orange powder for the win.

Kraft

As a child I remember everybody raving about how wonderful my grandmother’s homemade Mac and Cheese was. Today, I would love it, but at the time I was NOT impressed. It didn’t taste like mac and cheese, the noodles were the wrong size, and it wasn’t even neon orange. It felt like a cruel prank the grownups were trying to pull, passing whatever was in that dish off as mac and cheese, but they didn’t fool me one bit.

4T butter and 4T flour (sorry, you have to prepare a simple roux)
2 cups milk
6 slices American cheese
When the sauce is ready, it goes over a pound of pasta.

Double, triple as needed.

We put crispy bacon pieces in ours - it was a big hit. One kid ate so much he puked into the gutter!

Annie’s. I made a big bath and baked it with a crumb topping for DD’s birthday. Everyone loved it.

frozen stouffers in the big family size tray

I have been knocking it out of the park with this crockpot version at gatherings lately. People can't get enough of it and it's easy enough. I do think it's important to boil the noodles to al dente before adding to the crockpot. I know some recipes call for you to add dry noodles and that's never worked well for me. But this hits.

https://amandascookin.com/crockpot-macaroni-and-cheese/

Obligatory PSA, never ever use preshredded cheese. Shred yourself or get the deli to do it for you. You need to avoid the anti clumping agents.
They're nasty and they screw up the recipe.

I add a Mexican blend of cheese and sour cream usually. I'll also do all sorts of variations if I have leftover chicken or bacon and I've fancied it up with lobster from the fish market in the past, too.

Costco is good. Otherwise, simple: https://www.muellerspasta.com/recipe/old-fashioned-baked-macaroni-and-cheese/

Stouffers +1

Anonymous wrote:Chick-Fil-A

This is the answer.

“You have to make a roux”? It’s literally butter and flour and takes like 5 minutes. What didn’t your kids like about it?

FWIW my kids’ mac preferences are Kraft and then Stouffer’s in that order. They won’t eat the kind I make. But I think it’s “actual cheese” not “roux.”

Kraft box + replace with standard elbows (to fool adults) + extra shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack) + a touch of garlic powder, dry mustard, paprika.

I don't love Kraft, but it's fine, and kids will eat it (especially if you scoop theirs from under the top cheesy later).

Any good creamy Mac and cheese that kids will like will involve a roux. If you don’t want to do that just get stouffers.

Chick-Fil-A

Need a large pan for a crowd of mostly kids (and some adults). I’ve made Martha’s version before but you have to
Make a roux, and honestly kids didn’t love it. Is there another recipe that’s good and easier? (I’ll go through the effort if it’s truly worth it).