Worknight Dinner Recipe: Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese (With Peas)

Sometimes, you need a meal that makes you feel like a kid again.

Two of my most common pantry/fridge staples are pasta and cheese. At any given time, I usually have a few boxes of dried pastas, usually whole wheat varieties of spaghetti, penne and linguine and sometimes lasagna noodles or the occasional box of jumbo shells. Similarly, my fridge is rarely without a hunk of cheese or two, havarti for snacking, cheddar for soups and sandwiches, mozzarella or freshly grated pecorino Romano for whenever the occasion calls for it.

Why I don’t mix the two more often, is beyond me. I hadn’t been grocery shopping in awhile and was craving a bowl of hearty, melted cheesiness. I searched the web and flipped through Joy until I had enough background knowledge to create my own single serving* portion of macaroni and cheese (with peas). I added the greens for guilt appeasement – and also, because for some reason, I really like peas in pasta. It’s a combination I very rarely eat but it always hits the spot.

Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese (with peas)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups uncooked whole wheat pasta (I used Rotini, but elbows or Gemelli would be great)]
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
2/3 cup reduced-fat milk (I used 2%)
1 cup frozen peas
Flour or cornstarch

Directions:

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions and cook until al dente.

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. When butter is nearly melted, add pasta and toss to coat. Add cheese, stirring frequently until melted. Add milk and flour/cornstarch (I used about 4 Tbsp. of flour but depending on the fat content of the milk you use, you may need more or less) and let simmer until sauce begins to thicken.

3. About five minutes before completion, add peas and stir to combine. Serve topped with freshly ground black pepper.

*I set out for this to be a single serving but I was using the last of the box of pasta so I made what was left which turned out to be 1 1/2 cups. Easily enough for one with leftovers for lunch the next day, but could also serve two with a nice side salad or extra vegetable.

What meals make you feel like a kid again?

Comments

[pinkstripes]

I love homemade mac and cheese. Your's looks delicious. Thanks for sharing.

[Kristen]

When I was little, I loved to mix peas with mashed potatoes and peas with cottage cheese. Anytime I eat peas as an adult, I have to mix them. Yum!
This combination sounds like perfection to me as well!

[Elra]

I have been wanting to make Mac Cheese for a while. Yours look so creamy and delicious.
Cheers,
Elra

[AshleyD]

I'm making this for dinner tomorrow. :)

[mandy]

For dinner tonight I made a dish that had pasta, cheese, turkey and barbecue sauce all mixed together. It was like mac and cheese from my childhood but better. I never would have thought to add peas to mac and cheese like you did, it looks delicious!!

[Paula]

Spaghetti hoops remind me of being a kid. I used to put coconut on top of them. Don't ask . . .

[Daryl]

Absolutely gorgeous picture!!!

[limeandlemon]

look amazingly delicious .... in gonna difinatly try it soon .... Laila ... http://limeandlemon.wordpress.com

[Marthe]

This looks and sounds absolutely delicious!!

[Barbara]

This would be tasty on a cold winter's night!

[Andrea (Off Her Cork)]

Love mac and cheese! I usually put ham in ours. :D

[Sarah]

What do you do with the flour/cornstarch? Do you use it to thicken it? At what part of the process?

[lisa (dandysugar)]

I love mac and cheese. This one was definitely a regular meal of my childhood. Except, mine was of the box variety. And, actually I love peas in my pasta too!

[Katie K]

I'm inspired!!! I printed this recipe - I now want to take on a little bit of cooking for myself!

Thanks : )

[KC]

Holy yum yums. If I lived near you, I'd insist on coming over for dinner, like, every night of the week. ;-)

[Daily Spud]

That's got comfort written all over it! (though, for me, it's mashed potatoes, gravy and maybe some mushy peas that bring me right back to my childhood...)

[magda]

This picture is seriously making me so hungry right now! Mmmmm. I have all of these ingredients, too (sounds like we have similar stock items...). This page gets bookmarked for sure ; )

[alexa - cleveland's]

hmmmm

that is a hard question!!!

pizza? ha, such a lame answer.

[Marie]

That just looks so perfectly yummy! I'll have to try it at home.

[Anna]

I'm so making this sometime! Yum!!

[Melissa]

When I was younger, I loved Kraft Macaroni and Cheese with a can of Leseur peas dumped in. So the combo makes sense to me.

Obviously, your homemade way would taste much, much better. ;)

[E.P.]

Yum! I'm making this sometime soon because it looks so comforting!

[Liz]

I love how you added peas to your mac cheese. Looks so delicious!