Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese – WellPlated.com

Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese provides everybody’s favourite consolation meals a more healthy, protein-packed spin! It’s wealthy, creamy, and filled with nostalgic vibes in each chew. This simple stovetop mac is my new favourite method to take pleasure in this childhood traditional.

You’ll by no means consider this creamy mac and cheese is made with cottage cheese!

After mixing cottage cheese into {smooth} Cottage Cheese Queso, I began pondering… what else can I do with this creamy tacky sauce? 

A couple of tweaks right here and there and I current to you: cottage cheese mac and cheese! 

I really like this recipe as a result of it delivers traditional mac and cheese taste like my On the spot Pot Mac and Cheese or Cauliflower “Mac” and Cheese, however with a silky, ultra-smooth sauce that makes the noodles additional creamy and more healthy too. 

Right here’s what else makes this recipe a standout:

• Excessive Protein Mac and Cheese. Cottage cheese brings far more protein to the desk than milk alone. And you’ll increase the protein much more by utilizing a protein pasta!
• Fast and Straightforward. No roux! No baking! The sauce is made within the blender and all the things comes collectively on the stovetop.
• Child-Permitted Taste. The cheddar is the dominant taste right here, supplying you with traditional mac and cheese vibes. I promise nobody will comprehend it’s made with cottage cheese!

Key Elements

You’ll discover the total listing of elements within the recipe card beneath, however listed below are some notes to bear in mind.

• Pasta. You need to use entire wheat, chickpea, or conventional pasta. Quick shapes like elbows, rotini, cavatappi, and shells maintain the sauce greatest.
• Cottage Cheese. Use low-fat or full-fat (not fat-free!) for a wealthy, creamy sauce.
• Milk. Low-fat or entire milk, not skim.
• Cornstarch. This thickens the sauce and not using a roux.
• Dijon Mustard. One in all my favourite taste enhancers! This provides depth and curiosity to the sauce.
• Sharp cheddar. White or yellow each work, though I’m a fan of white cheddar myself. Shred your individual for a {smooth} soften. (Retailer-bought shreds could make the sauce grainy!)
• Chives. For a contemporary completion. 

Recipe Variations

• Make It Smoky. Swap common paprika for smoked paprika or use smoked cheddar.
• Add Broccoli. Stir in steamed broccoli florets earlier than serving.
• Bacon It Up. Combine in crumbled Air Fryer Bacon.
• Bake It. Switch the cottage cheese mac and cheese to a greased baking dish. Sprinkle extra cheese on high, add some panko stirred with melted butter for a crispy topping should you’d like, and bake at 350ºF for 10 to fifteen minutes, simply to soften the cheese and toast the panko.