Add A Packet Of This Pantry Staple To Mac And Cheese For 3x The Flavor

Even if you have a favorite mac and cheese, from the quick comfort of the best boxed mac and cheese to the satisfaction you find amid creamy, homemade noodles, there are still plenty more varieties to try. Even better, there are a ton of mac and cheese upgrades that can make the classic dish tastier, heartier, or just a little different from the routine, and a packet of ranch seasoning exists among the easiest flavor enhancers one can shake in.

Ranch seasoning might taste familiar to anyone who has ever had the dressing, which you can also whip up from the powdered stuff. It typically includes dried buttermilk, onion, garlic, and herbs, such as parsley, dill, and chives (depending on the seasoning packet you buy). However, ranch's signature element is really its tang. That's precisely what it brings to mac and cheese, but just how powerfully depends on the mac and cheese you're working with.

Unsurprisingly, ranch seasoning has the biggest impact on the simplest mac and cheeses, such as a three-ingredient baked mac and cheese. Everyone loves a boxed mac glow up, too, and ranch is great for a lot of those. While it might get a little lost amid Kraft's famously orange, salty elbows, it's terrific with more subtle options. As such, consider stirring it in with explicitly mild cheddar macs to give the ranch a bit more of a spotlight. Lower-sodium boxes are also nicely suited to ranch, which often tastes plenty salty on its own. Whisk it in as you add any liquid ingredients to ensure it's properly incorporated.

Keeping balance in mind lets you squeeze more goodies in. Sliced jalapeños go great with ranch, provided they don't have too much competition in the pot, as do diced tomatoes and even a few strips of crumbled bacon. Just don't go wild; adding it to a Guy Fieri-style loaded mac and cheese, for example, muddles the works.