This Single-Ingredient Upgrade Will Give Mac and Cheese a Protein Boost (and Make the Sauce “Velvety”!)

Some nights, there’s just no time or energy left to make anything super complicated for dinner. Combine that with any picky eating tendencies your kids’ might have, and landing on a recipe that ticks all the boxes is no easy feat. But here’s a ridiculously simple tip to try: Give your standard box of mac and cheese a nourishing protein boost with egg. 

I came across this single-ingredient upgrade on my feed after user Casey (@casey.oconnor.kelly.86) posted a TikTok video showing her stirring two eggs into a pot of pasta. The text on screen reads, “I could kiss the mom who shared this idea.” The caption expands on the meal hack, saying, “Add 2 eggs to their mac & cheese (the heat will cook them!) + boil the noodles in bone broth.”

I love the idea of making mac and cheese a more complete meal with a basic ingredient I already have in my fridge, but I wanted a little more info on exactly how and when to incorporate the eggs, so I tapped Janette Zepeda, senior culinary producer at Cubby’s sister site The Kitchn.

“I actually love this tip!” Zepeda says. “Adding an egg is an easy way to give mac and cheese a little protein boost. The key is to avoid cracking the egg directly into the piping hot mac and cheese, which can cause it to scramble immediately.”

Instead, she says, “I personally like to whisk the egg really well in a small bowl, then slowly whisk in a spoonful or two of the warm cheese sauce to temper it before stirring everything back into the mac and cheese. Keep the pot over low heat and stir constantly for a couple minutes until the egg is cooked through and the mac and cheese looks creamy.”

The addition of egg makes the cheese sauce more “velvety,” according to Zepeda, but otherwise, the hidden ingredient is essentially undetectable. “My son Jack is a big fan of this method with his Goodles and he doesn’t even know it!” she says.