Thursday, November 3, 2011

Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Posted by Tina / 17 comments » / *Recipes, Main Courses, Sides, Vegetarian

All that talk yesterday about fall favorites and recipes I wanted to try got the better of me… I needed something quick and easy to make for dinner and this Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese was calling my name!

Man, am I glad I decided to make this one! It was DELICIOUS. And super fast to make (which means TROUBLE)! No roux or baking involved; MY kind of mac n’ cheese! 😉

Fall cooking generally consists of soups, stews, casseroles, and all things you can label as ‘homey’ or ‘comfort food’. Mac n’ Cheese has GOT to be number one on that list, right??!

I decided to do a little research on this beloved comfort food (the hubs will be so proud) and it’s origins. Turns out macaroni and cheese has been around for a looooong time! It dates back to medieval times and was even recorded in the one of the oldest medieval cookbooks and also an English cookbook in the 14th century! Pretty cool right?

It was an “upper class” dish in Italy up until around the 18th century. “Macaroni Pie” as it has been called, was even a favorite of President Thomas Jefferson! He actually had it served at the White House in 1802 (see I knew mac n’ cheese was classy!)! Pretty ironic that it’s now a staple for broke college students! haha My how times have changed! Gosh I love Wikipedia…

So what are you waiting for… go make you some of the easy (and oh so classy) stovetop Macaroni Pie err… Macaroni and Cheese! 😉

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Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Yield: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 - 30 minutes

Quick and Easy stovetop version of homemade macaroni and cheese... no baking involved which means it'll be on your plate and in your mouth in no time!

Note: you can switch out the cheese to your desired preference... just note that you'll want about 10 ounces total! My block of Gouda was only 7 ounces so I added an extra ounce of parmesan to keep the cost down!

Ingredients:

12 oz. dried elbow pasta
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, finely minced
7 ounces gouda, shredded
3 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup half and half
4 ounces low-fat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons salted butter, softened
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dash of cayenne

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil (I usually add a splash of olive oil and a tablespoon of salt to the water - totally optional). Following the package instructions, cook the pasta until slightly softer than al dente. Using a measuring cup, scoop out about 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and then immediately place it back into the pot. Make sure the burner is turned off.

Add the grated garlic, onion, and cheeses and stir to combine. Next, add the milk, Greek yogurt, and butter. Stir just long enough to allow the cheese to melt and the mixture is nice and creamy (if necessary add a small amount of the reserved pasta water to thin the mixture out). Season macaroni and cheese to taste with salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne. Serve immediately.

I might even mix in some steamed broccoli or peas at the end next time for a little green!

Slightly Adapted from: Annies-Eats originally from Marlena Spieler

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