Upgrade Your Boxed Mac and Cheese with a Creamy, Zesty Ingredient
Who says boxed macaroni and cheese is only for hungry toddlers and college students? Take your chance and breathe new life into this pantry staple with an extra ingredient. Don’t settle for powdered cheese when you can transform your basic boxed macaroni 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 adding tang to your dish. To perfectly incorporate this delicious ingredient, add a few scoops of yogurt – two or three should be enough depending on the size of the box – to your cooked noodles before pouring them into the cheese powder. Stir to combine everything and watch your sauce develop a rich, creamy consistency. This tip works well with any type of boxed mac and cheese, meaning there’s no end to the velvety possibilities.
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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 varieties of mac and cheese come with cooking suggestions, advising to use butter and a little milk to turn the powdered cheese into a sauce. The result is often a velvety consistency that leaves your macaroni either diluted or with chunks of cheese dust in the pan. While milk or even a thicker liquid like heavy cream can help the powder become a sauce, it doesn’t have the substance needed 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 as much when mixed with other ingredients. Of course, you’ll need to be careful to buy 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 excess liquid is filtered after culturing, giving it a thicker consistency and tangier flavor once the sweet whey is removed.
The tangy taste of Greek yogurt pairs well with boxed cheese sauces, which are often slightly sweet, creating a fancy cheese for your macaroni. Depending on the type of milk used, Greek yogurts will have a higher or lower fat content. For the ultimate creaminess, choose a whole milk variety, but you can also use low-fat and fat-free versions if you prefer.
More Ways to Elevate Your Mac and Cheese
Once you’ve added Greek yogurt, why stop there? There are many ways to jazz up your mac and cheese to make it both tastier and more presentable. With so many brands of boxed mac and cheese on the market, it’s easy to experiment with different cheese flavors. Maybe try white cheddar or make a bold choice with a box of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos mac and cheese. Simply add a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt for a creamier sauce.
Another way to increase the creaminess and density of your macaroni is to grate cream cheese over the noodles. You can create your own flavor combinations without affecting the thickness of the sauce. Most importantly, you’ll be able to see the stretchy, satisfying cheese pull with every bite you take.
Finally, why stick to macaroni and cheese? Add other delicious ingredients that combine with the tang of Greek yogurt and make jalapeño bacon mac and cheese or lobster mac and cheese. You can also stick to a vegetarian dish and add broccoli, which pairs well with cheddar. The topping possibilities are endless and pair well with the extra creamy cheese sauce. Greek yogurt also has many other great uses, making it the perfect ingredient to keep in your fridge.
Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
