If you’ve been looking for the best way to doctor up your boxed mac and cheese, this recipe for how to make Kraft mac and cheese better is just what you need! The macaroni is creamy, cheesy, and ultra delicious!
How To Make Kraft Mac And Cheese Better
There’s so many options when it come to making the best Kraft macaroni and cheese recipe. Creamy or cheesy? Baked or made on the stove? With or without ketchup? With or without hot sauce?
I like to make my mac n cheese somewhere in the middle between cheesy and creamy. If I don’t get both flavor profiles in my mac and cheese it’s just not quite right in my mind.
I made this for my 6-year-old nephew the last time he came over. Cooper loved this recipe and said, “out of all the things you’ve made, this is for sure my favorite.”
He also said, “this mac and cheese smells different than normal, but tastes way better, and I love the new flavor.” I think it was the garlic and onion he was smelling, and I 100% agree that it levels up the flavor, because I love the addition, too!
The small extra effort to doctor up the mac and cheese sauce does make this the “best, cheesiest, tastiest mac and cheese ever!”
Compliments from kids are always my favorite, because they’re so honest. So, you can make this for your family with total confidence that everyone’s going to love it!
A quick tip: It’s so important to make the sauce in the pot on its own before you add the noodles. If you try to make the sauce while the noodles are in the pot, the sauce will get lumpy and it won’t mix together well.
Ingredients
Kraft Mac and Cheese: We’re using two boxes of Kraft mac and cheese as the base of this recipe. You could swap that for other brands that use a powder cheese for the cheese sauce if you like though.
Butter: Butter adds tons of body and flavor to the sauce. It really helps it taste extra creamy and not just cheesy.
Half and Half: Adding half and half to the macaroni does so much in amping up the creamy factor.
If you don’t have half and half, I’d recommend using whole milk. You could also use some of the pasta water if you don’t have any milk on hand.
American Cheese: Adding a few slices of American cheese makes this the ultimate cheesy mac and cheese. It adds so much flavor!
If you don’t have any American cheese, try using cream cheese instead. It will taste a little more creamy than cheesy, but it will still add tons of delicious flavor.
Spices: A little garlic powder and onion powder goes a long way in making this the best easy mac and cheese ever! Definitely don’t skimp on these.
You could also add a bit of paprika, black pepper, or even a splash of hot sauce if you want to amp up the flavor even more.
How To Make Box Mac And Cheese Better
Start by boiling the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta through a colander, and set aside. (See the recipe card below for the full printable instructions.)
Return the pot to the stove, and add in the butter. Swirl the butter until it’s melted.
Stir in the half and half. Add in the American cheese, and stir until it’s melted.
Add in the cheese packets, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Stir the sauce together until it has fully combined. Add in the cooked macaroni and gently stir until it’s evenly coated in the sauce. See the recipe card below for the full written instructions, including ingredient amounts, cooking times, and helpful tips, etc.
What Can I Add To Kraft Mac And Cheese?
There are so many things you can add to mac and cheese! My favorite add-ins to doctor up mac and cheese are:
- Shredded Rotisserie Chicken
- Broccoli
- Crispy Bacon Pieces
- Browned Ground Beef
- Crumbled Sausage
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Green Onions
- Hot Dogs
- Diced Ham
- Pepperoni
- Peas
- Tomatoes
Those are just my favorite add-ins. If you’re talking about toppings, I also love:
- Grated Parmesan
- Toasted Buttery Breadcrumbs
- Diced Fresh Parsley
- Ketchup
- Hot Sauce
Keep In Touch
I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime
Pasta Recipes
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out the rest of our pasta recipes! Some reader favorites are:
- Crockpot Mac and Cheese
- Baked Mac and Cheese with Velveeta
- Spicy Mac and Cheese
- Garlic Chicken Pasta
- Pink Sauce Pasta
How To Make Kraft Mac and Cheese Better {BEST Boxed Mac and Cheese}
If you've been looking for the best way to doctor up your boxed mac and cheese, this recipe for how to make Kraft mac and cheese better is just what you need! The macaroni is creamy, cheesy, and ultra delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 boxes Kraft Mac and Cheese
- 3 Tablespoons butter (42 grams)
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 3 ounces American cheese (3 thick slices)
- 2 powdered cheese packets (from the Kraft Mac and Cheese boxes)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles from the boxes and cook until the noodles are tender (according to the package instructions, about 7-8 minutes). Drain the noodles in a colander, and set aside.
- Return the pot to the burner over medium low heat. Add the butter, and swirl until it has melted. Stir in the half and half. Add the American cheese, and stir until melted. Add both cheese packets, the garlic powder, and the onion powder. Stir until fully combined.
- Add the cooked noodles back to the pot, and gently stir until the macaroni is evenly coated.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1/6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 529Total Fat: 19.3gCarbohydrates: 67.6gFiber: 1.4gSugar: 7.9gProtein: 21.2g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Wondering how to make Kraft mac and cheese even better? This easy mac and cheese recipe is what you need to make for dinner! It’s the best creamy cheesy recipe.
8 thoughts on “How To Make Kraft Mac and Cheese Better”
This was a huge hit with dinner. An easy side with readily accessible ingredients. It amped up the cheese factor just enough to get a YUM out of the kids when they ate the first bite. I don’t make boxed mac and cheese very often, so this was an absolute treat. Thanks for sharing.
I want a box of Mac and cheese
Loved this. Learned that it really important to make sauce first and use half-n-half rather than any other dairy for the full flavor and smoothness. I also added a dollop of sour cream just because I like the tang. Thanks, I guess this old dog learned a new trick. Served on the side with baked crusted cod and roasted broccoli.
This helps so much. I ran out of cheese and wanted to make nachos… I did have some Kraft slices and boxed Mac & Cheese… so I improvised with this technique. I use heavy cream ( I’m a heathen in small doses lol). Delicious! This is a go to for sure… I never make boxed mac according to the box ( I always use about half the pasta but all the cheese and use cream) but this is an even bigger improvement.
I added cheese soup to mine easy and creamy
I just have to say thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I followed this. Wow!! Holy wow! I added some chopped onions when I was melting the butter. Camelized them..added garlic, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Then heavy cream, old cheddar and the cheese mix. After it had alll reduced, I added the macaroni!! Mmmmmmmm! Did I say……thank you?
Oh ya…I added a splash of franks hot sauce , pepper and salt to taste.
I grated some sharp cheddar and followed the recipe adding salt & pepper as well. Instead of half & half I used lactose free milk. Huge hit in my house tonight at dinner! I will be making this again soon.