The Reason You Should Add Sour Cream To Macaroni And Cheese - The Daily Meal (2024)

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The Reason You Should Add Sour Cream To Macaroni And Cheese - The Daily Meal? ›

Sour cream is the perfect ingredient to substitute for milk when making mac and cheese, giving it a rich and creamy flavor without sacrificing texture. It's easy to add in, and you can adjust it to your liking — add extra sour cream for more creaminess, and counter with extra cheese for more cheesiness.

The trick to making the perfect French onion boxed mac and cheese is to swap out the milk and butter for sour cream. It has the same velvety richness as butter but with a pleasant tang. Plus, while it gets the same job done as the milk, it's a hundred times creamier, making the end result impossibly luscious.

Sour Cream

There are a couple of reasons this is such a good substitute. For one thing, since sour cream is thicker than regular milk, it doesn't thin out the cheese sauce as much. That means that you can add more sour cream and still get a creamy finish.

Whether making it from scratch or the box, sour cream is the secret ingredient to rich and creamy macaroni and cheese. This tart and tangy additive goes a long way regarding recipes, and just a dollop can transform any dish into a thick and creamy masterpiece.

"It adds a subtle tang to the flavor or baked goods. The fat contributes to moistness and richness that makes tender cakes," says Samantha Seneviratne, author of The Joys of Baking: Recipes and Stories for a Sweet Life. What's the Difference Between Créme Fraîche and Sour Cream?

Spread 1/4 cup sour cream sauce over bottom of prepared baking dish. Stir remaining sour cream sauce into macaroni. Pour macaroni into baking dish atop sauce layer; sprinkle mild Cheddar cheese over the casserole. Bake in the preheated oven until heated through and cheese topping has melted, about 15 minutes.

Add more cheese

That final layer of cheese on top isn't just for looks; it also helps keep the saucy noodles underneath from drying out during baking. Breadcrumbs also help insulate the noodles, acting as a protective layer while baking that also happens to add a nice little crunch.

Dry mustard, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper: Mac and cheese is all about the cheese, after all, so I chose this combination of seasonings to really enhance and highlight the cheddar. Dry mustard powder has a sharp flavor that pairs so well with the cheese, and smoked paprika lends an irresistibly smoky note.

Both Parks and Salunke recommend plain Greek yogurt as the best sour cream substitute to use in virtually any recipe, thanks to its comparable ingredient and nutritional compositions, similar consistency, and widespread availability.

How much sour cream to replace milk in mac and cheese? ›

Sour Cream

Regular or plant-based sour cream makes a suitable replacement for milk in mac and cheese recipes. Use sour cream just as you would milk in a 1:1 ratio. It adds slightly tangy flavor notes that are nonetheless delicious!

Yogurt. Yogurt is your best substitute for sour cream. Whether you're baking or making a dip or sauce, yogurt is a 1:1 sub. That means if your recipe calls for 1 cup of sour cream, you can replace it with 1 cup of yogurt.

Half-and-Half Substitute: Sour Cream or Yogurt

For baking, sour cream or yogurt are easy 1:1 substitutes for half-and-half, though both are tangier.

2% milk– You want to use a higher fat milk when making mac and cheese. 2% or higher is preferred.

Yes, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese can be made without milk or butter. Instead, you can use water as a substitute. Simply follow the package instructions for cooking the macaroni, then drain it and mix in the cheese powder and a small amount of water to create the sauce.

Boil it better

Skip the draining step, and add more milk as the noodles cook, if needed. Once al dente, stir in an extra 1 cup of shredded cheese and voila: less powdered cheese flavor, more homemade vibes and a hint of cheesy goodness infused right into the macaroni itself.

How To Keep Macaroni And Cheese From Drying Out. There are a few different ways to keep your macaroni and cheese moist, from adding a solid layer of shredded cheese on top to holding back on the cream when making your sauce.

If your mac and cheese tastes bland, it's either because it's under-seasoned, you didn't use flavorful cheese, or you didn't use enough cheese. Try adding a little more salt first, because that might fix it.