I Tried Annie's 2 New Mac & Cheeses And Didn't Get What The Boxes Promised

If you're someone who regularly enjoys boxed mac and cheese, then you'll no doubt recognize Annie's as a leading player in the game. Annie's mac and cheese flavors are known for being a little more high-end than the average boxed mac, and much like others out there, the popular brand is consistently releasing new products that highlight unique, timely flavors or food trends.

Two of the newest flavors to enter the Annie's-sphere are Grilled Cheese and Dill Pickle, with the latter one also laying claim to being a store-bought protein mac and cheese, too. As someone who's no stranger to taste-testing such a product — I've ranked both Kraft mac and cheese flavors and microwavable mac cups — I was more than ready to put these two new Annie's flavors to the test. The brand sent me both Grilled Cheese and Dill Pickle to try for myself, so I cooked up both pastas and conducted a taste test for both, paying close attention to not only whether I think they're good, but whether they live up to their supposed flavor namesakes. Read on for my full review of these two new products and whether or not I think they're worth purchasing for yourself.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

I decided to cook both Annie's Grilled Cheese and Dill Pickle flavors at the same time (in separate pots, that is) and try them side-by-side to get an accurate sense of what each one had to offer. Although I wasn't pitting the two flavors against each other, it was still useful to cook them at the same time, following the same method so I could see if one had a more successful cook on the pasta (since the two macs do come with different pasta shapes) or if either cheese packet led to a more successful, cohesive sauce.

I simply followed the instructions on the box, which were mostly similar for both, though the Grilled Cheese flavor called for a minute less on the cook time. Also, adding 2 tablespoons of butter was explicitly called for with the Grilled Cheese flavor (along with another optional 2 tablespoons for richer flavor), while it was only optional for Dill Pickle. I ended up adding butter to both to achieve the richest and best-tasting macs possible.

When it came to sampling and forming an opinion on Grilled Cheese and Dill Pickle, the most important factor was whether or not I felt they lived up to those namesakes. If you want to go bold on a mac and cheese flavor, it better actually be bold. Of course, I also looked for general enjoyability, creaminess, savoriness, and tenderness of the pasta when determining my opinion.

Annie's Dill Pickle mac and cheese is sort of a two-for-one special on the food trends, catering to both the protein-in-everything and pickle-flavored-everything crowds. While I may be a bit fatigued on the protein one, I can get behind a good pickle-flavored food, so I was cautiously optimistic to see what this Dill Pickle mac had in store for me.

Upon taking my first bite, the dill flavor was very, very apparent. As I continued eating, though, that distinct dried dill taste became sort of all-consuming and one-note at the same time. I felt like any creamy or savory notes were sort of drowned out by dill, and it was a bit overwhelming at times. Also, despite such a strong dill flavor going on, I wouldn't exactly say that this mac tasted like a dill pickle. Some added level of tanginess or brininess could have gone a long way in allowing more actual pickle notes to shine through, and I think I might have enjoyed this one a little more had such notes been at play.

In terms of texture, both for the pasta and sauce, there was also room for improvement. Although I cooked the shells for exactly 7 minutes (when the packaging called for 7 to 9), they still turned out a bit mushy. The sauce was too gritty, the dill was slightly excessive, and overall, this flavor wasn't a huge hit for me.

I've never met a grilled cheese I didn't like, so naturally, it was hard to imagine a scenario where I didn't like Annie's Macaroni & Grilled Cheese flavor. And, to be fair, I didn't end up disliking this one, but I am still struggling to figure out exactly where a specific grilled cheese flavor was supposed to factor into the mix.

You can tell just by looking at the picture that this macaroni had some real cheesiness to it, but I can't say that it didn't just taste like your run-of-the-mill boxed mac and cheese. I was looking for something a little bit buttery and bready, or even something more akin to that melty American cheese flavor that's so distinct on such a sandwich. Annie's specifically describes this flavor as boasting "notes of browned butter," and needless to say, I wasn't picking up on those, despite having added butter to the mix as called for. Instead, this variation tasted like a perfectly fine boxed mac and cheese, one that I certainly didn't dislike eating, but one that did leave me feeling a bit disappointed. 

The sauce was at least a big improvement compared to the Dill Pickle one, as it was much smoother and creamier with no grittiness. Also, the pasta itself fared a little better here, maintaining its shape and slight firmness a bit better without turning to mush. So, overall, Grilled Cheese is a step up from Dill Pickle in my book, but I can't say that I'd reach for it over a different plain boxed mac and cheese flavor out there.

After trying Annie's two new mac and cheese flavors, I can't confidently say I'd go out of my way to recommend them to anyone. I don't think that either of the flavors were objectively, downright bad, but neither of them particularly stuck out enough in any positive or meaningful way. I'd imagine that someone who really loves all things dill might have a different opinion on Dill Pickle, and realistically, anyone who likes classic boxed mac (or is already a fan of Annie's lineup) would likely enjoy Grilled Cheese.

I personally needed these flavors to be a little more impressive for me to wholeheartedly sing their praises. However, if you already enjoy Annie's on the regular, then it may very well be worth giving these new flavors a go, especially with the pickle one being a limited-edition variety.

If you're looking to get your hands on either of these Annie's flavors to try them for yourself, you have a few shopping options. For the Dill Pickle flavor, you'll need to look online at either Target, Walmart, or Amazon. It's listed for $3.49 online at Target and $3.69 on Amazon, though I wasn't able to find a hit for it on Walmart's website just yet. Meanwhile, Macaroni & Grilled Cheese isn't quite as widespread as Dill Pickle just yet, but its availability will be expanding through the end of the year. Currently, this flavor is available at Target.

Nutrition-wise, both macs fare pretty similarly when it comes to the dry mix alone. The Grilled Cheese flavor has 260 calories per 1-cup serving, 3.5 grams of fat, 650 milligrams of sodium, 49 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar, and 9 grams of protein. For Dill Pickle, you'll find 270 calories per serving, 4.5 grams of fat, 710 milligrams of sodium, 45 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 14 grams of protein. Per prepared cup of the Grilled Cheese flavor (which includes milk and butter), the calorie count goes up to 360; for Dill Pickle, where milk is included but butter is optional, the calorie count goes up to 290.