Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese with Peas

Cooking for One or Two, Recipes
macaroni and cheese with peas
macaroni and cheese with peas

Photo: Leigh Loftus

Sometimes, you need a meal that makes you feel like a kid again. Stovetop macaroni and cheese is here to help.

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.

macaroni and cheese with peas

Photo: Leigh Loftus

Macaroni & Cheese & Peas
Author: 
Recipe type: Cooking for One or Two, Worknight Dinners
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ 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
  • ⅔ cup reduced-fat milk (I used 2%)
  • ⅔ cup frozen peas
  • Flour or cornstarch
Instructions
  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.
 

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23 Comments

  • Reply
    Liz
    January 22, 2009 at 3:00 am

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

  • Reply
    E.P.
    January 18, 2009 at 3:00 am

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

  • Reply
    Marie
    January 15, 2009 at 3:00 am

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

  • Reply
    Melissa
    January 15, 2009 at 3:00 am

    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. 😉

  • Reply
    Anna
    January 15, 2009 at 3:00 am

    I’m so making this sometime! Yum!!

  • Reply
    alexa - cleveland's
    January 15, 2009 at 3:00 am

    hmmmm
    that is a hard question!!!
    pizza? ha, such a lame answer.

  • Reply
    magda
    January 15, 2009 at 3:00 am

    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 ; )

  • Reply
    Katie K
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

    I’m inspired!!! I printed this recipe – I now want to take on a little bit of cooking for myself!
    Thanks : )

  • Reply
    AshleyD
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

    I’m making this for dinner tomorrow. 🙂

  • Reply
    Daily Spud
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

    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…)

  • Reply
    KC
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

    Holy yum yums. If I lived near you, I’d insist on coming over for dinner, like, every night of the week. 😉

  • Reply
    lisa (dandysugar)
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

    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!

  • Reply
    Sarah
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

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

  • Reply
    Andrea (Off Her Cork)
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

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

  • Reply
    Barbara
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

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

  • Reply
    Marthe
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

    This looks and sounds absolutely delicious!!

  • Reply
    limeandlemon
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

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

  • Reply
    Daryl
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

    Absolutely gorgeous picture!!!

  • Reply
    Paula
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

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

  • Reply
    mandy
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

    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!!

  • Reply
    Elra
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

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

  • Reply
    Kristen
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

    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!

  • Reply
    pinkstripes
    January 14, 2009 at 3:00 am

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

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