Cottage Cheese Mac Cheese (Print Version)

Creamy mac with blended cottage cheese sauce offers rich flavor and a wholesome, high-protein meal in 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz elbow macaroni (or other short pasta)
02 - 1 tsp salt (for pasta water)

→ Sauce

03 - 14 oz low-fat cottage cheese
04 - ½ cup milk (dairy or unsweetened plant-based)
05 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
06 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 2 tbsp cream cheese
08 - ½ tsp garlic powder
09 - ½ tsp onion powder
10 - ½ tsp ground black pepper
11 - ¼ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
12 - Salt, to taste

→ Topping (optional)

13 - 2 tbsp chopped chives or parsley
14 - ¼ cup toasted breadcrumbs

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese, milk, cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth and creamy.
03 - Pour the blended sauce into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in shredded cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Cook gently, stirring, until cheese melts and sauce is smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Avoid boiling.
04 - Add drained pasta to the sauce and toss thoroughly to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning as needed.
05 - Serve warm, topped with chopped chives or parsley and toasted breadcrumbs if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The cottage cheese melts into a silky, cloud-like sauce that tastes impossibly rich without weighing you down.
  • At 27 grams of protein per serving, this actually fills you up instead of leaving you hungry an hour later.
  • It comes together in under 30 minutes, which means weeknight dinner without the stress.
02 -
  • Never let the sauce boil once the cheese goes in—the heat will break everything and you'll end up with a grainy, separated mess that no amount of stirring fixes.
  • If your sauce tastes flat, it's the salt that's missing, not the cheese—add it in tiny pinches and taste between each one.
03 -
  • Blend your sauce while the pasta cooks so everything comes together on the same timeline.
  • Keep the saucepan on medium-low once the cheese goes in—this is one of those recipes where patience with low heat is the difference between silky and broken.
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