Macaroni & Cheese Loaf; Way or No Way?


Macaroni. Cheese. Lunchmeat. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Something pinged in my brain earlier today when I read part of the comment Grit Magazine Editor In Chief K.C. Compton left on the post prior to this one. She had written in-part:

I’m trying to foment a Great Mac & Cheese Debate now as well, but after the holidays, people seem to be tapering off a bit … Maybe in February, as we all struggle to keep our strength up for the spring planting ahead. ;~]

I’ve been all week trying to figure out how to spring this little bit of Koegel’s weirdness on the folks of SE Michigan/NW Ohio. Thanks K.C. for giving me an opening!


Briahna says that little thing near the middle looks like a lizard.

So here it is; Koegel’s Macaroni & Cheese Loaf. Like every other Koegel product I grew up on this stuff. Like just about every other pic of food on Luna Pier Cook in the past week this also came from Nehring’s Market in Burton, Michigan.

And like any other Koegel product I can eat this by the pound.

Myself, I love it. Whaddaya think? Be honest now …

36 Comments

Add a Comment
  1. Honest?

    I never had it (or even heard of it) to be fair, but I think I would pass, should it ever come my way.

  2. I showed the photo to my husband, and he said he would eat it.

  3. No way. Probably because I just don’t like lunch meat, period. Hope you plan to submit your Mom’s Mac & Cheese to the Feb. Grit debate!

  4. It looks a bit microbial, doesn’t it, like very large paramecia encased in something I simply cannot describe. I admit though, we used to eat stuff just like this when I was a kid (although a different company). I liked the “olive loaf,” which was just like this except for the sliced green olives instead of mac bits.

    My favorite luncheon meat — that staple of my Oklahoma childhood — was “chopped ham,” which I’m now convinced was chopped ham snouts. But, hey, with a little Wonder Bread and Miracle Whip, you got yerself some lunch right there.

    I liked the chopped ham because I thought it was more sophisticated and mature than “baloney.”

    The best sandwiches, however, were mustard and mayonnaise (which was actually Miracle Whip, which we grew up thinking actually was mayonnaise). Always on Wonder Bread, of course, and you couldn’t mix the mustard and mayo — it had to be mustard on one side and Miracle Whip on the other.

  5. Though I’ve never had it, I would guess that I would not like it. But that’s because I don’t really like lunch meat, and I am a macaroni and cheese purist.

  6. @DC, passing it comes a few hours later …

    @Paula, but what about you? Are you implying you wouldn’t?

    @JEP at least it’s all beef.

    @KC, Koegel also makes an excellent olive loaf which is one of my all-time faves. Haven’t had the chopped ham, but chopped ham snouts sound interesting. I only mix the mayo and mustard on burgers but not on sandwiches. Oddly enough I’d not realized that until now …

    @Emily have you tried the mac-n-cheese at J. Alexander’s? It’s so good, you’d probably make that long walk from your house to the restaurant to get some!

  7. Dave:

    I would try it.

    One of my favorite sandwiches now is cold, sliced (leftover and refrigerated) baked mac and cheese on wheat bread with ketchup. mmmmm

    peace,
    Griff

  8. Oooo I will have to try that (@ dave, not the macaroni and ketchup sandwich). I might have to walk there and back a few times to work it off, but good macaroni and cheese is always more than worth it.

  9. Last summer Kelly (from al PA) spoke about this product or a similar one and in her blog Novelle360, http://novelle360.com/ and yesterday 1/17/09, she finally tried it and showed it to us, to almost universal rejection. I liked the olive loaf as a kid, but this does not look nearly as appetizing. Anyway, check out her blog, even though you might not agreewith the conclusions – maybe it’s a different brand!

  10. @plainsman, Kelly dropped in on my roast beef entry. I’ve looked at her pics … I wouldn’t even try the stuff she ate. Looks horible! 😉

  11. OK, Dave, its a deal, based on your endorsement, I will give your favorite Koegels brand a try, when I can find it.

  12. Plainsman, ya’ gotta come to Michigan for that! Or at least Toledo …

  13. Didn’t realize you had comment moderation, so I left mine on your latest post thinking that you might not see it otherwise. Sorry about that.

    And, hey, I figure I tried one brand, so I’d be open to sampling another. Although, I must admit, I’m skeptical it could be improved upon.

    I do, however, agree with the plainsman. Although never trying olive loaf myself, at least the contents of that are intended to add flavor. Noodles don’t add much but substance.

    I’ll have to try the olive loaf one of these days just for comparison’s sake.

    Thanks for providing another perspective on what I’ve dubbed The Loaf!

  14. Absolutely! This lunch meat brings back great childhood memories of 30 years ago. My sandwich was extra special when Mom fixed this kind. In fact, I will grab this mac and cheese loaf for my next homemade sandwich!

  15. I love this stuff, I remember it in an orange package. WISH I COULD STILL GET IT.

  16. We used to get this at a small grocery in northern Michigan when I was a kid. They would slice it off the loaf for us, and wrap it in butcher’s paper. Dad would open the package, and we would each eat a couple of slices on the way home. I have the packaged brand shown above in my fridge right now, but it’s not as good as getting it sliced right off the loaf…

  17. Wow, I’ve never seen anything like this… and it looks (oddly enough) tasty looking! I remember my Grandma making simple sandwiches on squishy white bread, a slice of American cheese (she always had the giant loaf that she would slice herself rather than the individually wrapped cheese slices) and just a tiny bit of mayonnaise.

  18. Hells ya my brother and I used to eat this crap all the time when we were kids! My mom would ask us what we wanted for lunch and it was always “macaroni bologna” with mayo and a glass of apple juice! Not sure if I could eat it now, it looks pretty gross, but I still don’t mind regular bologna sandwiches once in a while, so macaroni bologna might still be good! Im sure the fiance would dig it tho, he’ll eat anything.

  19. im eating it now not this brand but a simalair brand without the red stuff in it best sandwich ever lol

  20. To Die For! And to those who won’t eat it, or even try it, GOOD! Leaves more for ME!!!!!!!!!!!!

  21. Ughh.. We were brought up on this stuff, I would not eat it now. I didn’t like it then or now.. and I like everything else that I ate as a child I think.

  22. It’s fine I guess. I’m eating it right now haha but yeah it’s ok I might not buy it next time though…

  23. Macaroni and cheese loaf is one of the finer things in life. Would almost pass up a steak for it. Grew up eating it in Northern New York, and when I go to visit this is one of the three things I get to eat. Macaroni and cheese loaf, Glazier hot dogs, and Koffee Kup donuts ( made in Burlington, Vt.

  24. will i grew up on this and now where i live i can not get it and i have to sand money to my grandmother to saind my some and it cost alot to do that

  25. Ate this all the time when I was growing up, it’s soooo good! Can’t find it now in the packages but one store still has it in the deli, actually just bought some yesterday.

  26. Try it? Lmao I am in my 40s and still enjoy a good mac n cheese sandwich. One of my fave lunch meats!

  27. Where can you get it in florida

  28. Hi Philip … Koegel’s On The Road delivers to Florida on occasion, and takes orders ahead of their visits. Keep an eye on http://www.koegelsontheroad.com for future Florida trips.

  29. I grew up eating macaroni and cheese loaf as well, although I grew up in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Our brand was Kunzler. Ours also has pimentos in it. It’s actually very good. I live in Ohio now, and people have never heard of it. I’ve lived in WV too, and they haven’t heard of it. I was starting to think it was only a Pennsylvania thing. People don’t knock this until you try it.

  30. I love this. Always have. I remember as a child mom getting this from the deli and the workers giving me a rolled peice. Now that I’m 32, I can 100% honestly say my hubby and I buy a lb every time were at the deli. I’m eating it now… Hence me randomly commenting on this site. It’s balongna on steroids. Love it. For sure not the healthiest deli meat… But f*** it. We only live once and could get hit by a bus tomorrow. We love it. Yum!!!

  31. P.s. I’m in Canada <3

  32. Mandy, that’s exactly how I feel as well. I love the stuff, and to be honest the Koegel’s variety shown here is probably healthier than others because they take more care in their recipes and ingredients. And I’m not surprised you’re from Canada, this is good comfort food and Canadians love comfort food! 🙂

  33. I love mac and cheese loaf. It hasn’t been sold in this area for about 5 yrs now and I really wish I could buy a little bit.

  34. I have been eating Koegel Mac & Cheese lunch meat since the 1950’s and am 81 years old.
    If you like lunch meat sandwiches this is the best there is, made with pork, macarooni & cheese. Made the same since I first had it as a kid, not like lots of lunch meat that uses chicken
    which is totally wrong and gross. Will be having a Mac & cheese sandwich Saturday for the
    The Michigan/Maryland football game. “GO BLUE”

  35. Loved this as a kid we live in Canada and you can buy a maple leaf or Schneider brand here kids love it

  36. I have never tried this, but would buy it once to try.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *