Give Boxed Mac And Cheese An Extra Punch Of Flavor With This French Condiment

Boxed mac and cheese is more than convenient. It is delicious and comforting. Dried noodles with powdery cheese that turns into a bright, creamy, orange sauce with just a little butter and milk is the kind of budget- and kid-friendly meal that's easy to embrace. But if you want to give it a little bit of a sophisticated, French vibe, add this ingredient to your list of ways to make boxed mac and cheese better: Dijon mustard. Don't worry, adding the condiment isn't going to make your mac and cheese taste like mustard. Instead, the Dijon will balance the fatty nature of this dish while bringing all the flavors together. 

That said, Dijon is considered high in sodium, and because boxed mac and cheese is already salty, you want to be conservative when adding it. Start with one to two teaspoons of this French mustard and work your way up to about a tablespoon. You want to add it as you are creating the sauce with the cheese powder and the dairy ingredients so everything blends together. When you add the cooked noodles to coat them with the sauce, the flavor will be evenly distributed.

Before you get started, it's important to consider this condiment's composition. Born in the French town of Dijon, it is made using a mix of brown and yellow mustard seeds and white wine or vinegar — sometimes both liquids, depending on the brand. Most Dijon mustards are going to be mild without the vinegar bite of a typical yellow mustard. However, the brown seeds tend to have a bit of a kick to them, so if you buy a Dijon mustard that looks like it has a lot of brown seeds, it will likely be on the spicy side. When you are selecting your preferred Dijon, make certain it is one that you and the kiddos would want to eat on a sandwich.

If you like the way Dijon transforms your noodles, you can try some other condiments you are likely to be harboring in your fridge. You can upgrade boxed mac and cheese with ranch dressing to give it an herby taste with a little bit of tang. Or try adding just half a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to your favorite brand of boxed mac and cheese to give it a little umami.