Greek Yogurt Mac & Cheese

I think we can all agree that mac & cheese is amazing. It has pasta, which is great, and cheese, umm helloo..delicious!! I have been wanting to make a healthier version of mac & cheese because one, I really like it and two Kraft has all kinds of chemicals and add-ins that make their version very unhealthy and fattening. The famous "blue box" has been a staple in childhood diets for years now, and I think it's time for healthier upgrade.

Ingredients

• 8 oz (about 2 cups) elbow pasta (you can use whatever pasta you want, I opted for classic elbows)

• 8 oz (about 2 cups) shredded cheese (I used a 2% skim sharp cheddar)

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Trader Joes Greek Yogurt)

• 2 cups fresh spinach

• Salt & pepper

• 1/4 tsp onion powder

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Step 1: Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions (should be no longer than 10 minutes) until al dente.

Step 2: Place the spinach leaves in the strainer and before emptying the pasta into the strainer, save 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Then empty the pasta into the strainer, the hot water will start to wilt the spinach. After shaking the excess water out, transfer the pasta and spinach back into the pot. 

Step 3: Add about 1/4 of the pasta water you saved into the pot and stir in the cheese until melted. Stir in the Greek yogurt, garlic and onion powders and S&P until smooth and creamy. If the mixture is too thick for your liking, add the rest of the pasta water you saved. Serve while hot!

I chose to serve my mac & cheese with some roasted asparagus and grilled chicken cutlets. The whole meal took me about 25 minutes and I devoured it in about 5...that's how good it was. When I first read the recipe and saw that it required Greek yogurt I was a little skeptical because it tends to have a strong and tangy taste. To my surprise, I couldn't even tell. It came out creamier than the box mac & cheese and overall tastier too. You can opt to add different veggies or even no veggies if that's what you prefer, you can also play around with different cheeses (cheddar mozz, parmesan and colby-jack). This recipe is definitely one of my new favorites and it will be making future appearances on my blog. Try it out and let me know what you think!!

ENJOY!!