Cheesy Goodness
When it comes to cooking for a whole family, nothing pleases a crowd quite like mac and cheese. Most moms know to have a few boxes in their pantry for easy lunches, but with all the choices out there, which to choose? This list breaks down 20 of the best and worst brands out there, so you can stock up confidently.
1. Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar
Cracker Barrel is known for putting out cheese products, so surely their mac and cheese would be good? Well, many people would admit it’s great. While pricier, you get everything from that cheesy flavor to that delectable creaminess.
2. Annie’s Shells White Cheddar
Adored by many, this is probably the most popular Annie flavor out there. The shells are great at capturing the sauce, and the white cheddar lends itself to an even creamier experience.
3. Walmart Great Value
Before you start hating on Walmart, it’s important to recognize that this box retails for under 50 cents. That’s an insane price point, and it’s a lifesaver when it comes to feeding larger families. Price aside, it has that Kraft look and the cheese sauce is surprisingly thick and tasty.
4. Velveeta
Velveeta can be a hit or a miss depending on your family’s style, but most moms love this stuff. Not only are the shells a great vessel for capturing cheese, but the cheese sauce itself is incredibly rich and creamy.
5. Annie’s Aged Mac and Cheese
This variant also uses those delicious shells, and the aged sauce adds a whole new flavor that other brands are missing. The cheddar has a very thorough flavor, plus, 80% of the ingredients are organic, so you can feel good about eating them.
6. Goodles Cheddy Mac
If you do want a healthier mac and cheese alternative, consider Goodles. Not only does each pack offer 14 grams of protein, but the sauce just tastes and looks glossier, and also has a hint of sweetness to each bite.
7. Kraft Deluxe
Kraft’s deluxe recipe certainly beats its original, and you can tell just by looking at the texture of the pasta. While it’s also pricier, you get thicker pieces of pasta and a pretty consistent cheese sauce, as long as you like the texture.
8. Annie’s Original
While not as delicious as the white cheddar variant, the original recipe also has a lot going for it. It’s a bit pricier, but at that price point you get a better texture, that cheesy mouthfeel, and some decent flavor.
9. Trader Joe’s Wisconsin Cheddar
While not the most flavorful option either, this box has a lot going for it. It’s very affordable at its price point, and is relatively tasty with a decent texture. Just not the best pick if flavor is your end-game.
10. Kraft Original
To be completely honest, Kraft Original really doesn’t taste that good. It’s very basic and gets away with nostalgia points, but compared to other mac and cheeses, it falls short. Despite that, it’s one of the most affordable brands out there, and so many kids adore it, that every mom knows to have it on hand.
Now that we talked about some of the most popular mac and cheese brands out there, here are 10 that most people avoid.
1. Banza
If you’re looking for a healthy mac and cheese, then Banza might be worth considering, as it’s a chickpea-based pasta. The only issue is you can really taste the bean flavor, which can be a bit off-putting and unfamiliar.
2. Whole Foods 365
Most healthy mac and cheeses just miss the mark, and that’s what happened with this organic option. It doesn’t taste like cheese, and most people describe the taste as off and hard to describe.
3. Annie’s Grassfed
While Annie’s certainly has some tasty mac and cheese offerings, the grassfed variant just isn’t the one. While there’s nothing necessarily off about it, it just comes across as too plain and flavorless to compete with other options.
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4. KD Simply
Kraft tried to help parents fool their kids into eating veggies by making a cauliflower-based pasta. The only issue is it lacks the taste that kids would want, and has a dry and sweet taste that isn’t redeeming at all.
5. Muscle Mac
Unfortunately, most macaronis that attempt to be healthy sacrifice all the flavor to do it. Muscle Mac promises protein but it lacks flavor, is pretty chewy, and just isn’t a fulfilling meal at all.
6. D Gourmet
You can find this brand in most dollar stores, but despite the low-low price, you’ll want to avoid it. The macaroni tends to congeal after it’s cooked, leading to a glue-like texture your kids won’t appreciate.
7. Daiya
Don’t let the cost fool you! Despite being one of the pricier macs out there, Daiya also lacks flavor and texture. While it does have that creamy flair, there is an aftertaste that some people tend to struggle with.
8. Annie’s Vegan Mac
While there are certainly some great vegan macaroni and cheeses out there, this isn’t the one. The pasta comes across as tasteless and mushy, and almost dissolves in your mouth.
9. Kraft Deluxe Velveeta on Shells
Since Kraft Deluxe is good, and Velveeta is good, you’d expect the combination to be good too. But it isn’t. Instead, the pasta just has this awful yellow look to it and is easy to overcook. Plus, the cheese sauce is pretty flavorless, making the whole experience mushy and bland.
10. Market Pantry Macaroni and Cheese
This brand comes from Target, but it unfortunately falls short for a lot of reasons. It lacks the creamy and cheesy texture you want, plus some describe it as tasting like cardboard.
