This Whipped Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese contains a whopping 17g of protein per serving. This recipe is made with just four main ingredients, contains no roux, and is probably the easiest dinner you’ll ever make.
Cottage cheese for the president! At Fit Foodie Finds, we’re clearly big fans of cottage cheese. That’s because cottage cheese is not only rich in protein, but it actually improves the taste of many foods (e.g. Cottage Cheese Alfredo and Cottage Cheese Protein Mousse). We love the rich texture and mild taste, making it a great addition to many protein dessert recipes and high-protein main meals.
Dang girl. This is exactly why we like to use cottage cheese in our recipes. Sometimes I leave it in curd form, and sometimes I whisk it to make it smooth. It’s not only perfect for macaroni and cheese, but also for pasta sauce, lasagna, or cottage cheese ice cream!
Whipped Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese Ingredients
All you need to make this protein-packed macaroni and cheese is cottage cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, your favorite pasta, and a pinch of salt. Seriously, that’s it! For those who want to change it up, we also introduce a simple breadcrumb topping 😃
Cottage cheese: Whisk cottage cheese in a food processor or high-speed blender until smooth. For the creamiest mac, be sure to use full-fat cottage cheese. Lean cottage cheese has a higher moisture content, resulting in a thicker mac. No one wants that! Shredded cheddar: Freshly shredded cheddar is best. Pasta: Choose your own adventure here! We like to use fusilli or another curly pasta that can hold all the delicious macaroni and cheese sauce. Breadcrumb topping: This is optional, but definitely recommended 👋 All you need is breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and salt.
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How to make whipped cottage cheese mac and cheese
This recipe couldn’t be easier. Here’s what you need to do:
Blend of cottage cheese and shredded cheddar cheese. Boil the pasta until al dente. Prepare the breadcrumbs for topping. Mix everything in a separate bowl and serve.
Top tips for making macaroni and cheese a success
Do not mix pasta and cheese sauce in the pot. The sauce will dissolve into the soup and become too thin. We recommend mixing the sauce and pasta in separate bowls. Mix in a serving bowl to save on the plate. Use high-fat cottage cheese. This refers to cheese that is full fat, or at least 2%. Lean cottage cheese has a high water content, and no one wants watery mac and cheese.
Recommended ways to serve macaroni and cheese
This whipped cottage cheese mac and cheese is packed with protein on its own, but sometimes it’s great topped with chicken nuggets (YUM) or served with a hearty salad. Below are some options we recommend.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Strain the pasta into a serving bowl rather than the pot.
For the cheese sauce, add the cottage cheese to a high-speed food processor or blender and blend on high until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese and salt to the cottage cheese and mix on high speed until smooth. Let’s set it aside.
To prepare the topping, heat the avocado oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. Add breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and salt. Stir regularly until the crumbs are brown and crisp. Remove from heat.
Add the sauce to the pasta (be careful not to let it get into the pot!!*) and stir until the sauce is coated. Bread and serve immediately.
Be careful not to mix the pasta and cheese sauce in the pot. The sauce will dissolve into the soup. We recommend mixing the sauce and pasta in separate bowls. If you want to warm the pasta, heat it in the microwave in 30 second increments until it is warmed through. It is highly recommended to use high-fat cottage cheese. Low-fat cottage cheese has a high moisture content.
calorie: 387 kcal, carbohydrates: 47 g, protein: 17 g, fat: 14 g, fiber: 2 g, sugar: 3 g
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should only be used as a rough guide.
Photos: Photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wood Skillet.
