Boxed Mac And Cheese Ranked From Worst To Best

Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, and lucky for us, we don't always have to make it from scratch. While nothing compares to gooey, gourmet macaroni and cheese, you can grab lots of tasty boxed options from the store and whip them up in a matter of moments. Even so, they aren't all made the same; some are much tastier and creamier than others. So, which store-bought boxes of macaroni and cheese are the best, and which should be left on the shelf? The answer may surprise you.

In order to compile a definitive ranking of boxed macaroni and cheeses, I purchased and personally taste-tested several different common grocery store options. Then, I ranked them according to flavor, texture, creaminess, price, convenience, and quality overall. I'll go more in-depth on my methodology at the end, but for now, let's jump right in. That way, you can steer clear of lower-quality options and always go straight for the good stuff.

Prices are as of the date of publication and may vary based on region.

As a Cheetos lover, I had high hopes for the brand's macaroni and cheese. But unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. In fact, it didn't even come close, as is evident by its last place ranking on this list. While it did taste a bit like the cheesy Cheetos we all know and love, the flavor didn't translate well when mashed with noodles.

The flavor of Cheetos Mac 'N Cheese can only be described as "artificial," and the bright, almost-neon color only amplifies this assessment. It isn't very creamy or cheesy either. In addition, the spiral noodles don't stay intact very well while cooking. Basically, it doesn't taste or look great. Compared to all the other brands of macaroni and cheese I sampled, Cheetos Mac 'N Cheese was by far the worst. Its only saving grace is that it costs about $1.49, but there are much better options available — and several of them cost even less.

I'm a big fan of Target-brand products, but sadly, this doesn't extend to Market Pantry's Macaroni & Cheese. It might do in a pinch, like if you're trying to be thrifty, but that's about it. It didn't have any of the best traits of macaroni and cheese, such as a creamy, cheesy texture. The flavor is also super bland and almost cardboard-like. Really, it's not exciting. I'm not even sure the immature palates of kids would like it very much.

At $0.65 a box, Market Pantry's Macaroni & Cheese is the cheapest brand I tried, but even that's not enough to ever make me buy it again. Seriously, do yourself a favor and spend a bit more. I'm not talking much, either. For an additional $0.25, you can get my 11th-place pick. Market Pantry Macaroni & Cheese is slightly better than the Cheetos Mac 'N Cheese — but barely.

Mac-A-Roni's Creamy Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese has an appealing, cost-effective price of just $1.25, but I still wouldn't recommend it. The company may be famous for its rice (Rice-A-Roni), and in my opinion, it should stick to that (sorry, not sorry). While I immediately noticed Mac-A-Roni was slightly cheesier and creamier than the last two products, it still only achieved a third-to-last-place ranking when compared to a myriad of other better, tastier brands.

When I first took a bite of Mac-A-Roni's Creamy Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese I thought it wasn't very yummy. Actually, I thought it was pretty bad. The noodles had a good texture and size, but the flavor was off. It had a weird chemical aftertaste that could only be described as "unsavory." Regrettably, it easily overtook the positive elements I first perceived and left a bad taste in my mouth (literally and figuratively).

Annie's is another one of those brands that I tend to gravitate towards. It makes delicious soups and I've been known to get the company's Deluxe Shells & Aged Cheddar when it goes on sale. However, this was my first time tasting the Macaroni & Classic Cheddar option — and I wasn't impressed. It's definitely a better pick than the brands that came in the last three spots on this list, but that isn't saying much considering how unappealing they turned out to be.

After mixing up my box of pasta and cheese, the first thing I noticed was that the sauce was quite watery and it didn't stick to the noodles very well. Plus, it wasn't easy to get the powdered cheese, butter, and milk to come together and form a cohesive sauce. Once I did the best I could, I gave it a try. It was very bland. It had a touch more flavor than lower-ranking brands, but not by a lot. The organic noodles weren't very tasty either. The $1.79 price tag isn't bad, but if you want a creamy, cheesy mac, I'd pick something else.

Coming in 11th place is Kroger's Rich 'N Creamy Macaroni & Cheese. While we are progressing closer to number one, I still wouldn't say this product is great. Not bad, sure, but not exciting by any means. Compared to the lower-ranking products, it is noticeably creamier and has a better cheesy flavor. But it still doesn't measure up to the higher-ranked boxed macaroni and cheese options.

Another thing I liked about the Kroger Rich 'N Creamy Macaroni & Cheese was its noodles. They were a good size and were thick enough to give the finished product a nice, chewy texture overall. Even so, I wouldn't say it was cheesy. It was a bit lackluster in that regard.

This boxed mac and cheese has a super low price of just $0.89. If you're on a budget, it could be an okay choice, especially if you choose to level up this mac and cheese by swapping the milk and butter for Greek yogurt. However, if it cost more, it likely would have been ranked lower.

Next up is another Kroger option, but this time it's the company's Deluxe Original Mac and Cheese product. Admittedly, its pre-made cheese sauce packet is somewhat more enticing than a box with powdered cheese because of how convenient it is. However, I still wouldn't have given it anything higher than 10 out of 15. Why? Unfortunately, the flavor was pretty bad. I even gave it a couple of tries, but found it to be bland and relatively boring as a whole.

The noodles in the box were thick and ridged. As a result, the cheese sauce stuck to them really well. The sauce was also super easy to mix in and was much creamier than any of the boxed mac and cheeses that earned a lower ranking on this list. To top it off, Kroger's Deluxe Original Mac and Cheese has an incredibly low price for a deluxe product (one that doesn't have powdered cheese); it's only $1.50.

You know, before I taste-tested all of the boxed mac and cheese options on this list, I thought Kraft's Deluxe Four Cheese was going to do pretty well. However, I couldn't have been more wrong. I'm not even 100% sure it deserves ninth place. It's miles behind my eighth-place pick. Unlike the brand's standard powdered cheese product, the flavor of this sauce was really off-putting. I thought it had a potent chemical flavor and tasted nothing like its classic counterpart.

I'll admit, the Kraft Deluxe Four Cheese Macaroni and Cheese is very creamy, and that's a big perk. The noodles are also ridged, so they hold the sauce fairly well. However, for the price, I'd rather buy a box of Kraft Original and boil the noodles in milk to make them creamier. It wouldn't be quite the same, but it'd be a huge improvement and cost a fraction of the price.

Alright, this is where my list takes a major turn for the better. Kraft Original is significantly better than the previous options. It still only achieved a solid middle-place ranking, but it's the first product so far that doesn't have a bad or uber-bland taste. I wouldn't say the flavor is great, I personally think it's a bit artificial, but the taste of the Kraft Original Macaroni and Cheese has nostalgic appeal for many people, so that earned it a few brownie points.

Kraft Original Macaroni and Cheese wasn't as easy to mix as many of the higher-ranking products. The powdered cheese was a bit grainier, but it did form what could be called a "cheesy and somewhat creamy" sauce in the end.

Even if it's not worthy of a top position in a head-to-head comparison, Kraft Original Macaroni and Cheese won't let you down. You may already know what to expect from it, and at around $1.29 a box, it's relatively inexpensive. Plus, Kraft even phased out artificial dyes in its mac and cheese. Nice!

Kroger's Simple Truth Organic line of products is generally pretty decent — and this includes the Deluxe Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese. While the flavor was okay, and slightly bland compared to other higher-ranking products, I still enjoyed the saltiness of the cheese sauce against the noodles. Still, it wasn't exciting in any way, and I'm not convinced kids would like it much.

My main problem with Simple Truth's product was how difficult it was to mix. The sauce is much thicker than other options I sampled. Even though I stirred it in while the noodles were piping hot, it took quite a while to melt down entirely into the pasta. Maybe it's because it's organic, but who knows? How a shelf-stable cheese product sold at such a low price can be certified organic is beyond me, but I'll still count it as a win.

Before I started making and taste-testing each of the products on this list, I assumed the powdered cheese options would rank lower than the deluxe options that come with a pre-made sauce. However, I was proven wrong by Good & Gather's Organic Classic Elbows & Cheddar. While it's still far from the best option, it had no problem outperforming both of the deluxe products that received a lower ranking than it. It's also the best powdered cheese option. Still, it didn't quite measure up to the top-five picks.

If you prefer organic products, which many people do, grab this one. It is priced exceptionally low ($1.79 per box) and has pretty good flavor and texture overall. It is also significantly tastier and creamier than the basic Good & Gather macaroni and cheese. The flavor is more like what you'd expect from a boxed brand — it's not bland and boring, but it's not super exciting either. Even so, the noodles seemed like they were pretty low quality, and cheap pasta is simply an ingredient that don't belong in a good macaroni and cheese.

I'm not the biggest fan of Velveeta cheese, so honestly, I was somewhat surprised the brand's Shells & Cheese product was able to score so high in my ranking. Even so, after giving it a taste, I had no doubt it was much better than all of the previous options on this list.

Velveeta's Shells & Cheese is super creamy and the noodles are the perfect size to hold lots of sauce, both of which are fantastic traits. The flavor, on the other hand, left a bit to be desired. It had a nice salty element, but overall, remained a bit bland. It also tasted slightly artificial. If you're familiar with Velveeta cheese, this makes sense. As a result, I wouldn't rank this product higher than fifth place. Besides, it costs $3.49 a box, which isn't awful for deluxe macaroni and cheese, but my fourth-place winner has it beat in terms of price and flavor — by a lot. 

At just $1.59 per box, Market Pantry's Deluxe Shells Macaroni & Cheese is the best budget option on this list. It manages to bring a creamy texture and yummy flavor all at a super low price. Actually, I like this product so much that it can often be found stocked in my cupboards, especially when I'm trying to stick to a tight budget.

In general, I tend to like elbow noodles more than shells, but this product is really good — so I'm more than willing to overlook this detail. It comes with lots of yummy cheese sauce, probably more than you truly need, but the extra sauce leads to a deliciously rich and creamy texture in the end. Plus, it's significantly creamier and better tasting than anything powdered, hence its high ranking. However, it's still only worthy of a fourth-place position because the flavor could be considered a bit one-dimensional.

Private Selection's Wisconsin Five Cheese Blend Macaroni & Cheese is the third-best product on this list, and rightfully so. It comes with an abundance of rich, creamy cheese sauce, maybe even more than necessary, and it tastes super yummy. Unlike many other lower-ranked options, the cheese flavor is fairly complex. I mean, it's still a processed cheese product, but the high quality is noticeable.

My only complaints about this boxed macaroni and cheese lie with the noodles. First, there aren't enough of them. Second, they are super thick and take about 12 to 15 minutes to cook (I'm not a huge fan of super al dente noodles, so it took me 14 minutes to get the right texture). This shouldn't be a huge issue — but is worthy of note. 

Honestly, I probably would have given this product the number two spot if the box contained more, thinner noodles that didn't take so long to boil. After all, at $3.29 a box, it is less expensive than the two top-ranking options. Either way, it is a shoo-in for the top three. It also comes in a few other unique, yummy flavors like Spicy Poblano, Decadent Gouda, Porcini Mushroom Truffle, and more — and they are all tasty.

Coming in second place, Annie's Deluxe Shells & Aged Cheddar is another fantastic-tasting option that offers lots of creamy goodness, a comparatively bold flavor, and convenience. All around, it makes an excellent choice. It does have one big drawback: an elevated price tag of $5.49 per box (the highest on this list). Still, it may just be worth it. Even if it isn't your go-to, it makes a great splurge or score whenever it goes on sale.

I think the main reason I instantly loved this mac and cheese is because of the aged cheddar. It added lots of depth to the flavor, especially compared to most of the other products out there. The cheese sauce is also easy to stir in and it has a lovely, creamy texture. The shells were a touch smaller than I prefer, but that's just a minor detail. They were still large enough to hold lots of yummy sauce, and that's what really matters.

Out of all the boxed mac and cheeses I tried, Cracker Barrel's Sharp Cheddar was the obvious number one pick. It beat out every other option by a long shot. Unfortunately, it does cost about $4.99, but I'm willing to pay for the upgraded flavor, creaminess, and convenience it provides.

Seriously, I think this mac and cheese is delicious. In fact, it's one of the things you can pretty much always find stocked in my pantry. It has a super rich and creamy texture and an undeniably rich cheese flavor that blows every other product I sampled out of the water. In addition, the noodles are what I consider to be the perfect size. They hold sauce beautifully, have a nice bite, and seem to be of good quality.

If Cracker Barrel's Sharp Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese was a bit cheaper, I wouldn't consider buying anything else. It goes on sale from time to time, and when it does, I always stock up. Plus, it comes in a few other flavors, including Sharp White Cheddar, Cheddar Havarti, and Parmesan White Cheddar — and they are all delicious!

Some people outgrow boxed macaroni and cheese as they age — I am not one of those people. I love all kinds, from boxed and frozen to homemade, and eat them all on a pretty regular basis. As a result, I have tried almost all of the options on this list several times in the past. However, to ensure I came up with the best ranking possible, I purchased and taste-tested each product described above so I could see how they compare in a head-to-head competition.

While sampling, I paid close attention to creaminess, flavor, texture, and quality overall. When determining the final ranking, I also considered the price, quantity of noodles, and convenience, including whether or not I needed additional ingredients, how easily it mixed, and how long the noodles needed to be cooked for. This might seem like a lot, but really, flavor and creaminess reigned supreme. So, if you stick to the top five boxed macaroni and cheese products, you shouldn't be disappointed. If not, you may be left underwhelmed. Don't worry if you wind up with a lesser pick, though. You can always upgrade boxed mac and cheese with lots of tasty ingredients, no matter the product.