The Canned Ingredient That Belongs In Your Mac And Cheese

When making next-level mac and cheese, there are plenty of tips and tricks to get a more luscious sauce, create the ideal combination of cheeses, cook perfectly tender noodles, and create an all-around divine bowl. There are even many canned ingredients that will take your mac and cheese to another level, and one of our favorites is deceptively simple: canned chicken broth. This umami-packed addition can be used as the cooking liquid for the noodles, to thin out the cheese, and to add a depth of flavor you didn't even know your mac was missing.

There are two main ways to use chicken broth in macaroni and cheese. First, you can boil the noodles in a mix of water and salted chicken broth in a 1-to-1 ratio. If the broth is unsalted, you can skip the water and just salt the broth to taste. This imbues the umami essence of the chicken into the noodles themselves, and that flavor lingers even when you drain the noodles and add your milk and cheese. The second option is to add the chicken broth directly to the cheese and milk itself. We suggest replacing up to half of the milk with chicken broth, but be aware of the sodium content so your mac and cheese doesn't end up overly salty.

Use whichever kind of broth or stock you have on hand, like vegetable, beef, or even miso soup. There are also other canned soups you should be adding to mac and cheese, like cream of mushroom. It gives your cheese a velvety, melty texture, and the mushrooms provide an umami factor, too. If you go for this, thin the condensed soup with milk or unsalted chicken broth — about one part liquid and two parts soup should do the trick. This keeps your mac and cheese savory and creamy without being so thick and overseasoned that it becomes unpalatable.

Other underrated canned soups you need to try out as a major flavor booster to mac and cheese include loaded potato with bacon, corn chowder, and even creamy tomato. These soups add richness and depth that you can't get from the boxed cheese sauce alone. Try this hack once, and you'll be coming back for seconds, thirds, and more.