Elevate Your Boxed Mac And Cheese With One Creamy, Tangy Ingredient
Who says boxed mac and cheese is only meant for toddlers and hungry college students? Take a chance and bring new life to this pantry staple by jazzing it up with an extra ingredient. Don't settle for just powdered cheese when you can turn your basic boxed mac into a creamy delight simply by adding plain Greek yogurt.
Greek yogurt has a perfect creamy consistency that blends easily into mac and cheese while also adding a tang to your dish. To seamlessly incorporate this delicious ingredient, add a few scoops of yogurt — two or three should do depending on the size of the box — to your cooked noodles before dumping in the cheese powder. Stir to combine it all together and watch your sauce develop a rich and unctuous consistency. This hack works well with any type of boxed mac and cheese, meaning there is no end to the velvety possibilities.
Greek yogurt is the key to improving your boxed mac and cheese
So why Greek yogurt? Or better yet, why yogurt in the first place? Most boxed mac and cheese varieties come with cooking suggestions on the side, advising to use butter and a splash of milk to turn powdered cheese into sauce. The result is often a soupy consistency that leaves your mac either watered down, or with chunks of cheese dust sitting in the pot. While milk or even a thicker liquid like heavy cream may help the powder become sauce, it doesn't have the substance to create a truly creamy result.
Yogurt, on the other hand, is designed to be whipped and thick by nature, and it doesn't thin out as much when mixed with other ingredients. Of course, you'll need to be careful to purchase plain yogurt, not vanilla or any other flavor unless you're looking to get really creative with your meal. What sets Greek yogurt apart is the fact that the excess liquid is strained after culturing, giving it a thicker consistency and a tangier flavor after the sweet milk whey is removed.
Greek yogurt's tangy taste pairs well with boxed cheese sauces, which are often mildly sweet, creating an elevated cheese for your mac. Depending on the type of milk used, Greek yogurts will have a greater or lower fat content. For ultimate creaminess, choose a whole-milk variety, but you can also use low-fat and non-fat versions if preferred.
More ways to elevate your mac and cheese
Once you've added Greek yogurt, why stop there? There are plenty of ways to elevate your mac and cheese to make it both tastier and more presentable. With so many boxed mac and cheese brands on the market, it's easy to experiment with different cheese flavors. Perhaps try white cheddar or make a daring choice with a box of Flamin' Hot Cheetos mac and cheese. Just add a few dollops of Greek yogurt for a creamier sauce.
Another way to up the creaminess and density of your mac is by grating fresh cheese over the noodles. You can create your own flavor combinations without taking away from the thickness of the sauce. More importantly, you'll get to see the satisfying stretchy cheese pull with each bite you take.
Finally, why just stick to mac and cheese? Add other delicious ingredients that tie into the tanginess of the Greek yogurt and make a jalapeño bacon mac or lobster mac and cheese. You could also stick to a vegetarian dish and add broccoli, which pairs well with cheddar. The topping possibilities are endless and sure to blend well with the extra creamy cheese sauce. Greek yogurt has many other cool uses as well, making it the perfect ingredient to have stocked in your fridge.