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High-Protein Mac and Cheese

Creamy high protein mac and cheese with protein pasta and a blended cottage cheese and sharp cheddar sauce. 32 grams of protein in 20 minutes.

  • 32g protein
  • 409 calories
  • 20 minutes
  • 4 servings

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By The Protein First Kitchen Team. Published

Creamy high protein mac and cheese in a pot
Photo by @myerslk88 on Unsplash

This high protein mac and cheese tastes like the stovetop classic, creamy and very cheesy, but uses protein pasta and a blended cottage cheese sauce. A big bowl has 32 grams of protein and takes 20 minutes.

Why cottage cheese makes a great cheese sauce

Blended cottage cheese is thick and creamy like a béchamel without butter or flour. Sharp cheddar melts into it, so the sauce is rich, smooth and much higher in protein than a traditional roux-based sauce.

Make it a full meal

  • Stir in steamed broccoli or peas.
  • Add shredded chicken or diced ham.
  • Top with crushed whole-grain crackers and broil 2 minutes for a baked mac.

Love this sauce? The same idea makes our cottage cheese alfredo.

For another family-favorite comfort food, try our high protein pizza with a 2-ingredient Greek yogurt dough.

High-Protein Mac and Cheese

Prep 5 min. Cook 15 min. Makes 4 servings of about 1 1/2 cups.

Servings

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain.
  2. While the pasta cooks, blend the cottage cheese and milk until completely smooth.
  3. Pour the blended mixture into the empty pasta pot over low heat. Add the cheddar, mustard powder, garlic powder and paprika. Stir until the cheese melts into a smooth sauce, about 2 minutes. Do not let it boil.
  4. Add the pasta and stir to coat. Loosen with a splash of milk if needed. Season with pepper and serve.

Notes

  • Keep the heat low. Cottage cheese sauce turns grainy if it boils.
  • Mustard powder doesn't taste like mustard here; it sharpens the cheese flavor.
  • Reheat leftovers with a splash of milk.

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    Questions people ask

    Can you taste the cottage cheese in mac and cheese?

    No. Blended smooth, it melts into the cheddar and makes the sauce extra creamy.

    Can I use regular pasta?

    Yes. With regular elbows, each serving has about 27 grams of protein.

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