Greek Yogurt Mac and Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese, it's the perfect comfort food. Sadly, it's pretty hard to fit it into my diet plan since it's so high calorie (this is coming from a girl who has no problem eating a doughnut in the break room at work, while on a diet). I've been on the search for the perfect macaroni and cheese which blends both healthy benefits with delicious, gooey, macaroni and cheese goodness.

Recipe from Cooking A La Mel.

Ingredients:

-2 cups whole wheat elbow pasta

-2 cups shredded cheese

-1/2 cup plain greek yogurt 

-2 cups fresh kale, stems removed, cut into small pieces

-salt & pepper, to taste

-1/4 tsp. onion powder

-1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions until al dente.

Place the kale leaves in the bottom of a strainer, and pour the pasta over top to drain and wilt the kale. Make sure to reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Pour the cooked macaroni and wilted kale into a large, non-metal bowl or glass baking dish***

Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the bowl, and stir in the cheese until melted. Stir in the Greek yogurt, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, until smooth and creamy. Stir in the remaining pasta water to thin, if necessary. Serve immediately.

***For a long time I have heard form various sources that heating yogurt in a metal pan/pot will result in an unpleasant chemical taste. For that reason I poured my pasta and kale into a large bowl to finish the process of combining the ingredients. Everything was still very hot, so it was not difficult to melt the cheese. 

Dave and I both enjoyed this, however, it wasn't as creamy as we thought it would be. If you're looking for a macaroni and cheese recipe that is dripping with cheese, this is not it. Regardless, we both really enjoyed the flavor and the texture.