High-protein feta mac and cheese
When I’m craving buttered noodles but want something with a little more protein, I turn to this creamy stovetop feta mac and cheese. It actually works with any hard cheese, not just feta, so feel free to give sharp cheddar or fontina a try, too.
As far as the seasonings, I like paprika, lots of freshly ground black pepper, and a little bit of nutritional yeast. But if you have a favorite mac and cheese recipe, feel free to swap in those spices!
making a creamy (not grainy!) cottage cheese sauce
One of the questions I get asked most often is how to make an actually creamy cottage cheese that doesn’t separate.
My number one tip is to add the sauce completely off the heat. (The cottage cheese can separate if it gets too hot). Here are my others:
- 1. Use whole-milk cottage cheese (I always use Good Culture).
- 2. Let the cottage cheese come to room temperature while you cook the pasta.
- 3. Cook the pasta right away to give it a chance to cool off a bit before you add the sauce.
In this recipe, we’re also blending cornstarch into the cottage cheese sauce, a tip I picked up from Lauren Fit Foodie. This is an extra bit of insurance to prevent the sauce from separating.
see it in action…
high-protein feta mac and cheese
serves 3
Ingredients
- kosher salt
- 8 ounces short pasta shape (use a protein pasta for extra protein)
- 3/4 cup whole milk cottage cheese
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 4 ounces feta cheese
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (this helps the sauce thicken up)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- freshly-ground black pepper
- seasonings of choice, to taste (I used paprika and nutritional yeast)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain.
- Meanwhile, add the cottage cheese, milk, feta, and cornstarch to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Heat the butter and several grinds black pepper in the now-empty pasta pot over medium-low heat. Add the sauce and season with salt, seasonings of choice, and more black pepper to taste.
- Cook until gently bubbling and beginning to thicken, 5 to 8 minutes. (Do not increase the heat!) Remove from heat, wait for the bubbling to stop, and then stir in the pasta.
Quick. Easy. Delicious. And Nutritious. It’s like an adult Mac n cheese. Thank you for sharing!
Adult mac and cheese is the perfect way to describe it!! So glad you enjoyed and thank you for taking the time to comment 🙂
I ❤️ you! So creative!
Thank you so much!!