Cottage cheese mac and cheese is creamy, packed with protein, and even the pickiest eaters will love it!
If you haven’t been around here long, you’ll know that cottage cheese is my secret ingredient in many recipes.
I know it gets a bad rep because many can’t stand the texture, but trust me…when it’s whipped it’s SO good.Similar to greek yogurt which most people LOVE!
This cottage cheese dip and my garlic herb spread is irresistible and both have whipped cottage cheese!
I’ve even added it to pancakes and you can’t tell the difference!
If you’re one that doesn’t mind texture, and you absolutely love it, see my 8 favorite ways to eat cottage cheese toast.
These ideas are perfect, even for the busiest moms.
Need more mac and cheese in your life?
Try my Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese or Creamy Five Minute Cauliflower Mac and Cheese.
Also, if you need something in the dairy free department, check out these 14 DF Mac and Cheese recipes.
Ingredients Needed
Pasta – we used chickpea pasta, which is why this mac and cheese is considered high protein. You can also sub your favorite macaroni noodles.
Cottage Cheese – our secret ingredient!I’m using 4%.
Skim Milk – any milk can be used, but we chose skim because it has more protein per serving than plant based.
Seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper.
Cheeses: Mozzarella and cheddar cheese – go with freshly grated. It melts easier and doesn’t have the wax coating on it like pre-shredded cheese does.
Nutritional Yeast – adds a little more nutrition and cheesy, nutty flavors.You can read about the benefits of nutrition yeast in this post.
How to Make High Protein Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain, then set aside.
To a blender, add the cottage cheese, milk, a teaspoon of onion and garlic powder, plus the salt and pepper. I have this blender and it’s much less expensive than others and works great!
Blend on high speed until the mixture is creamy.
Transfer the cottage cheese sauce mixture to a medium saucepan. Heat over low heat.
Stir in the cheeses and nutritional yeast. Add the remaining garlic and onion powder.
Continue stirring until the sauce is creamy and smooth.
Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and toss to coat.
If desired add more cheese on top just before serving.
How to Store
Keep leftover cottage cheese macaroni in the refrigerator for 4 days in an airtight container.
Reheat in the microwave or low heat on the stovetop. If you need to thin it out a little bit, add a splash of water or milk.
We do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Variations
Veggies – broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, and cauliflower are all great additions to make cheese.
Protein – make a one pan meal by adding cooked chicken, lobster, shrimp, or tempeh before serving.
Cheeses – change the combinations of cheeses to your favorites.
Bakedmac and cheese – transfer the cottage cheese mac to a greased baking dish and top with panko breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 until the top is browned and the cheese sauce is bubbly.
More Amazing High Protein Recipes:
High Protein Pizza
No-Boil Veggie Pasta Bake | Gluten-Free, High-Protein
This fad diet provides quick weight loss by using cottage cheese as the basis for your meals. While it is safe for most people to eat cottage cheese every day, it should not be consumed to the extent that you exclude other food groups. Also, some types of cottage cheese contain high amounts of sodium and/or sugar.
The high protein content in cottage cheese comes mostly from casein, which — because it's slowly absorbed — can build muscle just as well as whey protein. Thyroid health. Cottage cheese is an excellent source of selenium, an essential trace mineral that plays an important role in how your thyroid works.
The Friendship brand of cottage cheese is a great bet, according to registered dietitian Lauren Harris-Pincus, specifically the 1%, low-fat whipped version, which contains 110 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 19 grams of protein per 5-ounce serving.
Besides the reasons outlined above, cottage cheese may help with gut health. Since it is often fermented, (a process that helps remove the cheese curds from the liquid) cottage cheese may contain “good” bacteria called probiotics. Snodgrass says probiotics are “crucial” to good digestion.
“I would consider limiting cottage cheese intake to 1 cup per day to allow for nutrient variety,” Voelkers advises. Before purchasing, she says to compare food labels as some cottage cheese can be higher in sodium than others, and the low-fat varieties may sneak in sugar.
The Bottom Line. And the winner is... plain Greek yogurt by a very thin margin. Greek yogurt's advantage is very slight due to a little more calcium, lower sodium and a higher chance of containing probiotics.
And that's just the protein in a personal-size cup of the stuff (5.3 oz)—in that size, those wannabe trendy cottage cheeses are weighing in at 16 to 19 grams of protein; eggs have about 6 g each.
For this reason, consuming it before bed has been shown to increase metabolism and muscle synthesis overnight without affecting the breakdown of fats ( 17 ). Due to the slow absorption of casein, some bodybuilders like to eat cottage cheese before bed.
As an excellent source of protein, and a good source of calcium, Daisy Cottage Cheese boosts flavor and nutritional value when added to healthy good-for-you foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. Daisy Cottage Cheese is available nationwide in both low fat (2 percent) and regular (4 percent).
Cottage cheese is the way to go if you're looking for a cheese with higher protein content and lower calories and fat. On the other hand, if you're looking for a cheese that has a creamier texture and is lower in sodium, ricotta cheese may be the better option.
He said that while most cheese, including cottage cheese, contains nutrients such as vitamins and calcium, it can also have high levels of sodium and fat, so he recommends eating it in moderation.
It is high in fat and low in fiber, meaning it may increase the likelihood of constipation. Like other dairy products, cottage cheese also contains the milk sugar lactose. As such, it may cause constipation or other digestive issues in people with lactose intolerance.
For this reason, consuming it before bed has been shown to increase metabolism and muscle synthesis overnight without affecting the breakdown of fats ( 17 ). Due to the slow absorption of casein, some bodybuilders like to eat cottage cheese before bed.
Firstly, use your sense of smell — if your once-mild cottage cheese is now sporting a sour smell, you're better off not eating it. The same is true for the flavor. If you decide to take a bite and your taste buds are assaulted with a sour taste, instead of the fresh cheese's more mild tanginess, it's past its prime.
The only way to tell if a particular cottage cheese is cultured is by reading the label. Lopez recommends looking for the words “live and active cultures” on the label or the ingredient list for certain strains of probiotics such as Lactobacillus, L. Casei, and B. bifidum.
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