This Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese is creamy, high protein, and made with blended cottage cheese for a smooth homemade cheese sauce. It’s an easy stovetop mac and cheese recipe that comes together in under 20 minutes with simple ingredients.
Table of Contents
Higher Protein Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is definitely high up there as one of my ultimate nostalgic comfort foods. I’ll always be down for the gooey, extra cheesy, bubbling real deal mac and cheese, but on a day-to-day basis, I love this lighter version made with cottage cheese. It takes pretty much the same time and effort as boxed mac and cheese, while packing in extra protein without overthinking it.
With protein pasta, this cottage cheese mac and cheese has about 53 grams !! of protein per serving, but still tastes super cheesy with a creamy, smooth, luscious sauce. And if you’re skeptical about cottage cheese (trust me, I was for a LONGGG time), once it’s blended you genuinely can’t taste it or tell it’s there.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This cottage cheese mac and cheese comes together with a handful of simple pantry ingredients:
- Pasta: Use any protein pasta of your choice if you want that added protein. Of course, you can use regular elbow macaroni or pasta shape of choice.
- Cottage cheese: Use 2% or full-fat cottage cheese for the creamiest texture. Blending it creates a smooth sauce without any curds.
- Cheddar cheese: Freshly grated cheddar melts best and adds classic mac and cheese flavor. Sharp cheddar gives a stronger cheesy flavor, while mild cheddar keeps it more mellow.
- Dijon mustard: Adds a subtle tanginess and helps round out the cheese flavor without making the sauce taste mustardy.
- Garlic powder, onion powder and nutmeg: Gives the sauce a savory depth without overpowering it. The nutmeg is optional, you should not taste the nutmeg! It’s a hidden flavour that adds a mid of warmth.
- Nutritional yeast: You could leave it out but I highly recommend having this on hand, it’s seriously so good on everything! It adds extra cheesy, umami flavor in this mac and cheese.
- MSG or miso paste: Adds savoriness and makes the sauce taste richer and more flavorful. White miso adds a subtle depth while MSG keeps it clean and cheesy tasting.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
This high protein mac and cheese comes together in about 20 minutes with a quick blended cottage cheese sauce that turns smooth and creamy on the stovetop. Here’s a quick overview:
- Cook the pasta: Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Before draining, reserve some pasta water to help loosen and emulsify the sauce later.
- Blend the sauce: Add the cottage cheese, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, nutritional yeast, MSG (or miso), and salt to a blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy with no visible curds remaining.
- Warm the sauce: Transfer the blended cottage cheese mixture to a saucepan over low to medium-low heat. Stir in some reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce and help it become silky.
- Melt in the cheese: Add the grated cheddar and stir continuously until fully melted and smooth. Keep the heat gentle to prevent the sauce from separating or becoming grainy.
- Combine and serve: Toss the cooked macaroni with the sauce until evenly coated. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and serve immediately while hot and creamy.
VIDEO: Watch How to Make It
Lisa’s Recipe Tips
- Blend the cottage cheese: Blend until completely smooth with no visible curds remaining. This gives the sauce a silky, creamy texture that tastes like classic mac and cheese.
- Shred your own cheese: Freshly grated cheddar melts much more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese and helps prevent a grainy or clumpy sauce.
- Maintain a low heat: Keep the sauce over low to medium-low heat when adding the cheese. High heat can cause the sauce to split or become grainy.
Variations
Just like with any mac and cheese, you can add other ingredients or change up the flavour as you like. Here are some suggestions:
- Add Vegetables: Broccoli, peas, spinach, corn, or roasted vegetables all work well in this mac and cheese. I recommend sautéing or blanching heartier vegetables first before stirring them. Leafy greens like spinach can simply be mixed into the hot pasta and sauce until wilted.
- Add Extra Protein: Stir in ground beef, cooked chicken, turkey, shrimp, tofu, beans, or even crispy bacon! I always have sous vide chicken, rotisserie chicken or sliced ham on hand to add it in.
- Use Difference Cheeses: Swap the cheddar for another flavorful cheese like gouda, gruyère, or pepper jack.
- Herbs, spices and seasonings: Try adding smoked paprika, cayenne, black pepper, Italian seasoning, or fresh herbs like chives and parsley to change up the flavor. A little hot sauce, sriracha, chili oil or buffalo sauce also works really well for a spicy version. I know this is a controversial one but… I also like adding some ketchup :’)
Serving Suggestions
I usually keep this cottage cheese mac and cheese simple and pair it with whatever I already have in the fridge. It’s super versatile and works with many other dishes:
- Smashed cucumber salad for something fresh
- Side dish vegetables like Yamitsuki Cabbage or Japanese Sesame Spinach Salad
- Saikoro Steak (Steak bites)
- Broccoli salad with creamy dressing
- Roasted sweet potatoes or any other roasted vegetables
- Chili crisp croutons
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Store leftover cottage cheese mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. As the pasta sits, the sauce will thicken and absorb into the noodles slightly, which is completely normal.
To reheat, add a splash of milk or water to help loosen the sauce and bring back its creamy texture. Warm gently in the microwave or in a skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. I do not recommend freezing this recipe, as the texture of the cheese sauce can become grainy after thawing.
Recipe FAQ
For the smoothest sauce, blend the cottage cheese completely before heating. A high speed blender works best to fully break down the curds. If the sauce still looks grainy, the heat may have been too high while melting the cheese. Keep the sauce over low to medium-low heat and stir continuously for a creamy, smooth texture.
Cheese sauce usually splits when it gets too hot. To keep the sauce smooth and creamy, heat it gently over low to medium-low heat and avoid letting it boil. Freshly grated cheese also melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese, which often contains anti-caking agents that can make the sauce grainy or separate. If the sauce starts to thicken too much, stirring in a splash of pasta water or milk can help bring it back together.
Yes, but the sauce will be slightly less rich and creamy. I find 2% or full-fat cottage cheese gives the best texture and flavor for mac and cheese, especially once blended.
This recipe was designed for dairy-based ingredients, so I have not tested a fully dairy-free version. However, you could experiment with dairy-free cottage cheese and shredded cheese alternatives. Keep in mind the texture and flavor may vary depending on the brand used.
Yes! Transfer the mac and cheese to a baking dish and top with breadcrumbs, crushed crackers, or extra shredded cheese if desired. Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until hot and bubbling with a lightly golden top. Since the sauce thickens as it bakes, you can stir in an extra splash of milk or pasta water before baking to keep it creamy.
More Cottage Cheese Recipes
Enjoy! If you make this Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and rating below, and if you share it on social media, tag me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen. I can’t wait to see your creations!
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Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese is creamy, high protein, and made with blended cottage cheese for a smooth homemade cheese sauce. It’s an easy stovetop mac and cheese recipe that comes together in under 20 minutes with simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 4 oz (115 g) protein pasta or pasta of choice
- 1/4–1/3 cup water (for cooking pasta)
- 1 cup (220 g) 2% cottage cheese
- 1–3 oz (28-84 g) cheddar cheese, grated (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- small pinch of nutmeg, optional
- 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp MSG or 1 tsp miso paste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- freshly cracked black pepper, to finish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
- Blend the sauce: In a small blender (or using a handheld blender), combine the cottage cheese, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, MSG (or miso), and salt. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Warm the sauce: Transfer the blended mixture to a medium saucepan over low to medium-low heat. Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir to loosen the sauce.
- Add the cheese: Add the grated cheddar and stir continuously until fully melted and the sauce thickens slightly, about 3-5 minutes. Keep the heat gentle to prevent curdling.
- The amount of cheese you add is completely up to you. Using 1 oz (28 g) is much more lighter and the sauce is a bit thinner but flavour wise still tastes great. Using 3 oz (84 g) is thicker, richer and full bodied. Of course, the more cheese you add the more cheese-y and closer to the real thing it’ll be.
- Combine and finish: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss until evenly coated. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and serve immediately. Enjoy!!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Main course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 620
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 1450 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 53 g
- Fiber: 13 g
- Protein: 53 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
