The Boxed Stuffing Upgrade You Already Have In Your Fridge
Even though you can make it any time, let's be real with each other for a second and recognize that stuffing is pretty much reserved for Thanksgiving. But, in turn, it's an absolutely essential side dish that no Thanksgiving feast is complete without.
However, making a classic stuffing from scratch rarely takes priority when you also have to handle a giant turkey, not to mention making more intensive sides such as green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and homemade pumpkin pie.
Thankfully, boxed stuffings are there to help, and they can be just as delicious as the from-scratch stuff so long as you avoid some common stuffing mistakes. One of the easiest to make is not putting some extra oomph in your boxed stuffing, with the butter boxed stuffings suggest adding being an easy ingredient to upgrade simply by browning it.
Why you should use brown butter in your next boxed stuffing, and how to make it
Compared to regular butter, brown butter has a wonderfully nutty smell and taste, with elements of toffee flavor since, after all, butter gets cooked and browned with sugar to make toffee. Adding this nuttiness and toffee flavor to your boxed stuffing makes it pair perfectly with all the other fall flavors around your Thanksgiving table. Think of it this way: The savory nuttiness of the brown butter stuffing acts as a flavor bridge to the sweet nuttiness of popular Thanksgiving desserts.
Considering how easy it is to make brown butter, you don't have an excuse not to try it. All you need is some unsalted butter (salted butter can limit the nutty flavor) and a few minutes of cooking time. Watch over it at medium heat, waiting as it melts then starts to bubble and foam. When the bubbling and foam ends, it's done and you can add it to your boxed stuffing. If you think you've gone a little too long, simply strain it first to remove any burnt solids on the bottom.
If you aren't convinced, experiment ahead of the big day by making half a small box with regular butter and half with brown butter, using the leftovers to make sandwiches or stuffing hash with eggs for breakfast.