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Macaroni and Cheese with Greek Yogurt is my all time favorite comfort food. Super creamy, rich, and a little crunchy with breadcrumbs on top, I’m in love with this Ninja Foodi macaroni and cheese recipe.
You can make this on the stovetop as well, but using a pressure cooker for the pasta and browning the bread crumbs in one pot makes cleanup so easy with the Ninja Foodi, Mealthy CrispLid, or Instant Pot Air Fryer Lid!
WHERE DO I FIND THE HEALTHY MAC AND CHEESE RECIPE?
I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I receive a lot of questions about recipes.
To better serve all of my readers here at My Crazy Good Life, I’ve made a commitment to put a ton of helpful information in all of my posts.
If you’d like to skip over the information about freezing, adding vegetables or bacon, and diet information, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the easy printable Ninja Foodi Mac and Cheese recipe!
What cheese should I use?
I love a good sharp cheddar cheese or cheddar jack mixed with mozzarella for this recipe. The mozzarella helps with the creaminess!
If you have the time, I highly recommend shredding your own cheese. It melts so much better than the bagged and shredded kind you get from the store.
Pre-shredded cheese is coated with potato starch and natamycin, which stops the cheese from clumping together in the bag. Unfortunately, it also prevents creamy macaroni and cheese.
I use my food processor to shred cheese, and it’s pretty fast. And like I mentioned above, it melts so well!
Ingredients in this Mac and Cheese with Greek yogurt:
- Whole wheat elbow macaroni: A healthier option because it is packed with nutrients and complex carbs. If you use regular, brown rice, or gluten free pasta, your cook times will need to be updated.
- Monterrey Jack cheese: Popular in America Jack cheese is a semi-hard cheese with a mild flavor and creamy texture.
- Mozzarella cheese: So smooth and mild, and melts like a dream!
- Plain Greek yogurt: Adds creaminess without adding calories. Plus Greek yogurt is loaded with calcium and good gut bacteria.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted. Butter helps the pasta to not foam as much, and it also makes for an even base for the cheese to stick to, and it helps the breadcrumbs stay on top of the mac and cheese. You can use ghee or refined coconut oil as well.
- Whole wheat bread crumbs: I love to use my Fooodi’s air crsip feature to make my own breadcrumbs, but store bought Panko and traditional work just as well.
Can I add vegetables or meat?
Yes! Some of my favorite foods to add to this Greek yogurt mac and cheese are jalapeños, green chilies, bell peppers, and broccoli. I also love adding cooked and diced bacon.
To add veggies to this recipe, sauté your vegetables in butter for about 5 minutes. Once they are cooked, removed them from the pot and set them aside until you add the cheese and yogurt to your pasta.
Recipe Tips
- Bacon is delicious addition to this recipe. Cook your bacon until it it crispy, then chop it into small pieces and mix it in with your cheese and yogurt.
- For gluten-free pasta reduce your cooking time to 1 minute.
- You can use pepper jack cheese in place of Monterrey jack if you want to add a little spice.
- If you don’t like the bite of sharp cheddar you can swap it with mild cheddar.
- If your pasta is harder than you prefer after cook time is complete, set your pot to sauté and cook until pasta reaches desired texture.
- For softer noodles, allow the pot to natural release for about 1 minute before turning to quick release.
- To make your cheese sauce thinner, stir in chicken broth by the tablespoon until desired consistency is reached.
- Season with salt and black pepper to personal taste.
Instructions for Macaroni and Cheese in the Ninja Foodi
Time needed: 10 minutes
- Cook your noodles
Add the whole wheat macaroni and 1T butter to the Ninja Foodi and cover it with 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt.
- Pressure Cook
Close and lock the lid and set the pressure release valve to sealing. Select high pressure cook and set cooking time for 2 minutes.
- Make your topping
While your pasta is cooking, mix your bread crumbs and butter together in a small bowl.
- Quick Release
Once your cooking time is complete quick release the pressure. Remove the lid and drain all water from your noodles.
- Make it cheesy
Stir in your cheese until it is completely melted and evenly distributed throughout the pot.
- Make it creamy
Gently stir in your Greek yogurt. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
- Make it crunchy
Spread bread crumb mixture evenly across the top of your mac and cheese. Air Crisp at 375 for 3-5 minutes until your crumbs are well browned. Be careful, they burn quickly.
Stovetop Instructions:
- Boil your pasta on the stovetop according to package directions.
- Remove the pasta from heat and drain it in the sink.
- Mix in cheese and Greek yogurt.
- Top with breadcrumbs and transfer to the oven for a 3-5 minute broil. Keep an eye on it, the breadcrumbs burn fast!
Healthy Eating Plans:
21 Day Fix/Portion Fix: Entire recipe 10 Yellow Containers, 8 Blue Containers, 6 teaspoons, and 1/3 Red Containers. Per ½ cup serving: 1 1/4 Yellow Container, 1 Blue Container, and 3/4 teaspoon, trace Red Containers for the yogurt (I do not count it.)
- This 21 Day Fix Healthy Mac and Cheese with Greek yogurt uses ingredients straight from the 21 Day Fix food list. The containers have been calculated based on cooked pasta and 21 Day Fix container sizes.
- I give information about the container counts for the entire recipe so that if you change the recipe it’s easier to refigure the containers.
- For 21 Day Fix Broccoli Mac and Cheese: Add four cups cooked and diced broccoli to this recipe for one half green container per serving.
- For 21 Day Fix Bacon Mac and Cheese: Add 1 1/2 cups diced turkey bacon to this entire recipe and add 1/4 red container per serving.
2B Mindset: This recipe counts as a protein and FFC. Fill your plate with 50% vegetables for a perfect lunch.
Do you have any other Ninja Foodi Recipes?
- Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower
- Healthy Bagel Recipe
- Air Fryer Artichokes
- Rotisserie Chicken
- More Ninja Foodi recipes to try
Looking for more Electric Pressure Cooker recipes?
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Crack Chicken with Greek Yogurt
- Instant Pot Baked Oatmeal
- Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Brown Rice and Quinoa
Healthy Macaroni and Cheese with Greek Yogurt
Equipment
- Ninja Foodi
- Strainer
- Kitchen Knife
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat pasta elbow macaroni
- 3 tbsp butter unsalted, divided
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 1 ⅓ cups Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
- 1 ⅓ cups cheddar cheese shredded
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt plain
Instructions
- Add the whole wheat macaroni, 1 tablespoon of butter, and a pinch of salt to the Instant Pot and fill with 3 cups of water.1 ¾ cups whole wheat pasta, 1 tbsp butter, 1 pinch salt
- Close and lock the lid and turn the valve to sealing. Select pressure cook (high) and set time for 2 minutes.
- While your pasta is cooking mix your bread crumbs and butter together in a small bowl. ½ cup bread crumbs, 2 tbsp butter
- When the cook time is up, quick release the pressure and remove the lid. Drain any remaining water from your noodles, but do not rinse.
- Gently stir in cheese, and then Greek yogurt until creamy and melted. 1 ⅓ cups Monterey Jack Cheese, 1 ⅓ cups cheddar cheese, ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- Spread breadcrumbs evenly over the top of your macaroni and cheese.
- Air Crisp at 375 for 3-5 minutes until your crumbs are well browned.
Notes
- Bacon is delicious addition to this recipe. Cook your bacon until it it crispy, then chop it into small pieces, and mix it in with your cheese and yogurt.
- For gluten-free pasta reduce your cooking time to 1 minutes.
- You can use a pepper jack in place of Monterrey jack if you want to add a little spice.
- If you don’t like the bite of sharp cheddar you can swap it with mild cheddar.
- If your pasta is harder than you prefer after cook time is complete, set your pot to saute and boil until pasta reaches desired texture.
- For softer noodles allow the pot to natural release for about 2 minutes before turning to quick release.
- To make your cheese sauce thinner stir in chicken broth by the tablespoon until desired consistency is reached.
- Season with salt and black pepper to personal taste.
Nutrition
Make This Recipe?
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This looks delicious. Every since starting my diet I have been missing Mac n cheese so badly, so I’m going to have to try this.
This dish looks very appetizing. I don’t see any steps in the recipe for adding the cheeses and yogurt, when do I add those? Thanks
Thank you so much for calling this my attention–it’s been fixed!
This mac and cheese was delicious! Thanks for this recipe!
I will definitely be making this again!!