Description
Creamy, cheesy, and wonderfully comforting, this High Protein Crockpot Cottage Cheese Mac And Cheese is the kind of easy recipe that makes dinner feel effortless and exciting at the same time. It is a cozy slow cooker pasta dish packed with creamy cheddar, cottage cheese, and tender macaroni for a protein-rich twist on a family favorite. Whether you need a quick dinner, easy dinner, hearty comfort food, meal prep idea, or crowd-pleasing food idea, this creamy mac and cheese fits right in.
Ingredients
16 ounces elbow macaroni
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
1. Cook the elbow macaroni in salted water until just barely al dente, then drain well.
2. Add the cottage cheese, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper to a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Lightly grease the crockpot, then add the cooked macaroni, blended cottage cheese mixture, butter, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
4. Stir everything together until the pasta is evenly coated.
5. Cover and cook on low for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring once or twice if needed, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy.
6. Stir well before serving, add a splash of milk if needed to loosen the sauce, then top with chopped parsley.
Notes
Do not overcook the pasta before adding it to the crockpot, or it can turn too soft by the time the mac and cheese is finished.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
Keywords: high protein mac and cheese, crockpot mac and cheese, cottage cheese mac and cheese, slow cooker dinner, easy dinner, comfort food, pasta recipe, cheesy pasta