This cottage cheese mac and cheese is rich and creamy, and packs 24 grams of protein per serving! The best part - it comes together in less than 30 minutes!
Mac and cheese is one of those family favorites that just never gets old. And we all know that when you're craving the real deal, the boxed version just won't cut it!
That's why I've created this high-protein mac and cheese with a secret ingredient - blended cottage cheese.
It's a delicious twist that helps you feel satisfied for longer, and it's hidden SO well, you won't even notice it's there.
If you like this recipe, check out my orzo mac and cheese and vegan mac and cheese without cashews!
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Health Benefits of Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese is a fresh cheese that has a mild flavor, creamy texture, and a slightly salty taste.
It's super versatile, making it great for a variety of recipes like cottage cheese mac and cheese and cottage cheese cheesecake.
This type of cheese is low in calories and fat, while also being high in protein and essential amino acids, calcium, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and more! Adding it to recipes can make you feel fuller for longer while also bumping up the nutrition of your meal.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pasta of choice: Any type of small-shaped pasta will work here such as elbow macaroni, shell pasta, farfalle, penne, and fusilli. If you want to add more fiber to this recipe, feel free to use whole-wheat pasta. To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.
- Cottage cheese: For best results, try to use cottage cheese with at least 4% fat. Skip the low-fat one, because fat = flavor.
- Milk of choice: You can use any type of milk you like including cow's milk, almond milk, cashew milk, etc.
- Shredded cheese: I'm using orange cheddar, but mozzarella, gouda, or gruyere cheese will also be delicious! For best results, don't buy pre-shredded cheese, buy a block and shred it yourself.
- Butter: You'll need just a few teaspoons to add flavor and a rich mouthfeel. Feel free to skip it if you don't want to use it, or substitute it with olive oil instead.
- Cornstarch: For thickening the cottage cheese sauce. You can also use arrowroot starch in a pinch. All-purpose flour can also work as a substitute, but you'll need to double the amount.
- Spices: I stick to only sweet paprika and garlic powder in this recipe, but you can add any of your favorite spices.
- Salt and black pepper: For seasoning the mac and cheese to taste.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
Cook pasta according to packaging instructions, until al dente. Drain and add to a bowl. Add a drizzle of olive oil and stir the pasta to prevent it from sticking. Set aside.
To a high-speed blender or a food processor, add milk, cottage cheese, cornstarch, spices, and salt. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until completely smooth and no chunks remain.
Pour the mixture into a large pot and cook over medium heat until it starts to thicken, stirring frequently.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, alongside the butter and black pepper. Stir and cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta well.
Then, stir the shredded cheese and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the cheese fully melts.
Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding more salt or black pepper to taste.
Serve right away while it's warm and cheesy!
Expert Tips
- Undercook your pasta. You want to cook your pasta just until it's al dente meaning 1-2 minutes before what the packaging says. It will continue to cook when it gets tossed with the sauce.
- Use full-fat dairy products. Some recipes online require you to use sour cream or heavy cream to make this pasta, but if you use full-fat milk and cheese, there is no need (they add plenty of fat already). This will make the cheese sauce luscious and creamy, similar to classic mac and cheese.
- Use chickpea pasta to add even more protein. Just 2 ounces (60g) of uncooked chickpea pasta provides 14g of protein plus 8 grams of fiber. This makes the meal more satisfying and keeps you feeling full for longer.
- Switch up the cheese. The best thing about this recipe is that you can make it different by switching up the cheese. You can go for a milder flavor with something like mozzarella or a stronger one with a sharp cheese like aged cheddar.
- Add vegetables. If you want to bump up the nutrition and add more volume, you can reduce the amount of pasta to 6 oz and add 2 oz of any vegetable that you like. Quick-cooking veggies like peas, broccoli, or asparagus work best. Add them to the pot with the pasta to blanch them for 2-3 minutes before draining.
FAQ
Cottage cheese doesn't melt the same way other types of cheese do such as feta, cheddar, mozzarella, etc. The best way to use it in a sauce is to blend it first, preferably with some liquid. It then becomes creamy and smooth, and ready to use in recipes.
When it comes to mac and cheese, you want to use a type of cheese that melts well. Some great options include Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, Havarti, Gruyere, Monterey Jack, fontina, and Brie (without the white part). But you can also use a combination of hard and soft cheeses, for example, half sharp cheddar cheese and half gouda or mozzarella.
Yes! You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Make sure to let it thaw overnight before reheating.
Make sure that you have a good ratio between pasta and cheese sauce. If you have too much pasta, it may turn out dry.
Also, it's important to cook the sauce over medium-low heat to prevent it from separating and overcooking, which can dry it out even further.
If you're vegan and you want to make a delicious mac and cheese recipe, I suggest you try my vegan mac and cheese without cashews. It's the best!!!
Variations
- Spicy: Similar to my gochujang pasta, you can add 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste for a Korean-inspired twist.
- Baked cottage cheese mac and cheese: Prepare the mac and cheese as per instructions and transfer it to a 9x13-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine 1 ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, 4 tablespoon melted butter, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, and ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the mac and cheese and bake in a preheated oven to 350F (170C) for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta such as Banza's chickpea pasta or Barilla's gluten-free elbow macaroni.
- Lactose-free: Use lactose-free dairy products including lactose-free cheese, butter, and milk.
- Jalapeno: Chop 3 medium-sized jalapenos into small pieces (remove the seeds and membranes for less heat). Saute them in a skillet with ½ tablespoon of olive oil for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant. Add the cottage cheese sauce and continue cooking as per instructions.
- Kimchi: Similar to my kimchi fettuccine alfredo, you can add ½ cup of kimchi for a Korean-inspired kick. We're big fans of kimchi here and we love to add it to literally anything. Some of our favorite recipes on the blog are this cheesy kimchi pizza and this kimchi tofu stew.
- Pesto: After you take the cottage cheese mac and cheese off the heat, stir a few tablespoons of your favorite basil pesto.
- Spinach and artichoke: This is an easy way to add more veggies! Take the pasta off the heat and stir 2 cups of baby spinach and 8 roughly chopped artichoke hearts. Cook until the spinach wilts and the artichoke is well coated with the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this classic comfort food with side dishes like ciabatta garlic bread, orzo pasta salad, simple cornbread with no buttermilk, or roasted Brussels sprouts.
To make it a complete meal, pair it with my vegan chicken cordon bleu, smoky tofu ham, fried silken tofu, or air fryer tempeh.
Optionally, if you want to add a crunchy topping without making a mac and cheese casserole, you can sprinkle toasted breadcrumbs or my crispy sauteed chickpeas before serving.
How to Reheat
- Stovetop: Add it to a small pot with a splash of water or milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until warmed through.
- Microwave: Add it to a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 1-3 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until warmed through
Storage
Let leftovers cool to room temperature. Then, transfer them to an airtight container and cover them with a lid. Save in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Similar Recipes
📖 Recipe
Protein Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Dutch oven or another large pot
Ingredients
- 8 oz. (230g) small-shaped pasta of choice (use gluten-free if needed)
- ½ cup (100g) cottage cheese I use 4% fat
- 1 cup (250ml) milk of choice either full-fat cow's milk or dairy-free milk
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tsp salted butter
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 3.5 oz. (100g) shredded cheddar cheese* or another cheese that melts well
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water according to packaging instructions, until al dente. Drain well and add to a bowl. Add a drizzle of olive oil and stir the pasta to prevent it from sticking. Set aside.8 oz. (230g) small-shaped pasta of choice
- To a high-speed blender or a food processor, add milk, cottage cheese, cornstarch, spices, and salt. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until the mixture is completely smooth and no chunks remain.½ cup (100g) cottage cheese, 1 cup (250ml) milk of choice, 2 teaspoon cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- Pour the mixture into a large pot and cook over medium-low heat until it starts to thicken, stirring frequently. The sauce shouldn't come to a boil, or it will separate! You need to heat it gently until it thickens.2 teaspoon salted butter, Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, alongside the butter and black pepper. Stir and cook over low heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency and coats the pasta well.
- Then, turn the heat off and stir the shredded cheese. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the cheese fully melts.3.5 oz. (100g) shredded cheddar cheese*
- Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding more salt or black pepper to taste. Serve right away while it's warm and cheesy!
Notes
- Fridge: Let leftovers cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it into a container and cover it with a lid. Save in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Let leftovers cool to room temperature. Then, transfer it into a container and cover it with a lid. Freeze for 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
- Stovetop: Add it to a small pot with a splash of water or milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until warmed through.
- Microwave: Add it to a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 1-3 minutes, stirring halfway through, or until warmed through
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Emily says
Why does the sauce split when heated and how can I prevent this or save it? Thanks!
Petra says
Hi Emily, the sauce shouldn't come to a boil or the emulsion will break. It needs to be heated gently until it thickens. Once the emulsion has broken (aka the sauce has separated) you can try to blend it again but I'm not sure if this will do the job entirely. Better be careful from the start. Hope this helps and sorry if the recipe hasn't come out the way you wanted it to.
Jared says
This is EXACTLY what I needed to sneak in more protein to my lunch. It's also so creamy, love it!