Ariana Losch
Hear me out: the best store-bought mac and cheese lives in the refrigerated section. After trying frozen and boxed versions, I’m confident in this assessment. The sauce is rarely watery, the noodles hold up, and it’s always made with real cheese, not rehydrated powder. It’s simple math, people. “Yeah, well, what are your credentials, Ariana?”
Passion. I’m very passionate about this particular comfort food, and I’m not afraid to say it. When I was a kid, anytime I found myself in a grocery store deli (usually the Publix deli), I needed to scope out the mac and cheese situation. I would stare at it behind the hot bar glass for so long, a confused deli clerk would eventually have to ask me (a child) if I needed something. I’m really not kidding when I say I’ve always fantasized about lining up every deli-fresh mac and cheese from the supermarket to determine the best one. In a sense, that’s pretty much what I got to do with this ranking. I bought all the refrigerated tubs of mac and cheese from major grocery stores to try them side-by-side… and, yeah, sometimes dreams do come true.
How we found the premade mac and cheeses:
Since we already have a frozen mac and cheese ranking, I looked specifically for refrigerated, heat-and-eat mac and cheese tubs that you can find from the deli or the refrigerated section. I focused on major, nationwide grocery stores like Kroger, Target, Sprouts, Costco, aiming to include a range of flavors, cheese types, and portion sizes.
Our main criteria for the best store bought mac and cheese:
- Velvety cheese sauce: The sauce should have a rich, indulgent cheesiness without being gluey, bland, or overly salty.
- Well cooked noodles: The pasta should hold its shape, not be mushy or gummy, and the cheese sauce should cling to it nicely. Bonus points for a satisfying pasta shape!
Okay, with that out of the way… let’s take a look at the best premade mac and cheese for your dinner parties, holiday platters, easy lunches, and more.
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- Good & Gather White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese
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Good & Gather’s White Cheddar Mac is clearly trying to mimic Reser’s (which I’ll talk more about below), and it’s a good attempt. It looks pretty identical to Reser’s, with the same short corkscrew noodle and creamy white cheddar cheese sauce, but it’s not nearly as flavorful or decadent as Reser’s. Still, if you shop at Target, you can feel good about buying this—it’s a step above brands like Bob Evans and Cracker Barrel, though the sauce could use a little more seasoning and depth. As a base for other ingredients, like fried onions, hot sauce, or bacon bits, it’s not a bad option… even if it’s not the best premade mac and cheese out there.
Credit: Merc / Target
- Reser’s White Cheddar White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese
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I could not stop eating this tub of mac and cheese. The tangy, richly flavored cheese sauce (made with cheddar, colby, parm, romano, and swiss) elevates it over more classic frozen macs; it would go well next to any protein, even fish, and make a great base for some roasted broccoli. The corkscrew pasta is somewhere between elbow and cavatappi, once again elevating the side without veering too far from a comfort meal.
Credit: Merc / Resers
- Panera Original Mac & Cheese
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You know, as a former Panera girl, I remember the days when this fine establishment didn’t serve mac and cheese. I won’t call it the “dark days”—I still had cheesy soups like broccoli cheddar and French onion to keep my tuna salad sandwiches company—but I’ll never forget the first time I tried a spoonful of these white cheddar shells and instantly knew my you-pick-two’s were never going to be the same. Panera’s Mac and Cheese, which you can buy at plenty of major grocery stores now, has this tangy sour cream thing going for it that adds nuance to every bite. (Sour cream isn’t in the ingredients, I checked, but it really tastes like there is.) The shells have a supple texture to them, tender but firm enough to hold their shape. I kinda see it as a luxury mac and cheese, for kids and adults alike. The tub even has a lid, making it easy to store and portion for multiple lunches! I know it’s trendy to make fun of Panera nowadays, but I stand by the fact that this is some of the best premade mac and cheese on the market, period.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Kirkland Mac and Cheese
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My god, Kirkland’s giant tray of mac and cheese is a true showstopper. If you’ve got $12 to spare, there’s simply no reason to slave away on a homemade version for your holiday spreads when Costco has this premade three-cheese cavatappi beaut ready to go. It’s so cheesy, it has actual cheese pull; every forkful lifts literal strings of cheddar, romano, and parmesan cheese in the air. It’s borderline obscene. If you broil it for a few minutes after you bake it, you’ll achieve that magazine-ready bubbly, golden crust on top. You know when you love something so much, you physically can’t stand to be around it because you know it’s bad for you? After we taste-tested Kirkland’s mac and cheese, I offered leftovers to the rest of the Sporked team, to which they replied, “God no. I never want to look at that ever again.” Don’t worry; I took it home and ate the whole thing. Someone had to.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Reser’s Main St. Bistro Baked Macaroni & Cheese
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Once again, Reser’s enters the game with some of the best store bought mac and cheese I’ve ever tasted. This is your quintessential classic mac and cheese. If you order from a diner, this is what you want—an indulgent cheddar sauce that’s super thick and creamy and clings to the elbow mac (it’s not too gluey, though) with a beautiful broiled bake on top. For once, the picture on the box is a good representation of what you’re getting, even microwaved—though we do recommend sticking this tray in the oven on broil for a minute. The tray is decently sized, fit for a few people, so the extra baking time is worth it!
Credit: Merc / Main St. Bistro
Best Reser’s Dupe
Best White Cheddar
Best for Lunch
Best for Dinner Parties
Best of the Best
Other premade store bought mac and cheeses we tried:
Sprouts Homestyle Cheddar Mac & Cheese, Amazon Grocery, Mac and Cheese, Marketside Classic Macaroni & Cheese Extra Creamy Mac & Cheese, Bob Evans Farms Macaroni & Cheese
Griffin Parker
Jordan Myrick
Gwynedd Stuart
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!