It seems like every other day we are cracking open a cardboard box and stirring that bright yellow powder into some noodles. I know we all grew up on Mac & Cheese but kids everywhere are really stuck in a rut with this food. I wanted to create a version of this classic comfort food for my kiddos that would make me feel a little better about what I was putting into their little tummies at meal time. I wouldn’t call this meal a super food but it is chalk full of calcium and protein. Both nutrients are super important for little bodies that are growing like weeds.
First things first, gather your ingredients. The great thing about this recipe is you can customize it to your families preferences. After your base ingredients, you can really go crazy adding whatever you have in your pantry or fridge. You could add Parmesan, grilled chicken and roasted garlic and call it Chicken Alfredo. Add cooked mushrooms and sliced beef and you’ve got Beef Stroganoff. For now, however, we are just going to keep calm and stick to the beloved Mac & Cheese.
After you’ve gathered your ingredients get your noodles into a sauce pan with 2.5 cups of broth. I always add in the broth until my noodles are covered by about 1/2 an inch. In my recipe I say 2.5-3 cups because the amount of liquid that will evaporate and absorb into the pasta will vary depending on what type of pasta you use and how long you forget about your boiling pot while you see which chemicals your kids are getting into in the laundry room.
Once your broth is boiling, cover the pot and simmer until your pasta is cooked. This should take around 15 minutes. While your noodles are soaking up all that flavor, mix up all the sauce ingredients. Here you will also add what every spices you want to try.
Once your noodles are done set them aside to cool for a couple minutes. It is important to not over heat your yogurt or else you will get a curdled mess. You will want to pour out most of the left over broth so that it doesn’t give you a runny sauce but a little bit is OK. After your noodles cool add your sauce and stir until cheese melts. Once you’ve got a creamy sauce going its ready to serve. I top mine with a little more grated cheddar.
I hope your little Mac & Cheese obsessed munchkins will enjoy this meal as much as mine did!
Serves: 4 hungry kids Main Ingredients: 1cup Plain Greek Yogurt (full fat works best) 1cup Cheddar Cheese (use sharp if you’re fancy) 8oz Pasta 2.5 – 3cups broth (chicken or veggie) S/P to taste Spices: Add whatever spices and toppings you like and have on hand! These are the ones we used this time around. 1/2tsp onion powder 1/4tsp garlic powder Optional Add In’s: 1/4cup Parmesan grated 3 pieces of cooked and crumbles bacon (because duh…bacon) Directions: Add pasta, a little salt and 2.5cups of broth to medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer until your noodles are done, about 15 minutes. Add more broth if your liquid evaporates too quickly however you do not want much more than a quarter of a cup of liquid left in the bottom of you pan. I like to pour most of the left over liquid into a measuring cup after my noodles are done so my sauce isn’t too runny. While your noodles do their thing, mix the yogurt, cheese and spices together in a bowl. If you are using low-fat Greek yogurt like I did, you will want to add 1TBS of flour into your sauce mixture. This is a little hack to keep your yogurt from curdling. Once your noodles are done set them aside to cool for a couple minutes. If they are too hot, your sauce mixture may curdle and we don’t want that! As mentioned above you can pour out most of the remaining liquid into a measuring cup and save it for later. After your noodles have slightly cooled add your sauce mix and S/P to taste. Stir this up really good until your cheese is melted. You can add some broth back in depending on the consistency of your sauce. Now you are ready to serve it up to your hungry fam!
