High Protein Mac & Cheese

Many clients have asked me for a recipe for macaroni and cheese that might be easier to fit into their macros. Ever since cottage cheese came on the scene, finding a workaround for this traditionally very high-carb/high-fat dish made it easy. Now you can enjoy mac and cheese with more protein in the cheese sauce without even knowing it!

I also used a plant-based chickpea and lentil pasta, which helped make this a higher-protein dish. I like to add precooked chicken thighs and some broccoli to this meal to make it even more balanced.

Instructions

1. Add all the sauce ingredients to a saucepan and heat over low heat for 5-6 minutes. The idea is to gently melt most of the cheese, not to cook the sauce. If you overcook the cheese will separate into clumps.
2. While that is heating up, boil water and cook your pasta of choice per the direction on the box. Strain and set aside.
3. Add sauce to a high power blender and blend on high about 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
4. Pour into a container and grab the weight to enter into your recipe.
5. To serve, add your cooked pasta to a bowl and pour cheese sauce over the top to your desired liking. Any remaining can be stored in the fridge to add to fresh pasta later, or to the top of roasted veggies like broccoli and cauliflower! It will thicken in the fridge but once you pour it over something hot (like pasta or veggies) it should melt and become creamy again.