Get ready for a high protein twist on everyone's favorite comfort food: creamy Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese. Packed with protein-rich cottage cheese, sharp cheddar, and a hint of garlic, this kid-friendly one-pan dish takes mac and cheese to a whole new level. As with my Ricotta Mac and Cheese, this recipe requires almost no prep and very little time to make. You will love this method!
This recipe is featured in the roundup post 20 High Protein Cottage Cheese Recipes.
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One-Pot High Protein Macaroni and Cheese
Up to recently my kids only liked the blue boxed version of mac and cheese. Any homemade version was an instant veto but I started experimenting to develop a mac and cheese recipe using cottage cheese. As I was tweaking the recipe, the kids ended up taste testing different batches and now they're sold! They actually prefer it over the boxed stuff.
There is so much to love about this Mac and Cheese recipe:
- Ready in 15 minutes
- A true one-pot meal - no blenders, no need for making the roux, no additional pots
- Only 5 ingredients
- No butter, flour or starches
- High protein - 21 grams of protein in one serving!
- Kid and family friendly
Love cottage cheese? Make sure to also try this High Protein Tuna Spread, Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip, this Taco Dip or my Cottage Cheese Egg Salad.
Ingredient notes
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Pasta: go with classic elbow macaroni, shells (that's what I used), campanelle or other small pasta shape (penne, ziti, fusili etc.)
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Cottage Cheese: I recommend full fat cottage cheese, because it melts the best and adds to the creaminess. I like Good Culture.
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Cheddar: get sharp cheddar that's yellow-orange to give your mac and cheese nice yellow color and cheesy flavor
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Milk: any type of milk will work: skim milk, whole milk or low-fat milk
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Seasoning: I only use salt and garlic powder (my kids like it plain) but if you want more seasoning, you can also add freshly cracked black pepper, paprika and dijon mustard.
How to make Mac and Cheese with Cottage Cheese
- Boil the pasta in large pot of lightly salted water. Follow package directions to boil your pasta al dente. Towards the end of cooking time, scoop out some pasta boiling water and set aside. Then drain on a colander (Image 1).
- Return the cooked pasta to the pot. Add ½ cup milk, cottage cheese, grated cheddar cheese and garlic powder (Images 2 & 3). Turn the heat to low and stir with a silicone spatula until the cheese are fully melted. Use pasta boiling water (a few tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce. At first it will look curdy and stringy but after a few minutes you will end up with smooth creamy cheese sauce coating the pasta (Image 4).
Note: If you want the cheesy sauce to be super smooth and creamy, blend cottage cheese before adding to the macaroni in a small food processor or a blender. You can learn how to do it in this Blended Cottage Cheese tutorial. However, I find that this step can be ommitted and the curds do melt almost entirely when you stir the dish over heat. It's really up to you! If you don't mind washing the food processor, blending is the way to go. If you're feeling lazy, leave the curds whole and it will still turn out great.
- Taste and season wth salt (and other spices, such as onion powder, black pepper and paprika), if needed. If you want creamier and more saucy macaroni and cheese, add another splash of pasta cooking water or milk and stir viforously, careful not to overcook or break the pasta.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Storage & reheating instructions
- To store leftovers: let it cool to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days or in the freezer up to 3 months.
- To reheat: transfer the mac and cheese to a saucepan and add a splash of milk or cream to prevent it from becoming too dry. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until warmed evenly. Or, place the mac and cheese in a microwave-safe dish, cover it loosely with a damp paper towel to prevent drying out, and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until heated through.
- If reheating from frozen: let your mac and cheese thaw to room temperature first.
What to serve it with
Serve this healthy mac and cheese with a colorful side salad, such as this Greek Chickpea Salad or my Spinach Strawberry Feta Salad. It also goes excptionally well with these Buffalo Chicken Thighs or these No-Breading Buffalo Chicken Tenders. Not a chicken person? Try these Pork Kebabs instead.
For more flavorful veggie sides that go well with mac and cheese, go with this Air Fryer Eggplant, Roasted Beet Salad with Tahini or this Chopped Salad.
Variations and more expert tips
- For gluten free: use gluten free maraconi
- To add even more protein, this recipe will work with chickpea pasta or lentil pasta that are higher in protein than regular macaroni
- For more fiber, consider using whole grain pasta - it has a bit more texture but will still be delicious. You can also use regular pasta and mix in some steamed broccoli or cauliflower rice.
- Reserve some pasta cooking water - this helps the sauce loosen and thicken without any additional ingredients, such as flour or starch
- If the cheese seems stringy, just stay calm and keep stirring. It will eventually melt into a creamy sauce. Add a splash of pasta water or milk, if needed.
- Grate your cheddar cheese, but only if you want to. Technically, freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-shredded, but I've made this mac and cheese with bagged shredded cheddar multiple times and it melts just fine. No need to dirty a grater, in my opinion!
Recipe FAQs
When heated, the curds in cottage cheese soften and melt, creating a creamy texture. However, it doesn't become entirely liquid or stretchy like mozzarella or other melted cheese.
Yes. If you prefer baked mac and cheese, prepare it following the directions but add an additional ½ cup of milk (that extra milk will be absorbed when baking). Transfer hot mac and cheese into a baking dish, sprinkle some panko breadcrumbs, spray with oil (for a crunchy topping) and bake for 15-20 minutes in the oven preheated to 425 degrees until golden brown. Don't bake too long or you'll bake away all the sauce.
If your mac and cheese absorbs all the liquid quickly while stirring, just add more pasta cooking water or milk to keep it loose and creamy (a few tablespoons at a time). It will thicken as you stir. This is also a must when reheating on the stove.
If you want to add more protein, go with cooked diced chicken, ham, bacon bits or lobster meat. Another great addition is veggies, such as cooked broccoli or cauliflower florettes.
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Recipe
Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta dry, shells or macaroni See Note 1
- 1 cup cottage cheese whole milk See Note 3
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup pasta cooking water reserved
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente, saving ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Put the cooked pasta back in the pot. Mix in milk, cottage cheese, cheddar, and garlic powder over low heat until the cheese melts. Add pasta water gradually to smooth the sauce.
- Season with salt and other spices (paprika, black pepper, onion powder), of desired, to taste. Add more pasta cooking water or milk for a creamier texture.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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Meet the Author
Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.
Kai says
It was good I made it for my kids and they really liked it. I had to make extra servings lol
Bogusia says
Great recipe
Will says
My homemade Mac always ends up with cheese too thick or grainy. Cottage cheese is a brilliant fix.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
This is so creamy and cheesy! My new go to for Mac and cheese!
Amy Liu Dong says
Wow! This is such a great-looking treat. Plus we all love cheese! It's everything for us! Thanks for sharing this with us!
Sonja says
Such a great idea to add protein and make the Mac'n Cheese lighter with cottage cheese! Loved the slight tang it gave too, as I'm not usually a fan of this dish due to the blandness. But this was perfect. Fits my diet too. Thank you. 🙂
Krystle says
This is super tasty, my family loved it. I love that I don't feel guilty after eating it too!
Amy says
Love the cottage version. Feel like it's so much lighter. Was delish!
Lathiya says
I make pasta at least once in a week and this recipe is my kids favorite now.
Jan says
Ok
Boguslawa says
Easy recipe. My whole family loved it.
Sam says
Second time making this, it’s soooooo good! Used chickpea rotini pasta. This time I made healthy “hamburger helper” with it. So easy, fun and nostalgic! Thanks for sharing
Agnieszka says
Awesome, Sam! Great trick with chickpea pasta.