7 Yummy & Clever Mac and Cheese Add-Ins - Shelf Cooking (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to store bought macaroni and cheese? ›

Spices: A little garlic powder and onion powder goes a long way in making this the best easy mac and cheese ever! Definitely don't skimp on these. You could also add a bit of paprika, black pepper, or even a splash of hot sauce if you want to amp up the flavor even more.

Cook up a box of the macaroni and cheese of your choosing and gather whichever cheese you'd like to use, be it shredded cheddar or crumbled blue cheese. Once you've combined the pasta and cheese sauce, fold the extra cheese into the pot. Finish it with a few grinds of black pepper to balance the rich cheese and enjoy.

You'll want to melt some extra cheese with the butter before adding the cheese packet. Adding some parmesan cheese will add even more flavor. If you like garlic, then you can't go wrong by adding a little garlic powder. A tiny dash of cayenne pepper or hot sauce is the ticket.

Fresh Herbs and Spices

Another way to spice up your Kraft Macaroni and Cheese is by adding in some fresh herbs like parsley or oregano. If you don't have any fresh herbs or spices on hand, you could also mix in some dried spices. What is this? A few of my favorites to add are onion powder or garlic powder.

Pasta dish ideas including Lemon, Basil and Mascarpone, Quick Chicken Alfredo, White Wine, Mushroom and Cream, White Bean Sauce, Bacon and Scallions, Tuna and Capers, Lemon Artichoke Pesto, Smoked Salmon And Capers, and Caprese.

Use the Oven to Reheat

Break up any clumps of the leftovers in a mixing bowl and add one tablespoon of milk per cup of macaroni and cheese. Add a little bit of extra cheese, and then fill a casserole dish with the mixture.

It relies on Monterey Jack, Parmesan and two smooth melters: American cheese and cream cheese.

What can I add to Kraft mac and cheese if I don't have butter? ›

So, if a recipe asks for butter, you may use ghee or margarine instead. However, sour cream, mayonnaise, or yogurt can be used to get the same creamy texture when cooking boxed macaroni. You may use 1 cup of any of these in place of the butter called for in the recipe (4 tablespoons).

The best spices to spice up your mac and cheese are garlic powder, onions powder, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, buffalo hot sauce, and truffle salt.

Cheese is an excellent way to add flavor to your pasta without having to rely on sauce. Try mixing your angel hair pasta with goat cheese, and toss in sun-dried tomatoes to make an amazing meal with just a few ingredients. Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles.

You can add things such as halved cherry tomatoes, blanched vegetables or even frozen peas. If you don't have any pasta sauce, then add a handful of grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese or some chopped olives, capers or chunks of cooked sausage.

Tossing in strips of basil, a sprig of thyme or some oregano can take your sauce to the next level. Although fresh herbs might pop a bit more, dried herbs and spices can work just as well. Sprinkling in some red pepper flakes, a pinch of parsley and a dash of salt and pepper can liven up your jarred pasta sauce.

The use of milk makes the pasta itself creamier, and reserving it keeps any starch washed off the pasta in the milk, which is then used to make the sauce. Some milk is absorbed into the pasta as it cooks, but you need to reserve enough to make your sauce.

Make It Extra Creamy

Most boxes will instruct you to boil the pasta, then drain and add butter, milk, and cheese powder to the pot, mixing well to form a sauce. To make your mac extra creamy and rich, melt a tablespoon or two of cream cheese into your cheese sauce. You'll thank us later.

Cream cheese: The mac and cheese would be excellent with just cheddar cheese added, but to make it ultra creamy, we'll stir in some cream cheese. It adds a lovely silky texture, and since it has a little zinginess, it brightens up the flavor a bit. Salt and Pepper: Nobody wants an unseasoned cheese sauce!

How do you doctor up premade mac and cheese? ›

You can turn that packet of powdered cheese into a creamy, delicious sauce with a few quick additions: whole milk, butter, American cheese, and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Get the recipe at Loaves and Dishes. A crispy layer of breadcrumbs will give your mac and cheese a little extra oomph.

Add 1 tablespoon of milk per cup of mac and cheese and mix to incorprate as much as possible. *If you'd like to add more creaminess and flavor, substitute half-and-half or cream. 3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.

No, it's not necessary to cover mac and cheese while it bakes. You want the topping to become golden brown and crispy so baking uncovered is a must.

Heavy whipping cream (or half and half) is the perfect substitute for milk in mac and cheese. This is actually a great option! The thicker consistency will produce a dreamy, creamy sauce that everyone will love. The flavor is bolder and richer, too, and you may enjoy it more than the original.

Cooking macaroni in a small volume of water concentrates the starch from the pasta, helping the cheese form a creamy emulsion. Similar recipes call for cooking pasta in milk, which can scorch. Cooking in water and adding evaporated milk toward the end fixes this problem.

The butter in kraft mac and cheese is simply there to add a richer flavor and give the sauce a thicker texture, but it's not an essential ingredient. You can either leave it out completely or substitute it with something else like sour cream.

Yes! Shortening is often used in place of butter to make desserts dairy-free or vegan. Also, you may just be out of one fat or prefer one over the other.

Nutmeg is a tasty add-on for any creamy dish, from mac and cheese to potato gratin to creamed spinach. It's delicious with buttered vegetables like broccoli, sweet potatoes and carrots, too. Shake it on top of the finished dish for rich aroma and flavor.

How do you make instant Kraft Mac and Cheese better? ›

Just add milk.

This is the easiest way to make your mac way better. Either add a combo of milk and water when you're first adding it to the noodles, or pour some in after it's done cooking. It makes the cheese powder mix in more smoothly AND your mac is instantly creamier.

Monterey Jack

Monterey Jack melts perfectly for this dish, creating a buttery, gooey texture. You can even combine it with colby and cheddar for a three-cheese mac that everyone will love.

Even if you don't want to make a mac and cheese that is made purely out of goat cheese, it can be a tangy addition to your traditional recipe and pairs well with other cheeses like parmesan, gruyère, and gouda.

Creamier Mac and Cheese Starts with Milk

Instead of water, cook your pasta in milk! Now, you usually add milk later in the cooking process to make the cheese sauce, but for an extra touch of luscious creaminess, incorporate the milk at the very beginning of cooking.

Don't rinse the pasta. Rinsing removes the starch but we want the starch to help the cheese stick to the noodles. Rinsing also cools the pasta down and we don't want that.

With a fairly low melting point, cheddar keeps things smooth. It's also got the classic taste you're looking for and expecting with mac and cheese. Sharp cheddar is ideal because its flavor is strongest, but the most important to thing to remember is to always buy cheddar in a block and grate your own!

The Rest of The Ingredients

The remaining ingredients are simple: butter and flour (which makes the sauce thicken), milk, spices, salt, and pepper. For the milk, I prefer whole milk since it makes a creamier sauce, but I've used reduced fat milk plenty of times without complaint.

Stay away from long, thin pasta like spaghetti and linguine, and shapes that are super tiny. Follow this tip: Select a pasta with plenty of surface area and nooks and crannies to capture as much of that blissful cheese sauce as possible. I especially love shells, campanelle, and the ever-classic elbow macaroni.