The One Ingredient That Makes Boxed Mac and Cheese Better

My husband, Jake, and I have become quite the connoisseurs of boxed mac and cheese. Since we’re remote workers, it’s unsurprising that this humble dish has become a staple for us at home. But can I be honest here? Boxed mac and cheese can be a bit bland and uninspiring. So, for our work-from-home lunches, we've experimented with countless ingredient additions to jazz this dish up – and believe me, we've tried a bit of everything from mustard to panko – but time and again, we’d circle back to one simple yet magical ingredient that never fails to elevate our boxed mac and cheese: salted butter.

We Tasted 13 Fancy Butters, and This Is the Best One

That's right, salted butter is our go-to ingredient for dolling up any ordinary box of mac and cheese, as it adds much-needed salinity and a richer taste. But it’s not just about tossing in a pat of salted butter. There’s a technique to our madness.

How To Make Boxed Mac and Cheese Better

Start by melting about one tablespoon of salted butter in the saucepan. Once melted (and you can even let the butter brown for extra flavor), mix in the cooked and strained al dente macaroni. (Yes, even boxed macaroni needs to be al dente.) Then, coat the macaroni in cheese powder or cheese sauce, as per the box’s instructions, before dropping in another tablespoon (or so) of salted butter, adjusted to your taste. Let the butter melt and cling to the mac and cheese.

The key is, and don’t neglect this, to continue cooking the mac until the cheese sauce reduces and thickens, about five minutes over medium heat with constant stirring, achieving that lusciously rich, high-fat consistency akin to what you'd find in a fine restaurant's mac and cheese. To see if your cheese sauce has thickened enough, a spoon dragged across the bottom of the pan should leave a trail that doesn’t fill in quickly. Of course, you can always reduce the cheese sauce to your desired consistency.

And now, what was once goopy, runny, and bland is gourmet.

A Simple Trick for the Creamiest Mac and Cheese

My Favorite Mac and Cheese and Butter Brands 

This easy salted butter trick works wonders for any boxed mac and cheese, so feel free to use your favorite brand. I do feel high-quality and better-tasting brands will give you more delicious results.

If you share my love for white cheddar, then Annie’s Shells & White Cheddar should be right up your alley. If not, Annie’s Homegrown does offer an extensive range of organic boxed mac and cheese options for adults and children, complete with organic pasta and real aged cheddar cheese. I’ve grown fond of this brand as I made a lot of Annie’s food for my son, Phil, when he was a toddler.

As for what salted butter to use, I lean towards brands like Vital Farms Sea Salted Butter or Tillamook’s Sea Salted Extra Creamy Butter, both known for their rich, sea-salted flavor.

Other Ways To Elevate Your Boxed Mac and Cheese 

When we’re feeling fancy, Jake and I take out our food torch and gently sear the top of our mac and cheese. You can get similar results by transferring the mac and cheese to a heatproof baking dish and broiling it in the oven. There is something about smokiness that makes everything taste even better.

For those who might find the butter addition a tad too rich and creamy, I recommend spicing things up with ingredients like gochujang or chili crisp. These will add a delightful punch to your boxed mac and cheese. Alternatively, incorporating dashes of seasonings like mushroom powder, chicken powder, or even a dash of MSG can infuse the dish with an extra layer of umami goodness.

But for us, if we had to pick one hero to transform boxed mac and cheese, once again, it would always be salted butter. It’s a simple addition with a huge impact. Go ahead and give it a try; your boxed mac and cheese will never be mundane again.