this version of mac and cheese provides plenty of protein and fiber per bite making it a great meal to serve the whole family

I’ve been dying to make an at-home version of my favorite greek yogurt mac & cheese from Yafo Kitchen (one of our go-to places to eat out here in Charlotte) and I finally did!

I bumped up the nutrition just slightly by using whole wheat pasta and adding some broccoli (both Chad and Owen do better with eating broccoli when it’s incorporated into a dish…and smothered in cheese haha).

This dish comes together quickly and is great to make ahead over the weekend and serve up for packable lunches or easy dinners all week long (aka – the kind of dishes I absolutely love!).

I’m all about the one-stop-shop dishes. You’re getting protein, fiber, whole grains and veggies in this meal and it’s all served out of one dish. Less dishes = less clean up, which is exactly what I want to hear at the end of a busy day!

And honestly, what’s not to love about creamy, cheesy pasta baked with tender broccoli and finished off with dollops of yogurt?

It’s pretty much the perfect dish for our household and hopefully for yours too! You can also add some shredded chicken if you want!

whole wheat broccoli & greek yogurt baked mac & cheese

Author: Cait
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings (depending on how large each serving is) 1x
Category: dinner

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Description

this version of mac and cheese provides plenty of protein and fiber per bite making it a great meal to serve the whole family

Ingredients

Scale

For the pasta:

1 8 oz box whole grain penne or ziti
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1lb. bag of frozen broccoli florets

For the topping:

2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp unsalted butter or earth balance, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup plain greek or skyr yogurt

For the sauce:

4 tbsp unsalted butter or earth balance
1/3 cup white whole wheat or all-purpose flour
3 cups milk of choice, warmed
2 cups shredded gruyere
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon ground mustard

Instructions

For the pasta:

Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and pasta to a large pot of boiling water and cook for 6-7 minutes (you want it to be al dente since it will continue cooking in the oven when the whole dish is baked).
While pasta cooks, steam or boil broccoli to your liking, then drain and set aside.
Once pasta is finished, drain and return to the pot and add remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Stir to combine then set aside.

For the topping:

To a bowl add panko, butter or earth balance and salt. Stir to combine (I just used my hands) and set aside.
Greek yogurt will be used later so no need to do anything with that now.

For the sauce:

Add butter to a large sauce pan over medium heat and once it has mostly melted, add flour and stir consistently for about 1 minute until a dough forms.
Add 1 cup of the warmed milk and whisk until there are no longer any clumps then add remaining milk and whisk for another minute or two.
Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and ground mustard to the mixture and whisk consistently for 5-8 minutes allowing the sauce to thicken. When you dip a wooden spoon into the mixture, you should be able to swipe it away with your finger and the line your finger made should hold.

For the whole dish:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray
Remove the thickened mixture from the heat and add cheeses, stirring to combine. Then add sauce to the large pot with the pasta and stir to coat.
Gently fold in the broccoli and pour the whole mixture into the prepared baking dish, then top with panko mixture.
Dollop spoonfuls of the yogurt over the top, gently pressing down to incorporate.
Bake for 25 minutes or until top is golden brown.