I Used to Buy Name-Brand Mac and Cheese, But These 8 Boxed Brands Taste Better

I used to be one of those people who would usually only buy name-brand food. When it came to mac and cheese, the blue box was what we had always kept in the pantry for years. It was fairly affordable, and my kids loved it, which always feels like a win when you have picky eaters.

But when a friend put me on to a different brand while we were shopping, I gave it a try and it was actually better. Turns out there's a handful of other brands in the macaroni and cheese aisle worth a look. Here are 8 boxes that best the original and how.

Cracker Barrel has been winning awards for its cheddar cheese for decades, so you know their Sharp Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese has to be good. It is. Their noodles are larger and ridged, with a bigger surface area that picks up a lot of sauce. The cheddar flavor is accentuated and not as sweet as the classic Kraft Mac n Cheese, which is something your kids will notice right away. Another great thing about it is that, given that it’s a Kraft Heinz brand, it’s not really hard to find so you won’t be making any detours just to buy it.

Cabot makes their own cheese, and you can tell, because the sauce in this mac and cheese tastes like the real deal. For one, it's thick enough to coat all the shells and not stick to the bottom of the dish. It smells and tastes like authentic aged cheese too.
You can usually find it for less than two dollars, which is not even that different from what I used to pay. My kids were the ones who noticed first, because the sauce actually stuck to the pasta this time.

Annie's swaps the usual orange sauce for a white cheddar one, which threw my kid off for about a bite, until she decided this one was actually better. It uses organic pasta, and the shells hold their shape well even after sitting in the sauce for a few minutes, so they don't turn into a gooey paste if you're not serving it right away.
In terms of taste, it is slightly tangier than the usual name brands, closer to the taste of cheddar used on sandwiches. If your kids love white cheddar sauce with their burgers or sandwiches, then this will be an easy choice.

Velveeta Shells & Cheese stands out for a specific reason: the sauce. The consistency is creamier than all other options. It's thicker than the powdered stuff, and it also covers the shell pasta completely. This one is kind of nostalgic too. It's the kind that many of us grew up eating. That thick sauce is the reason why kids ask for this one by name, not just whatever box happens to be in the pantry that week.

Goodles' cheddar flavor comes close to what most kids already expect, even though the noodles are made with chickpea and wheat protein, plus vegetables like broccoli and spinach mixed in. There are no weird textures or questionable flavors. My kids couldn't tell the difference from regular noodles, but each serving has significantly more protein and fiber than a traditional box. If your kids are picky eaters, then this one is for you.

Banza's pasta swaps out wheat for chickpeas, which can be a great choice if your kids have trouble digesting gluten. Each portion contains about 15 to 17 grams of protein, almost double what you'd get from a typical mac and cheese box. It's also rich in fiber. The texture is a little different from regular pasta, a bit chewier, but the cheese sauce itself is smooth and tasty, just like regular cheddar.

This one is Whole Foods' house brand, and more than one taste test I've read about put it near the top of the list. This sauce has the right combination of savory and just a touch of sweetness, without that sharp odor from artificial cheese that many of those boxes give off when opened. It's organic and not too expensive for a store brand either. Your kids probably won't even tell the difference between the classics.

This mac and cheese from Trader Joe's comes with the delicious white cheddar too, and it is the cheapest type of the organic variety you can buy. You can eat it as is since it’s quite tasty on its own, but in case you want to spice it up, you can also add chicken, peas, or bacon. Of course, your children may be put off by the color at first, since it is definitely not orange. But once you explain to them what it is and they actually taste it, they’ll stop caring about the color.