Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese

Who doesn't love mac and cheese? It's another one of Madeline's favorite things but I have been relying on that blue box a little too much lately. I've been looking for a quick recipe that I can make during the week especially since I'll be starting back to work in 2 weeks. I'm amazing at how quickly the last 7 weeks have gone by. I'm looking forward to the daily interaction with adults, but will defintely miss spending time with my kids and seeing the bond between Madeline and Cooper grow. I know they'll both be fine at daycare and Madeline starts Kindergarten in less than a month!

Back to the mac and cheese....I loved this recipe and will experimenting with different cheese and adding veggies to spice things up a little. The one thing that really made this recipe over the top is the addition of shallots. I rarely use shallots when cooking...not really sure why I don't use them more often, but now I just might.

12 oz dried pasta
2 cloves  garlic, minced
1/4 cup shallot, finely minced
8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (or whatever cheese you like)
2 oz freshly grated parmesan
1/4 cup half and half
4 oz lowfat plain greek yogurt
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
salt & pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt water before cooking pasta. Cook the pasta according to the directions to just until al dente. Reserve one cup of the cooking water and then drain pasta well.

Immediately, return the pasta to the pot and add in the garlic, shallot and cheeses. Stir to combine. Mix in the half and half, yogurt and butter. Stir to combine all ingredients until the mac and cheese  is creamy. If needed, add a small amount of the cooking water to adjust the consistency of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Source: Annie's Eats