The Worst Boxed Mac & Cheese Comes From A Classic Brand That's Trying Too Hard

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Boxed mac and cheese is a popular pantry staple for a reason. Comforting and straightforward to make, you can eat it as is, use it as a base for a casserole, or easily upgrade boxed mac and cheese with a few key ingredients. That said, not all boxed mac and cheese is created equal. Food Republic taste-tested a variety of popular brands and rated boxed mac and cheese from worst to best. While doing so, we found one brand that was by far the worst: Cheetos Mac 'N Cheese.

If you love eating Cheetos by the handful, you should, in theory, enjoy Cheetos' venture into boxed mac and cheese. However, as our taste tester discovered, nothing could be further from the truth. While you can taste hints of the Cheetos flavor we've come to know and love, that's all it is — a vague suggestion of Cheetos. But really what you get instead is a boxed mac and cheese that's close to neon orange in hue and tastes super artificial.

As if the color and taste weren't off-putting enough, Cheetos Mac 'N Cheese also has some issues with texture. In addition to tasting gross, it's also not very cheesy or creamy – two hallmark traits of a decent mac and cheese. Adding insult to injury, instead of using macaroni (as the product name suggests), Cheetos Mac 'N Cheese features small spiral noodles that don't hold together well once cooked. Amazon reviewers also agree. One review explained, "It just looks unhealthy and tastes horrible to boot." Another review described the taste as "disgusting" and went on to explain that "unless you like wet soggy Cheetos it's a hard pass." While you can get a package of Cheetos Mac 'N Cheese for around $1.49, given these reviews, this still seems like too much to pay.

While you're avoiding Cheetos' Mac 'N Cheese like your life depends on it, another brand of boxed mac and cheese you probably want to skip is Market Pantry Mac and Cheese. Market Pantry is one of Target's three grocery brands. While some store brand products are amazing, this boxed mac and cheese isn't one of them. Market Pantry Mac and Cheese scored just slightly above Cheetos in our taste test.

Like Cheetos, Market Pantry Mac and Cheese lacks the cheesy, creamy goodness you expect from mac and cheese. However, instead of tasting super artificial like Cheetos' version, it's exceptionally bland with a cardboard-like taste. Online reviewers agree, with customers describing the product as "awful" and tasting like dirt. While there are ways to make boxed mac and cheese taste more homemade, such as by adding real grated cheese or a splash of heavy cream, these hacks likely won't change the deep, intense red-ish orange hue of Market Pantry's mac and cheese sauce, which many online reviewers find unsettling.

That said, you don't need to know how to make the best mac and cheese from scratch for it to taste good. Instead of choosing either of these options, spend a couple of cents more and get another boxed mac and cheese. Your taste buds will thank you.