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Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese is healthy twist on Mac and cheese that's higher in protein, lower calorie and delicious! Rich, creamy and perfect for healthier comfort food. Gluten Free + Low Calorie
Can you make macaroni and cheese with cottage cheese? Absolutely! Blending cottage cheese makes creamy, higher protein sauce. In fact, it's one of my sneaky tricks to boost protein in recipes and make them lower calorie.
You won't notice the sauce is made from cottage cheese just like with healthy Alfredo sauce recipe and cottage cheese banana pudding recipe.
Cottage cheese is an excellent source of calcium and protein. It's lower in calories than heavy cream and using lots of cheese making it a healthier swap compared to traditional macaroni and cheese recipes.
Healthy Mac and Cheese Ingredients
Here's what you need to make a protein mac and cheese recipe!
- Pasta - Chickpea pasta is what I used for this recipe and I've made it with regular protein pasta as well.
- Cottage Cheese - Using cottage cheese boosts the protein content of the recipe. I used 2% cottage cheese for the recipe.
- Milk - I used dairy-free milk, but you can use any milk.
- Arrowroot Powder - This thickens the sauce and gives it the creamy texture.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese - I used pre-shredded cheese for the recipe, but block cheese works too.
Recipe Substitutions
Here are the substitutions you can make with this recipe. Remember when you do substitute ingredients, it does change the nutritional values from what you see I the recipe card below.
- Pasta - I used chickpea pasta for this recipe - it's higher in protein, fiber and gluten free.
- Cottage Cheese - I used 2% cottage cheese. You can use nonfat or 1%, but the sauce may turn out more liquid-y from the lack of fat content. Greek yogurt may be used in place of cottage cheese too.
- Milk - I used almond milk, but you can use any milk in this recipe that you like.
- Arrowroot Powder - Cornstarch or tapioca flour may be used instead.
- Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese - I used low moisture shredded cheddar cheese for this recipe. You can use pre-shredded or block cheese.
- Dairy Free - This recipe does not work by omitting the cottage cheese and replacing with dairy-free options. If dairy does not work for you, then this recipe won't work for you. Sorry!
How To Make Mac and Cheese with Cottage Cheese
Step One - Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Step Two - Combine the ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend.
Step Three - Pour the cheese sauce into the skillet then cook 5-7 minutes until thickened.
Step Four - Stir the cooked pasta into the cheese sauce then serve!
What To Serve With Mac n Cheese
- Broccoli - Roasted broccoli or steamed broccoli would be wonderful to add or serve on the side!
- Spinach - I often add spinach in step four and it will wilt in the warm sauce. A great way to sneak in veggies!
- Other Veggies - Peas or cauliflower could also be added.
- Protein - Instant pot shredded chicken breast could easily be added to the cooked mac and cheese. Turkey breast, shrimp or tempeh could be added for a boost of protein too.
- Salad - Serve healthy mac n cheese with a side salad to boost your veggies!
How To Store Protein Mac and Cheese
- Refrigerator - Store this in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 5 days.
- Freezer - I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
- Reheat - Reheat mac and cheese in the microwave or on the stovetop in a skillet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best cheese combinations for macaroni and cheese?
Extra sharp cheese is the best for mac and cheese. You can also do half extra sharp cheese with half gouda cheese for more of a tangy flavor!
What Mac and Cheese Is Healthy?
Mac and cheese made with cottage cheese, yogurt or cauliflower is healthiest. Homemade mac and cheese is healthier than boxed versions with less fat and overall calories.
How Do You Keep Macaroni and Cheese Creamy?
Be sure to keep the heat at medium-low and no higher as the sauce can separate if it gets too hot.
Can Cottage Cheese Be Used In Cooking?
Absolutely! Cottage cheese pancakes, cottage cheese overnight oats, cottage cheese banana pudding, cottage cheese chili cheese dip, cottage cheese Alfredo and cottage cheese shrimp dip are just a few examples!
What Can I Add To Mac n Cheese?
Broccoli, spinach, peas, instant pot shredded chicken, shrimp, tempeh is an easy way to include vegetables and more protein.
Do You Have A Mac and Cheese Without Cottage Cheese?
Yes, my low-calorie cookbook has a mac and cheese with a cauliflower base.
More Healthy Pasta Recipes
- Healthy Taco Pasta
- Healthy Monterrey Chicken Pasta
- Cottage Cheese Alfredo
- Healthy Cheeseburger Macaroni Skillet
Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz Chickpea Pasta or pasta of choice
- 1/2 cup 2% Cottage Cheese
- 1 cup Almond Milk or milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon Arrowroot Powder or cornstarch
- 4 oz Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, combine the cottage cheese, milk, cornstarch, cheddar cheese, and seasonings. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the cheese sauce into a skillet and heat over medium-low heat. Cook for 7-8 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- When the pasta is cooked, stir into the cheese sauce then serve!
Notes
- Recipe makes 4 servings (about 4 cups) - 1/4th of the recipe equals on serving (or about 1 cup).
- Be sure not to cook the sauce at a higher temperature than medium-low to avoid the sauce from separating.
Nutrition
Hi Megan,
This looks delicious! Which almond milk did you use? I find that many non-dairy milks that are completely unsweetened can be lacking in creaminess. Thank you!
I used Silk brand. Cashew is a tad bit creamier than almond milk so that's another option if you are dairy-free. If you are not dairy-free, you can use regular milk too.
Hi Megan,
Low carb CARBA-NADA pasta is high protein and tastes like Italian pasta seems taste better than ckickpea pasta.
I agree. Carba-nada is the best.
This is so delicious! I used Kaizen pasta because it’s much lower in carbs than chickpea pasta. And white cheddar cheese just because I like it more. It was SO easy to make, extremely filling without the guilt. I’m curious to see how it heats up tomorrow but I needed some comfort food and this was definitely it! Thank you!
This was so fast and soooo good. I’ll be making this on repeat. Can’t wait to try it with chicken and broccoli. Only thing I added was about a tsp of dried mustard
This recipe was so easy and hubby liked it which is always a plus! It was very tasty too!
Anyone try with another kind of cheese? Would mozzarella work? 🙂
LOVE this recipe !! Made it with whole wheat penne instead of chickpea pasta. Other then that the sauce is delicious and feels like i am cheating on my calorie deficit diet. Thank you , Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for the positive review.
Added 1 TBL of chicken broth past. Gave it a flavorable base.