Everyone loves comforting mac and cheese and this high protein version is made with a super easy cottage cheese based sauce. High protein mac and cheese has all the creaminess that you know and love, but lower in fat and higher in protein. Just 261 calories and 14g of protein per portion.
This tastes like the real deal! Super creamy and silky sauce that tastes far more indulgent than it actually is. However, no flour or butter have gone into making this protein mac n cheese!
We make the sauce with cottage cheese, cheddar, milk and a little cornstarch to thicken it up. It's as easy as blending it all up, heating, and then mixing with cooked pasta.
This protein mac and cheese recipe is a firm family favorite. Who doesn't love cheesy pasta, and this is an added bonus if you are trying to boost your protein intake. The best part is, it's on the table in under 30 minutes and you can prep the sauce ahead of time.
Looking for more ways to use cottage cheese? Why not try our delicious High Protein Tuna Pasta Salad, easy Cottage Cheese Egg Salad, quick Cottage Cheese and Tuna Salad or our simple Cottage Cheese Bagels?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Pasta - Use elbow macaroni to keep it traditional, but any pasta works here and there is no need to buy something new if you already have other pasta. If you want to make this even higher in protein, then why not use a protein pasta like pea pasta or lentil pasta?
- Cottage cheese - The star of the protein mac and cheese. We used fat free to keep it lower in fat, but you could use full fat which would make it even creamier.
- Cheddar - To make it extra cheesy. We used an extra strong mature cheddar. The flavor is very strong, so a little goes a long way.
- Milk - This helps to loosen the sauce up. We used skim milk.
- Cornstarch - This is needed to thicken the cottage cheese sauce up. Without it, it would be very runny and the sauce wouldn't stick to the pasta.
- Mustard - A little bit of dijon mustard gives it a lovely flavor boost. You could use wholegrain mustard instead.
- Breadcrumbs - This is optional, and you could just leave the cottage cheese mac and cheese as it is, but we like to give it a crispy topping with some Panko breadcrumbs.
- Herbs - Chop up some fresh parsley to mix into the breadcrumbs. This freshens it up and adds some color as well. You could use chives as well, which goes well with the cheese.
Variations
Vegetables - We love any recipe that we can hide some vegetables in and this cottage cheese mac and cheese is no different. You can cook some cauliflower along with the pasta and then blend it into the sauce. So good! Frozen peas and sweetcorn are always another good addition to pasta, or frozen edamame which would give extra protein. You could also add spinach for an easy green vegetable boost.
Breading - The breadcrumbs and herbs on top are optional, but we love the added crispiness. If you wanted to make it extra crispy, then you could add some grated Parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs.
Meat - We don't think this is missing any meat, but if you wanted, you could follow our Chorizo Mac and Cheese recipe and add some chorizo to this.
Protein powder - This might seem a bit weird, but it actually really works well in meals. You can blend a scoop of flavor-free protein powder into the sauce for a huge protein boost. We didn't though, as we always make this for our kids to eat too and they don't need that much protein.
How To Make Protein Mac and Cheese - Step by Step
Prep: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Step 1: Cook the macaroni according to the pack instructions, about 10 minutes.
- Step 2: In a food processor, add the cottage cheese, cheddar, cornstarch, salt, pepper, mustard and milk. Blend until smooth.
- Step 3: Pour the blended cheese sauce into a pan and heat over a medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Step 4: In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and parsley.
- Step 5: Drain the macaroni and add to the cheese sauce. Mix well to coat all of the pasta and transfer to a baking dish.
- Step 6: Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the cheesy macaroni.
- Step 7: Put into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Protein Mac and Cheese Serving Suggestions
This is a main meal for us and a big pile of mac and cheese with cottage cheese is plenty. However, you could also serve up a smaller portion as a side dish.
It goes really well with our Air Fryer Steak, Stuffed Chicken Breast or Air Fryer Chicken Kebabs.
If you want some vegetables on the side of this high protein mac and cheese recipe, then we would recommend our Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Garlic Spring Greens , Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli or Air Fryer Padron Peppers.
Extra Tips
- Make sure to blend the cheese sauce until really smooth, otherwise you might be left with some lumps from the cottage cheese.
- Some cottage cheese is very salty, so only add a little bit of salt first and then taste the sauce and you can always add more if needed.
- You can change the flavor of the sauce by adding some smoked paprika, garlic powder or even some curry powder for a twist.
- You could add some nutritional yeast as well which not only would it give it an extra cheesy flavor, but it would add some B vitamins too.
- If your sauce it too thick (this will depend on the type of cottage cheese you use), then you can reserve some of the pasta water and add a tiny bit at a time to that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftovers can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze it in freezer containers were it will keep for up to 3 months. When reheating, add a little milk to it to loosen it up.
You can blend all the sauce ingredients ahead of time and then keep it in an air tight container in the fridge until you need to use it. Then you can just heat it to thicken it as normal. It might take a little longer if it is cold from the fridge.
If your cheese sauce separates, then there is is a chance that you have heated it at too high a heat. Stir it frequently and cook on a low heat to stop it curdling. Allow the pasta to slightly cool before adding it to the sauce too.
More Mac and Cheese Recipes
If you’ve tried this high protein mac and cheese recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Protein Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 250 g (9 oz) Macaroni
- 210 g (1 cups) Fat free cottage cheese
- 60 g (1 cups) Cheddar cheese - grated
- 1 tablespoon Cornflour (corn starch)
- 0.5 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
- 250 ml (1 cups) Milk
- 30 g (0.5 cups) Panko breadcrumbs
- 5 g (1.25 tablespoon) Fresh parsley - finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- Cook 250 g Macaroni according to the pack instructions, about 10 minutes.
- In a food processor, add 210 g Fat free cottage cheese, 60 g Cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon Cornflour (corn starch), 1 pinch Sea salt, 1 pinch Ground black pepper, 0.5 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 250 ml Milk. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the blended cheese sauce into a pan and heat over a medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine 30 g Panko breadcrumbs and 5 g Fresh parsley.
- Drain the macaroni and add to the cheese sauce. Mix well to coat all of the pasta and transfer to a baking dish.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the cheesy macaroni.
- Put into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to blend the cheese sauce until really smooth, otherwise you might be left with some lumps from the cottage cheese.
- Some cottage cheese is very salty, so only add a little bit of salt first and then taste the sauce and you can always add more if needed.
- You can change the flavor of the sauce by adding some smoked paprika, garlic powder or even some curry powder for a twist.
- You could add some nutritional yeast as well which not only would it give it an extra cheesy flavor, but it would add some B vitamins too.
- If your sauce it too thick (this will depend on the type of cottage cheese you use), then you can reserve some of the pasta water and add a tiny bit at a time to that.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
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