Stouffer’s Launches Boxed Mac and Cheese To Compete With Kraft Heinz

  • December 6, 2024
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Key Takeaways

  • Stouffer’s is launching a premium boxed macaroni and cheese to compete with Kraft Heinz, which dominates sales of the favorite dish.
  • The average American consumes mac and cheese 22 times a year, second only to pizza, according to Nestle, parent of the Stouffer’s brand.
  • Stouffer’s Supreme Shells & Cheese will be available in two flavors, cheddar and three-cheese, and will start rolling out on Amazon.com and in select stores this month.

Stouffer’s is coming after Kraft Heinz’s ( KHC ) dominance in the boxed mac and cheese category.

Known for its frozen food offerings, the Nestle-owned brand unveiled Stouffer’s Supreme Shells & Cheese on Monday. The shelf-stable product will be available this month in two flavors, cheddar and three-cheese, on Amazon.com ( AMZN ) and at select national retailers for a price of $3.99 for a 12-ounce box, Nestle said. It will continue to roll out nationwide in 2025.

Packaged Mac-and-Cheese a $2.9 Billion Market

The shelf-stable mac-and-cheese category is a $2.9 billion market, according to CNBC, with the average American consuming the dish 22 times a year, behind only pizza in frequency, per Tom Moe, president of Nestle Meals Division, CNBC reported.

Mac and cheese has long been dominated by Kraft Heinz, and is a $1.7 billion business for the company, its chief financial officer (CEO) , Andre Maciel, said at the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference earlier this month.

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