You can use yellow or white American cheese. In the photo above, I used white since I had some left over from the White Cheese Dip. The peas are optional, of course, but I would highly recommend adding them as they give a nice bite amidst all of the cheese. I love it as a tribute to my grandfather who always has peas in his shell pasta with spaghetti sauce. Plus, what a better way to get in some of those nutritional greens?
Stove-top Mac ‘n Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces macaroni pasta (shells, elbow, whatever you like!)
- 8 ounces American cheese (white or yellow), grated
- 1/2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
- Salt and pepper , to taste
Optional Add-ins:
- 1 1/2 cup frozen peas , thawed (just run under cold water in a strainer for quick thawing process)
- 1 cup shredded cooked chicken (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Return cooked pasta to the pot.
- Mix in 1/4 cup of the pasta water, yogurt and 1/3 of the grated cheese. Stir until the cheese has melted, then add remaining cheese one handful at a time to prevent clumping. Add in additional pasta water, as necessary, to achieve desired cheese sauce consistency.
- Stir in the optional peas and chicken right before serving; serve warm.
- To reheat leftovers, microwave and stir in 30 second intervals. Add a tablespoon or two of skim milk or water, if needed, to thin the sauce.
- Source: Barely adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride
Anna says
I love using vanilla yogurt for my stove top mac-n-cheese, gives it a nice tang, but will try the greek yogurt recipe!! YUMM!!
Laura Kuipers-Witte says
My favorite Christmas gift came two years ago from my husband. He gave me my first and only pair of Uggs, which I absolutely love! Being a mom on a budget (and pregnant at that time), I would not spend that kind of money on something for myself that I didn't "need". I didn't even know that he knew what Uggs were, but he managed to totally surprise me and got the exact ones I wanted in the perfect size!
Courtney @ The Granola Chronicles says
Oooh, this looks fantastic and so, so simple. I'm loving the addition of Greek yogurt!
Erin says
How neat that you used Greek yogurt! I love stovetop mac and cheese that is as creamy as this one.
Laura says
Yum, I've had this bookmarked from Shawnda's site for a while now, but not gotten around to it. Making the queso to go with chimichangas tonight, and I'll probably have leftover chicken too. The stars may just align! Looks great.