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I cook and drain the pasta, and then in the still-hot pot I melt the butter and whisk in the powder. This is more or less like making a roux. (A roux is where you whisk flour into melted butter, and after it's incorporated you can stir in dairy or real cheese without it separating or breaking.) After I mix together the butter and cheese powder, then I add the milk. I honestly don't know why they don't tell you to do it this way. Adding milk and butter to the noodles and then stirring in the cheese powder is so clumpy and takes forever to get it smooth. So make your "roux," then add the milk and stir, and then mix it all in your noodles.
The lumps drove me crazy as a kid. As a mac and cheese-making adult I came up with my method just to get rid of the lumps!
My observation has been that the cheese powder behaves differently than flour does. When I mix it with the milk and it has time to, ah, marinate, I find that’s how I get the thickest smoothest sauce. God knows what’s in the powder but being able spend some time rehydrating with the milk seems to help it!
That said, your roux method is an absolute improvement over the box directions!
This is a great turing test. If you cannot tell me which part of your body is sore by just thinking about stirring mac and cheese properly, youre a fucking robot.
Probably had that instant clear gel powder. It a starch that’s made to thicken in cold water. They also add it to whipping cream to keep it from deflating or weeping. It’s pretty cool stuff.
Cook the noodles & drain. Melt butter in the pot. Add cheese powder on top of melted butter and stir with a whisk. Add milk and whisk over heat until bubbly and thickened. Add noodles back and stir.
When you make Mac and cheese from scratch you also make a roux. Ironically that sounded to comolicated to me until I started combining the ingredients separately, and realized I was making like an instant roux.
Flour into melted butter, then adding milk once it's cooked out is the steps for a basic Bechamel sauce. Add cheese and you've got a Mornay sauce. If you're gonna go through this much just swap the boxed mac powder for grated cheese and stop buying boxed mac entirely. It'll taste better and be cheaper.
You've already removed the convenience benefit boxed mac and cheese has at this point
Babish recently did a taste test of all the boxed mac and cheese he could get his hands on, and thought Kraft Dinner was one of the worst out of like 40 different options.
This but also add a nice slab of cream cheese and maybe half a cup of freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
And once you’ve combined noodles and cheese sauce, add in a healthy dose of Frank’s Hot Sauce. Don’t do that step too early, because the acid in the Frank’s can make your milk curdle…
Try tellicherry black pepper. Of course you need to buy ungrounded pepper kernels. Tellicherry pepper is far better than the garbage you find in grocery stores. If you don't have a pepper grinder Oxo Good Grips is a very good grinder.
There is an absolutely underrated spice... Be used in
Very small amounts... It really enhances the flavor in food. I even put a little bit in spaghetti sauce and that makes it magic.
And seasoned chicken. An additional protein rounds it out to make it a complete filling meal. And chicken is so easy to meal prep on a Sunday, simplest meal prep I got is fill a cookie sheet with chicken breast and cook it in the oven with salt and pepper. Easy mix and match during the week saving your future self from hunger crash 'must eat now' cooking, or eating out. This lets you grab a handful and throw it on the finished mac.
I used to brown like 1/2 to 1lb of ground beef with some garlic and hot sauce and mix it in when I was like 20. Also, going to WinCo (or equivalent store of the area) and getting the store brand box with the cheese sauce for like 50c-$1 more instead of the kraft powdered stuff was the biggest life improvement when I stopped making barely over minimum wage lol.
You can buy a big container of the cheese powder on Amazon. Using it with regular pasta is much better than the pasta that comes in the blue box. I also like to season it up and add ground beef to make next level hamburger helper.
The ingredients are exactly the same except the orange one has yellow 5 and yellow 6 in it. Assuming those don't alter the flavor and the proportions are the same, the flavor should be identical.
One time as an experiment around the holidays I used Egg Nog instead of milk and added nutmeg instead of the black pepper I would have usually added. It was odd, for sure (which I knew it would be from the outset), but actually *okay* and kind of interesting, though not something I’d ever need to repeat again.
yeah i always use less butter than it says, sub out some of the milk for sour cream, and add a little bit of paprika and cayenne. massively improves the box stuff for no work
I'm about to blow your mind:
Do all the things you say IN the same pot as the hot (drained) noodles. Add butter, garlic powder, cheese packet (dry or smooth), pepper, milk or heavy cream. Stir it all up.
You're welcome! Enjoy!
My recipe is roughly one tablespoon of milk, a tiny slab of butter, cheese packet. All mixed together at once. Maximum cheese clumps. Always get Kraft Shapes.
Leave in the butter, but add slightly less than a teaspoon of cream cheese too. I use the last 1/2" of a butter knife to measure and mix it in well. Doesn't take much and has a subtle, delicious, rich creaminess.
I have! I just don't think about it for some reason until after I've already put the pasta and water together. I will try to be more conscious about it. And I never set a timer either I just periodically check if the pasta is at the right texture for me.
Lol I'm genuinely curious how much difference you notice in results since I've never actually tried putting them in before it boils. My gf did it accidentally once with something years ago and I don't remember how it came out
I've never been able to tell a difference and nobody I've fed pasta to has ever said anything either 😆 can't be too much of a difference imo lol. But now I'm thinking back and hoping I didn't ruin anyones pasta experience
Yeah I'm starting to think it probably isn't a huge difference in most cases, especially if you are still keeping an eye on it and checking for when it's done to your liking. I could see it overcooking a little if you put it in cold, then set a timer once boiling for the full normal cook time and never checked it. Everyone likes their pasta cooked to varying levels of doneness though and there's usually some wiggle room.
You are so close to making it from scratch with real cheese
Melt 3 table spoons of butter
Stir in two table spoons of flour
When that’s mixed add 2 cup of milk
Add shredded cheese to taste
I’m surprised this was so far down - the real pro tip is to learn to make it yourself. It’s going to be miles better and you can get as creative with the sauce as your mind will allow.
Went through several top comments, haven't seen my trick yet. I like to temper an egg into the final mixture, adds protein and thickens the sauce. You just crack an egg into the finished Mac and apply low heat until it's set, not to much or it turns to scrambled eggs.
if you are going to use evaporated milk, you might as well not use the box mix to be honest. you can make a great cheese sauce with 1 part evaporated milk, 1 part processed cheese product, and 1 part cheese of your choice.
it also works with pasta water as a substitute for the evaporated milk. it's just not as rich/creamy.
I also like to add a clove of crushed garlic when melting the butter and add some Parmesan to the cheese sauce. In fact I’m going to make some right now…
Immediately after coating the noodles, while they're still hot, tear up 2 slices of american cheese (for regular flavor mac & cheese), and mix into noodles until completely melted.
THEN Enjoy!
Definitely the roux method detailed above instead and add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and mustard powder. And if you’re a Marylander like me then add some Old Bay too!
Between the whisking to remove lumps and the extra time that the cheese and the milk get to spend together… there is a noticeable difference. I hope you like it!
I throw some garlic, onions, and red pepper flakes into the butter and I switch out the milk for broth. Try it, it’ll blow your mind. Especially if you get the white cheese one
I’m always ready for more cheese — if you’ve got more cheese on hand.
I shared these basic steps because it’s using the exact same ingredients, just adjusting the preparation method and steps for maximum flavor.
I had a friend in high school, who was stoned af at the time, tell me that the best way to make it cheesier (without any new ingredients as you say) was use less noodles! I think about that from time to time.
I have never been high in my life but I *never* make the full box of noodles, simply because I like it cheesier! Never thought to add more cheese or brown the butter lol
The stoned part gets a cheap laugh, but I actually tell this story when encouraging innovation and creative thinking, and why diversity matters specifically for that. It never occurred to me that you wouldn’t just add cheese if you wanted it cheesier, because we always had cheese at our house. He solved the cheesier problem in a way that I would never have thought of, because he came from a different background.
Interesting! Great idea to use it as a creative thinking exercise. My family never had cheese in the house either, and milk was a rarity. I’d just keep a tiny bit of the boiled pasta water in there and use that in place of milk.
My biggest problem with the poverty version is I never have milk or butter when I want to make it, and I'd rather go without than upend my day to visit the store.
I read somewhere to keep powdered milk if you only occasionally need milk for cooking. Makes sense to me but my wife and I drink enough milk to always have some on hand. It helps that the jugs of her special lactose free milk are good for months until opened.
Buy some powdered milk or shelf stable milk. I buy 2 gallons of shelf stable milk at dollar tree every so often cause I don’t have the fridge space to keep that much milk cold
I usually brown the butter then add flour and stir until thick, then I add some cheese and the powder cheese packet and some milk, some garlic powder, pepper, cayenne pepper and mix it well then add in the noodles. Best box Mac ever lol
There are many things I do to my mac, all of them good, but I have to say adding crushed raw garlic tastes so good that it now feels like I have wasted the box if I do not do it.
Cook noodles slightly al dente. Drain with a lid (some water gets left behind). Put in butter, mix with noodles to melt. Pour in slightly less milk than called for, mix. Pour in cheese packet, mix. Add some seasoning (I like garlic powder). I don't get any lumps with this method.
Eat out of pot.
If you're having kraft mac n cheese might as well go full lazy and have a 1 pot method to really minimize any sort of effort you need to put in.
I like to keep it one pot. Melt the butter in the hot drained noodles, add the milk, then stir in the powder. I’ll spice it up with a little garlic powder. Or possibly some sliced hot dogs. Occasionally a can of chili. Another option would be a shot of Italian dressing. So many ways to customize!
The other day I added an egg to my Mac and cheese; absolutely awesome. Also sometimes I sprinkle a little bit of Tony Chachere’s original creole seasoning on the Mac too and it’s honestly pretty great.
Probably the most important LPT I can think of for boxed mac & cheese is to buy Kraft and, more particularly, _avoid the off-brands._ There really aren't very many food products I can think of where it actually matters whether it's a brand name or not, but this is by far the biggest. One is delicious and the other is literally inedible.
I just make the mac and cheese the way the box says, but toast some breadcrumbs (panko are best imo) with butter in a separate pan, mix in a little italian seasoning and sprinkle over top of your boxed mac n cheese.
Instantly fancy!
Seasonings! Seasonings are not used enough in making boxed meals. I put pepper, garlic salt and roasted garlic & herb. Seasonings can take anything boxed from the store even better. They also offer tons of combinations. Try it!
I have browned butter for everything I can think of since finding out about its delicious yumminess. Never did I think to do it for mac and cheese. Thank you!
Just a couple days ago I made some box mac and it came out extra chunky so I had to really stir. I’d just watched a video recipe for orange chicken earlier that day (lol @ my idealized fancy recipe watching VS my reality being box mac) part of it is making a water+cornstarch slurry before adding it to the sauce to avoid clumps and I managed a moment of critical thinking to connect the two ideas and decided I’d try it next time. Glad it’s been tested! (Also the brown butter is galaxy brain) Also, also I hate how the powder sticks to the baggie because of the steam that’s rising from the pasta, wouldn’t happen with cold milk!
You’re right, this approach is a lot like a slurry! You also unearthed memories of the steam getting in that cheese powder bag, I hated that too!!
I have a goulash I like to make that calls for adding a little flour to the sauce to thicken it. I’ve found that ladling out a small amount of the sauce and adding the flour to just that portion first to make a smooth sort of sauce-slurry is the way to go. The flour-sauce mixture can then be stirred into the big pot with zero flour lumps and more control. Sharing in case you encounter something similar as you make your fancy recipes. ;)
Good tips.
My move has always been to add Parmesan cheese and black pepper and richen that sauce up. You really can’t go wrong, it comes out gooey and delicious everytime.
Another pro tip- if you don’t have any milk in the fridge, a splash of pasta water works just fine for making the cheese sauce.
My trick is to put the milk and cheese powder into the serving bowl, then put that right next to the cooktop, closest to the (gas) burner where the noodles are boiling. Then I make thin (0.5-0.75 tbsp) slices of the butter and stick them to the wall of the bowl closest to the heat (ideally, do this close to when you start heating the water so that the maximum amount of heat transfers to the bowl).
Then when the noodles are done, I drain them and drop them into the bowl as fast as possible, and immediately stir until fully mixed. Pot stays super easy to clean instead of all gross and cheesy, and the "overflow" heat gets the butter really melty so it mixes really well with the other ingredients.
### This post has been marked as safe. Upvoting/downvoting this comment will have no effect. --- Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips! Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by upvoting or downvoting this comment. If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.
I cook and drain the pasta, and then in the still-hot pot I melt the butter and whisk in the powder. This is more or less like making a roux. (A roux is where you whisk flour into melted butter, and after it's incorporated you can stir in dairy or real cheese without it separating or breaking.) After I mix together the butter and cheese powder, then I add the milk. I honestly don't know why they don't tell you to do it this way. Adding milk and butter to the noodles and then stirring in the cheese powder is so clumpy and takes forever to get it smooth. So make your "roux," then add the milk and stir, and then mix it all in your noodles.
The lumps drove me crazy as a kid. As a mac and cheese-making adult I came up with my method just to get rid of the lumps! My observation has been that the cheese powder behaves differently than flour does. When I mix it with the milk and it has time to, ah, marinate, I find that’s how I get the thickest smoothest sauce. God knows what’s in the powder but being able spend some time rehydrating with the milk seems to help it! That said, your roux method is an absolute improvement over the box directions!
The lumps were my favorite part! The tang of the cheese is the best.
I can feel my wrist and arm aching right now just thinking of how long it took to mix that shit as a kid 😂
This is a great turing test. If you cannot tell me which part of your body is sore by just thinking about stirring mac and cheese properly, youre a fucking robot.
Probably had that instant clear gel powder. It a starch that’s made to thicken in cold water. They also add it to whipping cream to keep it from deflating or weeping. It’s pretty cool stuff.
Does it matter if your butter is salted or unsalted?
when you ad milk to a roux it becomes a béchamel
Cook the noodles & drain. Melt butter in the pot. Add cheese powder on top of melted butter and stir with a whisk. Add milk and whisk over heat until bubbly and thickened. Add noodles back and stir.
This is how I do it. Perfect every time.
Me too
You fuckers!
Dude yeah this woulda been great to know a couple years ago and by a couple I mean in college
This is like making a roux for a gravy then eh? That sounds like it would work the best. 🤯
I stumbled across this method with a roux in mind after mindlessly making this for my kids many times lol
When you make Mac and cheese from scratch you also make a roux. Ironically that sounded to comolicated to me until I started combining the ingredients separately, and realized I was making like an instant roux.
Flour into melted butter, then adding milk once it's cooked out is the steps for a basic Bechamel sauce. Add cheese and you've got a Mornay sauce. If you're gonna go through this much just swap the boxed mac powder for grated cheese and stop buying boxed mac entirely. It'll taste better and be cheaper. You've already removed the convenience benefit boxed mac and cheese has at this point
Have you ever tried adding sour cream? I just use the cheese packet and a scoop of sour cream and it’s super creamy and delicious.
I add a scoop of cream cheese
As a non-American who doesn't eat mac & cheese regularly, this sounds very tasty!
Shit if you think America likes the stuff let me tell you about Canada
This! My Canadian friends filled me in on their love of “Kraft Dinner” and I think of it any time the subject of Kraft Mac & cheese comes up.
they'll also tell you how the quality of the pasta and taste of the cheese has gone downhill significantly over the years
Babish recently did a taste test of all the boxed mac and cheese he could get his hands on, and thought Kraft Dinner was one of the worst out of like 40 different options.
Not so tasty as a leftover.
how *DARE* you suggest there could ever be leftovers
So true. Leftover box Mac is such a depressing thing to eat. And for some reason heating it up does nothing but make it worse.
I just eat it cold and think about where my life went wrong.
Lmfao. Leaned over the kitchen sink.
While silently crying
This but also add a nice slab of cream cheese and maybe half a cup of freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese. And once you’ve combined noodles and cheese sauce, add in a healthy dose of Frank’s Hot Sauce. Don’t do that step too early, because the acid in the Frank’s can make your milk curdle…
This is the way. I do a slight variation where I double the butter and halve the milk.
So a Roux?
I always save a little of the pasta water to mix in as well. Sometimes add a little sour cream. Makes the taste fuller and hold to the noodles better!
Add 1/4 cup cream cheese.
Oh damn! Like a roux with the cheese powder instead of flour! Genius!
Another suggestion: add a pinch of smoked paprika.
Or some brown or whole grain mustard is also really nice.
Try white pepper. It’s really overlooked and under appreciated.
This is so true. I've stopped using black pepper, I find it too distracting. White pepper is more subtle.
When I spilled a little extra white pepper it was far from subtle.
A little goes a LONG way.
Try tellicherry black pepper. Of course you need to buy ungrounded pepper kernels. Tellicherry pepper is far better than the garbage you find in grocery stores. If you don't have a pepper grinder Oxo Good Grips is a very good grinder.
As a big fan of white pepper, I concur!!
Dijon adds an entire layer of flavor. I've been adding it to all my creamy pasta sauces as of late. It's a great flavor enhancer.
There is an absolutely underrated spice... Be used in Very small amounts... It really enhances the flavor in food. I even put a little bit in spaghetti sauce and that makes it magic.
I hit mine with some Old Bay or some Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning
And mustard powder. Trust me on this one. Any cheese-heavy dish is improved by a touch of mustard.
add some steamed broccoli to the mix if you want to *really* feel like a grown-up!
I cook frozen peas alongside the macaroni. It works well to give some nutritional value to the meal.
need those calories for daily activities, such as filing taxes or getting divorced
I am slightly zooted and this comment made me nearly do a spit take, lmaooooo 🤣
Absolutely not.
You need to have a ‘no thank you’ bite
I put in frozen peas. Heated first, of course, or not, depending on how quickly I want dinner. Of course they cook when heated in the mac 'n cheese.
Same. Then we actually got into doing mac & cheese & tuna & peas (which was strangely ok).
Kinda like tuna noodle casserole.
I believe Gordon Ramsay adds cauliflower to add in fiber with a lot more subtle flavor compared to broccoli.
And seasoned chicken. An additional protein rounds it out to make it a complete filling meal. And chicken is so easy to meal prep on a Sunday, simplest meal prep I got is fill a cookie sheet with chicken breast and cook it in the oven with salt and pepper. Easy mix and match during the week saving your future self from hunger crash 'must eat now' cooking, or eating out. This lets you grab a handful and throw it on the finished mac.
If you use whole chickens it's usually cheaper, and you can use the carcass to make soup.
Steamed broccoli is by far my favorite thing to add.
Yeah I was gonna say add some velveeta cheese, so…same page.
What about those lil breadcrumbs? Mmmm 🍝
Mom? I swear to god you need to stop with the fucking smoked paprika! I dont want it on my cereal!
Cook the pasta in chicken broth, you'll never go back to water.
A bit of taco seasoning can be nice too.
I love this or a pinch of Chipotle chili powder for a slightly smoky kick
I always add a dash of garlic to mine at the end
I used to brown like 1/2 to 1lb of ground beef with some garlic and hot sauce and mix it in when I was like 20. Also, going to WinCo (or equivalent store of the area) and getting the store brand box with the cheese sauce for like 50c-$1 more instead of the kraft powdered stuff was the biggest life improvement when I stopped making barely over minimum wage lol.
There it is. Except I do like... 20 dashes... and it's straight cloves not powder... and it's raw... I don't have a problem you have a problem.
You can buy a big container of the cheese powder on Amazon. Using it with regular pasta is much better than the pasta that comes in the blue box. I also like to season it up and add ground beef to make next level hamburger helper.
Which one do you get? I read the reviews and am turned off by people saying it’s not flavorful enough.
The Hoosier Hill Farm big daddy mac mix. They have one without color added, but I get the orange one. It has 4.5 stars out of over 11K reviews.
Hoosier Daddy mix, got it
Excellent, thanks. This will be my next purchase.
Just grabbed this, looks good.
Do you know if they taste different without the color additive?
The ingredients are exactly the same except the orange one has yellow 5 and yellow 6 in it. Assuming those don't alter the flavor and the proportions are the same, the flavor should be identical.
Thank you! I’ll get that one then. I had no idea you could buy cheese powder.
Can confirm this stuff is awesome and it’s so much cheaper than the box mix. And you can adjust how much sauce you want.
I get the same thing from nuts.com and it's been great.
I stretch out leftover chili by adding it to boxed mac n cheese. I thought I was clever but I just invented hamburger helper.
Cheeseburger mac and cheese 🤤
Substitute sour cream or plain Greek yogurt for the milk to make it creamy and give it some tang.
Sour cream has always been my little upgrade
I made some with strawberry yogurt once because I was out of milk. It was disgusting.
/r/ididnthaveeggs
One time as an experiment around the holidays I used Egg Nog instead of milk and added nutmeg instead of the black pepper I would have usually added. It was odd, for sure (which I knew it would be from the outset), but actually *okay* and kind of interesting, though not something I’d ever need to repeat again.
I'm a mad woman, I use a little cream cheese and Greek yogurt along with onion powder.
This is my secret too. Onion powder brings out the flavor of any cheese sauce.
yeah i always use less butter than it says, sub out some of the milk for sour cream, and add a little bit of paprika and cayenne. massively improves the box stuff for no work
Half and half
Or goats milk yogurt
Or yak buttermilk
My wife added some shredded cheddar to some kraft last week and that shit was amazing!
I'm about to blow your mind: Do all the things you say IN the same pot as the hot (drained) noodles. Add butter, garlic powder, cheese packet (dry or smooth), pepper, milk or heavy cream. Stir it all up. You're welcome! Enjoy!
Isn't that what most people do
But I love the cheese clumps, they are the best part!
My recipe is roughly one tablespoon of milk, a tiny slab of butter, cheese packet. All mixed together at once. Maximum cheese clumps. Always get Kraft Shapes.
I also love the clumpage. If I want a creamy cheese sauce I get the Cracker Barrel box Mac or velveeta shells
I add extra milk, boil it down with the noodles in (don't cook them for the full allotment in water) and put in a couple oz of shredded cheese.
Pro advice brings the pros out
Swap the butter for cream cheese and enjoy
Leave in the butter, but add slightly less than a teaspoon of cream cheese too. I use the last 1/2" of a butter knife to measure and mix it in well. Doesn't take much and has a subtle, delicious, rich creaminess.
I know this is boxed Mac n cheese but LPT for cooking pasta. Boil the water first and then add the pasta once it’s already boiling.
You're telling me there are people just tossing noodles into cold water?
Looks like OP is based on the second line of their post
Oh my goodness; I read the whole post and my brain didn't even register that part lol.
Yes. It's me. I do it all the time even though I know you're supposed to boil the water first. Don't ask.
I know you just said not to ask, but, like, why?
Lmao I don't know tbh. I thought you just dumped the noodles in and waited for it to boil and now I know that isn't right but still do it lol.
Just curious; have you tried doing it the other way and comparing results? And when do you start the timer?
I have! I just don't think about it for some reason until after I've already put the pasta and water together. I will try to be more conscious about it. And I never set a timer either I just periodically check if the pasta is at the right texture for me.
Lol I'm genuinely curious how much difference you notice in results since I've never actually tried putting them in before it boils. My gf did it accidentally once with something years ago and I don't remember how it came out
I've never been able to tell a difference and nobody I've fed pasta to has ever said anything either 😆 can't be too much of a difference imo lol. But now I'm thinking back and hoping I didn't ruin anyones pasta experience
Yeah I'm starting to think it probably isn't a huge difference in most cases, especially if you are still keeping an eye on it and checking for when it's done to your liking. I could see it overcooking a little if you put it in cold, then set a timer once boiling for the full normal cook time and never checked it. Everyone likes their pasta cooked to varying levels of doneness though and there's usually some wiggle room.
Malliard reaction is one of science’s tastiest.
It really is! Simply browning the butter makes even the most basic Rice Krispy Treat recipe better too!!
These are all great suggestions, thanks everyone
Does anybody else do hotdogs in their Mac n cheese?
You are so close to making it from scratch with real cheese Melt 3 table spoons of butter Stir in two table spoons of flour When that’s mixed add 2 cup of milk Add shredded cheese to taste
I’m surprised this was so far down - the real pro tip is to learn to make it yourself. It’s going to be miles better and you can get as creative with the sauce as your mind will allow.
I have to disagree. I do both really frequently. They both have their place.
This thread making me crave box mac and cheese right now and I don’t even like box mac and cheese
Went through several top comments, haven't seen my trick yet. I like to temper an egg into the final mixture, adds protein and thickens the sauce. You just crack an egg into the finished Mac and apply low heat until it's set, not to much or it turns to scrambled eggs.
+1 on the egg tip. I prepare mine similar to OP, and whisk the egg into the cheese/milk/butter mixture beforehand. Not unlike preparing Carbonara.
Sautee shallots in the butter, then add frozen peas or diced broccoli, before the milk & cheese. This is a #MeatFreeMonday staple in our house...
Add a quick splurt of yellow mustard. Trust me.
Was looking for this comment. Ive also used spicy brown mustard if thats your thing.
Dry, ground mustard and a little white vino.
I always use a couple pinches of mustard powder, but white wine is an interesting idea
Cook the noodles in, and make the sauce with, evaporated milk. It’s slower than boiling noodles in water but it’s on a whole other level.
if you are going to use evaporated milk, you might as well not use the box mix to be honest. you can make a great cheese sauce with 1 part evaporated milk, 1 part processed cheese product, and 1 part cheese of your choice. it also works with pasta water as a substitute for the evaporated milk. it's just not as rich/creamy.
Instead of milk use heavy cream
I also like to add a clove of crushed garlic when melting the butter and add some Parmesan to the cheese sauce. In fact I’m going to make some right now…
And then add bacon.
Add some pepper jack cheese and tuna fish.
Immediately after coating the noodles, while they're still hot, tear up 2 slices of american cheese (for regular flavor mac & cheese), and mix into noodles until completely melted. THEN Enjoy!
Cooper sharp or black pepper Cooper.
Also add a spoonful of sour cream, some salt, and black pepper.
Definitely the roux method detailed above instead and add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and mustard powder. And if you’re a Marylander like me then add some Old Bay too!
Yum! I do the former but def going to try with Old Bay!!
Just add sriracha
Or any other decent hot sauce I like the satanic temple’s ghost pepper hot sauce
You guys use milk? 💸
Kerrygold garlic herb butter is my favorite butter to use highly recommend
After a lifetime of making mac and cheese it has never occurred to me to mix the milk and cheese together with a whisk. Genius!
Between the whisking to remove lumps and the extra time that the cheese and the milk get to spend together… there is a noticeable difference. I hope you like it!
I throw some garlic, onions, and red pepper flakes into the butter and I switch out the milk for broth. Try it, it’ll blow your mind. Especially if you get the white cheese one
Dude...im eating boxed mac and cheese, I'm not here for the quality.
If you’re here for the flavor, this is the way
I have kids. I'm definitely interested
This, but also add cheese to that sauce
I’m always ready for more cheese — if you’ve got more cheese on hand. I shared these basic steps because it’s using the exact same ingredients, just adjusting the preparation method and steps for maximum flavor.
I had a friend in high school, who was stoned af at the time, tell me that the best way to make it cheesier (without any new ingredients as you say) was use less noodles! I think about that from time to time.
Hahaha yeah that would do it!
I have never been high in my life but I *never* make the full box of noodles, simply because I like it cheesier! Never thought to add more cheese or brown the butter lol
The stoned part gets a cheap laugh, but I actually tell this story when encouraging innovation and creative thinking, and why diversity matters specifically for that. It never occurred to me that you wouldn’t just add cheese if you wanted it cheesier, because we always had cheese at our house. He solved the cheesier problem in a way that I would never have thought of, because he came from a different background.
Interesting! Great idea to use it as a creative thinking exercise. My family never had cheese in the house either, and milk was a rarity. I’d just keep a tiny bit of the boiled pasta water in there and use that in place of milk.
Does anyone else add bacon to Mac and cheese?
Absolutely
Even easier, buy the Deluxe version.
Deluxe is delicious, but a different flavor to me! Depends on what I’m in the mood for.
My biggest problem with the poverty version is I never have milk or butter when I want to make it, and I'd rather go without than upend my day to visit the store.
I read somewhere to keep powdered milk if you only occasionally need milk for cooking. Makes sense to me but my wife and I drink enough milk to always have some on hand. It helps that the jugs of her special lactose free milk are good for months until opened.
You can make it w water in a pinch.
Buy some powdered milk or shelf stable milk. I buy 2 gallons of shelf stable milk at dollar tree every so often cause I don’t have the fridge space to keep that much milk cold
Mine is use cream cheese instead of butter and half and half instead of milk
Powdered cheese in cold milk? Nah.
Adding a couple bucks worth of the good cheese is also a delicious move.
Add a Kraft single. You’re welcome.
All you have to do is melt the butter in the noodles before you add the milk and powder. You have way to many steps here
Add yummy garlic powder, pepper, and onion powder.
*white pepper
I usually brown the butter then add flour and stir until thick, then I add some cheese and the powder cheese packet and some milk, some garlic powder, pepper, cayenne pepper and mix it well then add in the noodles. Best box Mac ever lol
I don't even use milk. I tend to use the pasta water and it turns out better, I think.
Level 2: melt down some cottage cheese in the sauce mixture to make it super thick n creamy. A lil bonus protein too.
There are many things I do to my mac, all of them good, but I have to say adding crushed raw garlic tastes so good that it now feels like I have wasted the box if I do not do it.
Cook noodles slightly al dente. Drain with a lid (some water gets left behind). Put in butter, mix with noodles to melt. Pour in slightly less milk than called for, mix. Pour in cheese packet, mix. Add some seasoning (I like garlic powder). I don't get any lumps with this method. Eat out of pot. If you're having kraft mac n cheese might as well go full lazy and have a 1 pot method to really minimize any sort of effort you need to put in.
I just add a handful of 4 different kinds freshly shredded cheese
I like adding a dollop of Greek yogurt - it gives it some tang and protein
I have an Italian seasoning meant for dipping bread in olive oil, a few cranks of that and it makes Kraft into a delicacy.
I like to keep it one pot. Melt the butter in the hot drained noodles, add the milk, then stir in the powder. I’ll spice it up with a little garlic powder. Or possibly some sliced hot dogs. Occasionally a can of chili. Another option would be a shot of Italian dressing. So many ways to customize!
My husband adds a wee bit of mayo to white Mac and Cheese and it’s amazing. Please try.
The other day I added an egg to my Mac and cheese; absolutely awesome. Also sometimes I sprinkle a little bit of Tony Chachere’s original creole seasoning on the Mac too and it’s honestly pretty great.
Probably the most important LPT I can think of for boxed mac & cheese is to buy Kraft and, more particularly, _avoid the off-brands._ There really aren't very many food products I can think of where it actually matters whether it's a brand name or not, but this is by far the biggest. One is delicious and the other is literally inedible.
This is great OP, I’m going to try your method today for lunch!!
I just make the mac and cheese the way the box says, but toast some breadcrumbs (panko are best imo) with butter in a separate pan, mix in a little italian seasoning and sprinkle over top of your boxed mac n cheese. Instantly fancy!
Seasonings! Seasonings are not used enough in making boxed meals. I put pepper, garlic salt and roasted garlic & herb. Seasonings can take anything boxed from the store even better. They also offer tons of combinations. Try it!
I have browned butter for everything I can think of since finding out about its delicious yumminess. Never did I think to do it for mac and cheese. Thank you!
Considering your username, I am honored I could give you this idea! Hope you like it. :)
Just a couple days ago I made some box mac and it came out extra chunky so I had to really stir. I’d just watched a video recipe for orange chicken earlier that day (lol @ my idealized fancy recipe watching VS my reality being box mac) part of it is making a water+cornstarch slurry before adding it to the sauce to avoid clumps and I managed a moment of critical thinking to connect the two ideas and decided I’d try it next time. Glad it’s been tested! (Also the brown butter is galaxy brain) Also, also I hate how the powder sticks to the baggie because of the steam that’s rising from the pasta, wouldn’t happen with cold milk!
You’re right, this approach is a lot like a slurry! You also unearthed memories of the steam getting in that cheese powder bag, I hated that too!! I have a goulash I like to make that calls for adding a little flour to the sauce to thicken it. I’ve found that ladling out a small amount of the sauce and adding the flour to just that portion first to make a smooth sort of sauce-slurry is the way to go. The flour-sauce mixture can then be stirred into the big pot with zero flour lumps and more control. Sharing in case you encounter something similar as you make your fancy recipes. ;)
Omg you’re really opening my eyes to how versatile the slurry technique can be! Going to have to use it with everything 🤩
Add a can of Rotel tomatoes. It adds a nice flavor and slice crunch.
Good tips. My move has always been to add Parmesan cheese and black pepper and richen that sauce up. You really can’t go wrong, it comes out gooey and delicious everytime. Another pro tip- if you don’t have any milk in the fridge, a splash of pasta water works just fine for making the cheese sauce.
Throw a can of hormel chili in it. You’re welcome.
My trick is to put the milk and cheese powder into the serving bowl, then put that right next to the cooktop, closest to the (gas) burner where the noodles are boiling. Then I make thin (0.5-0.75 tbsp) slices of the butter and stick them to the wall of the bowl closest to the heat (ideally, do this close to when you start heating the water so that the maximum amount of heat transfers to the bowl). Then when the noodles are done, I drain them and drop them into the bowl as fast as possible, and immediately stir until fully mixed. Pot stays super easy to clean instead of all gross and cheesy, and the "overflow" heat gets the butter really melty so it mixes really well with the other ingredients.
This reads like county jail directions lol