I think it’s safe to say that macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. I love mac and cheese so much that sometimes I want it as a main dish- not even joking. Unfortunately, it’s not the healthiest of dishes, with all that cheese and butter. This version of mac and cheese is still super cheesy, but it omits butter and adds lots of protein with the addition of cottage cheese. It’s still not a healthy dish, but at least you’re getting a healthy serving of protein in it, and not just fat and carbs.
I came up with this recipe in those last few days before Torin was born when I was stuck at home with nothing to do, and too huge to want to go out. Tough times. I was also hungry all the time, hence why I wanted a dish with more protein.
Now I know that there are anti-cottage cheese readers out there and let me be the first to tell you that you don’t even taste it. It really just adds creaminess and protein, I promise. Trust me- I hate cottage cheese.
This is the end result (yum!):
Here’s what you need:
- 1 box of elbow macaroni
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1 bag of mac and cheese blend cheese (Harris Teeter carries this and it’s a blend of cheddar, American, and gruyere), with 1/3 cup reserved.
- 16 oz small curd cottage cheese
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- Salt and pepper
This recipe is so easy. Boil your macaroni until al dente and drain. In the same large pot that you boiled the macaroni combine all ingredients (except reserved cheese) and stir vigorously until cheeses are melted. Season with salt and pepper, as needed. Pour mac and cheese into a greased 13×9 Baking dish and top with reserved cheese. Bake at 400 degrees until it’s nicely browned on top (about 35 min.)
That’s it! See I told you it’s super easy. This recipe also freezes really well, so if you need you can freeze it after you’ve mixed everything together, but before it’s baked.
As you can see below I split mine into two foil loaf pans so I could freeze one and bake one right away. 😊you know I love a good freezer recipe!
Making A Maven 