My Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese is packed with 23g of protein, with all the cheesy goodness. This recipe is dietitian and foodie approved!
Mac and cheese was one of my childhood favourites and is still a comfort food today. With that said, as I've grown up I've realized how much better I feel eating balanced meals with fibre and protein. Unfortunately, most mac and cheese recipes don't really check those boxes.
After discovering the wonders of blending cottage cheese in my healthy green pasta sauce, I knew it would be amazing in a protein mac and cheese recipe. And my hunch was correct!
Trust me when I tell you that this cottage cheese mac and cheese has all the cheesy goodness that you would desire, while packing in 23 grams of protein. Pair it with a higher fibre pasta (think whole wheat or chickpea) and some air fryer frozen broccoli, and you have a super easy balanced meal.
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Family approved. Who doesn't love mac and cheese? Both adults and your kids will devour this healthier spin on a family favourite.
- Easy and quick. You can whip this mac and cheese together in less than 30 minutes. It's a fast lunch or dinner for the days you just need something nourishing and comforting.
- Protein packed. Cottage cheese mac and cheese is a great vegetarian meal that still is packed with protein. If you use a higher protein pasta, you can boost it to around 30 grams of protein per serving!
Ingredients
Pasta. I recommend using higher fiber macaroni noodles like these for a more balanced meal, however you can use any pasta of choice.
Cottage cheese. I like 2 or 5% fat percentage cottage cheese for the creamiest taste and texture.
Milk. Any milk of choice will work, just make sure it isn’t flavoured. For higher protein options, I recommend dairy or soy milk. Note that using oat milk will result in a slightly sweet taste, but it isn't too noticeable.
Nutritional yeast. This is an inactivated yeast used in a lot of vegan recipes for its cheesy flavour. It's also high in B vitamins and protein, making it a nutritious add-in.
Spices. Garlic powder, paprika, black pepper,and onion powder are the spices you will need.
Cheese. I recommend using cheddar cheese for the most classic ‘mac and cheese’ flavour.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
Cook pasta according to the package directions (don’t forget to salt the water), drain and set aside. Remember to reserve 2 tablespoon of water for later.
To a blender, add cottage cheese, milk, nutritional yeast, cheese, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and onion powder and blend until smooth.
In a small dish, whisk together reserved pasta water and cornstarch.
Add cheese sauce to a small pan over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Add cornstarch + water mixture to the sauce, and stir. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken- about 5 minutes. To avoid burning the sauce, continue to stir (See notes below for tips). Stir in additional cheese if needed.
Add pasta directly to the sauce, stir and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: Use a gluten-free pasta of choice. Cornstarch is naturally gluten-free, however you can look for a certified gluten-free cornstarch to minimize cross contamination or use arrowroot starch.
To make dairy-free/vegan: I do not have a vegan or dairy-free version of this recipe. However, try my vegan pasta bake for a completely plant-based pasta recipe.
To make nut-free: This recipe is naturally nut-free.
For veggies, I recommend serving with air fryer frozen veggies or a pre-made salad kit for some fibre and colour.
For even more protein, use a chickpea pasta and add 1 cup of shelled edamame to the pasta after mixing with the sauce.
Equipment
- Pan (I love the Always Pan because you can use it on the stove and bake it up to 450F)
- Blender
Storage
Leftover cottage cheese mac and cheese can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. To reheat, add some milk to a saucepan over low heat, along with the pasta. This will help thin out the sauce. Stir until heated.
Top Tips for Success
For a creamier pasta sauce I recommend using 5% cottage cheese.
If your sauce begins to separate, this is a sign your heat is too high. You may need to turn it down. I recommend adding the pasta as soon as possible and stirring frequently. This will prevent the cottage cheese from curdling and causing it to separate.
Make sure your pasta is slightly cooled before adding it to the sauce. If it immediately goes from boiling water to the pan, you run the risk of curdling the sauce.
If you forget to reserve the pasta water, you can add some water and a bit more salt. Your sauce may be slightly thinner, but still yummy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately this isn’t a great sauce to prep for a freezer meal. I find once thawed after being frozen, the sauce consistently becomes quite liquid-y. I recommend eating this when fresh or out of the fridge for best results.
I do not recommend using Greek yogurt as the taste is slightly more sour than cottage cheese will affect the taste!
More Pasta Recipes
If you loved this higher protein mac and cheese, try out more of my pasta recipes here:
- Cottage Cheese Alfredo Pasta
- Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese
- Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Pasta
- Creamy Chicken and Tomato Pasta
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this high protein cottage cheese mac and cheese, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Protein Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 8 oz dry higher fiber macaroni elbows
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ⅓ cup milk
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoon pasta water
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the package directions (don’t forget to salt the water), drain and set aside. Remember to reserve 2 tablespoon of water for later.
- To a blender, add cottage cheese, milk, nutritional yeast, cheese, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, and onion powder and blend until smooth.
- In a small dish, whisk together reserved pasta water and cornstarch.
- Add cheese sauce to a small pan over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Add cornstarch + water mixture to the sauce, and stir. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken- about 5 minutes. To avoid burning the sauce- continue to stir (See notes below for tips)! Stir in additional cheese if needed!
- Add pasta directly to the sauce, stir and enjoy!
Zachary says
This was very good! I used light mozzarella cheese and 1% fat cottage cheese as I'm on a calorie deficit. It ended up thick and cheesy even before I added the corn starch (assuming because of the low fat cheeses). I'll add a bit less nutritional yeast next time as the taste was pretty dominant. Overall this was very tasty and packed with protein. 100% making it again.
Holly says
I just made this for dinner tonight and my very discerning 7 yr old gave it two thumbs up. When we weren’t looking, he started eating it straight from the serving bowl!
Jade says
Love this high protein recipe! I had all the ingredients on hand so this made for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. My boyfriend (who claims he doesn’t like cottage cheese) didn’t even know it was in there. Hate to admit we both add ketchup to our mac & cheese… but regardless it was delicious!
Nicole Addison says
I hope you love this one as much as I do!
Lauren says
My kids love Mac and cheese and I’m always on the hunt to try to make it more nutrient dense. I’ve tried some with puréed cauliflower but it doesn’t have that same cheesy taste. I was intrigued by your recipe - hadn’t seen one like this before and my kids LOVE it (as do I, who are we kidding?). Reheats beautifully and I send it in their lunches, thrilled that it has a decent amount of protein while hitting the Mac and cheese spot!
Jade says
Love this high protein recipe! I had all the ingredients on hand so this made for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. My boyfriend (who claims he doesn’t like cottage cheese) didn’t even know it was in there. Hate to admit we both add ketchup to our mac & cheese… but regardless it was delicious!
Mike says
Can I make this without the yeast? I don't have it on hand.
Nicole Addison says
You can easily replace it with some additional cheese, however please note this will effect the nutrition info slightly!
Boris says
Tried this but it curdled, total waste of ingredients!
Nicole Addison says
Hi Boris, I'm sorry this didn't turn out as anticipated and I appreciate you leaving a comment. Unfortunately I do mention many times throughout the recipe that due to the higher protein content and lower fat this sauce is VERY susceptible to heat and can easily curdle if the temperature is too hot. I have a few suggestions that are very important to follow in the recipe card to help avoid this!
Edith says
The last step of heating it up with cornstarch is totally unnecessary and will ruin it. Just by putting the sauce to simmer you will melt everything. Just add the cooked pasta water in the blender and blend and that’s it. Then mix in Mac. I also ruined all my ingredients because of this recipe
Nicole Addison says
Hi Edith- the last step is crucial to ensuring you have a smoother, creamier sauce which creates a cheese sauce more similar to a traditional mac and cheese sauce! We want to melt everything to get that nice cheesy texture. If you do decide to skip the final step you will have a sauce that is edible but it will be much thicker, won't stick to the pasta as well and will separate much more easily when reheated! I believe you may be using heat that is too high, as that is usually the biggest culprit for errors!