High-Protein Creamy Macaroni & Cheese Recipe Is Delish (15 Minutes, 8 Ingredients) by Ann Marie G. Halstead

My kids love macaroni and cheese, but I don’t love the boxed varieties with the orange powdered cheese, preservatives and artificial ingredients. I have a homemade mac and cheese recipe that I love but it’s not quick to make. What I really needed was a quick and easy, kid-friendly recipe for busy days when we don’t have much time between activities.

This homemade stovetop macaroni and cheese recipe takes only 15 minutes to make and is full of healthy protein (check out the health benefits of protein). That's about the same amount of time it takes to make the boxed kind (but without the preservatives and artificial ingredients). With this kid-approved vegetarian recipe, you can say goodbye to powdered orange cheese forever. This is a great side dish not only because the kids will love it, but it doesn't require the oven.

Photo credit: all photos under license from BigStock

Here is your shopping list for this high-protein stovetop mac and cheese: elbow macaroni, butter, all-purpose flour, sea salt, garlic powder, whole milk, Greek yogurt (check out the health benefits of Greek yogurt) and cheddar cheese. 

Serve these creamy, cheesy noodles for dinner with your favorite protein. Or skip the protein and have a vegetarian lunch or dinner. 

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni (or pasta of your choice)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup whole milk (or 2 percent milk)
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Here’s how to make it:

1. In a small bowl, mix flour, sea salt, and garlic powder together. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add flour mixture and whisk to combine. Cook until mixture is slightly brown, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup milk and whisk until smooth. Add the Greek yogurt and whisk until smooth. Cook on medium-high heat until the mixture is thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not let it boil. (You could use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt.)
3. While mixture is cooking, cook elbow macaroni to al dente (add a pinch of salt to the boiling water). Drain but do not rinse. (You could use any short pasta for this recipe.)
4. Once mixture is thick (it will stick to the back of the spatula), reduce heat to low and add shredded cheese. Whisk until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Taste cheese sauce and add more sea salt and seasoning, if desired.
5. Add cooked pasta to the saucepan of cheese sauce and stir until the sauce is evenly distributed. Let the mac and cheese cool for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese sauce has thickened a little bit and sticks to the noodles. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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