Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
This Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese delivers 21g protein and 397 calories per serving—a pasta-based dinner that maintains protein while reducing calorie density. Batch-preps 4 servings on the stovetop, giving you multiple dinners from one cooking session. Build your weekly dinner rotation around this when you want carbs and protein without relying on lean meat every night.
Ingredients
- •Rotini Pasta(227g)
- •Cottage Cheese (2%)(180g)
1% or 2% small-curd cottage cheese. Good Cultures or Daisy brand.
- •2% Milk(180g)
- •Cornstarch(15g)
- •Mustard, Dijon(10g)
Dijon mustard — Grey Poupon or store brand. Spicier than yellow mustard.
- •¼ teaspoon kosher salt (plus additional to taste)
- •Garlic powder(1g)
- •Paprika, Ground(1g)
- •Cheddar Cheese(113g)
- •Chives, Fresh
Instructions
- 1Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
- 2Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, blend the cottage cheese, milk, cornstarch, mustard, salt, garlic powder, and paprika until smooth.
- 3Pour into a large, deep skillet, then turn the skillet to medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce is slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes; some simmering is fine but do not let it boil.
- 4Reduce the heat to low. Working one small handful at a time, stir in the cheddar (don’t add it all it once or it may clump), until it's melted and the sauce is smooth.
- 5Add the drained pasta and stir to coat, loosening with a splash of the reserved pasta water as needed. The sauce should be creamy and glossy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.
- 6Serve immediately, sprinkled with fresh chives as desired.
Nutrition — Per Serving
397
calories
21g
protein
12g
fat
- Carbohydrates
- 51g
- Saturated fat
- 6.3g
- Sodium
- 422 mg
- Dietary fiber
- 2.0g
4 servings per batch · ~182g each
Macro data sourced from USDA FoodData Central
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How much protein does Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese have per serving?
Each serving delivers 21g of protein with 397 calories, 12g fat, and 51g carbs, providing a solid protein boost to a traditionally high-carb comfort food.
How long does Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese take to prep?
Quick prep stovetop recipe that makes 4 servings in one batch, so you can have multiple ready-to-eat dinners throughout the week.
Is Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese good for muscle gain?
At 21g protein and 51g carbs per serving, this recipe supports muscle gain when the 397 calories fit your daily surplus and you need additional carbs for training recovery.
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