Things You Should Be Buttering (But Probably Aren't)

Lifehacker ^ | April 13, 2021 | Claire Lower

[be-baw]

My household is always stocked with least two different kinds of butter: I have cooking butter for sautéing and baking, which is mostly a cheap store brand, and a separate eating butter, usually Kerrygold, for slathering.

While both butters are always salted, the eating butter is kept at room temperature for easier slathering and, oh, how I slather. I slather it on bread (obviously), but I’ve recently expanded my repertoire to include three somewhat unusual, but delicious foods, and I think you should start slathering similarly.

Potato chips

Putting butter on potatoes is a normal thing, as is dipping potato chips into dairy. Why, then, do we not dip potato chips in butter?

If I had to guess, I would say it has something to do with puritanical values, and I would encourage you to shun those. The truth is that buttered potato chips taste good. Creamy fat has always paired well with salty, crispy things, and this particular combination is downright decadent, but not so rich that you can’t eat a whole bunch. (If you thought you couldn’t eat “just one” before, wait until you add butter.)

[be-baw]

You don’t need a lot of butter—a little swoop will do ya—and don’t get to finicky about the kind of potato chip. Butter is delicious on everything from plain Lay’s to heavily flavored kettle-cooked chips.

Graham crackers

I don’t know if this is a phenomenon specific to my weird palate, but the combination of graham crackers and butter taste faintly of strawberries. Maybe it’s because something rich and creamy on top of that particular cracker reminds me of cheesecake, but it definitely reads as “dessert” (a simple, two-ingredient, no-bake, even-a-toddler-could-prepare-this kind of dessert). It’s sweet, crunchy, rich, and creamy, and what more could you want in a single bite?

Hard-boiled eggs

Yes, we have written about the buttered hard-boiled egg before, but I’m going to mention it again, just in case some of you out there have not availed yourself of its magic. Like the previous two recommendations, a buttered hard-boiled egg tastes more complex and complete than it has any right. A.A. Newton attributes it to butter’s ability to transform even the most humble and mundane foods:

After some thought (haters will say too much), I’ve decided that the magic lies in butter’s ability to upgrade a breakfast of convenience. Boiled eggs start to feel pretty ho-hum after a while, especially if you eat them most mornings—but even the smallest knob of butter is completely transformative. Suddenly, my go-to protein-rich breakfast has become a treat; something I actively look forward to.

Basically, butter makes everything better, but the above three foods are stellar examples of just how powerful it is. (It’s also really good on saltines and matzoh, but you probably already knew that.)

[EvilCapitalist]

I’d rather be dipping lobster tail in butter.

[be-baw]

I eat a lot of butter, but not any of the things this article said I should be bettering. I think I will try buttering graham crackers and hard cooked eggs.

I use two kinds of butter: unsalted store brand (or whatever’s on sale) and Kerrygold for spreading on toasted . Kerrygold is not cheap but it’s delicious. There is less water in it then any butter that comes from the US.

[virgil]

I liked butter on saltines too, when I was a kid. I also liked miracle whip sandwiches.

[glorgau]

Family Guy - Have you ever put butter on a pop tart?

[monkeyshine]

Basically, butter makes everything better

Puhleeze! I was in the UK, ordered a tuna fish sandwich, and they buttered the bread. Disgusting.

[Quilla]

Butter with Ritz crackers is fabulous. Buttering Triscuits and microwaving them for 30 seconds tastes exactly like waffles. And lots of butter on pasta with salt, red pepper and Parmesan cheese - jeeze louise!

Signed,
Mo Butta

[be-baw]

“Have you ever put butter on a pop tart?”

That sounds good. I’d prefer butter over the sickeningly sweet frosting they put on them.

[CrazyIvan]

Well that’s spooky. I bought some real butter for the first time in years today and have a dozen hard boiled eggs cooling.

[kiryandil]

Also, bacon grease on hard-boiled eggs.

[Kenny500c]

Buttered pound cake.

[jz638]

Fresh radishes is an unusual thing to dip into butter. Make a nice herb or smoked paprika compound butter, serve as a fancy crudites plate. Classy, different, tastes good.

Potato chips is just nasty. Fat on fat with no sense of effort or technique, it’s like speedballing cholesterol. I’m not saying I wouldn’t try it, but I sure wouldn’t brag to the world about how good it was.

[Geronimo]

Kerrygold in the plastic tub is the only butter I use...just about to have a couple of chip butties with corn beef hash out of the can (low sodium for my health) and three fried eggs to dip a butty in...

Chip butty... https://www.food.com/recipe/chip-butty-471047

[outofsalt]

I only learned of Scotch eggs a few years ago. Sage sausage (Jimmy Dean is my favorite, but YMMV) rolled over and encompassing a hard boiled egg so there are no seams. Bread the sausage and egg "ball" with Italian bread crumbs and cook in the oven at 350⁾ till golden brown and lightly crispy.

A little pat of butter and you're eating large!

[EEGator]

Giggity...

[tflabo]

I don’t find that Kerrygold Irish butter to taste any better than regular American produced kind. Just my opinion.

[Fiddlstix]

Bookmark

[leaning conservative]

Butter on a toasted cinnamon brown sugar poptart is heaven!

[be-baw]

I had Scotch eggs on Easter a few years ago at my brothers apartment. They were delicious. I’m not a fan of sage, so I usually use a sausage with sage that doesn’t overwhelm. They were delicious. I haven’t tried making them myself yet, but I intend to.

I use Jimmy Dean sausage. It’s the best brand you can get. Usually I get it on sale for $3 per pound.

[lee martell]

Is it still true that “Everything’s Better, With Blue Bonnet On It?”