I Tried 7 Popular Frozen Mac & Cheeses and the Best One Was Gooey and Rich
Since the early days of U.S. history, macaroni and cheese has been there to comfort those who call this country home. In the 1930s, Kraft launched its boxed mac and cheese, as a way for the population affected by the Great Depression to have an affordable way to consume something more luxurious than bread.
But, even before then and ever since, mac and cheese has found its way into almost every aspect of American culture. It transcends race, religion, political ideology—everything but lactose intolerance. It's at our cookouts, our potlucks, on every parent's stove, and, most importantly, in your freezer.
Frozen mac and cheese is the perfect way to get that creamy satisfaction any time of day. But taste isn't the only thing to consider when you're searching the freezer aisle for your next cheesy noodles fix.
"Frozen mac and cheese can run the gamut of being quite healthy to being very unhealthy," says Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD, CDN, who, along with sister Lyssie Lakatos, RD, CDN, forms the nutrition expert duo the Nutrition Twins. While varieties made with real cheese provide protein for muscle, as well as energy-stabilizing benefits, the sisters note that many brands are also high in calories from fat and carbs. They may also promote inflammation and disease from all the refined grains, saturated fat, and sodium. Moreover, some may contain carcinogenic chemicals called phthalates that leach into the food from their plastic packaging.
To make the best choice, the Nutrition Twins offer these tips: "Try to find a mac and cheese with at least 15 grams of protein per serving. To keep the sodium in check, try to find options with less than 650 mg of sodium per serving. Also choose a mac and cheese with less than 10 grams of fat and less than half of that from saturated fat."
With that in mind, I recently set out to find the best-tasting frozen mac on the market, rounding up seven different options from the freezers at Trader's Joe's, Whole Foods, and Giant. Then, I went home and cooked each according to the directions on the box. I evaluated each product by taste, as well as appearance and preparation method. In other words, it had to taste good, look good, and be easy enough to cook in order to win. Here's how each brand fared, ranked in descending order from worst to best. Let's get started!
Giant 3 Cheese Gourmet Mac & Cheese
[ninfo-black]Nutrition (Per item/serving):
Calories: 420
Fat: 22 g (Saturated Fat: 12 g, Trans Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 670 mg
Carbs: 41 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 18 g[/nutrinfo-black]
The Taste: If this is "gourmet," then we need a new word. The lengthy cook time both overcooked the pasta and undercooked the cheese. This comes as a surprising disappointment, as both Giant and Giant brands have been feeding me reliably for the better part of two decades. But, this product was just gross. It gave me the sensation that what I was consuming was both wet and dry, something I can only consider a miracle. But not a miracle I'd like to try again.
The Verdict: Given that every other option here took no longer than 10 minutes and tasted drastically better, I'd just avoid this one. If you're going to spend a whole hour letting a frozen mac and cheese cook in the oven, just make your own mac and cheese from scratch. The time-to-quality ratio is way off.
Trader Joe's Gluten Free Mac & Cheese
[n-black]Nutrition (Per item/serving):
Calories: 300
Fat: 10 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g, Trans Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 600 mg
Carbs: 41 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 3 g)
Protein: 11 g[/nutrinfo-black]
The Taste: This is somehow underseasoned and salty, another miracle combo I hope to avoid for the rest of my days. The fusilli is mealy, and the cheese isn't smooth like a cheese sauce should be.
The Verdict: This was another dud. While gluten-free products are important to be available for those with an intolerance or celiac disease, this is not the tastiest answer to those worries.
Banquet Mega Bowls Buffalo Style Chicken With Mac 'N Cheese
[ninfo-black]Nutrition (Per item/serving):
Calories: 470
Fat: 15 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g, Trans Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 2040 mg
Carbs: 57 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 10 g)
Protein: 26 g[/nutrinfo-black]
The Taste: It's definitely the best of the ones I disliked, but to be honest, the Buffalo sauce does a lot of heavy lifting here. The flavor of the mac and cheese itself leaves a lot to be desired.
The Verdict: I dug into the Banquet bowl with skepticism, and I should have trusted my gut. This mac and cheese is the best player on a bad team. It definitely stands above the rest of the bad, but "better than bad" and "good" are two very different things.
Stouffer's Macaroni & Cheese
[ninfo-black]Nutrition (Per item/serving):
Calories: 320
Fat: 14 g (Saturated Fat: 6 g, Trans Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 850 mg
Carbs: 34 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 3 g)
Protein: 14 g[/nutrinfo-black]
The Taste: A little salty, and the pasta is a little mushy, but overall there's nothing to particularly gripe about.
The Verdict: Stouffer's is the classic frozen mac and cheese, and a welcome addition after our previous contenders. It's been around for decades, standing the test of time and standing strong in the whirlwind of the freezer aisle. Even so, there are a few better options out there.
Lean Cuisine Protein Kick Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese
[nNutrition (Per item/serving):
Calories: 280
Fat: 7 g (Saturated Fat: 4.5 g, Trans Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 800 mg
Carbs: 35 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 18 g[/nutrinfo-black]
The Taste: It's…fine. Not awesome, but not offensive, either. The cheese tastes good, but maybe a little underseasoned. The pasta is extremely mushy, and a little mealy.
The Verdict: High in protein and relatively low in fat, this is by far the healthiest option on this list, which bumps it up considerably in the rankings.
Trader Joe's Diner Mac 'n Cheese
[ninfo-black]Nutrition (Per item/serving):
Calories: 360
Fat: 15 g (Saturated Fat: 8 g, Trans Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 590 mg
Carbs: 42 g (Fiber: 0 g, Sugar: 3 g)
Protein: 16 g[/nutrinfo-black]
The Taste: It's a little salty, but overall, this tastes great. The pasta was properly cooked, and the cheese sauce was clearly made from a roux. You end up with a delicious, creamy, and well-cooked product.
The Verdict: Compared to the gluten-free version, Trader Joe's is serving restaurant-quality food here. But, there is another brand that I liked even better.
Amy's Macaroni & Cheese, Made With Organic Pasta
[ninfo-black]Nutrition (Per item/serving):
Calories: 450
Fat: 18 g (Saturated Fat: 10 g, Trans Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 680 mg
Carbs: 55 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 18 g[/nutrinfo-black]
The Taste: A very balanced bite. The cheese flavor is smooth, and the whole wheat pasta doesn't have that aftertaste that other whole wheat pasta can sometimes get. The cheese has a smooth quality to it, and there's no overpowering salty quality that some of these other products can have.
The Verdict: This is the perfect frozen mac and cheese. I will admit this is the one I've been eating since childhood, and this taste test did nothing but confirm what I already knew. After spending the day finding out that there is, in fact, such a thing as too much mac and cheese, the clear winner was Amy's. From prep time to look to that delicious cheesy goodness, Amy's reigns supreme.
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