Your Boxed Stuffing Just Needs A Little Butter For Maximum Flavor

Sometimes there's just no time to make side dishes like stuffing from scratch. Luckily, a boxed version can save the day. Although they often border on bland, there are dozens of ways to elevate dressing with any number of additions from crumbled sausage to chopped nuts or even shaved truffles. However, rather than chop and dice, and grate your way to more delicious fixings, the truth is that boosting flavor is actually a lot easier than you might have previously thought. In order to transform your package of stuffing mix into a mouthwateringly decadent result, all you need to do is add an extra pat of butter.

No matter the brand, most packages of dressing require a component of liquid and another of fat. Naturally, just as there are options as to which liquid to use, there are also options when it comes to choosing a suitable fat. That said, for the most flavorful outcome, it's wise to skip the water in favor of stock and more importantly, forgo margarine or vegetable oil spread and instead lean heavily into butter. Unlike mellow-tasting substitutes, butter has a profile that's fresh and tangy, all the while luxuriously rich. 

Whether you like your butter sweet and unsalted, tangy and cultured, golden and grass-fed, or ultra creamy and full of fat, always select the freshest product possible to ensure flavors will be up to par. Even though high-quality dairy can stand on its own, should you want to further improve taste, butter can also be enhanced in a number of ways before it even makes its way into your boxed stuffing.

For a subtly toasted character, why not brown the butter? In a pan, let butter lazily melt until milk solids separate and turn golden. At this point, the resulting amber-tinged liquid will boast a wonderfully nutty aroma and an irresistible, caramelized flavor that's sure to give the dressing a massive upgrade without the need for additional ingredients. 

Alternatively, you could also whip up a compound butter. For example, herby butter infused with thyme and sage can heighten the stuffing's already present flavors, whereas butter laced with caramelized shallots and a drizzle of maple syrup could offset the overwhelming savoriness with some sweetness. Likewise, you could also incorporate a spicy habanero or an umami-focused miso butter for even punchier flavors. Essentially, butter has no limit to the gustatory depth it can bring to boxed stuffing.