Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese

• servings: 6 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

12 oz elbow macaroni (regular, whole wheat, gluten-free, or chickpea pasta works)

1/2 cup evaporated milk (or whole milk)

1 1/2 cups low fat cottage cheese (but any kind will work)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon cornstarch

10 oz sharp cheddar cheese (freshly grated)

Directions

Cook the pasta in boiling water according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water then drain the pasta, but do not rinse.

While the pasta is cooking, add the milk, cottage cheese, salt, and paprika to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Combine the cheese and and cornstarch in a large saucepan, without any heat, until the cheese is evenly coated. Stir in the cottage cheese mixture and set it over medium heat. Stir or whisk frequently until the cheese is melted and smooth.

Fold the cooked pasta into the cheese sauce until completely coated, adding a splash of reserve pasta water to thin out the consistency if needed. Taste and add more salt as needed and serve warm.

Nutrition

• Calories: 477 kcal
• Total Fat: 19 g
• Saturated Fat: 11 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
• Cholesterol: 56 mg
• Sodium: 952 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 48 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Total Sugars: 5 g
• Protein: 27 g