7 Fixes for Too Much Butter in Mac and Cheese
Sometimes, there’s nothing better and more satisfying than a big plate of mac and cheese, and nothing sadder than a plate of mac and cheese that isn’t as good as you’d hoped. I get very greedy when I make mac and cheese, and it often ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper. I don’t know about you, but I often go too far with the butter, so I’ve learned the hard way how to do damage control in such situations. So, how do you fix too much butter in mac and cheese?
Add more pasta, double the batch, add more cheese, add a thickener, add sour cream, breadcrumbs, or more spices and herbs. You can do an excellent job fixing too much butter in mac and cheese with any of these simple fixes!
I always say that adding too much of something is far more damaging than adding too little since it is more difficult and sometimes impossible to fix. Adding too much butter to mac and cheese isn’t one of those “butter makes everything better” situations! You will need some guidance to fix the meal as much as the situation allows. So, in this article, I will share my hard-learned lessons, and answer the question:
What Happens if You Put Too Much Butter in Mac and Cheese?
There are visible and invisible signs that you’ve added too much butter to mac and cheese, but you’ll notice it one way or another.
The most apparent sign that you’ve added too much butter to your mac and cheese is the greasy appearance of your meal. Since butter adds fat, too much butter adds extra fat, so your mac and cheese will be glossy.
Another sign your mac and cheese are too buttery is that they will separate easily, i.e., be slippery. Even though mac and cheese should be separable, to some extent, they shouldn’t separate at the slightest move. If you add too much butter, it won’t be possible to make those little squares to portion them.
If you are an experienced culinary enthusiast like me, you will instantly see the signals, but if you are just starting your culinary adventure, chances are you’ll feel them afterward.
The flavor is another feature that gives the “too much butter” out. They will be rich, no doubt, but they will also taste heavily buttery and verge on unpleasant tasting. Of course, there are those who won’t mind the excessive butteriness and those who prefer it, but most people don’t enjoy the overly buttery heaviness.
Finally, mac and cheese is a calorie-rich dish, but an overly buttery version of it is too rich in calories and is, therefore, very satiating. You’ll notice that you are full after a small amount of mac and cheese, followed by a potential heaviness in your stomach. [1]
How to Fix Too Buttery Mac and Cheese?
Although no fixer will eliminate the fact that you’ve added too much butter, there are some things you can do to significantly remedy the situation. Take a look at my fixers below. I hope that some of them will do the trick for you as they do for me.
Add More Cheese
If you don’t have extra pasta, but you have plenty of cheese, add it to the mac and cheese to balance out the excess butter. Butter and cheese work great together, so they will merge, with the cheese soaking up the butter fat.
Double the Batch
This solution often goes hand in hand with the previous one, as adding more pasta will likely require you to add more of the other ingredients. So, to fix your dish as painlessly as possible, double the batch, adding more of everything.
Still, this solution brings the risk of having too much leftover mac and cheese, so apply it if you are making mac and cheese for a bunch of people. If your mac and cheese is for just yourself or a couple of more people, consider some of the other solutions below.
I did this one, and it didn’t turn out well since I was making mac and cheese just for me, and it caused a significant storage problem.
Add More Pasta
When you add too much butter to your mac and cheese, the simplest way to remedy and even reverse that is to add more pasta. So, when you make mac and cheese, cook some extra pasta and have it handy just in case; if you don’t use it, you can always whip some sauce and treat yourself to a fancy pasta dish.
The extra pasta will balance the dish and will soak up the excess butter, hopefully eliminating the negative impact.
Use A Thickener
Mix flour, milk, and cornstarch to create a thickener and add it to the mac and cheese. I use this method when I notice I’ve added too much butter before I bake the mac and cheese. I haven’t tried it after baking, but I don’t think it would work.
The thickener will soak up the butter to some extent and will give you a creamier consistency. Yum!
Spices and Herbs
If the flavor imbalance is the only way in which the excess butter manifests, it is an easily fixable issue. Add some herbal spices, such as oregano and basil, to balance out the flavor and add a refreshing note.
Breadcrumbs
When I don’t have any leftover mac and cheese ingredients, and I am fresh out of flour and milk, my last resort is breadcrumbs. This method isn’t my favorite, but it does work, so don’t underestimate it. Plus, it adds some extra texture to the dish, so you will feel a fun crunch with every bite.
Sour Cream
If you notice the excess butter after baking the mac and cheese, you can always add a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt on top to add a fresh note to the dish. It won’t change the structure, so your mac and cheese will still be fatty, but it will definitely balance out the flavor.
Have you ever tried using any of these methods when you’ve put too much butter into your mac and cheese? I can’t wait to hear about your experience in the comments below!
