I Never Use Milk for Boxed Mac & Cheese — I Swap This in Instead (It’s SO Creamy!)
I may be known among my friends and family as a salad-obsessed, vegetable-forward cook, but I love mac and cheese as much as the next person. I always keep a box or two stashed in my pantry for times when I just need to get a meal on the table.
That said, while I always have mac and cheese in the pantry, I almost never have milk in my fridge unless I’ve just bought it for a specific recipe. I do, however, almost always have Greek yogurt in the fridge. Once when I was in college, I was having a late-lunch hunger emergency and decided to see if the yogurt could stand in for milk. The results exceeded my expectations.
The yogurt, thinned out with a little added pasta cooking water, made the cheese sauce taste tangier, more creamy, and way cheesier. I haven’t made it any other way since.
Why It Works
Plain, full-fat plain Greek yogurt gives the powdered cheese a boost of tangy flavor and a little extra protein that milk just can’t deliver. The thicker texture also helps you create a creamier sauce. Plus, it’s practically foolproof — if the pasta sauce gets too thick, just thin it out with a little cooking water. Full-fat Greek yogurt works best, but 2% and nonfat can work too in a pinch. Just make sure it’s not flavored!
One thing to note: This is for the boxed mac with powdered cheese only. Don’t add yogurt to the type with premade cheese sauce because it won’t blend so well and will get texturally weird.
How to Make It My Way
Cook the pasta according to the box instructions.
Reserve some cooking water before draining the macaroni (or shells). I like to drain the noodles over some frozen peas and add those in too!
Start with 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons of pasta water, but adjust as needed with more of either one. You can also add a pat of butter if you like (most boxes call for it, although I often forget).
Dig in!
This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: I Never Use Milk for Boxed Mac & Cheese — I Swap This in Instead (It’s SO Creamy!)
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