I tried 3 brands of boxed mac and cheese and the creamiest one surprised me

Kraft called for 4 tablespoons of butter, while Annie's and Banza called for 2 tablespoons. The recipes also called for a quarter cup of milk. I decided to use oat milk since I already had some in my fridge.

As a longtime fan of Annie's shells and white cheddar macaroni and cheese, I was excited to try out the cheddar version for the first time.

The 6-ounce box of mac and cheese cost $3.29 from my local Stop & Shop grocery store and had about 2.5 servings per container.

The slightly hard balls of cheese dust were pretty unappetizing as I was mixing the macaroni and cheese together.

After mixing, the Annie's mac and cheese looked just like the Kraft mac and cheese of my childhood.

The cheese sauce didn't have that distinct, creamy richness I look for in macaroni and cheese. It definitely didn't taste bad, but it just needed more flavor.

The 7.25-ounce box cost me $1.49 and has about three servings per container.

I grew up eating Kraft macaroni and cheese, but I was ultimately not blown away by this brand.

It definitely had more flavor, in my opinion, than the Annie's mac and cheese but was still lacking in richness. It needed more substance, whether that was thicker noodles or a creamier cheese sauce, to be more filling and taste like a meal.

The 5.5-ounce box cost me $4.29 and contained two servings.

However, after adding in the cheese packet, butter, and splash of milk, my expectations were surpassed.

The cheddar flavor really came through and the dish as a whole was really filling.

Despite containing fewer servings than the other two brands and costing more, the Banza mac and cheese had the perfect balance of richness and creaminess.

It tasted decadent and like a real treat — the perfect choice for a grown-up and kid alike.