Viral video shows a faster way to make Kraft mac and cheese

TikTok food videos are one of the platform’s most popular draws. Everyone is looking for ideas to break up the daily menu monotony with meal planning ideas, speed up dinner prep and even find budget-friendly meals. One TikTok creator decided to go outside the box and share her way of preparing a pantry staple that has been a family favorite for decades: Kraft Mac and Cheese.

Nikki Gillespie (@_nikkigillespie_) created quite a stir on the social media platform by demonstrating a faster way to prepare the popular convenience food that kids of all ages love. She claims this new method produces a creamier and tastier bowl of macaroni and cheese.

But, what could be simpler than following the directions on the blue box? There are just five steps to the original directions: boil water, cook pasta, drain pasta and, finally, mix in the cheese powder, milk and butter. While it’s a basic recipe, it does require straining the water out, which adds a little time to the prep process.

In her viral TikTok video, which has nearly 5 million views so far, Gillespie explained that she saw in another video that she’s been cooking Kraft macaroni and cheese “all the wrong ways.” According to her, you can make the mac in a single pot — no draining required!

She begins by pouring two boxes of uncooked pasta into a pot and barely covering it with water. Then, she adds the cheese packets and butter immediately to the pot and lets it all boil together.

Once the mixture cooks down a little and the noodles are done, simply stir in your milk — or, as in Gillespie’s recipe, some heavy cream.

Gillespie says that the macaroni and cheese turns out creamier and tastes better because the noodles actually cook in the cheese sauce.

According to the comments (and follow-up videos from other TikTokers), fans love this version. Even the official Kraft Macaroni and Cheese account at @macchesebykraft tried it. Reader’s Digest also turned the tip into a full recipe, if you work better that way. Of course, many other hacks exist on TikTok if you’re looking to change up Kraft’s tried and true method in a way that suits you.

We think the next time we crave some Kraft mac and cheese, we’ll give the tip a try. Would you experiment with this classic recipe?