Try This Ina Garten-Approved Butter Swap The Next Time You Make Macaroni And Cheese

Ina Garten has a clever butter swap that will take your macaroni and cheese to the next level. Her beloved truffled mac and cheese recipe calls for white truffle butter, melted and combined with flour to create the roux for a decadent, cheesy béchamel sauce. As she walks viewers through the cooking process on "Barefoot Contessa" (via YouTube), the dish becomes even more luxurious with the addition of a few other ingredients: Gruyère, sharp cheddar cheese, cremini and shiitake mushrooms sautéed in cream sherry, and a fresh parsley, garlic breadcrumb topping. The umami flavor of truffle butter is a mouthwatering addition to any recipe. But what if you can't find truffle butter so easily?

No truffle butter, no problem, as Garten has a simpler swap for home cooks. For recipes like an elevated mac and cheese that could use a tinge of black or white truffle, unsalted butter and truffle oil can create a similar flavor, at a lower price point. Truffle oil has the same earthy and distinct flavor notes as truffle butter. By combining butter and truffle oil yourself, you can create a version that melts into recipes and creates the same intoxicating aroma as truffle butter. This impressive butter swap adds decadence and depth to the classic cheesy dish for a more elegant and flavorful meal.

If you are hoping to dress up a pan of mac and cheese, truffle oil is a must-have in your arsenal of pantry staples. It is strangely common to find truffle oils that contain no truffles, so check labels to make sure you're purchasing real truffle oil. When making truffle oil-infused butter, it is best to whip unsalted butter in a mixer and slowly add in the truffle oil until it has a fluffy consistency. If you mash butter into the truffle oil, you risk creating a truffle oil with clumps of butter in it. Not ideal. After whipping, you can store the homemade truffle butter in the fridge or freezer. A sealable container or a piping bag will make the truffle butter easy to use in your favorite recipes.

This homemade approach also allows for ultimate flavor control. A little goes a long way with truffle oil. Your truffle butter can have strong, earthy truffle notes or a subtle flavor. Whatever your preference, blending creamy butter with real truffle oil is a simple way to add ultimate flavor to your macaroni and cheese. Ina Garten's butter swap can take the simplest version of this staple dish and transform it into a go-to comfort food fit for dinner parties. It's not only clever, it will make your next mac and cheese night a gourmet experience.