6 Compound Butters to Flavor Any Dish with a Little Decadence

Next time you want to add a little decadence to your dishes, soften up some butter and let your imagination take over. But if you have a difficult time deciding what to throw in there, we have six dynamite flavor suggestions for any occasion.

Health nuts may want to look away for this one, because butter really does make anything better. We're not just talking about a pat of any ol' butter from the grocery store, though — we mean compound butters packed with flavors that will elevate whatever you make. This applies to breakfast, lunch, dinner and even brunch thanks to sweet and savory ingredients like strawberries, garlic, herbs and cheese (well, maybe not all of those mixed together).

So next time you want to add a little decadence to your dishes, soften up some butter and let your imagination take over. But if you have a difficult time deciding what to throw in there, we have six dynamite flavor suggestions for any occasion.

The Perfect Brunch: Strawberry-Black Pepper Butter

One of Bobby Flay's favorite brunch hacks is to make a quick flavored butter. His Strawberry-Black Pepper Butter takes strawberry waffles to the next level, but you could also use it on pancakes, French toast or even regular toast. If you're feeling adventurous, you could even make your own butter by shaking around cream in a jar and then adding berries — see Alie Ward and Georgia Hardstark's instructions for  berry homemade compound butter.

If you're indecisive, Chuck Hughes' trio of compound butters is here for you. The garlic chive would be perfect on greens, the lime would complement corn on the cob and the smoked paprika would taste incredible over  roasted potatoes.

Bread and Toast: Avocado Compound Butter

Want to elevate your avocado toast tomorrow morning? Add avocado butter for a double dose of deliciousness.

The sun-dried tomato butter acts as a sauce over the vegetables and thin-pounded, pan-fried pork. This would also work for larger, roasted bone-in pork chops.

Chicken (On the Bone or Off): Hot Sauce Compound Butter

Whether you're making boneless, skinless chicken breasts or Kelsey Nixon's fiery roast chicken, you can spice up your meal. This compound butter has pepperoncini and garlic inside, and it packs a real punch.

Big Steaks: Blue Cheese Butter

If you're trying to impress someone, make   Blue Cheese Butter — fitting for your next date night in or special occasion with friends and family. It would also melt wonderfully over a baked potato.

For more on using new spices in the kitchen, catch The Real Girl's Kitchen's Spice Girls episode on Saturday, June 20 at 1pm ET.

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