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My Mac and Cottage Cheese is So Good!
I’m all about adding cottage cheese in recipes lately and I’ve been loving it with pasta. I’ve made Lasagna with Cottage Cheese, Cottage Cheese Alfredo Pasta, and even a Creamy Tomato Cottage Cheese Pasta. My latest concoction is cottage cheese in mac and cheese and it did not disappoint!
The cottage cheese replaces about one cup of shredded cheese in this recipe, adding creaminess, a little saltiness, and a lot of protein. Plus, your kids will never know there’s cottage cheese in it—mine didn’t!
This recipe was part of our monthly Cooking Challenge for February 2025!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pasta: I like elbow macaroni, but you could also use small shells, penne, or cavatappi.
- Cottage cheese: Whole milk cottage cheese will have the best flavor, but you can use low-fat.
- Cornstarch: This is to thicken the sauce!
- Salt, pepper, mustard powder, and paprika: I keep the spices simple for this macaroni and cheese with cottage cheese. You could also add a pinch of cayenne or substitute a teaspoon of Dijon mustard for the mustard powder.
- Milk: I usually use whole milk, but 2% would be fine.
- Sharp white cheddar cheese: You can use shredded yellow cheddar cheese, too, or a mix! Just make sure you have 3 cups total.
Popular Additions
- Add vegetables. Mix in a cup or two of frozen peas and let thaw in the macaroni and cottage cheese. You could also add roasted broccoli!
- Make it spicy. Top the mac n cheese with cottage cheese with pickled jalapenos.
- Make it garlicky. Mix in chopped roasted garlic—as much or as little as you’d like.
- Add pesto. After cooking, stir in up to ½ cup of pesto.
How to Make Mac and Cheese with Cottage Cheese
My Best Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese Tips
- Add the milk after blending the cottage cheese. This makes sure the cottage cheese gets super smooth before you mix in any extra liquid. If you add the milk too early, it can be harder to get that creamy texture we’re going for!
- Cook the pasta to al dente. You want the pasta to have some bite to it so it doesn’t get mushy! I would start trying the pasta 1-2 minutes before the package instructions say it’ll be done. It’ll cook more in the sauce.
- Reserve pasta water before draining the pasta. This salty liquid will help loosen the cheesy sauce!
- Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-shredded cheese usually has added starches that prevent it from melting smoothly.
What to Serve
Recipe Help & Common Questions
Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, the pasta will last for up to 3 days. I would recommend just reheating it in the microwave for a couple of minutes until warmed through.
I’ve done this before accidentally! I’d recommend just adding regular water to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
You could try adding a handful or two of extra shredded cheese to see if it will help thicken it. You could also add a teaspoon more of cornstarch, whisk, and heat.
More Mac and Cheese Recipes:
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Broccoli Mac and Cheese
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Mac & Cheese in a Mug
- Homemade Mac & Cheese
- Mac and Cheese Bites
More Cottage Cheese Pasta Recipes:
If you try this feel good Mac and Cottage Cheese recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Mac & Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni or pasta of choice
- 1 cup whole milk cottage cheese
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup milk
- 3 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, drain and set aside.
- To the bowl of a food processor or blender, add the cottage cheese, cornstarch, salt, pepper, mustard powder, and paprika. Blend until smooth. Add the milk and pulse a few times to combine.
- Transfer the cottage cheese mixture to the same pot used to cook the pasta and heat over medium-high heat and bring to a low boil. Continue whisking until thickened, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the cheese and ¼ cup of the reserve pasta water until the cheese is melted. Add the cooked pasta and toss to fully coat. Add more pasta water to adjust if needed, and serve immediately.
Equipment
- Food Processor or high speed blender
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Made this for dinner. WOW! It was so tasty. I have a super picky spouse, prefers box mac&cheese (yuck!). This was a success and so much healthier. Love your site and your book.
Aww, so glad you liked it!! Thank you, Karen!
It was so good! My grandson enjoyed it! 🥰👦🏻 Star rating 5 out of 5 stars! ⭐️
Yay, so happy your grandson liked it!! Thank you, Pam!
This was delish! I’ve never made Mac n cheese with white cheddar (and def not cottage cheese) but I preferred this more than any other homemade version I’ve done. It was so delish. I wasn’t careful to make sure my cheese melted before adding the noodles, so it was a little clumpy. But it still tasted amazing. Can’t even tell there’s cottage cheese in it. Love the protein boost! Will make again!
Wow, what a compliment!! Thank you so much for the kind words, Fatimah! So happy you loved the recipe!
Very quick and easy. Tasted even better as leftovers! Will make again!
Yay! So happy you liked it—even as leftovers! Thank you so much, Dawn!!
I love cottage cheese and pasta (Hungarian comfort food) this challenge recipe has more ingredients – cheese, milk etc but it is fast and delicious. 😋
Thank you, Agnes!! So happy you liked it!
This macaroni and cheese is so creamy and delicious! It was so quick to throw together as a side with dinner.
Yay! So happy you found it yummy and easy to make!! Thanks, Courtney!
This recipe came in my inbox at the exact right time. Hubby had bought some cottage cheese and I have never used it before. I made this recipe (added some crushed chili flakes) and it was so good. Everyone really enjoyed it. Will definitely make it again.
Aww, so happy everyone enjoyed it! Love the addition of crushed chili flakes. Thank you, Sonia!!
When I saw this recipe I knew it was a must try. My kids love Mac and cheese and I love the extra protein. Definitely one of our new faves! I paired it with Yumna’s Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Salmon. It was perfection!
Yum, I love that pairing!! So happy you and your kids loved it! Thank you!!
This was excellent! The addition of cottage cheese made this creamy and added extra richness and protein.
Yay, I’m so happy you liked it!! Thank you!
I have a few mac and cheese lovers in my house and this was just perfect! It is creamy and delicious and I love the added protein. I added some grilled chicken and steamed broccoli for a complete and filling meal.
Yum, that sounds so good! I’m so glad the recipe was a hit with your mac and cheese lovers!! Thanks, Adrienne!
I made this for the February Cooking Contest, and it was great! Easy straightforward recipe that comes together quickly without a fuss, and the sauce is seasoned nicely – I didn’t have to make any adjustments. It tastes like the box but better. No one suspected the cottage cheese, but I liked that it added some protein and heft. This is a dish my kids could make on their own! Thanks for sharing.
That’s great, Emiley! So happy you liked the recipe and found it easy to make!! Thank you!
Hi Yumna, I’d like to try this recipe. My family prefers baked over stovetop mac & cheese, Do you think it would be as good if I baked it in the oven at 350 for a half hour or so? Thanks; love your recipes and general approach. Best wises from Upstate NY.
Hi there! I haven’t tried baking this mac and cheese yet but I think 350ºF will work fine. For cook time, I recommend starting to check at 20-25 minutes. Hope that helps!!
I SO love this. It’s comfort food, probably a little higher in calories than what I typically eat, but so comforting and still packing a protein punch. And let me tell you, I was getting all the cozy, delicious, mac-n-cheesy vibes. The flavor was also out of this world delicious – I’ve never added mustard powder to my mac, but I loved it! I will certainly add this to my recipe binder and make it again.
Yay, so happy you liked the mustard powder and found the mac and cheese comforting and cozy!! Thank you, Adelaide!!
Awesome recipe! I used just a splash of pasta water since I like it extra creamy and swapped in unsweetened almond milk. Once the pasta was ready, I prepped my son’s lunch and mine separately—he had sliced salami and spinach on the side, while I mixed in spinach and roasted cherry tomatoes. Surprisingly, it tasted even better once it cooled! A simple, flexible, and delicious meal. Thank you Yumna! Definitely making this again!
So happy you loved the recipe, Veronica! Thanks so much for sharing. Love the different variations you made for you and your son!!
I have been looking for more ways to incorporate cottage cheese into my meals, this was a delicious twist on one of my fav comfort foods!
Yay! So happy you loved it, Sumayya! Thank you!!
Would love to try this recipe, but I’ve recently developed a lactose sensitivity. Would it work to substitute the milk for almond milk (or other plant milk?) and the cottage cheese for Greek yogurt (lactose-free)?
Dairy- and lactose-free products are so different, this is a tough one. Between the milk, cottage cheese, and sharp cheddar cheese I probably wouldn’t recommend this recipe for someone with a lactose sensitivity. That said, if you can find a good vegan cheese substitute for the sharp cheddar and find lactose-free cottage cheese and milk, you can recreate it—I just don’t think it’ll taste as good as the real thing!
This recipe was so simple but also super tasty! Thanks for sharing Yumna 🙂
Yay, so happy you liked it!! Thank you, Roberta!
Oh. My. Gosh! Made this for last night’s dinner and it was so so so good! So good that I failed to even take a photo, which I normally do. We will be adding this to our regular meal rotation. Thank you for creating a healthy twist!
Yay!!! So happy you liked it! Thank you, Amber! I’d love to see a photo the next time you make it!
YUM, YUM and DOUBLE YUM!!!!
Yay! Thank you, Joanna!!
You can’t go wrong with a cheesy mac & cheese! Thanks for adding a healthier twist!
Aww, you’re welcome!! So happy you liked it!
The sauce was too liquidy for my taste so I’ve added less milk
Glad you were able to adjust to your preferences! Thank you so much for the feedback, Teodora.