Cottage Cheese Mac Cheese (Printable)

High-protein mac and cheese featuring a smooth cottage cheese sauce and classic cheeses for a creamy dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz elbow macaroni
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 until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
02 - Combine cottage cheese, milk, cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
03 - Pour the blended cottage cheese mixture into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in shredded cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Cook gently, stirring constantly until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Avoid boiling.
04 - Add drained pasta to the sauce. Toss thoroughly to coat all noodles evenly. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
05 - Plate warm pasta and garnish with chopped chives or parsley and toasted breadcrumbs if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cottage cheese blends into pure silk—you'll never taste graininess, just deeply creamy sauce.
  • 27g of protein per serving means this actually fills you up instead of leaving you hungry an hour later.
  • It comes together in 30 minutes, which makes weeknight dinners feel intentional instead of rushed.
02 -
  • Do not skip the blending step or use cottage cheese straight from the container—the whole point is that smooth texture, and you can taste the difference immediately.
  • Low heat while melting the cheese is non-negotiable; high heat will cause the sauce to split and look curdled instead of silky.
03 -
  • Buy the sharpest cheddar you can find—mild cheddar gets lost in this dish and the whole thing tastes flat.
  • Cottage cheese that's been blended smooth is invisible in the final dish; it becomes pure sauce, not a dairy product, so stop worrying about whether it sounds strange.
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