blue box mac and cheese best if used by date

(And for more cooking hacks, check out this genius guide to elevating boxed cake mix. Keep reading for a closer look at how to make boxed mac and cheese better. There's even a fun recipe for fried mac and cheese bites that you won't want to miss!

You'll also find plenty of ideas for swaps and mix-ins (hello, bacon!) that will transform your standard boxed mac and cheese into a complete and hearty meal. Prefer your macaroni and cheese on the crispy side? There's a quick hack for that, too. Craving a creamier sauce? A couple of additional ingredients like whole milk and extra butter will do the trick. This list includes 10 easy ways to doctor up boxed mac and cheese to make it taste better-and suit your mood.

Using some simple tricks, you can elevate any boxed mac and cheese so it tastes like you made it from scratch. If you're wondering how to make boxed mac and cheese better, you should know that you don't have to stick to the directions on the box. And you're about to have the best mac and cheese of your life.Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, and while we all love a great homemade version (like Ree Drummond's extra creamy macaroni and cheese), it's helpful to keep store-bought brands on hand for super-quick meals. Remove the pan from the heat.Īdd the cheese and stir until it is completely melted. Keep whisking at least every few seconds to prevent the milk from sticking to and burning on the pan.Īfter 3 to 5 more minutes of whisking, you'll notice the sauce starting to thicken slightly. In medium saucepan, melt margarine or butter blend in flour, mustard, salt (if used), and pepper. Then slowly pour in the milk, whisking as you go. Straight from the back of the box of Muellers enriched elbow macaroni. Continue whisking - don't stop! - for 2 to 5 minutes until you no longer see any lumps of flour, and the mixture is golden brown. Once the butter is melted and starting to foam, sprinkle in the flour, whisking as you go. You want the butter to foam but not bubble or burn. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.

2½ cups milk (for a richer sauce, half-and-half or cream).

5 tablespoons butter, sliced into 3 to 4 pieces.

To make the best homemade mac and cheese, you first need to learn how to make a roux for mac and cheese, a mixture of flour and butter that's the base for many gourmet sauces.įor each pound of dry pasta you plan to use, measure How to Make Homemade Cheese Sauce for Smoked Mac and Cheese The sauce for homemade macaroni and cheese is based on a classic French sauce, called Mornay sauce.

In that year alone, 8 million boxes were sold, and the popularity of Kraft dinners continues today. Called 'the housewifes best friend, a nourishing one pot meal,' it was a fast, filling and inexpensive way to feed a family. You'll get the creamiest mac and cheese if you make your own cheese sauce. Of course, Kraft Foods introduced the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner in 1937, at the end of the Great Depression.

Blue box mac and cheese best if used by date