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Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese is a healthy twist on mac and cheese that's higher in protein and lower in calories, yet still so delicious! It's rich, creamy and cheesy, making it the perfect healthier comfort food the whole family will love!
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Can you make macaroni and cheese with cottage cheese? Absolutely! Blending cottage cheese into the cheese sauce keeps it creamy while also making it a 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 in this healthy Alfredo sauce recipe and my favorite cottage cheese banana pudding.
Why You Will Love This Healthy Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Nutritious comfort food: 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.
- Great flavor: Even with some healthy swaps this dish still delivers the creamy and cheesy flavors you want in mac and cheese.
- Versatile: This dish makes a great tasting side dish but can also be transformed into a main dish too by making a few additions to the dish.
Craving more cheesy pasta recipes? You're going to love this cheeseburger pasta and ground turkey chili mac recipe!
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make this protein mac and cheese with cottage cheese recipe!
- Pasta: Use your favorite pasta to make this dish. I used chickpea pasta for even more protein, fiber, and the fact that it's gluten-free, but 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. It lowers the fat slightly but still has plenty of flavor. 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: Any milk works! I used an unsweetened and unflavored dairy-free milk but regular milk works too.
- Arrowroot Powder: This thickens the sauce and gives it the creamy texture. You can also use cornstarch or tapioca flour.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: I used pre-shredded cheese to save time, but block cheese works too. The tangier flavor of sharp cheddar works best when making mac and cheese.
Be sure to check the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities needed for each one.
Variations
- Add Veggies: Broccoli, spinach, and peas are a few favorites but really you can add any vegetables you like. I suggest blanching or sauteing the vegetables before mixing them in at the end with the pasta. Spinach or other leafy greens can be stirred into the dish as they will easily wilt when stirred into the hot sauce.
- Add More Protein: Cooked or rotisserie chicken, turkey breast, shrimp, or baked tempeh all work great and will boost the protein even more. I especially love to use this instant pot recipe for shredded chicken to prep chicken ahead to add to dishes like this one!
- Change the Flavors: Feel freeze to use a different sharp flavored cheese, add some herbs and spices, or a bit of hot sauce or buffalo sauce to change the flavor.
- Baked Mac and Cheese: Transfer the mac and cheese to a baking dish and sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs or crushed crackers (gluten-free or regular) mixed with some fresh herbs. Bake in a 350° F oven for 10-15 to brown the breadcrumbs.
How To Make Mac and Cheese with Cottage Cheese
Step 1: Cook the pasta. Boil the pasta using the instructions on the package. One cooked, drain the water, and set it aside.
Step 2: Blend. Combine the remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
Step 3: Heat to thicken. Pour the cheese sauce into the skillet, then cook 5-7 minutes until it thickens.
Step 4: Finish the dish. Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce, stir to coat the pasta, and then serve!
Serving Suggestions
- Vegetable Sides: Roasted broccoli or steamed broccoli and roasted cauliflower would be wonderful to add or serve on the side or even added on top.
- Salad: Serve healthy mac n cheese with a side salad to boost your veggies! We love this creamy broccoli salad with Greek yogurt or this copycat Olive Garden salad made a bit healthier.
- Comfort Foods: It makes a great side dish for all your favorite comforting mains like this healthy 1 pound meatloaf recipe, ground turkey meatloaf, or shredded BBQ chicken.
Expert Tips
- Storing: Keep leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe as the texture will change when thawed out. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop in a skillet.
- Creamy Consistency: Be sure to blend the cottage cheese until smooth so it's disappears into the sauce.
- Shredding Your Own Cheese: Pre-shredded cheese makes life easier but sometimes I find the sauce ends up a bit creamier and tastier when I take the time to grate a block of cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
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!
Be sure to keep the heat at medium-low and no higher as the sauce can separate if it gets too hot.
No, you can't. This recipe does not work by omitting the cottage cheese and replacing it with dairy-free options. If dairy does not work for you, then this recipe won't work for you. Sorry!
More Healthy Cottage Cheese Recipes
If you tried this cottage cheese mac and cheese recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz Chickpea Pasta or pasta of choice
- ½ cup 2% Cottage Cheese
- 1 cup Almond Milk or milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon Arrowroot Powder or cornstarch
- 4 oz Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ 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
- Servings: Recipe makes 4 servings (about 4 cups) - 1/4th of the recipe equals on serving (or about 1 cup).
- Cooking the Sauce: Be sure not to cook the sauce at a higher temperature than medium-low to avoid the sauce from separating.
- Freezing: This dish isn’t good for freezing but you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove.
- Cheese: For best flavor, use a sharp or even extra sharp cheddar cheese.
- Additional Mix-ins: Add veggies such as broccoli, peas, spinach, or cauliflower. You can also add shredded chicken, turkey breast, shrimp, or baked tempeh all work great and will boost the protein even more.
Nutrition
Hi I’m just wondering why can’t this recipe be frozen?
The cottage cheese will separately from the other ingredients. The freezing also adds moisture, diluting the flavor so it will taste bland after freezing.
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.