The best frozen mac and cheese bites are creamy and sumptuous, with an irresistible melted-cheese pull and overall decadence that borders on obscene. One bite into these cheesy, steamy little balls (yep) should showcase a blend of large elbow mac and thick, gooey, beautifully seasoned cheese.
Most people go to the Cheesecake Factory for the cheesecake. I go for the fried mac and cheese bites. Huge, creamy, salty, beautiful balls of mac and cheese (that’s right, I said what I said) with a side of warm marinara sauce. Going into this taste test, the mere memory of Cheesecake Factory’s fried mac and cheese bites definitely set a high bar for the best frozen mac and cheese bites.
Don’t worry, I’m not expecting miracles. I have to say, though, for a country obsessed with mac and cheese (as we very well should be), you’d think more brands would be trying to get into this. Turns out, store bought mac and cheese bites are surprisingly hard to come by. So start calling your local senators to voice your concerns and, in the meantime, take a peek at the three best frozen mac and cheese bites we did manage to find in grocery stores—including the best gluten free mac and cheese bites! We confidently endorse these bite-sized bursts of cheesy bliss. (And yes, one even rivals the Cheesecake Factory.)
- Feel Good Foods Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese Bites (Three Cheese)
-
Don’t get it twisted: Just because these were the best gluten free mac and cheese bites we tried doesn’t mean they made this list on a pity vote. Feel Good Foods gluten free mac and cheese bites really surprised us! You can’t tell they’re gluten free. The rice flour breading is crisp and light, and emerges from the oven addictively greasy. The pasta softly melts in your mouth with the cheese—there’s none of the chewiness we typically associate with GF noodles. Thanks to the mozzarella, there’s even a little bit of a cheese pull here, which I, a mac-and-cheese-bite connoisseur, greatly appreciate.
Merc / Walmart
- Trader Joe’s Mac & Cheese Bites
-
Don’t get it twisted: Just because these were the best gluten free mac and cheese bites we tried doesn’t mean they made this list on a pity vote. Feel Good Foods gluten free mac and cheese bites really surprised us! You can’t tell they’re gluten free. The rice flour breading is crisp and light, and emerges from the oven addictively greasy. The pasta softly melts in your mouth with the cheese—there’s none of the chewiness we typically associate with GF noodles. Thanks to the mozzarella, there’s even a little bit of a cheese pull here, which I, a mac-and-cheese-bite connoisseur, greatly appreciate.
Merc / Trader Joe’s
- Stouffer’s Mac & Cheese Bites
-
We knew we could count on you, Stouffer’s. These are big, fluffy, andbursting with ooey-gooey cheese. The soft elbow mac inside is larger than the other brands we tried, which really makes these the perfect mac-and-cheese bites, not just fried balls of melted cheese. Thanks to the buttermilk and greasy sharp cheddar, the cheese has a decadent, restaurant-quality flavor profile. But the absolute star of the show is the cream cheese infused into the cheese sauce, which adds bright tang and extra layer of creaminess. I’m happy to crown these the best of the best frozen mac and cheese bites to date. Even if Cheesecake Factory decided to sell their fried mac and cheese bites at the grocery store, I’m not sure they would beat Stouffer’s. (And yes, Cheesecake Factory, that is a challenge—accept or deny it at your own peril.)
Merc / Kroger
Best Gluten-Free
Runner-Up
Best of the Best
Other mac and cheese bites we tried: Market Pantry Macaroni & Cheese Bites, Good & Gather Red Lentil Mac & Cheese Bites, Luke’s Lobster Mac & Cheese, Snapp’s Mac & Cheese Bites
Social Media