The best microwave mac and cheese tastes like stovetop mac and cheese. And like a good friend, microwave mac and cheese is always there for you. Plus, it’s quick, reliable, and easy. You just need the correct household appliance and you can have a warm, comforting meal ready in minutes. When I was growing up, microwavable mac and cheese was a tasty, convenient snack and I always loved it. As an adult, however, my food standards are higher and it doesn’t always hold up.
Most of the microwavable macs we tried were bad (like, very, very bad), but we found an elite few that are worthy of gracing your grocery cart. The microwavable macaroni and cheeses on our list are creamy, affordable, and, above all else, quick!
Before I get into that, I do want to address that most microwave mac and cheese has instructions that I think are wrong. If you’ve ever had a watery cup or instant mac and cheese, follow these rules that I made up that are correct. Deal with it, Kraft!
- Make sure to only microwave one cup at a time. This isn’t listed on the container, but it is important for cooking. If you try to cook two at once, you’re more likely to mess up the texture of the noodles.
- Add in the powder ahead of time. All of these have you add the powder after cooking and I do not understand why. If you add the powder with the water before cooking, it makes the sauce so creamy and thick.
- Drain the water. If you don’t want to add the cheese powder prior to cooking, drain the noodles! It explicitly tells you not to, but that is wrong. You don’t have to drain out all the liquid, but at least drain some. If you don’t, some of these are way too watery.
- Kraft Gluten Free Original Mac & Cheese Cups
Whoa! This is actually good! While it’s obviously not as good as its gluten-full counterparts, it’s a great option for the celiac community. The noodles are tender, the cheese sauce is creamy, and it cooks up quick. It was better than a lot of the regular microwaveable mac and cheese cups we tried. Gluten-free stoners should keep these on hand at all times. I guess it would also be good for kids.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Kraft Mac & Cheese Shapes
The shapes make it better. If you don’t agree with me, you’re wrong. The way the cheese sauce gets into every nook and cranny is ideal. It’s so much better than the regular Kraft mac and cheese, which is really, really good. This is pure nostalgia in a cup, but it also actually tastes delicious. Fond childhood memories alone aren’t making you like it. This microwave mac and cheese is genuinely tasty.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Bob Evans Tasteful Sides Macaroni & Cheese
It is so funny to me that they call this tub of microwavable macaroni and cheese “tasteful.” That being said, it is tasty! Bob Evans’s mac tastes like a better version of KFC’s mac and cheese. It shines when it comes to sodium—it’s so scrumptiously salty! Justine Sterling, editor-in-chief of Sporked, loved the “extreme cheese coverage” that was luscious without being overwhelming. Slap this in a bowl and serve it at Thanksgiving. No one will know you didn’t make it from scratch.
Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Vons
- Panera Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese
Toss the regular Panera mac and cheese out the window. This broccoli cheddar rendition is so much better. It’s exactly like Panera’s broccoli cheddar soup mixed with Panera’s mac and cheese, except you don’t have to leave your house or buy and mix two different items together. This is creamy, a little tangy, and rich. I don’t think I’ll ever go to a Panera again. I have all I need in this microwave mac and cheese.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
Cracker Barrel’s microwavable mac and cheese dinner, with its luxe gold and black packaging, is the Lamborghini of microwaveable mac and cheese. It comes with multiple flavor packets and a little bag of breadcrumbs, which our team had conflicting feelings about. Some of us thought they tasted a little raw, while others thought they added a great crunch. But we could all agree on one thing: This mac and cheese is creamy, sumptuous, and delicious. It is certainly one of the best microwave mac and cheese brands we tried.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Annie’s Rich & Creamy Classic Cheddar
I cannot believe that I am giving an Annie’s product the #1 spot on a ranking. They have an extremely low batting average for us here at Sporked. That being said, we have no real brand loyalty to anyone. If something is good, we’ll tell you about it. And this microwaveable mac and cheese isn’t just good. It’s great. It tastes like you made it on the stovetop. It’s so creamy. The shells were perfectly al dente. This is a perfect 10 and definitely the best microwaveable mac and cheese we tasted.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
Best Gluten Free
Best Noodles
Best as a Side
Most Unique
Best Splurge
Best of the Best
Other Products We Tried:
Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Flavor Mac ‘N Cheese (all flavors), Panera Bread Mac and Cheese Microwave Meal, Annie’s White Cheddar, Annie’s, Kroger, Great Value, Swift Mac, Express Mac Cheese Club, Cheetos, Happy Belly, Hormel, Simple Truth Deluxe, Kraft
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The Panera Mac & Cheese is a foundation for adding ingredients, since mostly it’s just creamy and salty. Shredded chicken, salsa, some of that CHOLULA GREEN, some corn, guac, you’ve made a colossal dinner/sleep aid.
I’m my personal opinion the Bob Evans is better than kraft but that’s just my opinion 😁
In my personal opinion the Bob Evans is better than kraft but that’s just my opinion 😁
I think the Trader Joe’s 4 cheese mac n cheese is the best and it ain’t even close
the deluxe kraft microwave cups are better than the original. it’s comparable to Velveeta cups 😋 (powder vs “liquid” cheese packet)
The Panera Mac and cheese is trash
Doesn’t look like you had any additional competitors. Annie’s is super yummy microwave mac & cheese.
Standard disclaimer about opinions and blah blah blah. My job recently started providing both the Kraft and Velveeta versions of these in the break room for us, and I think the Velveeta one is leaps and bounds better than Kraft! I’ve always thought Kraft is incredibly bland and runny, even the boxed kind. The Velveeta one actually has some flavor and consistency in that it includes a packet of actual sauce and not just powder. Surprised about that take, but to each their own.
where do you worK????
Best microwave mac and cheese hands down is Barilla pre-cooked rotini. (they have other shapes, elbows, penne, and gemelli, but rotini is the best for mac and cheese IMO as it holds up well being pre-cooked and holds onto your cheese pretty well. The penne and elbows can get a little soggy for lack of a better word and fall flat, whilst the gemelli doesn’t give as satisfying of a cheese to noodle ratio in each bite) You have to do a bit of work, but Barilla is ready in 60 seconds and allows you to pick whichever cheese you like best so you aren’t stuck with whatever is packaged with it.
I recommend taking a bit of butter and adding it to the pasta before microwaving it and I’d recommend Ultimate Cheddar Cheese Dip from Land of Lakes for the cheese component. The Ultimate Cheddar variety comes in convenient single serving cups which make it fast and easy to combine the two. Personally I like to mix the Ultimate Cheddar with a bit of Hoosier Farms Cheese Powder to up the cheese intensity a bit and when you mix the liquid cheese dip with the powder you get a more viscous and more satisfying cheese to coat the noodles. For me the extra work is worth the improved flavor and you can still have it prepared faster than the microwave brands on this list plus less risk of the water boiling over in your microwave which can happen with brands like Kraft pretty easily.