Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese

Total Time Prep: 30 min. Bake: 15 min.
Yield 8 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
When winter weather hits, it's time to break out this recipe for high-protein cottage cheese mac and cheese.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup 2% cottage cheese
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups 2% milk
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain; set aside.
  2. In a blender or food processor, blend cottage cheese until smooth.
  3. In a large sauce pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually add in milk; cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes, whisking occasionally. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, mustard and paprika. Add cottage cheese and cheddar cheeses until cheese has melted; stir in cooked macaroni.
  4. Transfer mixture to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake until cheese is bubbly and edges are golden brown, 15-20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

3/4 cup: 438 calories, 18g fat (10g saturated fat), 52mg cholesterol, 568mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 2g fiber), 19g protein.

Homemade cottage cheese mac and cheese is made even better with salty, tangy cottage cheese and two kinds of cheddar. Not only does cottage cheese add a lovely tanginess to this decadently rich mac and cheese, but it’s also high in protein. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Recipe Creator

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