Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Creamy Stovetop Mac & Cheese



My obsession with trying different mac & cheese recipes will never end.  I love finding new varieties - especially when they're super easy to make.  This version is probably the simplest yet: you don't have to make a roux AND there's no waiting time while it's in the oven!  We had this for dinner last week with Pioneer Woman's BBQ Comfort Meatballs - it was the ultimate comfort food dinner.  Also, feel free to sub in any kinds of cheese you want - the possibilities are endless!

Creamy Stovetop Mac & Cheese
12 oz. dried pasta
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup milk, half and half, or heavy cream
4 oz low-fat Greek yogurt
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Cook pasta according to package directions just until al dente.  Drain well, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Immediately return the pasta to the pot.  Add the garlic and cheese and stir briefly to combine.  Mix in the milk, Greek yogurt, and butter and stir until the cheese is thoroughly melted and the mixture is creamy.  If necessary add a small amount of the reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

source: adapted from annie's eats, originally from Macaroni and Cheese by Marlena Spieler

19 comments:

  1. YES. Mac and cheese was, is and always will be a favorite of mine. I'm not terribly picky when it comes to m&c, so any form will do - homemade or from the box. I'll take it!

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  2. i'll have to send this to my mac and cheese loving friend. even as cheese-hater this looks good (but i know how it tastes. i know!)

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  3. YUM! Tomorrow night we're making "A & M's Mac and Cheese." We follow a recipe similar to Ina Garten's grown up mac and cheese, but we vary it a little by adding a lot more bacon...hehe. Hope your week is off to a good start!

    P.S. Tagged you in my post today!

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  4. Oh this looks so creamy and delicious!

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  5. I will have to pin this recipe for my boyfriend, he is a huge mac and cheese fan!

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  6. Please don't ever stop experimenting with Mac N Cheese. I love it! It's one of my favorite foods. Especially when prego lol.


    - Sarah
    http://agirlintransit.blogspot.com

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  7. Oh mac&cheese! yummy stuff...will definitely be trying this recipe!

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  8. Aww man I have been on such a mac and cheese kick this week! This recipe looks great & I love that it includes greek yogurt.

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  9. do you remember that time i tried to make mac & cheese sophomore year and totally failed? the cheese was SO stringy it was pretty much impossible to eat. i'm impressed with your cooking skills :)

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  10. This looks like the best mac n' cheese recipe ever! Looking forward to trying this :)

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  11. I love homemade mac and cheese and it's one of the few things I actually don't mind making. My husband would always rather have Kraft though because he is a weirdo.

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  12. You can never go wrong with mac n cheese! I mean, us Southerners consider it a vegetable choice ;)!

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  13. Comfort food sounds so good right about now! Your pictures are seriously making my drool haha! Looks super creamy--just the way mac and cheese should be :)

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  14. OMG mac & cheese! I swear it's been chasing me around lately...I've seen yummy recipes for it everywhere. This looks so tasty!

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  15. mac & cheese is a weekly event in our house - and take a wild guess my kids' fave night of the week? This looks so yummy!

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  16. Ah one of my go-to favorites. Love this recipe...will have to give it a try!

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  17. Made this last week. I love that it's in one pot. I had to alter the recipe a bit to match what we had in the fridge, but it turned out great!

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