We Tried 18 Boxes of Mac and Cheese to Find the Very Best

When you think of a box of mac and cheese, you might imagine the original blue box (here’s the best hack to make it extra tasty), but the mac and cheese aisle has been expanding for years. Standing in the grocery store, you're now met with several brands, multiple types of pasta shapes, different types of cheese, a plethora of different textures, and new creative seasonings. I realized this was going to be the largest tasting I've ever done, but since it was for mac and cheese, I wasn't the least bit sad, nor was my family. Once you decide which box is for you, enjoy it as-is, or fancy it up for a full-blown meal. Here's what we found after trying 18 types (yes, you read that correctly) of mac and cheese.

What We Looked for When Testing and Ranking Boxed Mac and Cheese

Since there were so many types of mac and cheese to try and I only have six pots, we tasted the boxes by category. First, we tried the yellow mac and cheeses, then the white versions, followed by the deluxe category, and finally, the non-traditional. Each mac and cheese was prepared according to package instructions without the optional ingredients added, which was generally the butter. The dishes were then tried blind, i.e. the tasters didn't know which brand was associated with each taste. The mac and cheese was judged on texture, cheesiness, and general flavor. After boiling a lot of noodles and squeezing a lot of cheese sauce packets, here's what we found.

The Top Mac and Cheese Choice in Each Category

Best Gluten-Free: Annie's Gluten-Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar

Annie's gluten-free mac and cheese uses rice pasta and had the best texture of all the gluten-free versions. Tasters found the pasta to be surprisingly firm despite the initial fear that the gluten-free version might turn to mush. In fact, some tasters said they wished the pasta was cooked a minute or so longer. Nevertheless, the flavor is the hands-down favorite in the gluten-free category.

Best Deluxe: Kraft Mac & Cheese with Garlic & Herbs

As if making boxed mac and cheese wasn't easy enough, the deluxe versions make it even easier. All you do is boil the noodles and squeeze in the thick cheese sauce. Done. Well, I must admit, as a whole, these were my least favorite varieties because they tasted the least like homemade. However, the addition of the little packet of garlic and herbs in the Kraft Deluxe made me keep going back for a second, third, and fourth taste. And other tasters agreed.

Best White Cheddar: Annie's Shells & White Cheddar

Of all the "original" mac and cheese options, Annie's Cheddar classic go-to emerged on top with most of the tasters due to the shell pasta shape and the balanced cheesy sauce. One tester said, "the cheesiness doesn't taste fake and the white cheddar makes it feel more homestyle," which pretty much sums up why this was the unanimous pick for the best regular boxed mac and cheese.

Best Newcomer: Cabot Classic Yellow Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese

Entering the mac and cheese market seems like a tough gamble, but Cabot, the Vermont-based dairy farm cooperative known for its premium Cheddar, jumped into the grocery game. Lucky for them, they did a good job, and this mac and cheese is clearly made with premium cheese. It's a little more expensive than the blue box but only by $1 or $2 depending on your store. Trust me, it's worth it.

Best Creative Addition: Kraft Macaroni & Cheese with Cauliflower

As a dietitian, I've always been a bit skeptical about the sneaky veggie technique, i.e. slipping some vegetables into a dish that the child doesn't know is there. But as someone who now has 2-year-old twin toddlers, I'll admit that this new mac and cheese with cauliflower from Kraft isn't just smart, it's pretty tasty. While a kid (or adult) is only getting a 1/4 cup of vegetables per mac and cheese serving, it's still better than none. But the real joy is that the cauliflower adds a really nice flavor to the pasta. Add peas to this mac, and you're getting really close to filling that daily veggie quota.