Whipped Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
Published 11/12/2024
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This whipped cottage cheese mac and cheese packs a whopping 17g of protein per serving! This recipe is made with only 4 main ingredients, there is no roux involved, and it’s quite possibly the easiest dinner you’ve ever made.
Cottage cheese for president! We’re obviously big fans of cottage cheese here at Fit Foodie Finds because not only is it high in protein, but it actually makes a lot of food taste better (ie: Cottage Cheese Alfredo and Cottage Cheese Protein Mousse). We love the rich texture and mild taste and it’s the perfect high-protein addition to lots of our protein dessert recipes and main meals.
Did you know that per 1/2 cup serving, cottage cheese packs in 13g of protein?
Dangggg girl. This is exactly why we love using cottage cheese in our recipes. Sometimes we leave it in it’s curd form and other times we whip it to make it nice and smooth. This is great for not only this mac and cheese, but also pasta sauces, lasagna, and cottage cheese ice cream!
Whipped Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese Ingredients
All you need to make this protein-packed mac and cheese is cottage cheese, shredded cheddar, your favorite pasta and a pinch of salt. Seriously, that’s it! We’re also sharing a simple bread crumb topping if you want to jazz things up 😃
- Cottage cheese: you’re gonna whip the cottage cheese til smooth in a food processor or high-speed blender. Make sure you’re using full-fat cottage cheese for the creamiest mac. Lower fat cottage cheese has higher water content, and will result in a runnier mac. No one wants that!
- Shredded cheddar: freshly shredded cheddar is best!
- Pasta: choose your own adventure here! We like using fusilli or another twirly pasta that can hold all that delicious mac and cheese sauce.
- Breadcrumb topping: this is optional, but we absolutely recommend it 👋 All you need is panko, Italian seasoning and salt.
Our Favorite
Beast Blender
The Beast Blender is our go-to blender for smoothies, dips, soups, and everything in between. It’s the perfect size and moderately priced. Oh, and oh-so powerful!
How to Make Whipped Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
This recipe couldn’t be easier! Here’s all you need to do:
- Blend cottage cheese and shredded cheddar cheese.
- Cook the pasta to al dente.
- Prepare the bread crumb topping.
- Combine everything together in a separate bowl and enjoy!
Top Tips for Mac and Cheese Success
- Do NOT mix the pasta and the cheese sauce together in the hot pot: the sauce will melt into soup and become too thin. We recommend mixing the sauce and pasta together in a separate bowl — mix it in the serving bowl to save on dishes!
- Use high-fat cottage cheese: We’re talking full fat or at least 2%. Lower fat cottage cheese has a higher water content, and nobody wants watery mac and cheese.
Does this mac and cheese reheat well?
It sure does! Reheat slowly on the stovetop on low with a little milk or cream.
Serving Suggestions for Mac and Cheese
While this whipped cottage cheese mac and cheese packs the protein on its own, sometimes it’s nice to serve topped with chicken nuggets (YUM) or alongside on of our nutrient dense salads. Here are a few options we’d recommend:
- Chicken: pretty much any and all of our chicken recipes would be delicious with this mac. Try our grilled whole chicken, air fryer chicken nuggets, or baked chicken thighs.
- Salad: get your veggies in with a quick and simple salad: garden salad, strawberry broccoli salad, or Nicoise salad are all amazing options.
Whipped Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz. pasta, any kind works
- ½ cup full-fat cottage cheese*
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Optional Topping
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Strain the pasta and transfer the pasta to a serving bowl, not the hot pot.
- For the cheese sauce, add the cottage cheese to a high-speed food processor or blender and blend on high until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese and salt to the cottage cheese and blend on high until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat avocado oil in a skillet over medium/high heat if preparing the topping. Add the breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and salt. Toss periodically until the breadcrumbs are brown and crunchy. Remove from the heat.
- Add the sauce to the pasta (making sure it's not in the hot pot!!*) and stir until coated. Top with breadcrumbs and enjoy immediately.
Tips & Notes
- Be sure NOT to mix the pasta and the cheese sauce together in the hot pot, the sauce will melt into soup. We recommend mixing the sauce and pasta together in a separate bowl. If you would like the pasta warmed up, microwave the pasta in 30-second increments until warm.
- We highly recommend using high-fat cottage cheese. Lower-fat cottage cheese has a higher water content.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Erin from The Wooden Skillet.
