I Asked 8 Chefs for the Best Boxed Mac and Cheese, and Their Top Pick Wasn't Kraft

True, the concept of cheesy noodles might be more closely linked with childhood. But according to the award-winning chefs we spoke to, you’re never too old to add a bowl of semi-homemade macaroni and cheese to your menu. Aren’t we lucky to live in a world that doesn’t force us to graduate out of boxed mac and cheese when we graduate from grade school?

“Mac and cheese has been my ultimate guilty pleasure my entire life,” says cookbook author Jamie Milne. “It was my go-to meal after a big night out in college, and it was my biggest craving when I was pregnant with my son. Now, it’s my son’s favorite food—and is still mine, too!”

“Kraft Dinner”—yes, the one that’s now renowned for its blue box—is believed to be the first commercially sold boxed macaroni and cheese. It hit shelves in 1937 and was sold for 19 cents a box. At the time, the ability to have a pasta dinner on the table in about 10 minutes was quite a triumph. Nearly a century later, mac and cheese is a menu mainstay. And each year, Kraft has more competition.

Back in 2023, the Allrecipes team did the tough research of tasting and rating 18 brands of boxed mac and cheese to find the very best one. However, the market has grown substantially since then, and we’re always curious to know what the experts believe is worthy of a bite. So we rounded up a group of professional chefs who eat and enjoy boxed mac, and asked them to dish about their favorites.

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Our Panel of Macaroni and Cheese-Rating Chefs

Lindsey Baruch, content creator and recipe developer of Lindsey Eats in Los Angeles
Ian Boden, owner and executive chef of Maude & the Bear in Staunton, Virginia
Jeanette Donnarumma, a Ridgewood, New Jersey-based Emmy Award-winning producer, recipe developer, content creator, and digital media producer
George Duran, a celebrity chef in New York City
Jamie Milne, a recipe developer, content creator, and author of “Everything Delish,” who splits her time between Toronto and New York City
Brian Mooney, owner and executive chef of Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen in Hoover, Alabama
Audrey Plant, co-founder of Winn Winn Café in Columbus, Ohio
Michael Rednak, executive chef of Indaco in Greenville, South Carolina

The Qualities of the Best Boxed Mac and Cheese

“This was one of the first things I cooked as a kid, so I always seek out that familiar nostalgic flavor in a boxed mac and cheese,” says recipe developer Lindsey Baruch. Besides tasting like childhood, the best boxed mac and cheeses check the following boxes, the chefs say:

Real cheese flavor. Celebrity chef George Duran and Winn Winn Café co-founder Audrey Plant agree that a sauce that truly tastes like cheese is paramount. “I also like to try to find out if the cheese packet is grainy or has a finer texture,” Plant shares about dried cheese mixes. “I prefer a cheese mixture that is finer so that it melts into the butter and milk more easily,” she explains.
Creamy consistency. The meltability of the sauce or powder is another important factor to consider, the chefs believe. It should be creamy, not gluey, pasty, or chalky, according to recipe developers Jeanette Donnarumma and Baruch.

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Noodles that can hold their own. As for the pasta that holds the sauce, if home cooks follow the box instructions, “the pasta should hold its texture beyond the first few bites,” Donnarumma believes. Duran says that he’s been subject to noodles that get mushy before finishing a sentence, and no one deserves that mac misery.
Little to no artificial colors and flavors. If the cheese veers too salty or artificial, “it loses me,” Donnarumma admits. Duran also gives a big thumbs down to any sauce that “tastes sweet or plasticky.” Whipping up a box is the best way to determine this, but the package can give you a clue about the finished product. Duran adds, “I steer clear of ingredient lists that read like a chemistry midterm. Some brands have so many artificial colors they seem like they could almost glow in the dark!”
Simple to prepare. There are hundreds of homemade mac and cheese recipes to explore, but when we turn to a boxed version, efficiency and convenience are our top priorities. For a boxed mac and cheese to be worth her buck, Milne says it must be quick and easy to prepare. Otherwise, why not DIY?

The Best Boxed Mac and Cheese, According to Chefs

With a gold medal from four of our eight chef panelists, the best boxed mac and cheese by far is Annie’s Shells and Real Aged Cheddar.

It’s a timeless pick, according to chef Brian Mooney: “Growing up, my daughters loved—and still love—Annie’s Mac and Cheese. It was their go-to meal!” This could be because “it’s the crowd-pleaser with chef energy,” Duran says. “It’s a repeat winner amongst the pickiest of food critics: my two children!”

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Annie’s earns bonus points from the pros for its wide availability, organic pasta, zero artificial flavors and colors, and nuanced cheese flavor, which comes from real dried Cheddar. No wonder it “actually tastes like Cheddar, not just ‘cheese flavor,’” according to Donnarumma. Plant adds that “the slight tang of the Cheddar is ideal to cut through the fat” of the overall dish.

Donnarumma, who is a mom of two, reaches for Annie’s again and again because of the quality ingredients and the savvy shape. “The shells are a smart choice since they scoop up and hold onto the sauce so each bite is ultra-creamy,” she tells us.

Duran echoes that sentiment, celebrating the fact that the sauce coats every shell like a well-tailored coat. “As a food professional and as a mom who quite often feeds this to my kids for a quick meal, I love the streamlined ingredient list,” Donnarumma says.

Honorable Mentions

While Annie deserves to take a victory lap, a few other boxes are also excellent options, the pros say.

Kraft Mac and Cheese: Baruch and Milne believe the OG is still the optimal choice. “The blue box never disappoints,” Milne says. Lauded by Milne for its “classic, cheesy flavor” and “reliably perfect noodles every single time,” Kraft shines due to its diversity, Baruch adds. “ I really like that this has a variety of shapes and sizes—specifically, the spirals!” (Kraft also comes in cartoon character-themed shapes, handy microwave cups, and flavor infusions like pizza.) “The cheese powder melts seamlessly without clumps, and has a lot of flavor,” Baruch adds.
Premium White Cheddar and Black Pepper Macaroni and Cheese: For a steakhouse-style side at Aldi prices, chef Michael Rednak believes you can’t do much better than this store brand option. “Don’t sleep on Aldi! This is for sure on my weekly shopping list, and is head and shoulders above all the rest,” Rednak believes. “The black pepper addition ensures that it’s perfectly seasoned right out of the box; no need to add anything extra,” he says.

Goodles: Goodles doesn’t taste like health food, but here’s a little secret you don’t have to tell the kids: The high-fiber, protein-rich wheat and chickpea noodles are infused with extra nutrition from spinach, kale, sweet potato, mushroom, and more. As for the sauce, it’s made with real cheese. Chef Ian Boden is a big fan of the texture and unique sauce flavors, such as Cheddy Mac with yellow Cheddar, Shella Good with aged white Cheddar, Twist My Parm with Asiago and Parmesan, and the cacio e pepe-inspired Mover and Shaker.

1-Ingredient Upgrades That Make Boxed Mac and Cheese Even Better

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Follow the package instructions on any of the aforementioned boxed mac and cheese picks, and you’ll have a supremely satisfying and comforting snack or meal. If you want to make it your own, though, it shouldn’t add an extra step or feel like work. Remember, we love boxed mac and cheese for its ease. Consider trying one or more of these super-easy, single-ingredient, chef-approved tips to customize your creation: