Move Over Kraft, This New Boxed Mac and Cheese Is All I Want for Dinner

One thing I will never grow tired of is boxed macaroni and cheese. Don’t believe me? Check my pantry. It’s stocked with different brands and flavors for all my moods: Kraft when I want something nostalgic. Velveeta when I’m craving extra cheesy goodness. And Annie’s White Cheddar when I need something downright delicious in a few minutes. 

That’s the beauty of boxed mac and cheese—it’s tasty and can be ready on the stovetop quickly. Sure, I love the viral baked mac and cheese loaded with two pounds of cheese and is otherworldly good, but I don’t always have the patience—especially not when I can mix up a boxed version and add some fish sauce or extra cheese to make it taste homemade. 

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind doctoring up boxed mac and cheese because, either way, it’s still a shortcut, but I love an option that doesn’t need the additional zhuzh. And it seems like Kroger has released just that. 

Kroger's New Cacio e Pepe Macaroni & Cheese

This summer, Kroger is adding a new cacio e pepe-flavored mac and cheese to its private label line. 

Kroger’s Private Selection line is one of our favorite private labels because, unlike some store brands, it doesn’t just copy and paste products from its competitors. Sure, there’s a private-label version of some popular sodas and cookies, but Private Selection also has a unique lineup—including the new Cacio e Pepe Creamy Macaroni & Cheese. 

Cacio e pepe is one of the all-time great Roman pasta dishes because it's so darn simple to make with cheese and cracked black pepper. At its core, cacio e pepe is mac and cheese, just with fewer ingredients and no macaroni noodles. So, put the two together, and you should have genius.

The Private Selection cacio e pepe macaroni and cheese contains black pepper and traditional Romano and Parmesan cheeses. Everyone wants a good mac and cheese to be extra creamy and cheesy, so Kroger added white Cheddar cheese to give the sauce a more authentic taste and texture.

The $4 box of mac and cheese would make a great side dish for most dinners, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it on its own, much like a great cacio e pepe meal. 

The Cacio e Pepe Creamy Macaroni & Cheese Pasta is on shelves now at Kroger and its family stores, including Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Dillons, and more.

I hope the cacio e pepe mac and cheese will become a permanent addition to the Private Selection line, but just in case it doesn't, I'll be sure to eat my fill of it all summer long.