Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese – A Couple Cooks

This cottage cheese mac and cheese is a protein-packed, scrumptious twist on the basic consolation meals that’s surprisingly satisfying! It’s straightforward to whip up this creamy spin in a blender.

Cottage cheese has gained recognition as a stylish ingredient currently, however right here at A Couple Cooks we’ve all the time been tremendous followers of this protein-packed cheese. Right here’s our newest enjoyable thought of what to do with this ingredient: cottage cheese mac and cheese!

The curds make a deliciously creamy sauce that’s protein-packed and good for coating noodles. It’s so easy to whiz up the sauce in a blender, then pour it over pasta. I have to admit Alex wasn’t on board with my thought for this recipe at first, however as soon as he tasted it he grew to become a believer.

Bounce to the recipe—now.

The 7 elements you want for cottage cheese mac and cheese

You could be pondering, cottage cheese in pasta? Seems, these white curds mix up completely when mixed with cheddar cheese and some spices. We’ve discovered it’s greatest so as to add a little bit of cornstarch to the combination to assist the sauce thicken up properly, in any other case it has much less physique and doesn’t coat the noodles as nicely. Listed below are just a few notes on the elements:

• Quick pasta: Any sort of brief noodles work for mac and cheese, with the usual being macaroni. We used cavatappi right here which add a enjoyable vibe. Different shapes that work nicely are shells, penne, rigatoni, and spirals.
• Cottage cheese: We advocate 4% milkfat cottage cheese, which has the richest taste and most milkfat. The two% milkfat possibility additionally works, however keep away from fats free cottage cheese for the reason that taste shouldn’t be as sturdy.
• Milk of selection: Use no matter milk you could have available. We usually use 2% milk, however entire milk works too!
• Cornstarch: This helps to thicken the sauce and add a silky physique, just like the roux in most conventional mac and cheese recipes.
• Shredded cheddar cheese: Shredded cheddar helps so as to add thickness and texture to the sauce, in addition to add that anticipated mac and cheese taste.
• Garlic powder and paprika: These spices spherical out the combination! The paprika is non-obligatory however helps to make a extra vibrant shade.

Ideas for mixing the sauce

Making mac and cheese with cottage cheese is so easy: all you must do is cook dinner the pasta to al dente and mix the sauce whereas the pasta is cooking. You need to have loads of time to whip up the sauce whereas the pasta cooks. If the pasta occurs to take longer otherwise you pre-cook your pasta, make sure that to toss it with a little bit of olive oil or it should keep on with the pan.

We use a excessive velocity blender for our blended recipes, which blends the sauce right into a creamy texture in just a few seconds. A typical blender and meals processor can work right here as nicely. A small blender can work relying on its dimension capability.

Bake it for much more taste!

This cottage cheese mac and cheese is prepared in simply 20 minutes for those who cook dinner the pasta, then toss it along with the blended sauce. We go for this feature for fast weeknight dinners.

When you have barely extra time, baking the mac and cheese provides much more taste! It helps the sauce to permeate the noodles, making it style richer and extra savory. Pour the pasta right into a baking dish and bake at 350°F for quarter-hour.

Word for serving a crowd

This recipe works nicely doubled for serving a crowd. You should use the 2x button within the recipe beneath to rapidly double the portions. Utilizing 1 pound of pasta, you may pour it right into a 9 x 13″ baking dish and bake for quarter-hour at 350°F earlier than serving.

What are the advantages of cottage cheese?

Why put cottage cheese into your mac and cheese, anyway? In response to Healthline, this cheese is a wholesome possibility when in comparison with different kinds of cheeses. Listed below are a few of the advantages of cottage cheese:

• It’s a decrease calorie cheese in comparison with many others. A 1-cup serving has simply 163 energy.
• It’s very excessive in protein. 1 cup has a whopping 28 grams protein, over half your each day want. Impressively, the protein accounts for over 70% of the energy.
• It’s additionally full of vitamins like B nutritional vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, and selenium.

Fast methods to make it a meal

Is mac and cheese a essential or a facet? To us it’s often a essential dish: however this cottage cheese spin works both method! I really like this one both method, as a fast weeknight meal or baked up in an enormous pan as a facet for entertaining. In the event you’re consuming it as a essential dish, listed below are just a few fast methods to make it right into a meal:

• Inexperienced salads like arugula salad, kale salad, chopped salad, apple walnut salad, or Caesar salad
• Slaws like coleslaw, apple slaw, or kale slaw
• Sauteed veggies like final veggie sauté, broccoli, broccolini, peas, or kale

Storing leftovers

Cottage cheese mac and cheese lasts refrigerated for as much as 3 days. To reheat it, place it in a pan on the stovetop and gently reheat, including a splash of milk or pinch of salt if crucial. 

A couple of extra cottage cheese recipes we love

We love cottage cheese! You may make killer pancakes, scrumptious breakfast bowls, toast, scrambled eggs, and all the things in between. Listed below are just a few favourite recipes to get began:

01

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

This cottage cheese pancakes recipe is the very best genius trick! It makes a protein packed pancake that tastes like French…

02

Cottage Cheese Dip

This cottage cheese dip tastes identical to ranch dip, however it’s made with just a few spices and this wholesome cheese!…

03

Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowls

These cottage cheese breakfast bowls are a wholesome and simple breakfast! Prime them with berries or apple, cinnamon and a…

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