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Wondering how to make Kraft Mac and Cheese better? I’ve got four simple tricks that will make boxed mac and cheese creamy and delicious! In fact, two of them are so basic I can’t believe they’re not in the instructions on the box.
How much do I love Kraft Mac and Cheese?
I love Kraft Mac and Cheese (or Kraft Dinner, as my Canadian friends call it). I will eat it hot, cold, leftover, for breakfast, and even massively expired, apparently:
In case you were wondering, Kraft Mac & Cheese that expired over a year ago tastes fine. And since I ate it more than 48 hours ago, it’s probably safe, too. #TheMoreYouKnow #INeedToCleanOutMyPantry
— AmyOztan (@AmyOztan) October 8, 2018
And although it will taste fine if you just follow the instructions on the blue box, I always use four simple tricks to make it so much creamier and even more delicious! Trust me, once I show you how to make box Mac and Cheese better, you won’t want to go back to the box instructions.
How to make box mac and cheese better
There are four easy things you can do to make box mac and cheese better: salt the water, cook the pasta for less time than the directions say, replace half of the butter with American cheese, and make the sauce in a separate pan.
Salt the water
My first trick is to add salt to the water before cooking the pasta. I can’t believe that Kraft doesn’t tell you to do this. Adding salt to pasta water should just be automatic, no matter what you’re making. This is your only chance to season the macaroni itself (the rest of the flavor will be on the outside of the pasta), so go ahead and put a spoonful of kosher or table salt in there.
Now, I add the salt as soon as I put the water in, because otherwise I forget, every time. But if you’re using a pot with a non-stick bottom, you may want to wait and add the salt after the water comes to a boil, because supposedly the undissolved salt sitting on the bottom of the pan as the water heats up can make marks on the non-stick surface.
This could be an old wives’ tale, I have no idea—it’s never happened to me, and I boil long pasta in this awesome pasta pot all the time. But I mention it because I don’t want to be responsible for ruining your non-stick cookware.
Don’t over-cook the pasta
My second trick is to cook the elbow macaroni a minute or two less than the package says, otherwise the pasta will be mushy. The instructions say to boil the pasta for seven or eight minutes “or until tender,” but tender is overdone, and seven or eight minutes is way too far!
Start tasting it after five minutes, and drain it as soon as it’s al dente (just a hair short of soft), because it’s going to keep cooking while it sits.
And remember, don’t ever rinse cooked pasta, unless you’re making the rare recipe that specifically calls for it (some cold pasta salads, for example).
Replace half of the butter with American Cheese
My third trick is to replace half of the butter with two or three slices of American cheese. The difference is incredible!
The instructions say to use four tablespoons of butter (or margarine, but don’t do that). We’re only going to use two, plus some American cheese.
I get my American cheese sliced really thick, so two of my slices would be equal to about three slices of packaged stuff. But hey, go ahead and throw in a fourth if you want. It will just be even creamier and cheesier!
Can you use all of the butter the instructions call for, plus the American cheese? Sure, but I actually like it better this way. It gets a little too greasy with all that butter added to the extra cheese.
Make the sauce separately
My fourth trick is to never, ever try to make the sauce while the elbow macaroni is in the pot. The macaroni gets totally beaten up during this process, and it’s almost impossible to get rid of every little bit of powder, leaving the mac and cheese gritty.
Instead, set the drained macaroni aside in a bowl (hey, you can use that bowl to serve it in, instead of the pot—fancy!), adding a tablespoon of the butter and giving it a gentle stir, so that the pasta doesn’t stick together as it sits.
Then, over low heat, stir the remaining tablespoon of butter with the quarter cup of milk, the packet of cheese powder, and the two or three slices of American cheese.
Now, if you absolutely don’t want to use another dish and just want to serve the mac and cheese in the pot, I get you. At the end of the day, one more bowl for each thing you cooked adds up. In that case, just let the pasta sit in the strainer or colander you used to drain it, and don’t add the tablespoon of butter to it (add it to the sauce, instead).
You just have to be extra careful when it’s time to add the pasta to the sauce, because it will tend to fall out of the strainer in one big clump, and that could make a big mess (I speak from experience, and yes, hot cheese sauce burns like a mofo). And you’ll have to do a bit of extra stirring to get the pasta separated again.
That’s it! Easy tips to upgrade your boxed mac and cheese from good to delicious!
Creamier Kraft Mac and Cheese Recipe
Want to make Kraft Mac and Cheese creamier and better? These four simple tricks will make the best boxed mac and cheese you've ever had!
Ingredients
- 1 box Kraft Macaroni and Cheese
- 1-2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp salted butter, divided
- 1/4 cup milk, whole tastes best
- 2-3 slices American cheese, torn into smaller pieces
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat
- Add the elbow macaroni from the box and cook, stirring occasionally (especially in the beginning), until al dente (start tasting after 5 minutes)
- Drain the macaroni and put into a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the salted butter, stirring gently to incorporate the butter; set aside while you make the sauce
- Return the empty pot to low heat and stir together the remaining tablespoon of butter, the milk, the American cheese, and the cheese powder from the box
- Keep stirring until you have a creamy sauce with no traces of powder
- Add the pasta to the sauce and stir carefully, until all of the pasta is coated with the sauce
- Remove from the heat and serve hot
Notes
Weight Watchers
1 serving is 14 points, although you can reduce that to 12 points by using only 1 tablespoon of butter.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
3Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 430Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 49mgSodium 1190mgCarbohydrates 55gNet Carbohydrates 0gFiber 1gSugar 11gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 13g
Nutritional information is an estimate only.
Have a question about this recipe? I may have answered it here.
Elissa Freeman says
Ok – this may be the best set of cooking instructions I have read in a long time. Next time? KD the Amy Way!
Amy Oztan says
It’s so stupid simple I didn’t even want to write a post, but it’s so much better!
Matthew Allen Hays says
Also add peas for extra protein and veggie content and a tablespoon of nutrient rich avocado oil in the water plus black pepper to finish
Evie says
Just made this an added a touch of cream cheese. Holy cow it’s amazing!!
t says
yeah so this is just an ad, the only real difference is salting the water, using less butter, and adding real cheese….preciate it but yeah ima just add salt to the boiled water and then add real cheese.
Amy Oztan says
If this is an ad, I’m still waiting for a check.
It's Daddy says
T…Your a dumbass.
Person says
Loved it! I am 13, and i love to cook, but usually whrn i do, it ends up as a huge disaster. So when my family saw me cooking this, they got so worried and no one even wanted to try it, but when they did, they couldn’t stop! It is so simple and easy, really recommend. Adding a little bit of cream cheese makes the flavors really pop!
Anne says
Cream cheese is great to add in mushroom gravy too!
Maryanne Nwoye says
Sooo glad I ran into this because i kept on wondering why my Kraft Macaroni and Cheese kept turning out so bland and flavorless !!! And I admit was a little scared to try this because it’s like how much of a difference can this little steps make ? But it truly came out wayyy creamier and wayyy cheesier so thank you for letting us know about these hacks !!!
Amy Oztan says
That makes me so happy to hear! Small changes can make a big difference, it’s so true.
Anaraz says
I tried this last night.. my boyfriend never tried kraft mac & cheese, I wanted it to be the best it could be especially considering I know it to be good but not spectacular. So, I followed the advice here in this recipe about the cheese and wow it was the best I’ve ever had it. Only way it could of been better if I had thought of it myself. I will be adding my own cheese and following this recipe anytime I make mac & cheese in the future!
Anaraz says
I didn’t use American cheese though.. forgot to mention as it’s not readily available where I am currently living.
Amy Oztan says
Ah, that stinks. What about cream cheese? A couple of other commenters have mentioned adding cream cheese, and while I’ve never done it for this recipe, I do add it to other pasta dishes, and it’s always amazing.
Tyler says
hi, i have adhd and it can be really hard to make myself get up and cook stuff. your instructions were really clear, easy, and really made a massive difference in the quality of my boxed mac n cheese. im gonna use this strategy from here on out! thanks !!
Amy Oztan says
That makes me so happy!!!
Tam says
Sounds delicious! I like to add a sprinkle of Tony Chachere’s to the top also. Yum! That will truly take it over the top!
Amy Oztan says
I’ve never heard of that! What is it?
Nanette says
Don’t know if you ever got your answer, but Tony Chachere’s is “The original Creole Seasoning”. In southern Alabama we just call it Tony’s. I don’t know anyone that does not have Tony’s next to their salt and pepper. Thanks for the easy transformation of boxed mac-n-cheese!
Big Lame Larry says
Or use a shake of cajun seasoning,
or if you are use any of Chef John’s recipes, maybe a shake of cayenne.
Also, I like to add a tablespoon of horseradish or mustard. If mustard. I use what is closest, be it regular, dark, course ground
mg says
Amy, way to go on this boxed Mac and cheese hack- such a simple twist for a big taste difference. Easy, clear to understand, and helpful recioe! Thank you
Amy Oztan says
Thanks so much!!
Echo Chavez says
I tried to make a box in a medium sauce pan and it turn out slimy and not even fully cooked I don’t understand what going wrong. I will cook 4 boxes in a big saucepan and it turns out fine.
Amy Oztan says
Hmm, that’s very strange. I routinely make one or two boxes in a medium saucepan with no problem. Were you using the same ratio of water that you would normally use with four boxes?
John says
I came here trying to find out if it is smart when making two boxes of this to double the ingredients. Especially the butter which ends up being a whole stick doubled for two boxes. I think the cheese slices idea is a good though because it is an easy way to mix things up. Using different kinds of deli cheese slices that I’m often buying for sandwiches anyway. Especially handy trick for a non cooking single guy like me. I like to put super lean ground beef or venison in mine. I make two boxes like that on Friday and eat it all weekend. No fuss and it tastes good. The chees slices will make it better. Thanks.
Wilder W. says
Instead of salt, try a little MSG in your water. It’s perfectly safe and has a wonderful umami flavor that makes your mac and cheese more savory. Also, instead of American cheese use colby, cheddar, or jack, or a combination. Shredded works wonderfully. Finally, I personally recommend adding a little fresh pepper to the finished product to give it a little zip.
Dennis says
If you save some of the pasta water when draining the noodles, you can use that to thin the sauce a bit if it’s too thick. I used a couple of tablespoons and it helped the sauce’s consistency a lot.It’s better to use pasta water than regular water because the dissolved starch in the water from the noodles helps make a silky consistency.
Eric says
Great tips,
In the past, I used to discard some pasta to get cheesier result.
If you get the KD that says “Now even cheesier”,
The solution to cooking perfect KD without added cheese is:
1. Cook in lots of salted water and stir frequently.
2. Do not overcook.
3. Fully strain pasta, do not rinse.
4. When pasta is almost dry put back into pot.
5. Add 1 Tablespoon butter, and 3 tablespoons of half and half 10% cream, or 1 TBSP 35% cream and 2 TBSP milk.
6. Very important, mix cheese powder slowly (not all at once) and with fork.
List of KD mistakes:
1. Overcook pasta
2. Pour cheese powder into pot all at once and mix with big spoon.
3. Follow instructions and use 4 TBSP of butter which highlights butter rather than cheese
4. Do half butter half milk, still highlights butter and adding milk leads to a sauce with insufficient body to highlight cheese.
5. Did not add salt to water prior to cooking pasta.
6. Cooked pasta at too high a temperature thus creating starchy water and starchy pasta; the same can happen to rice btw.
KD Connaiseur
Sandy @ Inspired Her Way says
I’ve been craving Mac & Cheese for days and now I may just have to go get some and give this a shot. I love Kraft Mac & Cheese as is but I am willing to give this a go :-) Thanks for the tips!!
Marj says
I just made this and I have to say it turned out soo good! Thanks for the changes to the recipe!! I didn’t have any American cheese but I put in some cream cheese.
Amy Oztan says
I haven’t found too many foods that aren’t improved by adding cream cheese!! One of my favorites is that when I’m making a quick tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes, I add a tablespoon or two of cream cheese. Creamy deliciousness!!
Tara says
Thank you for this!! I used 3 tbsp of butter because that’s all I had left and I didn’t want to leave just the 1, cause the box asked for 4 LOL
And then I used shredded Colby and Monterey jack cheese. It was delicious and creamy!
Lindsay says
I tried this and it came out so salty! I’m thinking next time I’ll do either the salted cooking water or the american cheese, but not both. I definitely like the macaroni undercooked though, thanks for the tip!
Kiki says
This is the way I have always used kraft mac & cheese in case it interests anyone. I sautéed chopped onions one red pepper one green pepper. I then brown 1 pound of ground beef. I cooked two boxes of mac & cheese usually for this. Can I add the macaroni to the trained ground beef onion pepper mix. Of course I season my ground beef is cooking. Then I add a little milk butter and cheese sauce packets. Then I add in shredded cheese whatever variety I would like that day. I have made it this way for years. I never tried adding a little bit of cream cheese so I appreciate that idea. Anyway just another idea to share. Thanks for your recipe!! Happy cooking!
carb lover says
thank you SO MUCH for this recipe!! it’s so simple but elevated my kraft so so much, it truly shocked i haven’t tried this sooner! i’ve been having such bad luck with my pasta being so bland, sometimes to the point where i’d take two bites and toss the rest because i just couldn’t handle it. this added so much flavor and creaminess i’ve fallen in love all over again!
Amy Oztan says
You’re very welcome!!
Georgia Granny says
I saw this article today and tried it for lunch. I used fat-free half and half instead of milk but I did make the sauce separate from the pasta and added the additional cheese. I also added frozen peas and some left over turkey (cubed) to the pasta while it cooked. The mac and cheese was richer tasting than the old way of doing it and I will probably not go back to the old way. I have added tuna to my mac and cheese before and I will try this new way with it.
;
Very glad I tried it. Delicioso!!!
Wanda Conn says
I have always added salt to the water I make 2 boxes at a time always al dante drain water in pot melt butter and milk then add powder cheese a little at a time then 4-5 slices American cheese melt completely then add macaroni taking the spoon and breaking up the big chunk it becomes while doing the cheese sauce add some macaroni mix then add more until all macaroni is mixed in always add fresh ground pepper
LONI says
I’m in my early 50s and this is what I remember Mac and cheese tasting like when I was a kid. Sometime between then and now they turned it into cardboard. But I keep buying the stuff hoping to find a way to make it better. This is a great option. Added a little black pepper at the end. Normally I add a dab of sour cream and some shredded cheddar. Mostly because my daughter is a cheddar head. But I’ve never prepared the sauce separately. I really like that. It’s worth a second dirty pan. Thanks for sharing. Definitely improved our lunch today.
Amy Oztan says
I mean, sour cream and cheddar would improve just about anything!!!
Don says
I will try to do the sauce separately thing. When I come home for lunch, my Go To quick Comfort food lunch is Box of Kraft Mac n Cheese. I can Tuna, I can mushrooms. A little extra milk, throw in some Mexican blend shredded. Slice a few black olives. Some Capers. When ready to eat, dot with Habanero sauce. Oh Ya !
Malina says
I usually hate Kraft Mac & Cheese, this recipe is awesome & so simple! My son love’s it, too!
Amy Oztan says
Oh wow, I’m so glad! Always a win when I can find something I like that my kids like too.