This high protein mac and cheese gets its creamy sauce from cottage cheese blended with milk, cheddar, and a few seasonings. The blender does the work: no flour, no roux, and no lumps. You stir the sauce into hot pasta and it is ready in about 20 minutes, which makes it a good weeknight dinner and an easy one for kids.
If you are looking for recipes using cottage cheese or things to make with cottage cheese, this is one of the simplest. It tastes like classic mac and cheese, and the cottage cheese adds creaminess and extra protein without a strong flavor.
Why you will love this recipe
- Blender sauce: cottage cheese and milk blend completely smooth, so there are no curds in the sauce.
- Fast: about 5 minutes of prep and 15 minutes on the stove.
- High protein: cottage cheese and cheddar carry the sauce, and you can use protein pasta to push it further.
- Simple ingredients: pasta, cottage cheese, cheddar, milk, and pantry spices.
Ingredients you need
- Elbow macaroni: or any short pasta. Protein pasta works too.
- Cottage cheese: small curd, full-fat or 2 percent, for the smoothest sauce.
- Sharp cheddar: shredded from a block melts better than pre-shredded.
- Milk: to thin the blended sauce.
- Seasonings: garlic powder, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
How to make it
- Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Save a half cup of the pasta water, then drain.
- While the pasta cooks, blend the cottage cheese, milk, garlic powder, Dijon, paprika, salt, and pepper until completely smooth.
- Return the drained pasta to the pot over low heat. Pour in the blended sauce and add the cheddar.
- Stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese melts and the sauce coats the pasta. Add a splash of pasta water if it is too thick.
- Serve right away with black pepper on top.
Tips for the creamiest sauce
- Blend longer than you think. A fully smooth sauce is what keeps the texture silky.
- Keep the heat low once the sauce is in the pot. High heat can make a cottage cheese sauce grainy.
- Grate the cheddar yourself so it melts smoothly.
- Stir in a little pasta water at the end to loosen the sauce.
Variations
- Add vegetables: stir in steamed broccoli, peas, or spinach.
- Add protein: mix in shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked ground turkey.
- Crispy top: sprinkle with breadcrumbs and broil for 2 minutes.
- Make it spicy: add a pinch of cayenne or a few drops of hot sauce.
Storage
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of milk, stirring until creamy again.
More cottage cheese recipes
Want a hands-off version? Try our crockpot cottage cheese mac and cheese. For more ideas, browse our 25 cozy cottage cheese recipes, or make a cottage cheese lasagna for a bigger family dinner.
Frequently asked questions
Can you taste the cottage cheese in this mac and cheese?
No. Blended with cheddar and seasonings, the cottage cheese tastes mild and creamy and mostly adds body to the sauce.
Does the cottage cheese sauce curdle?
Not if you blend it smooth and keep the heat low. Stir the sauce into the pasta over low heat and do not let it boil hard.
Can I use low-fat cottage cheese?
Yes, 2 percent works well. Fat-free can taste less creamy, so add a little extra cheddar if you use it.
Can I make it ahead?
You can blend the sauce up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. Cook the pasta and combine everything just before serving.
What pasta works best?
Elbow macaroni, shells, and cavatappi hold the sauce well. Chickpea or protein pasta also works.
High Protein Mac and Cheese with Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni or protein pasta
- 1 cup small curd cottage cheese full-fat or 2 percent
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese shredded from a block
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more for the pasta water
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Method
- Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. Save 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
- Blend the cottage cheese, milk, garlic powder, Dijon, paprika, salt, and pepper until completely smooth.
- Return the pasta to the pot over low heat. Pour in the blended sauce and add the cheddar.
- Stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese melts and the sauce coats the pasta. Add a splash of pasta water if it is too thick.
- Serve right away with black pepper on top.
Notes
- Keep the heat low once the sauce is in the pot so the sauce stays smooth.
- Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat on the stove with a splash of milk.
- The blended sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead.