If I was being honest, I would say well over 75% of my diet is cheese. What can I say? In my opinion, cheese is the greatest food ever created. You can eat it alone or put it on tons of different foods, and it makes for an excellent chip flavor. If I had to pick one cheese related food as the king of them all…it would have to be macaroni and cheese. Mac and Cheese has been a staple of my life and will continue to be. Although I am in the midst of a painstaking lent battle in which I have given up mac and cheese, this mac-less period has allowed me to reflect. Today, I am giving my rankings of the best boxed mac and cheese. This list is definitive and if you disagree with me you are wrong.

Honorable Mention: Kraft Mac and Cheese Cups

Known by its street name, Easy Mac. The cupped version of Kraft’s mac and cheese is not truly boxed…so I could not include it on this list. But I would just like to take the time to thank it for all the times it’s gotten me a meal while I have 0 time. How they made mac and cheese taste good with such little prep-time boggles my mind to this day. It takes literally less than 4 minutes to whip up one of these bad boys, and for that Easy Mac deserves a mention. 

7. Cheetos Mac N’ Cheese

As a huge fan of the Cheetos snacks, I was thrilled when learning about this boxed mac and cheese’s existence. On paper, a company who has successfully mastered the art of cheese snacks should be able to create a very good mac and cheese. Unfortunately, the Cheetos mac and cheese is a serious disappointment. The use of the Cheetos infamous dust seems like a great idea until you realize the dust provided simply does not cover all of the noodles in the package. In addition, the noodles selected here are a serious blunder. Overall the Cheetos mac and cheese looked promising, but seriously failed to execute on a great idea. Stick to chips.

6. Kraft Original (The “Blue Box”)

Oh boy, this feels weird. There is no doubt that Kraft’s original boxed mac and cheese is a product that every single person has tried. But to my surprise, as I grew able to taste the difference in mac and cheese boxes it became quite clear that Kraft mac and cheese is just no good. Seriously, the taste of Kraft mac and cheese is unbelievably bland. It is no doubt a classic but Kraft’s original mac and cheese when pitted against its competitors fails to shine and is exposed for the fraud it is. Sorry kids, but the truth hurts. 

THIS IS WHERE THE MAC N CHEESE STARTS TO GET GOOD…

5. Cracker Barrel Macaroni and Cheese

I seriously have no beef with Cracker Barrel’s iteration of boxed mac and cheese. It’s creamy, has some nice flavor, and is the first entry on this list to utilize a cheese sauce as opposed to a powder. Unfortunately for the Cracker Barrel mac and cheese I have not had it as much as some of the others on this list. With that being said, it’s a fine box of macaroni and cheese…it is just not as good as other boxed mac and cheese on the market.

4. Annie’s Shells and Cheese

Technically speaking…this is not macaroni and cheese, it’s shells and cheese. However these “shells and cheese” are pretty freakin’ good. This is another powdered mac and cheese…and that is the only thing hindering its ranking on this list. It is just a fact that powdered mac and cheese will always be outdone by a macaroni and cheese dish utilizing a cheese sauce. With that being said, Annie’s iconic shell shaped noodle definitely helps its case. The cheese powder provided is quite good and sometimes you’ll even get a whole clump of cheese caught inside a shell…i’m foaming at the mouth just thinking about it. Although Annie’s shells failed to crack the top three—make no mistake about it—this boxed mac and cheese is delicious and definitely my go-to in terms of powder using mac and cheese. 

3. Stouffers Macaroni and Cheese

Now I don’t really know the legality of including Stouffer’s mac and cheese on the list, it’s more of a frozen food but hey, you buy it at the supermarket and it is pre-packaged for ya…so it’s eligible in my book. I’m unsure if it’s the nostalgia factor that makes me think of Stouffer’s mac and cheese so highly because everytime this stuff was served at my summer camp the tray was gone in about 4 minutes. It’s either that or the fact that this mac and cheese tastes so damn good. I don’t know how they do it, but the scientists over at Stouffers have mastered the art of frozen foods…and I am certainly not complaining. This mac and cheese—once unfrozen—is creamy, rich, and possesses a flavor very distinct from all the other mac and cheeses on this list. Do not let the third place ranking of Stouffer’s mac and cheese fool you, if you’re looking for an incredible pre-packaged mac and cheese…you do not have to look any further.

2. Velveeta Shells and Cheese

I don’t really have a lot to say about Velveeta’s boxed macaroni and cheese. Velveeta—as far as I am concerned—is the original user of the sauce style boxed mac and cheese…an idea that has made them one of the best mac and cheeses on the market. They combined the great shells used by Annies and paired it with a cheese sauce so good it could make any master chef question how a packaged mac and cheese could taste so good. Its creaminess, richness, and cheesiness set Velveeta apart from the pack…and up until a couple months ago, it was undisputedly number one.

1. Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese

You wanna know why Velveeta is not number one? Because the geniuses over at Kraft beat them at their own game. Kraft seriously grew tired of making the same bland mac and cheese for decades so decided to create the best boxed mac and cheese and regain their packaged mac and cheese throne. Kraft Deluxe is undoubtedly the best tasting boxed mac and cheese on the market, and it is no surprise that this version of Kraft macaroni and cheese uses a cheese sauce as opposed to the powder. The people at Kraft took Velveeta’s style and proceeded to blow them out of the water. Not only is this mac and cheese far superior in taste, it also makes over double the mac and cheese and would certainly feed a hungry family of 5. The noodle choice and cheese sauce are both immaculate and come together to form heaven in a box. If you are looking for the best tasting boxed macaroni and cheese, start looking for Kraft’s deluxe macaroni and cheese that has a selection of four irresistible flavors.