Treat yourself to our cottage cheese mac and cheese! It's a creamy, classic dish with a healthy twist - made with cheddar and cottage cheese.
This cottage cheese mac and cheese recipe is all about simple, hearty goodness, perfect for a quick and tasty family dinner. The tender elbow pasta is coated in a smooth blend of cheeses; no fancy stuff, just good food that everyone will love. It's an easy and delicious twist on your classic mac and cheese, a great way to bring in extra protein and creaminess.
Try more family favorites: Quiche with Cottage Cheese, Cottage Cheese Toast, Cottage Cheese with Honey, or Cottage Cheese Dip.
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🧀Why will you love this simple recipe?
- Creamier texture: Cottage cheese adds extra creaminess to your mac and cheese.
- Super easy: Process the ingredients in the food processor and heat them on the stovetop before adding the cooked pasta.
- Family-friendly: This creamy cottage cheese mac and cheese is quick and satisfying, perfect for a straightforward family meal. Serve with a simple side salad and some Baked Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings, and your whole family will ask for seconds.
- Health boost: It's an easy way to add protein to your meal. If you have more cottage cheese than you need for this recipe, make a nice dessert: Cottage Cheese with Fruit.
📋Recipe ingredients and substitutions
- Pasta: The typical elbow macaroni or any other short type of pasta in your cupboard. You can also use whole wheat pasta if you like.
- Dairy: Cottage cheese (preferably full-fat), whole milk (preferably whole milk, but semi-skimmed works well, too), and a bit of heavy cream for extra creaminess.
- Two types of cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese and Emmental.
- Emmental cheese is a Swiss cheese known for its nutty flavor, firm texture, and characteristic holes. It's commonly used in sandwiches and fondues and melts nicely in dishes like this one. To replace Emmental cheese, use Gruyère, Swiss, or Jarlsberg as alternatives. They have similar flavors and melting qualities.
- Spices: Dry mustard powder, sweet paprika powder, garlic powder, onion powder, fine sea salt or Kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
- You can replace about ½ teaspoon of the sweet paprika powder with smoked paprika powder for a slightly smoky flavor.
- If you don't have mustard powder, replace it with 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
- Equipment: Food processor and large saucepan. If you have a Thermomix (like I do), use it to make Thermomix Mac and Cheese.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🥦Possible additions
- Bacon: Add crispy bacon bits to the creamy macaroni for a savory and smoky flavor.
- Mix in sautéed vegetables like spinach, mushrooms, or roasted tomatoes for a veggie-packed version.
- Add diced jalapeños, a pinch of cayenne pepper, or hot sauce like Sriracha for a spicy twist.
- Buffalo chicken mac: Toss shredded cooked chicken into the cottage cheese mixture and fold and top the homemade macaroni with blue cheese crumbles.
👩🏻🍳How to make cottage cheese mac and cheese?
Boil macaroni for one minute less than according to the package instructions. Reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water.
Step # 1: Place all ingredients (except the pasta) in the food processor.
Step # 2: Process until smooth and creamy.
Step #3: Pour the cottage cheese sauce into a large saucepan.
Step # 4: Simmer the mixture until slightly thickened (5-7 minutes). Stir often.
Step # 5: Toss the cooked macaroni with the creamy sauce.
Step # 6: Only if necessary, add a bit of the reserved pasta water. Adjust the taste.
🔊Expert Tips
Cheese tip: Avoid pre-shredded cheese – the additives prevent it from melting well, resulting in a grainy sauce. I used my food processor to handle the cheese. First, I weighed it, cut it into cubes, and then let the machine do the rest of the work. If you prefer to measure the cheese in cups or your processor can't handle the chunks, grate it before adding.
Pasta cooking time: Cook the elbow macaroni in boiling water for one minute less than the package instructions suggest before combining it with the cheese sauce. This ensures that the noodles retain their texture in the final dish and don’t become overly soft.
Consistency check: Adjust the consistency by adding a bit of the reserved pasta cooking water if the sauce becomes too thick; it might not be necessary; sometimes, I feel the sauce needs it, but not always.
❓Recipe FAQs
Yes, feel free to experiment with various sorts. A combination of cheddar, Gruyère, or Monterey Jack can add depth to the flavor. Make our delicious 5-Cheese Mac and Cheese if you have lots of cheese leftovers in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare the recipe as instructed. Transfer everything to a baking dish greased with olive oil or butter, add breadcrumbs for a crunchy topping, dot with a bit of butter, and bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and golden brown. Or make Old-Fashioned Baked Mac and Cheese or Macaroni with Cream Cheese.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge.
Reheat before serving. Gently warm it on the stovetop over low to medium heat, adding a splash of milk. Alternatively, use a microwave-safe dish and heat in short intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through.
🍽️What to serve with it?
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📖 Recipe
Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Food processor
- Large saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta 450 g, Note 1
- 1 cup cottage cheese 250 g
- ½ cup whole milk 125 ml
- ¼ cup heavy cream 60 ml
- 2 cups Cheddar freshly grated, 200 g, Notes 2, 3
- 1 cup Emmental cheese freshly grated, 100 g, Note 4
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder Note 5
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt generously. Add the pasta and cook one minute less than according to the package instructions. Drain well, but reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water.1 lb pasta / 450 g
- Process ingredients: Place all the remaining ingredients in the food processor. Process until smooth.1 cup cottage cheese / 250 g + ½ cup whole milk / 125 ml + ¼ cup heavy cream / 60 ml + 2 cups Cheddar / 200 g + 1 cup Emmental cheese / 100 g + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper + 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder + 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder + 1 teaspoon garlic powder + 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Simmer cheese sauce: Pour the mixture into a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and let it bubble gently, uncovered for 5-7 minutes or until slightly thickened and unctuous. Stir frequently.
- Combine mac and cheese: Add the drained pasta and stir to combine. Add a small amount of the reserved cooking water if the sauce seems too thick; you might not need it.
- Adjust the taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
- Pasta: Use the typical elbow macaroni or any other short pasta shape you want.
- Cheese: Don’t use pre-grated cheese; its additives prevent it from melting nicely, and the sauce might be grainy.
- Measurements: I have a good food processor, so I only had to weigh and cut the cheese into cubes; the machine took care of the rest. If you prefer to measure in cups or your food processor can't handle cheese chunks, grate it first before adding it to the processor.
- To replace Emmental cheese, use Gruyère, Swiss, or Jarlsberg as alternatives. They have similar flavors and melting qualities.
- Substitute mustard powder with 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
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