High-Protein Mac and Cheese
Per serving (about 1.5 cups)
How I calculate this → Protein calculator →
6g of protein per 100 calories, more than 4 of the other 27 dinner recipes here.
I skip the roux and the flour and the wait for a sauce to thicken. Cottage cheese blended smooth with milk and cheddar does the same job as a béchamel, with a lot more protein and less time standing at the stove. The cottage cheese sauce surprised me the first time I made this because once it's blended and mixed with cheddar, you really don't get a cottage cheese flavor. I'd much rather use this method than make a traditional cheese sauce on a weeknight.
Why you'll love this
- 31g of protein per serving from a blended cottage cheese sauce, no meat added
- One pot, ready in about 25 minutes with no roux to babysit
- Sharp cheddar carries the flavor since there's no butter-heavy sauce base
Recipe
High-Protein Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, add the cottage cheese, milk, 1 cup of the cheddar, garlic powder, paprika, dijon, salt, and pepper to a blender.
- Blend on high until completely smooth, about 30 seconds, with no visible cottage cheese curds.
- Let the drained pasta cool for a minute or two off the heat, then return it to the pot over low heat. Adding the sauce while the pot is very hot can cause the cottage cheese to curdle.
- Pour in the blended sauce and stir to coat. Warm gently over low heat, stirring often, until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining 1 cup of cheddar until melted, adding reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time if the sauce is thicker than you'd like.
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Notes
- I keep the heat low once the sauce goes in. High heat is the main way this dish goes wrong, since it can make the cottage cheese separate into a grainy texture instead of staying smooth.
- I use sharp cheddar because it carries more flavor than mild, which matters here since there's no roux or extra butter doing the flavor work.
- If the sauce tightens up as it sits, a splash of reserved pasta water brings it back together. I stir it in over low heat or with the burner off.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 540 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 31g |
| Carbs | 49g |
| Fat | 24g |
| Fiber | 2g |
Where these numbers come from
I calculate every figure above from USDA FoodData Central, ingredient by ingredient, then divide by the servings the recipe makes. Each FDC number links to the exact USDA entry I used. How I calculate nutrition
- Elbow macaroni: FDC #169736 (Pasta, dry, enriched), 8 oz dry = 227g.
- Cottage cheese: FDC #172179 (Cheese, cottage, creamed), 1.5 cups small curd = 337.5g.
- Milk: FDC #171267 (Milk, reduced fat, 2%), 1/2 cup = 122g.
- Sharp cheddar: FDC #173414 (Cheese, cheddar), 2 cups shredded = 226g (FDC: 1 cup shredded = 113g).
- Garlic powder: FDC #171325, 1/2 tsp = 1.55g. Smoked paprika: FDC #171329, 1/4 tsp = 0.6g. Dijon: FDC #172234 (Mustard, prepared, yellow), 1/2 tsp = 2.5g.
- Pasta water not counted. Batch totals: 123.2g protein, 2,153 kcal, 95.8g fat, 196g carb, 7.7g fiber; divided by 4. Protein and calories held up on recompute.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of milk, stirring often, rather than the microwave, which tends to make the sauce separate.
FAQ
Can I add chicken or another protein to this?
Yes. Shredded rotisserie chicken or crumbled cooked ground turkey both stir in well at the end, right along with the second cup of cheddar.
Why did my sauce turn grainy instead of smooth?
Almost always heat. If the pasta or the pot is too hot when the cottage cheese sauce goes in, it can curdle. Let things cool slightly first and keep the heat low once the sauce is in.
Can I use a different cheese than cheddar?
Monterey jack or a cheddar-jack blend both melt well here. Avoid pre-shredded cheese if you can, since the anti-caking coating can make the sauce slightly grainier than block cheese you shred yourself.
Looking for more vegetarian high-protein meals: the high-protein pasta uses the same blended cottage cheese technique with a marinara base instead.
This mac and cheese uses cottage cheese alongside the cheddar, and Is Cottage Cheese High in Protein? has the protein numbers for it.
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