Skipping on the butter will lead to a slightly thinner macaroni and cheese.īecause butter is mostly fat, it mixes well with flour to make a base for sauces. Due to the milk fats present in the butter. Which is why whole milk is usually recommended.Īlthough butter will thicken the cheese slightly. The creaminess of the cheese comes from the added milk.
#How to make mac n cheese with butter mac
Why Butter Is UsedĪs mentioned earlier butter is used for boxed mac and cheese mainly for flavor. I think its simply a suggestion because it does enhance the flavor but it isn’t absolutely necessary. Otherwise you only need one extra ingredient not included and that is milk. Most brands of boxed mac and cheese give you the option of adding butter/margarine. Mac and cheese won’t taste bad without butter but it’s better with it. The butter has nothing to do with the cooking process it just adds another layer of flavor before serving. Mac and cheese will still have a small amount of fat from the milk but adding butter makes for a even richer taste. These become more important when making homemade mac and cheese.ĥ Desserts To Serve With Mac and Cheese Does Mac and Cheese Taste Bad Without Butter?Īs a general rule added fats such as butter help to give more flavor to a dish. So besides butter adding flavor it also does serve other purposes. Not saying that Annie’s is any better than Kraft, both of them probably taste better with butter or margarine in my opinion. Annie’s Brand Trader Joe’s Both these brand mac and cheeses suggest adding butter for a richer flavor. Other than that cooking directions are nearly identical. Listed as a suggestion for a richer flavor. As opposed to Kraft Annie’s gives an optional option for unsalted butter. The cooking instructions are very similar to other brands of macaroni and cheese. You may even find that some brands list butter as an optional ingredient.Īnnie’s homegrown for example includes six easy steps to making the brands boxed macaroni and cheese. Packaged or boxed macaroni and cheese doesn’t necessarily need butter. The rest is just mixing the ingredients together. It has little effect on the actual cooking part. Since butter is added after that is done. The only cooking involved in mac and cheese is boiling the noodles. Unlike baking foods which is more of an exact science. You may have run out of butter or are looking to make a slightly healthier macaroni and cheese.Įxcluding butter can lower the calorie count, by decreasing the amount of fat used. Although it does make a difference in taste, you can still have a creamy and delicious macaroni and cheese without butter. Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe (Without Butter) Does Mac and Cheese Need Butter?īutter is not included with packaged mac and cheese because of its short shelf life.Can I use Mayo Instead of Butter In Mac and Cheese?.Substitutes for Butter in Mac and Cheese.Does Mac and Cheese Taste Bad Without Butter?.I definitely will not be making this again. The general consenses was that it was edible, but not that great. It did thicken in the oven, but it was too saucy to brown. I left it in for another 15 minutes then decided it was as good as it was gonna get. After 45 minutes, I took it out, but it was still a bit runny and not at all browned. It did thicken, obviously, but when I poured it on to the macaroni, there was sooo much sauce that the pasta was practically swimming! I added some ham and peas, then topped with breadcrumbs and put in the oven. This is when I first realized that it takes TWO whole bags of shredded cheese! I kept going, since id already used 4 cups of milk. So I decided to add the cheese and see if it helped. It didnt thicken much, due to the amount of milk. I made the cheese sauce the way I do a gravy, starting with butter and flour, then slowly adding the milk. First, as I was making it, I thought that 4 cups of milk seemed a bit much. Sadly, I misplaced my usual recipe and thought Id give this one a try. We're all big food lovers, and none of us can resist a good homemade mac n'cheese. I made this for dinner tonight for myself, my boyfriend and my 7 year old.