The Secret Ingredient for the Richest, Creamiest Mac and Cheese, According to Food Network Star Molly Yeh
Baked Mac & Cheese
Mac and cheese is one of those recipes that's almost impossible to mess up. If it's pasta plus cheese, chances are good it's going to taste delicious. But there are always ways to play around with—and maybe even improve—classic dishes. And that's just what we chatted with cookbook author and Food Network star Molly Yeh when we met up with her before her appearance at the annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival.
Yeh is the queen of comfort food, so mac and cheese is definitely something she makes often. Over the years she's fine-tuned her method and swears by one ingredient to make it the best-ever. “I love yogurt [in] mac and cheese. It adds such a nice tang that cuts the richness of the cheese, it's also so easy to make,” Yeh told Parade. Greek yogurt mac and cheese? She had our attention. We dug in a little more to get all the details you need to put this tip into action in your kitchen.
Related: 5 Celebrity Mac and Cheese Recipes You've Gotta Try
Why Should You Add Greek Yogurt to Mac and Cheese?
Yogurt makes your cheese sauce richer and creamier and adds a subtle tang. Yeh likes to use Greek yogurt in her mac and cheese because it's thicker than regular plain yogurt. Yeh is the author of a cookbook that was all about yogurt, so it's safe to say she knows a thing or two about the topic. That book was published in 2018, but we also noticed that Yeh was making Greek yogurt mac and cheese as early as 2015, when she used it as a key ingredient in a gouda version with peaches (!) and prosciutto on her blog. In the blog post, Yeh mentions that she was inspired by Greek American food writer and cookbook author Diane Kochilas, who is also a fan of dressing pasta with yogurt. Yeh's most recent book, Home is Where the Eggs Are, which was published in 2022, includes a mac and cheese recipe that includes yogurt. It's a hit with fans, as evidenced by at least one glowing Instagram review.
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How Much Greek Yogurt Should You Add to Mac and Cheese?
Depending on the recipe, you’ll need to add approximately ? to 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt into the cheese sauce. Molly uses about 1 cup of yogurt for every 8 ounces of pasta, which is half of a typical box of dried pasta. If you haven't tried this method before you can start with 1/4 or 1/2 cup of yogurt and add to taste. If you aren't in the mood for making homemade mac and cheese, yes, you can stir in a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt into your boxed mac and cheese for a quick and easy upgrade.
Yeh also likes to add some pasta water to her cheese sauce "to help it come together." The starch in the pasta cooking water will add a little thickening power and will also help the sauce stay smooth and creamy. Just be sure to scoop out some pasta water before you drain your pasta and don't rinse the pasta. The starch on the unrinsed pasta will help the cheese sauce cling to every noodle.
Speaking of pasta, you can use any shape you like. Rigatoni is great for grabbing cheese sauce, as are little bowl-shaped orecchiette, and classic elbow macaroni is always a solid choice. The choice of cheese is also totally your call. Cheddar or Gruyère are always great, or maybe add a little spice with some pepper Jack.
No matter what pasta and cheese you use, the “Girl Meets Farm” host recommends “eat[ing] it immediately off the stove when it will be at its creamiest.” We'll happily take that advice!
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