Almost-ready-to-eat mac and cheese isn't just an inexpensive food, it's also a convenient
and surprisingly tasty one, no matter how old you are. If you're trying to find out which kind you
should get, we did the legwork: here are the most popular brands, ranked from the worst to the best.
We love a boxed mac and cheese. Who doesn't? Part of the appeal is that there is some assembly
required. You have to boil the water and cook the pasta, you have to rip open that powdery
cheese packet and pour it in, and you may even add some butter if you're really feeling like
flexing your chef muscles. But Lean Cuisine Favorites Macaroni and Cheese takes that sense
of accomplishment away from us, leaving us with nothing to do but stare at the slowly rotating
frozen brick in the microwave, wondering how all of our life's patterns became so cyclical.
Not everyone is a fan of frozen prepared meals, and it's not just because of their reputation as
"lazy" foods. Frozen meals often just don't taste as good as fresh,
especially when it comes to pasta, and that's definitely the case here. The cheese in this
Lean Cuisine meal is almost like plastic, and the macaroni is limp, sad, lifeless, a far cry from
the al dente delight you can get when you make your own pasta. You can definitely do better.
Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese doesn't cut it for us either. Is it a bit tastier than the Lean
Cuisine? Yes. But it still has that floppy, weak-looking macaroni that looks less than
inviting. The cheese sauce can be watery and flavorless, and to top it all off, you don't
even get much in a single package unless you buy a family size. Mac and cheese is about indulging,
but you're not going to be able to fill a big bowl with a normal portion of this stuff.
If you're left with no other options and have to pick up some Stouffer's to cure
your mac and cheese craving, the least you can do is upgrade it. By adding protein,
spices, and even some breadcrumbs, you may be able to save this less-than-appealing freezer
meal. But by then, you might as well just make it yourself.
"Well yeah, I noticed! You put meat hunks in it! Wow, hunks of meat!"
Trying to make mac and cheese healthy might just be the eighth deadly sin,
so it's not a surprise that Banza Elbows & Classic Cheddar is next on the chopping block.
It's made with chickpea pasta, and the cheese is a "classic cheddar," which is likely an attempt to
equate it with more classic mac and cheese options like Kraft. Now, chickpea pasta can be delicious,
but is it really the best type of pasta for mac and cheese? Judging by Banza's recipe,
no. But while the flavor of the pasta is lacking, the texture of it isn't bad.
However, there is one caveat. This chickpea pasta is gluten-free,
so it is a good option if you're missing the mac and cheese of your childhood. And to be fair,
we'd rather have this chickpea pasta than whole wheat pasta any day.
Calling all Whole Foods lovers: If you're a regular shopper at Whole Foods,
then you know the 365 Everyday Value brand carries just about any essential item you can think of,
including mac and cheese. But you won't find the quality you've
likely come to expect from the brand when you opt for this boxed product.
Yes, it is edible, but still, the sauce can turn out kind of dry, which lends itself to
a clumpy texture that isn't exactly what most people are looking for in their mac and cheese.
This product might not deserve too much hate on the basis of quality apart from
the fact that Whole Foods prides itself on its high quality. But why would you
pay more for a store brand if you can get a better, and cheaper, name-brand product
somewhere else? You may want to skip this mac and cheese on your next Whole Foods run.
We all have a soft spot in our hearts for Kraft Original Mac and Cheese.
For many of us, it was our first-ever mac and cheese experience,
and we'll never forget biting into the tiny tubular noodles smothered in that bright orange
cheese sauce and discovering that there was, in fact, beauty in the world. And this culinary
mainstay has been around for a while: Kraft launched its boxed mac and cheese product in 1937.
Consumers could purchase the product for just 19 cents, and it would serve four people. Since the
country was in the midst of the Great Depression at the time, this food was bound to be a success.
Despite a myriad of changes to the economy since that time, Kraft is still one of the
most popular boxed mac and cheese products out there. But do we love it because it's actually
the best option or because we've had it all our lives? We'd argue that it's the latter.
Sure, Aldi is great for a lot of things, but perhaps the best word to describe
Simply Nature Organic Macaroni & Cheese from Aldi is...neutral. It's definitely not bad,
but it's not exactly packed with flavor either. Like many of Aldi's products,
it's a relatively obvious rip-off of the standard Kraft Original,
but the cheese might be slightly sharper in this iteration of the boxed classic.
We won't judge if you eat it straight from the pot after a long day of work when you just can't
be bothered to make a real meal. But you're not going to convince anyone it didn't come
out of a box from a budget store, even with the most elaborate upgrades and enhancements.
Marie Callender's Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese is one frozen mac and cheese option
we actually don't hate. There's actually a lot to love about this product: the sauce is
super creamy, and the cheese has a sharper flavor than you may be used to in a store-bought mac and
cheese. It may not remind you of traditional mac and cheese, but it does taste good.
Add in the bread crumbs, and this definitely isn't your basic powder cheese packet mix.
But alas, Marie Calender's couldn't manage to rank any higher than this
because of the same soggy pasta issue: in other words, it's a texture thing.
As a mac and cheese staple, you had to expect to see a Kraft product again,
but we're more excited about this one. The Kraft Deluxe White Cheddar and Garlic Herbs
is putting an elevated twist on the classic box meal. The white cheddar has a sharper
taste than the original, which will likely appeal to everyone who grew up on Kraft but
has since managed to refine their taste. The herb flavoring, while not very strong,
lends a different, unexpected flavor to the dish that's overall pretty good.
It's still your classic Kraft recipe though: the cheap noodles, the powder,
the suspiciously long list of ingredients. If you are willing to let your standards slip,
though, this mac and cheese may just be your perfect excuse.
"Do you want a snack?"
"No. I'm not talking to you. Fine. Mac and cheese."
If you're looking for your ultimate cheap go-to meal, it has to be the Kroger Brand
Original Mac and Cheese. It comes in at under a dollar, and at three servings per container,
this is definitely a solid meal option when your rent is due and you don't get paid for a week.
Apart from the amazing price point, the quality of the product is pretty good, especially considering
the price. Overall, it reminds us of the Kraft brand, but somehow, it just tastes better.
Does your local grocery store have a specially designated health food section? If so, there's
a good chance you'll see Annie's Shells and Real Aged Cheddar there. You can get this stuff in
a box, but it's also offered in single-serving microwavable cups if you want to take your mac
on the go. We have to admit, there's something about shell pasta that might be even better
than macaroni, and the aged cheddar flavoring in this product is slightly more refined than Kraft.
But while Annie's purports to be healthier than other brands out there,
it turns out that isn't the full story. While the company's products may be labeled "natural" or
"organic," Annie's mac and cheese is just as unhealthy as Kraft mac and cheese in many ways.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't eat it, of course, it does taste good. Just make sure you don't fool
yourself into thinking you're actually eating healthy when you pop open a box of this stuff.
Pretty much anything Trader Joe's has a chance of winning a spot at the table considering what
a huge fan following many of its products have. The Trader Joe's Organic Shells and
White Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese is no exception. For a so-called "healthier"
mac and cheese option, this boxed product may be one of the cheapest on the market,
which you've probably already come to expect from Trader Joe's.
Even though it may come in a box, you shouldn't be expecting the orange cheese sauce you've been
used to for all these years since the cheese in this product is a creamy white color.
While this mac and cheese is flavorful, it's also possible to use it as a base for a more
interesting pasta dish, but even on nights when you can't convince yourself to do anything more
complicated than boil some pasta, you're not going to be disappointed with this choice.
We know what we said about frozen mac and cheese, but when it comes to the Evol
Truffle Parmesan Mac and Cheese, you can ignore those criticisms completely.
This stuff is downright delicious. Parmesan isn't the typical cheese
you'd use in a mac and cheese dish, but we can't get enough of the unexpected flavor.
And it may seem like everyone is obsessed with truffles these days, but they do provide a rich,
earthy tone that's melt-in-your-mouth amazing, especially when combined with cheese. The dish
is also topped with panko bread crumbs. We weren't expecting them to be particularly crunchy,
considering it's microwaved. But we were wrong, and the crunch is real.
Evol might not be the cheapest brand out there, but there's a reason for that. The company offers
higher-quality frozen meals than you might not be used to if you grew up in the era of Kid Cuisine,
and this is mac and cheese that you can actually look forward to.
The blue Kraft box may be the most well-known boxed mac and cheese product,
but if you ate a lot of mac and cheese growing up, you probably had some Velveeta Shells and Cheese
in your pantry from time to time as well. The original flavor is the most well-known,
but the company has now expanded to include all kinds of flavors, like bacon and even broccoli.
But none of those add-ins can overpower the flavor and texture of the bright-yellow Velveeta.
It may come as a surprise, but Velveeta was once seen as a healthy product to
feed to your family. These days, we know better than to think these
shells and slathered with Velveeta cheese are healthy, but we've never
quite gotten over that silky smooth texture that makes every bite feel like a warm hug.
When you think of mac and cheese, you probably don't often equate it with veganism, and that
makes sense. How could anything smothered in an animal product ever be considered vegan? However,
as veganism has gained in popularity, there are more and more companies popping up to create
vegan versions of all your favorite non-vegan items. Mac and cheese is high on the list,
since vegan cheese is something that can be difficult to make at home.
That's where Modern Table mac and cheese comes in. This stuff is taking vegan mac and
cheese to a whole new level. The lentil pasta is surprisingly un-lentil-like,
which means you don't have to trick yourself into pretending it's normal pasta.
There are three different flavors, but we're most in love with the three-cheese option.
Even if you're not vegan, this stuff is definitely worth a try.
One of the parts we like best about mac and cheese is the fact that it takes you back to
your childhood when things were a bit simpler, and also a lot more fun. That's what the Back to
Nature Crazy Bugs Macaroni and Cheese Dinner is all about. The recipe is pretty simple,
but there's so much about this box meal that earns it a spot at the top of the list.
Most notable is the shape of the pasta. Not only is it fun and guaranteed to make adults smile
just as much as kids, but it's also perfect for holding onto all that delicious sauce.
The cheese makes its way into all the little crevices and makes every bite creamier. For
some reason, the pasta takes a bit longer to cook than other mac and cheese brands out there,
but if you're committed to having the best, it's worth the extra time.
"We're havin' macaroni tonight! That means garlic bread! Yes!"
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