call this a spicy meal. It’s a barely noticeable mild spice level.
This meal contains 350 calories (120 from fat), so this is considerably leaner than Stouffer’s Classic Macaroni & Cheese, which has a whopping 660 calories per box. Plus, this has 770 mg of sodium, as opposed to the Classic’s insane 1,720 mg. The Smoked Gouda & Chorizo Mac is definitely the healthier option of the two.
Stouffer’s Classic Macaroni is a true classic, but it’s a bit too high in calories to be a lunchtime staple. The Smoked Gouda & Chorizo Mac is a suitable alternative, though it doesn’t quite have enough flavor to make it a completely craveable meal. If Stouffer’s could give us the flavor of the Classic with the calorie count of the Smoked Gouda, we’d be in Heaven. Until that happens, though, we’ll settle for this perfectly fine lunchtime treat.
To learn more about the nutrition content or ingredients in this Urban Bistro mac and cheese, check out our package scans below.
