Boxed mac and cheese brands shoppers praise for real cheese flavor.
Let’s be real: Who doesn’t love a good box of mac and cheese? At least some point in your life, the pantry staple was likely your favorite meal. As a parent, it can be an easy, crowd-pleasing meal solution, especially for picky eaters. But not all boxed mac and cheese options are made with actual cheese. What are the best versions, according to the people who eat them? Here are the 7 best boxed mac and cheese brands made with real cheese, according to shoppers.
Annie’s Shells & White Cheddar
Annie’s
Annie’s Shells & Real Aged Cheddar or White Cheddar lives in my pantry and has been the favorite in my household for over a decade. The cheese is super creamy and tastes delicious. “Nothing beats annie’s white cheddar,” one Redditor states. “Just had Annie ‘s macaroni and cheese for the first time cheddar shells. Oh my goodness game changer favorite macaroni ever,” another said.
Kraft Deluxe Sharp Cheddar
Kraft Heinz
Kraft Mac & Cheese is the OG boxed mac and cheese that many of us grew up on. But Kraft Deluxe Original Cheddar is a major upgrade with a silky, reliably smooth and rich sauce. “Kraft. Now and forever,” one states about which boxed meal is the best. “I’m not sure it’s my absolute favorite, but Kraft Thick and Creamy (blue box variant) is criminally underrated,” one person says.
Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar
Target
Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar offers a bold flavor and rich, silky texture that shoppers love. “My family and I love the Cracker Barrel mac and cheese. I love that it comes in different flavors but it’s still rich and creamy. I usually don’t like the pouches but every now and then this is the one of our guilty pleasures,” says a Target shopper. “This is our favorite type of Mac and cheese besides homemade! It is very creamy and has great flavor,” another adds. “I love this cracker barrel mac and cheese it’s so cheesey rich and creamy with real cheese.. I eat it at least twice a week,” a third confirms.
Velveeta Shells & Cheese
Kraft Heinz
Velveeta Shells & Cheese is another classic. Instead of a powder mix, it comes with a pouch of liquid gold cheese, offering maximum creaminess and the ultimate nostalgia. “Velveta Shells. Is there really a question?” one person asks. “I LOVE Velveeta shells,” agrees another.
Goodles Cheddy Mac
Goodles
Goodles, a brand devoted to healthier boxed noodle solutions, makes a Cheddy Mac with a rich sauce that keeps shoppers coming back for more. “Yall have to try Goodles they are life changing,” one suggests. “They are so good!” agrees another. “I tried goodles because they claimed to be a healthier version of kraft. I fully expected to hate it like i hate most of the other versions of ‘healthy’ mac and cheese. I ended up actually loving it even more than Kraft or really any of the other box stuff. They’re expensive compared to the other brands but to me it worth it. I kinda don’t buy the whole “healthy” claims because at the end of the day it’s processed food from a box but if you just eat it for the taste it’s pretty top tier imo,” a third said.
Cabot Macaroni and Cheese
Cabot Creamery
Cabot, as in the Cabot Creamery brand from Vermont, is another fan favorite for authentic cheese. “The Cabot American mac and cheese is really good. It reminds me of Prince from when I was a kid. I miss Prince. They made a boxed mac n cheese in the 80s that was awesome. It was very generic, but I liked it more than Kraft growing up,” one says. “Came here looking for someone to say Cabot! New fave,” another added.
Beecher’s World’s Best Mac & Cheese
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
Beecher’s World’s Best Mac & Cheese, with a rich, real cheddar blend, is another shopper favorite. “I really liked it. There is plenty of cheese sauce and the noodles were al dente. It seems to be cheddar and jack cheese with some spices added that blend together so well its hard to pinpoint one over the other,” says a Redditor. “Beecher’s is otherworldly,” another agrees. “Those ingredients are awesome. It’s almost like it’s real food,” a third adds. “World’s best? Nah, try solar system’s best,” a fourth jokes.
Leah Groth
Leah Groth is an experienced shopping editor and journalist for Best Life and Eat This, Not That! bringing readers the best new finds, trends, and deals each week. Read more about Leah
