Kraft is the champion of boxed mac and cheese, according to our mac and cheese taste test…it’s an easy, cheesy fix that’s virtually effortless. just follow a couple of simple steps on the side of the box to make a bowl of creamy pasta! but what if we told you that kraft is even better with the help of this macaroni and cheese tiktok recipe?
Tiktok user @_nikkigillespie_’s viral video completely shattered what we thought we knew about how to make kraft mac. no straining, just ingredients, a pot and a spoon. plus, the end result is supposedly creamier than the step-by-step version by following the instructions on the box!
with nikki’s video gathering so much traffic, i decided to try the tiktok macaroni and cheese hack for myself.
what makes tiktok macaroni and cheese different?
Typically, boxed macaroni takes seven to eight minutes in boiling water until al dente, and then, after straining and returning to the pot, the ingredients are mixed together in no time.
The beauty of this macaroni and cheese tiktok recipe is that it is effortless. instead, all the ingredients are combined before the pot is even placed on the stove.
how to make tiktok macaroni and cheese
ingredients
Before opening the kraft box, make sure you have the following materials ready:
- 1 box kraft macaroni and cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons butter
- enough water to cover the pasta
for butter and milk measurements, take a look at what’s recommended on the box. your measurements will vary if you’re making more than one box, so keep that in mind.
you’ll also need…
addresses
step 1: measure the ingredients beforehand
To get started, the first thing you’ll want to do is measure the milk and butter. this will vary depending on how much pasta you’re making, but for a box, kraft recommends 1/4 cup of milk and 4 tablespoons of butter.
step 2: combine the ingredients
Hannah Twietmeyer for Taste of Home
Pour the dried pasta into a pot and fill it with water until the noodles are covered. proceed to add the butter, followed by the powdered cheese packets that are included in the box. do not add milk; save it for later. stir the pasta, water, cheese, and butter well before placing the pot on the stove.
step 3: heat the pasta
Heat the pasta mixture on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the water boils. reduce heat to low and let pasta simmer while stirring. do not cover the pot with a lid. you’ll notice the cheese sauce thickens and the noodles soften as the ingredients simmer; this is exactly what you want. most of the liquid should take a few minutes to evaporate.
step 4: add milk, mix and serve
When the cheese sauce has thickened and there is little liquid left in the pot, add the milk. mix it while the heat is kept low and the macaroni is just simmering, and keep an eye on it as you mix it; you don’t want the sauce to become too thick and sticky. when you’re happy with the consistency, turn off the heat and serve. if you love following tiktok trends, find out about pink sauce.
this is what I thought
Hannah Twietmeyer for Taste of Home
this tiktok hack for kraft mac and cheese deserves all the attention it’s getting!
First of all, the lack of straining the macaroni is a nice touch. using a colander to strain the pasta isn’t strenuous at all, but it’s not something I enjoy; I’ll stop transferring a heavy pot to the sink and the blast of hot steam in the face that follows. there’s an even easier tiktok method for straining pasta, though I often find it difficult with large amounts of food.
the pasta was cooked perfectly, not too soggy and just the right amount of firmness. I know some have had issues with pasta overcooking, but that’s why it’s important to check that the water level is just above the noodles in step 2, and to keep a close eye on the liquid as you cook.
I could definitely tell that the ingredients weren’t thrown away at the last minute, but simmered together with the pasta – the cheese sauce itself was thick and creamy, not runny at all and, dare I say, less so. salty. For reference, I used 2% milk and thought these Kraft Mac and Cheese tasted delicious. To finish off the dish, I topped it off with a sprinkle of ground black pepper and was pleasantly surprised.
safe to say I’ll be ditching those instructions on the box forever, thanks to tiktok. if you haven’t already, it’s not too late to try tiktok’s most popular recipes, like the smoothie coffee that gripped us during the first few days of quarantine, and of course, the baked feta pasta that broke the internet!
