Egg Yolks Are A Game-Changer For Creamy Boxed Mac And Cheese

You probably have a box (or two, or three) of mac and cheese in your cupboard right now — and it's no wonder why. This childhood classic is comforting, delicious, affordable, and easy to prepare. Moreover, there's something incredibly satisfying about eating a bowl full of cheesy noodles. However, you might crave something a bit more substantial. While homemade macaroni and cheese is certainly delicious, it isn't necessarily the quickest meal to prepare from scratch. Fortunately, there are ways to bulk up the boxed stuff that don't require a lot of money or extensive cooking time. One of the best methods is by adding egg yolks.

Sure, you could always enhance your mac with canned cream soup or milk, but egg yolks can add not only richness to your boxed meal, but also impart a complexity that elevates your dish from a nostalgic treat to a hearty and luxurious dinner. Egg yolks are not unfamiliar in the world of pasta; they have been incorporated into dishes globally, from Italian spaghetti carbonaras to thick and creamy ramen soups. So, the next time you open a box of macaroni, you might want to crack an egg to go along with it.

The most noticeable effect of adding egg yolks to instant mac is the instant thickening of the cheese sauce. When the yolk combines with the cheese mixture and milk, it creates a base sauce similar to that of carbonara. And, like with carbonara sauce, you should take care to temper your egg mixture with small amounts of pasta water before adding it to your noodles to prevent the eggs from becoming a scrambled mess.

Once you've incorporated the pasta, the egg mixture turns into a custardy, creamy texture that feels much more luxurious than the dish's boxed origins would suggest. This transformation occurs because the proteins in egg yolks, when cooked, take on a thicker consistency, thereby enhancing the richness of your cheese sauce.

However, the improvement in texture isn't the only benefit of adding egg yolks. Being high in fat, egg yolks add richness while amplifying other flavors in the dish. Moreover, they contain glutamic acid, which adds a burst of umami flavor — essentially, it provides a meaty and savory dimension to any meal. This can add some much-needed complexity to what might otherwise be a tasty, but one-note, dish. So, if you're aiming to upgrade your dinner, you might just find that you're one yolk away.