TikTok's Copycat Kid Cuisine Meals Are The Touch Of Nostalgia We Need
Although millennials have moved on from the days of sticking a bright blue tray of Kid Cuisine in the microwave after school, it's easy to be hit with a wave of nostalgia when spotting them in the freezer aisle. The excitement of digging into your favorite entrees was always a delight in the 1990s, especially if the one you were feasting on featured a fudgy brownie or rich chocolate pudding for dessert. KC, the smiling penguin mascot for the Conagra brand, can still be seen in grocery stores today. That cartoon penguin's feathered face is plastered on Kid Cuisine boxes that both kids and parents alike will treat themselves to. Although the food has always been marketed as a balanced meal, it certainly isn't the perfect picture of nutrition. That doesn't stop us from wanting to create copycat Kid Cuisine meals to satiate our need for nostalgia.
Throwing It Down on TikTok is one account that's helping those who used to love Kid Cuisine meals realize that they don't have to leave them in the past. You can still enjoy them as grownup versions of favorite childhood foods. Copycat recipes are all over the internet. When you find recipe videos that mimic the vintage aesthetic (yes, the 90s are considered vintage at this point) with a grainy VHS filter and bops you used to jam out to, it's easy to get excited about recreating old favorites you thought the world had moved on from.
It's easy to copy Kid Cuisine's star pudding and mac and cheese
Currently, Kid Cuisine has an array of newer entrees with popcorn chicken, mini corn dogs, and cheese quesadillas. Sometimes you crave something that's an oldie but goodie. Throwing It Down's TikTok channel showcases two Kid Cuisine copycats for the brand's mac and cheese and chocolate pudding topped with rainbow sprinkles.
@throwingitdown Let’s Recreate: Kid Cuisine Mac & Cheese! 🧀🌞 #vhs #KidCuisine
"Did I just travel back in time?" says one commenter, while others chime in that the mac was their favorite part about Kid Cuisine. The cheesy copycat noodles are infused with a blend of cheddar, mozzarella, and cream cheese, taking on an extra layer with the addition of paprika, dry mustard, and a dash of turmeric for color. Speaking of depth, the pudding's secret ingredient that can give it that flavor explosion you remember is achieved with espresso or instant coffee. When mixed with cocoa powder, vanilla, and baker's chocolate, you'll realize this super-rich chocolate pudding is a star for more reasons than its iconic sprinkle shapes. Kid Cuisine no longer makes pudding, so many commenters are very excited to recreate it, excitedly announcing, "I'm making this right now!"
Another great thing about these nostalgic recipes is that you can also use them as lunch ideas for kids, stuffing the mac into a thermos and making the other kids at the lunch table jealous of their homemade pudding. Gourmet Kid Cuisine meals mean your kids won't have to find random corn kernels in the pudding, too.