Macaroni & Cheese w/ Greek Yogurt

I want to make macaroni and cheese. It's one of my favorite dishes. It's also one of the easier roux to make. A lot of roux have a tendency to be delicate and finicky and break. But macaroni and cheese is kind of like the work horse of simple sauces. All things considered, it's really one of the easier ones to master. What is making this harder today, though, is that I don't have milk! Or cream. Or even macaroni. All hope may have been lost at this point. Or a grocery store run was going to be in order. Not to be dissuaded, though! I scoured my fridge for anything vaguely similar to sauce-making ingredients. And came resiliently out with the conclusion that I was going to make Greek yogurt macaroni and cheese with linguini.

Now, I had never made this before and had no idea whether it would work! I generally don't like making roux because of the aforementioned sauce breaking problem. I find it obnoxiously tedious and would just generally prefer not to. But also, like I said, it's macaroni and cheese. It's far more forgiving than most roux and something most home cooks can fairly easily master. It's not quite as simple as making avocado toast, but neither is it a filet mignon. It's macaroni and cheese. You can do this!

So, I persevered. And am I glad that I did! Just winging it truly does work sometimes and I may never go back to to ordinary macaroni and cheese again. The Greek yogurt gives a delightfully citrus kick and substitutes perfectly. It's truly one of the best macaroni and cheeses that I've ever had and I absolute cannot wait to make it again!

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Variations of Greek Yogurt Macaroni & Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is a fun and easy recipe to throw together. You don't always have to make it with Greek yogurt and linguini. But I do always recommend making it! The difference between the powdered cheese in the box and making it from scratch is astounding. It might not cook in 15 minutes. But making it in bulk in an hour isn't that far off. It's one of those dishes that I'll toss together late at night sometimes when I'm almost too tired to muster the effort! It's also a fun recipe to make with kids, who can get in on grating the cheese.

Macaroni & Cheese w/ Greek Yogurt & Salmon

Macaroni & Cheese w/ Hubbard Squash & Pecans

Macaroni & Cheese w/ Greek Yogurt & Ambercup Squash

Macaroni & Cheese w/ Greek Yogurt

I don't try and turn every dish into a health food. If I'm going to make Cheese Curds? I'm not going around trying to find diet-friendly cheese. We all need splurge foods. That having been said, I make macaroni and cheese probably once a month. And, as much as I absolutely adore copious amounts of cheese? I don't tolerate milk quite that well. So, while swapping out milk for Greek yogurt might be a slightly healthier option? You can also add in some wine or something to balance things out. I use this as my base macaroni and cheese recipe, though. It's a great starting place to add in anything like spinach, broccoli, squash, seafood, etcetera.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Equipment

Large Baking Dish
Oven
Large Pot
Skillet
Stovetop

Ingredients

1 lbs. macaroni (I used linguini in this recipe because I was out of macaroni-shaped pasta)
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ c. Greek yogurt
1/2 c. pasta water
2 c. cheddar cheese grated
1/3 c. parmesan grated

Instructions

Cook Pasta

Add about 4 inches of water to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Cook pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. This typically entails boiling for about 8-12 minutes, or until barely al dente.
The pasta will cook another half hour in the oven, so make sure not to overcook them during this stage!
DO NOT DRAIN. Remove the pasta from the water with a slotted spoon or pour the water into a heat-safe bowl. Since Greek yogurt isn't as thin as milk or cream in classic macaroni and cheese recipes, you will need to cut it with the pasta water. Tap water will not taste the same. You want to use the water that the pasta has been boiling in.
You may want to stir it occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking together.

Prepare Roux

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a large baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
Preheat saucepan on medium-heat. Add 1/4 cup butter and melt.
Immediately when the butter melts, add flour and stir constantly until incorporated. This should take about 3 minutes.
Do NOT brown or overcook, though. You just want the butter and flour to incorporate until you add the spices.
Add salt, pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir constantly for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Add Greek yogurt, a little at a time, and stir constantly until incorporated after each addition. Adding too much at once can cause the roux to separate. Although this is less of an issue with yogurt as it is milk or cream, it is still something to watch out for!
Meanwhile, grate the cheddar cheese and add to roux 1/2 cup at a time. Mix constantly until fully incorporated.
Add just enough of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce. I typically use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Although it does vary slightly from batch to batch.
You want the sauce to be about the consistency of an Alfredo sauce. It should spread easily, but is not a liquid. I would suggest airing on the side of caution and adding less, mixing the pasta in, and then adding more if necessary for it to achieve the quintessential macaroni and cheese texture.
Add noodles and stir until fully coated in the cheese sauce.
If necessary, add more water to achieve the right consistency.

Bake Macaroni & Cheese

Pour macaroni and cheese into greased baking dish.
Grate parmesan cheese over the top.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top begins to brown.
Let cool slightly and cut into 2-inch squares. Serve immediately.

Tips, Tricks, & Notes

You can reheat macaroni in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. However, macaroni and cheese doesn't necessarily reheat well! After refrigeration, the noodles typically harden and the lasagna tends to dry out. The pasta will likely overcook during this process. And the cheese tends to separate and get oily if you reheat too rapidly.
Whatever you do, absolutely do not put macaroni and cheese in the microwave!!
Alternatively, you can reheat on the stovetop. Just place in a skillet with a lid and slowly bring the heat to medium. When the macaroni begins to soften, carefully spear with a silicone spatula to separate. Continue to heat with the lid on and stir occasionally. You may need to add additional milk or Greek yogurt to this to help prevent the noodles from drying out and the cheese from separating.