High Protein Mac Cheese (Printable View)

Creamy mac and cheese with a rich, high-protein cottage cheese sauce for a nutritious comfort meal.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz high-protein pasta (e.g., chickpea, lentil, or whole wheat)

→ Cheese Sauce

02 - 1⅓ cups low-fat cottage cheese
03 - ½ cup low-fat milk (dairy or unsweetened plant-based)
04 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
05 - ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
07 - 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder
08 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
09 - ½ tsp garlic powder
10 - ½ tsp onion powder
11 - ¼ tsp ground black pepper
12 - ¼ tsp salt (adjust to taste)

→ Topping (optional)

13 - ¼ cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
14 - 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

# How To Make It:

01 - Boil salted water in a large pot, cook pasta until al dente following package directions, then drain reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
02 - Combine cottage cheese, milk, cheddar, Parmesan, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
03 - Transfer blended sauce to a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk constantly until thickened and starting to bubble (3–5 minutes). Add reserved pasta water as needed to reach desired consistency.
04 - Add drained pasta to the sauce, toss to coat evenly, and heat through for 1–2 minutes.
05 - Transfer mac and cheese to a baking dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and broil 2–3 minutes until golden and crispy.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's creamy and comforting without the heaviness of traditional cream-based sauces.
  • You actually feel satisfied and full because the protein keeps you going, not just for an hour.
  • It comes together faster than the box version, and tastes like you tried harder than you did.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cornstarch—cottage cheese sauce will split and separate without it, a mistake I made three times before understanding why.
  • Medium-low heat is everything; too high and the milk proteins will curdle faster than you can fix it, turning silky into scrambled.
  • Freshly grated Parmesan makes an enormous difference; the anti-caking agents in pre-shredded versions create a grainy, dull texture instead of that glossy coat you're after.
03 -
  • Taste the sauce before you add the pasta—a tiny pinch of extra salt can wake up everything you're worried tastes flat or one-dimensional.
  • If you're making this regularly, invest in a box grater and keep a wedge of real Parmesan in your fridge; the difference between that and the stuff in the green can is massive, and it costs less than you'd think.
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