Switch Up Your Butter To Upgrade Boxed Mac And Cheese

Your fave brand of boxed mac and cheese is already guaranteed to be good, but why not turn it into something great? You can dial up the flavor volume without adding any extra prep time by browning the butter. This sounds fancy, but it will be done in less time than it takes to cook the noodles.

Brown butter is just butter that has been cooked until the milk solids caramelize. It creates a deep, toasty flavor that lends a craveable nuttiness to boxed mac and cheese or even the homemade stuff. All you have to do is melt butter in a saucepan on the stove, and stir it constantly. You will notice that the toasted milk solids start to sink to the bottom. Just use a spoon to scrape the bits up and keep it moving. You will know the butter is done when it smells very aromatic; the foaming simmers down a bit; and the fat is golden brown — this should take up to eight minutes max.

In order to brown butter successfully, don't walk away, as it can burn quickly. Also, the color of your pan matters for brown butter, as using a light-colored vessel allows you to judge the color change accurately. When it is done, transfer it to a heat-proof bowl right away to stop the cooking process. Once your mac noodles are cooked and drained, stir in the deliciously browned butter along with the cheese packet and milk for a seriously gourmet bowl of comfort food.

If you want to bring some more yummy ingredients to the mac and cheese party, consider making a compound butter — an easy-to-make condiment that combines butter with aromatics, spices, and flavorings. It can be full of herbs, like the flavorful butter Ina Garten always keeps stocked in her fridge, or more sweet, like the salted cinnamon-vanilla butter in Ree Drummond's cinnamon toast.

For butter that pairs well with mac and cheese, use ingredients such as garlic, green onions, chives, citrus zest, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, mustard powder, and more. Ready-made spice blends are also fun — try Cajun or Creole seasoning, an everything bagel blend, taco seasoning, or ranch dressing powder. Just be aware of adding any extra salt, since the cheese packet already has some.

To get started, simply soften unsalted butter to room temperature and mash in your additions with a fork. Try finely-diced fresh jalapeños and chili powder for butter with a Southwestern flair, or create a fresh flavor with tender herbs like dill, parsley, and basil. Then, just melt a big spoonful of your butter into your pot of cheesy noodles. Store leftover compound butter in an airtight container in the fridge for whenever a mac and cheese craving strikes. If you use fresh ingredients, the butter will stay fresh for about five days, but if you only use shelf-stable spices or dried herbs, it can keep for as long as plain butter does (up to three months).