Cottage Cheese Mac & Cheese

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This high protein cottage cheese mac and cheese delivers 34 grams of protein per serving while tasting exactly like the creamy comfort food you already love. The secret is blending the cottage cheese into the sauce, which completely disappears and adds protein without any weird texture or taste. It meal preps beautifully and keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

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What Makes This Actually Good

• The cottage cheese gets blended until completely smooth, so you get that classic creamy mac and cheese texture without any curd chunks or weird taste.
• Sharp cheddar does most of the flavor work, completely masking the cottage cheese while delivering that nostalgic comfort food punch.
• 34 grams of protein per serving is pretty unusual for mac and cheese. The cottage cheese and parmesan together handle most of that.
• Meal prep friendly. This holds up well in containers for 3 to 4 days and reheats without breaking.

Ingredients

• Cottage Cheese The star of the show. Blended smooth, it becomes the creamy base of the sauce while adding about 28 grams of protein to the whole pot.
• Milk Helps the cottage cheese blend into a silky sauce. Two percent works great, or swap in a high-protein milk if you’ve got it.
• Elbow or Shell Pasta The foundation. Dry elbow macaroni or shells both work perfectly here.
• Sharp Cheddar This is doing most of the heavy lifting flavor-wise. A sharp cheddar gives you more flavor than mild, so you get that classic mac and cheese taste in every bite.
• Grated Parmesan Adds a salty, savory depth that rounds out the whole sauce.
• Cornstarch This is what gives the sauce its thickness. Cornstarch needs a cold liquid base or it clumps up in the hot pan, so blending it with the cottage cheese and milk first is the move.
• Garlic Powder A quick hit of savory warmth. Just a teaspoon goes a long way.
• Onion Powder Pairs with the garlic to build a solid flavor base without adding any extra work.
• Smoked Paprika Optional, but it gives the sauce a nice golden color that looks more like real mac and cheese.
• Salt Brings everything together. Taste before you add it since the parmesan and cheddar already bring some saltiness.
• Black Pepper A quick touch of warmth to finish things out.
• Cooked Chicken Sausage or Turkey Bacon The protein boost. Dice up 4 to 5 ounces of pre-cooked chicken sausage or turkey bacon and fold it in.
• Grated Parmesan for Topping Extra parmesan on top before you portion it out.
• Chives or Green Onion A fresh garnish that adds a nice pop of color and mild onion flavor.
• Fresh Parsley Simple garnish that makes the whole thing look like you actually tried at dinner time.

Reasons This Will Become a Regular

• 34 grams of protein per serving without tasting like any health food substitute. This just tastes like mac and cheese.
• The blender does all the hard work. Toss everything in, blend for 30 seconds, and you’ve got a perfectly smooth sauce with zero effort.
• Meal prep ready. Portion it into 4 containers and you’ve got lunch covered for a few days.
• Uses ingredients you already have. No specialty items or trips to a specialty store.
• The sharp cheddar completely hides the cottage cheese. Even people who are skeptical about cottage cheese in savory recipes will eat this up.
• Customizable with mix-ins. Add sausage, bacon, veggies, or keep it plain. Your call.

What Goes Well With This

• Steamed broccoli or green beans (adds fiber and balances out the richness from the cheese sauce)
• A simple side salad with light vinaigrette (keeps the meal from feeling too heavy on a busy weeknight)
• Crusty bread or garlic toast (if you want to lean all the way into comfort food mode)
• Roasted asparagus (the slight bitterness cuts through the creamy sauce nicely)

Ways to Make This Yours

• Dairy-free swap. Use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan, a dairy-free shredded cheese, and blend silken tofu instead of cottage cheese for a plant-based version.
• High-protein pasta. Swap regular elbow macaroni for a chickpea or lentil-based pasta to bump the protein even higher per serving.
• Veggie-loaded version. Stir in some steamed cauliflower florets or roasted butternut squash for extra fiber and nutrients without changing the flavor profile.
• Spicy kick. Add a dash of cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce into the blended sauce for some heat.
• Baked version. Transfer everything to a baking dish, top with extra cheddar and breadcrumbs, and broil for 5 minutes for a crispy top.

Things Worth Knowing

FAQs

Equipment Needed

• Blender
• Skillet
• Large Pot

Recipe

Cottage Cheese Mac & Cheese

Recipe by StevenCourse: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep Time

10

minutes

Cook Time

20

minutes

Calories

510

kcal

Resting Time

10

minutes

Total Time

40

minutes

This creamy Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese is a high-protein comfort food twist that blends smooth cottage cheese sauce with sharp cheddar and parmesan. With 34 grams of protein per serving, it’s a filling meal prep winner that tastes like the classic baked version.

Ingredients

• Mac and Cheese

• 8 oz (about 2 3/4 cups) dry elbow or shell pasta

• 1 cup (227 g) low-fat cottage cheese

• 2/3 cup (150 ml) milk (2% or high-protein milk)

• 1 cup (about 112 g) shredded sharp cheddar

• 1/4 cup (25 g) grated parmesan

• 1 tbsp (9 g) cornstarch

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional, for color)

• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• Sausage

• 4-5 oz cooked chicken sausages, diced (about 2 links) or the meat of your choice

• Optional Garnish

• Extra grated parmesan

• Chopped chives or green onion

• Fresh parsley

Directions

• Cook the pasta in well-salted water until al dente, reserving 1 cup pasta water before draining.
• While the pasta cooks, blend cottage cheese, milk, cheddar, parmesan, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper until very smooth (30-60 seconds).
• Pour the blended sauce into the same pot over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it just thickens and coats a spoon; thin with splashes of pasta water if it tightens too much.
• Add drained pasta to the pot and toss until every piece is coated and glossy; adjust salt and pepper to taste.
• If you’re using uncooked chicken sausages, cook them in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, then cool slightly. Slice them into smaller pieces.
• Fold the chicken sausage into the Mac and Cheese.
• Serve or portion into 4 meal-prep containers and top each with the remaining sausage and a sprinkle of parmesan or herbs.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of milk to bring back the creamy texture.

Nutrition Facts