Creamy Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese (High Protein) (2025)

Get ready for a high protein twist on everyone's favorite comfort food: creamy Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese. Packed with protein-rich cottage cheese, sharp cheddar, and a hint of garlic, this kid-friendly one-pan dish takes mac and cheese to a whole new level.As with my Ricotta Mac and Cheese, this recipe requires almost no prep and very little time to make. You will love this method!

Up to recently my kids only liked the blue boxed version of mac and cheese. Any homemade version was an instant veto but I started experimenting to develop a mac and cheese recipe using cottage cheese. As I was tweaking the recipe, the kids ended up taste testing different batches and now they're sold! They actually prefer it over the boxed stuff.

There is so much to love about this Mac and Cheese recipe:

• Ready in 15 minutes
• A true one-pot meal - no blenders, no need for making the roux, no additional pots
• Only 5 ingredients
• No butter, flour or starches
• High protein - 21 grams of protein in one serving!
• Kid and family friendly

Love cottage cheese? Make sure to also try this High Protein Tuna Spread, Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip or my Cottage Cheese Egg Salad.

Ingredient notes

• Pasta: go with classic elbow macaroni, shells (that's what I used), campanelle or other small pasta shape (penne, ziti, fusili etc.)
• Cottage Cheese: I recommend full fat cottage cheese, because it melts the best and adds to the creaminess. I like Good Culture.
• Cheddar: get sharp cheddar that's yellow-orange to give your mac and cheese nice yellow color and cheesy flavor
• Milk: any type of milk will work: skim milk, whole milk or low-fat milk
• Seasoning: I only use salt and garlic powder (my kids like it plain) but if you want more seasoning, you can also add freshly cracked black pepper, paprika and dijon mustard.

How to make Mac and Cheese with Cottage Cheese

Step 1: Boil the pasta in large pot of lightly salted water. Follow package directions to boil your pasta al dente. Towards the end of cooking time, scoop out some pasta boiling water and set aside. Then drain on a colander (Image 1).

Step 2: Return the cooked pasta to the pot. Add ½ cup milk, cottage cheese, grated cheddar cheese and garlic powder (Images 2 & 3). Turn the heat to low and stir with a silicone spatula until the cheese are fully melted. Use pasta boiling water (a few tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce. At first it will look curdy and stringy but after a few minutes you will end up with smooth creamy cheese sauce coating the pasta (Image 4).

Note: If you want the cheesy sauce to be super smooth and creamy, blend cottage cheese before adding to the macaroni in a small food processor or a blender. You can learn how to do it in this Blended Cottage Cheese tutorial. However, I find that this step can be ommitted and the curds do melt almost entirely when you stir the dish over heat. It's really up to you! If you don't mind washing the food processor, blending is the way to go. If you're feeling lazy, leave the curds whole and it will still turn out great.

Step 3: Taste and season wth salt (and other spices, such as onion powder, black pepper and paprika), if needed. If you want creamier and more saucy macaroni and cheese, add another splash of pasta cooking water or milk and stir viforously, careful not to overcook or break the pasta.

Step 4: Serve immediately and enjoy!

Storage & reheating instructions

• To store leftovers: let it cool to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days or in the freezer up to 3 months.
• To reheat: transfer the mac and cheese to a saucepan and add a splash of milk or cream to prevent it from becoming too dry. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until warmed evenly. Or, place the mac and cheese in a microwave-safe dish, cover it loosely with a damp paper towel to prevent drying out, and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until heated through.
• If reheating from frozen: let your mac and cheese thaw to room temperature first.

What to serve it with

Serve this healthy mac and cheese with a colorful side salad, such as this Greek Chickpea Salad or my Spinach Strawberry Feta Salad. It also goes excptionally well with these Buffalo Chicken Thighs or these No-Breading Buffalo Chicken Tenders. Not a chicken person? Try these Pork Kebabs instead.

For more flavorful veggie sides that go well with mac and cheese, go with this Air Fryer Eggplant, Roasted Beet Salad with Tahini or this Chopped Salad.

Variations and more expert tips

• For gluten free: use gluten free maraconi
• To add even more protein, this recipe will work with chickpea pasta or lentil pasta that are higher in protein than regular macaroni
• For more fiber, consider using whole grain pasta - it has a bit more texture but will still be delicious. You can also use regular pasta and mix in some steamed broccoli or cauliflower rice.
• Reserve some pasta cooking water - this helps the sauce loosen and thicken without any additional ingredients, such as flour or starch
• If the cheese seems stringy, just stay calm and keep stirring. It will eventually melt into a creamy sauce. Add a splash of pasta water or milk, if needed.
• Grate your cheddar cheese, but only if you want to. Technically, freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-shredded, but I've made this mac and cheese with bagged shredded cheddar multiple times and it melts just fine. No need to dirty a grater, in my opinion!

Recipe FAQs

More high protein recipes

• Protein Oat Pancakes
• No Mayo Chicken Salad
• Tuna Caesar Salad
• Bone Broth Chicken Soup
• 20 High-Protein Low-Calorie Meal Ideas

Meet the Author

Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.

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