We Found The Best Frozen Mac And Cheese And It's Worth Every Penny

Boxed mac and cheese has been a go-to childhood meal thanks to classic brands like Kraft and the latest trends like multi-flavored Goodles — for which we provide our own ranking. However, frozen mac and cheese is an even more convenient product that requires no extra prep work or ingredients before placing in the microwave or oven. We tasted and ranked 18 frozen mac and cheese brands to find the tastiest bowl. Our favorite was Beecher's, possessing a taste, texture, and quality you might encounter as a fancy steakhouse side with a price tag to match.

Once you get a taste of Beecher's mac and cheese, you'll be more than willing to pay the slightly higher price, however. We ranked frozen mac and cheeses based on noodle shape, noodle consistency, cheese taste, overall texture, saltiness, and the complete taste and texture of the dish as a whole. And Beecher's mac and cheese was the clear winner in all categories, starting with the type of pasta. Beecher's uses an unconventional yet perfectly al dente penne pasta, which does an even better job than its competitors at trapping all the creamy cheese sauce. The cheese sauce wasn't just decadently rich, cheesy, and creamy, but it also had a zippy complexity to it. We checked the sauce ingredients to find pepper and spices like chipotle, chili powder, and garlic as the flavor agents responsible for Beecher's winning flavor combination. Each individual component was perfectly executed, making the overall taste and texture the perfect sum of its parts.

Reviews from Influenster, BJ's Wholesale, and Target all rave about the taste, texture, and decadence of Beecher's mac and cheese. Similar to Rao's jarred products and Carbone's pasta sauces, Beecher's offerings are modeled after the predecessor restaurant, located in Seattle. Many customers purchased the frozen mac and cheese after sampling its fresh version at a Beecher's restaurant, proclaiming that it's just as good out of the freezer. Customers said the texture of the pasta was perfectly al dente, and the sauce was ultra creamy and flavorful thanks to multiple types of cheese. Reviews also thought that it was the closest to a homemade oven-baked macaroni and cheese casserole as you can get. Consequently, they recommend using the oven instead of the microwave to achieve the bubbly, browned, cheesy top.

To that effect, you could sprinkle a bag of panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese over Beecher's mac and cheese before sliding it into the oven for an especially crispy top. Serve it alongside a steak dinner for the ultimate date night meal. Or make it an upscale vegetarian side for a roasted cauliflower steak — ensuring you avoid the mistakes others make with the dish. It's also rich and indulgent enough to be a main course, accompanied by steamed broccoli or a modern wedge salad.