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. If you’ve tried Cottage Cheese Overnight Oats for breakfast, this is the same concept but for dinner. It meal preps beautifully and keeps well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

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 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 Dry elbow macaroni or shells both work well here.
• Sharp Cheddar 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 best way to prevent clumps.
• 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. If you prefer bacon, Cottage Cheese Egg Bites with Bacon uses a similar approach.
• 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 Adds a nice pop of color when you serve it.

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 smooth sauce without any 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)
• This pairs well with lighter pasta dishes too. If you want another option, Easy Tomato Pasta is a good contrast to the heavy cheese sauce here.

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. If you want a different high-protein angle, Protein Pancake Bread uses a similar blending trick for its sauce.
• 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.

Tips and Notes

FAQs

Equipment Needed

• Blender
• Skillet
• Large Pot

Recipe

Cottage Cheese Mac & Cheese

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.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Rest Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 510

Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

Mac & Cheese

• 8 oz dry elbow or shell pasta
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• ¼ cup grated parmesan
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 4-5 oz cooked chicken sausages (2 chicken sausage links, or use your preferred protein)

Garnish

• Extra grated parmesan
• Chopped chives or green onion
• Fresh parsley

Directions

 

1. In a blender or food processor, add your cottage cheese, milk, cheddar, parmesan, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
2. Blend until it has a smooth consistency. It should take about a minute or two.
3. Place a skillet on a burner and turn it on medium heat.
4. Add 4 ounces of your diced chicken sausage and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes. This is just to warm it up since it should be fully cooked. If you’re not using fully cooked chicken sausages, then cook them here.
5. Once it’s been warmed up, remove it from the skillet.
6. Take out a large pot and cook the pasta according to your pasta’s instructions. It should take between 8-11 minutes.
7. Once your pasta is done cooking, turn off your burner, drain your pasta and save a bit of pasta water. You shouldn’t need to use it but this is just in case your cheese sauce is too thick.
8. Return your drained pasta to the pot. Then pour in your cheese sauce over the pasta. Mix well until the pasta is fully coated with the sauce.
9. Fold in the cooked chicken sausages.
10. Serve.

Video

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