Boxed mac and cheese brands keep it pretty simple. A packet of powdered cheese, a splash of milk, and a couple of tablespoons of butter, and you’re good to go. But part of the fun is how easy it is to add to or upgrade those simple staple ingredients. Looking for a slightly sharper flavor? Try a dollop of Dijon mustard in your mac. Want a cheesy taste with a more acidic tang? Swap out your usual dairy ingredients for Greek yogurt. Prefer your mac and cheese super creamy? You can add an egg yolk to create a more custard-like consistency. Basically, there are as many mac and cheese ingredient upgrades as there are items in your fridge. But there’s one flavorful trick that doesn’t require a single extra ingredient or even an extra pan: browned butter.
Browned butter is butter that has been cooked in a saucepan until the milk solids caramelize. As the butter foams and then turns amber in color, you’ll smell a fragrant nutty aroma and taste a more concentrated, caramelized butter flavor. Already a staple of sweet and savory recipes alike, browned butter adds a richer depth of flavor to boxed mac and cheese, transforming the nostalgic favorite into a decadent taste sensation.
How to best add browned butter to your boxed mac and cheese
Adding browned butter to your boxed mac and cheese is easy, though not quite as easy as adding a tablespoon straight from the fridge. Before you put your pasta water on to boil, heat your butter in a saucepan over medium heat. It’s important to keep in mind that browned butter loses some of its water content to evaporation, so a tablespoon of brown butter doesn’t quite equal the same amount as regular, solid butter. To compensate for this loss, you’ll either want to add an extra tablespoon of butter for a more buttered-noodles take on your mac, or whisk in a little more milk when the time comes.
Another pitfall? It’s really easy to miss when your browned butter is done cooking. Fragrant and aromatic browned butter can turn smoky and burnt fairly quickly. As soon as your butter is a darkly golden shade, you should both remove it from the heat and place it in another bowl to cool down. As your browned butter cools, give your pan a rinse and start your classic boxed mac and cheese cooking process. When your noodles are ready, stirring in your browned butter is now just as simple as the original recipe.
Our recommendation? Add a sprinkle of nutmeg to complement the subtle roasted flavor your macaroni now has, plus a few grinds of fresh black pepper. You seriously won’t regret giving this upgrade a try.
