Rooster Broccoli Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese

This rooster broccoli cottage cheese mac and cheese packs 28g of protein per serving and makes for the final word straightforward weeknight meal. It’s the proper manner to make use of leftover rooster or rotisserie rooster to make issues even simpler. I hope you’re keen on this recipe as a lot as me and my toddlers do!

A bowl of macaroni and cheese with broccoli, topped with melted cheese and red pepper flakes, with a spoon in the bowl.

Protein-packed: 28g of protein per serving to be precise!
Tremendous creamy sauce: Blended cottage cheese not solely packs protein, however it’s tremendous creamy and sticks to the noodles very well.
Good way to make use of up leftover rooster: I really like making this pasta when I’ve leftover rooster, or if I’m quick on time, I’ll simply seize a rotisserie rooster on the grocery retailer to make use of. Both manner, it makes issues tremendous straightforward!

Components You Want

Cottage cheese: you’re gonna whip the cottage cheese til clean in a meals processor or high-speed blender. Be sure you’re utilizing full-fat cottage cheese for the creamiest mac. Decrease fats cottage cheese has larger water content material, and can end in a runnier mac. Nobody desires that!

Shredded cheddar: freshly shredded cheddar is greatest!

Pasta: select your individual journey right here! I like utilizing fusilli or one other twirly pasta that may maintain all that scrumptious mac and cheese sauce.

Broccoli: You’ll blanch the broccoli within the pasta water for the final minute of boiling pasta. No must soiled one other dish!

A pot of cooked pasta and broccoli being stirred with a wooden spoon, with steam rising.

Cheese sauce is being poured over chopped chicken, broccoli, and pasta in a white baking dish.

High Suggestions

Do NOT combine the pasta and the cheese sauce collectively within the scorching pot: The sauce will soften into soup and develop into too skinny. I like to recommend mixing the sauce and pasta collectively in a separate bowl — combine it within the serving bowl to avoid wasting on dishes!
Use high-fat cottage cheese: I’m speaking full fats or not less than 2%. Decrease fats cottage cheese has a better water content material, and no person desires watery mac and cheese.

Extra Mac and Cheese Recipes

Preheat the oven to broil and line a 9×9-inch glass baking dish with parchment paper.
Boil the noodles in accordance with bundle directions. Add the broccoli to the boiling water when there may be about 1 minute left of boiling time to blanch the broccoli. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, then pressure and put aside.
Add the cottage cheese, 2 cups of cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon reserved pasta water and sea salt to the blender and mix till fully clean. If the sauce is just not clean, add extra water 1 teaspoon at a time.
Add the pasta, broccoli, and cooked rooster to a separate dish (not the new saucepan), and fold within the cottage cheese sauce.*
Switch to the ready baking dish. High with extra cheddar cheese and broil for 3 minutes or till cheese is melted and bubbly.
Take away from the oven and let relaxation for five minutes earlier than serving.

*In the event you add all of the substances again into the new sauce pan, it can skinny your cheese sauce out an excessive amount of. Don’t do that.
I used 2% cottage cheese, however any kind will work.
I used shredded cheddar cheese, however any melty cheese may work. For instance, gruyere, gouda, Monterey Jack, and even American cheese can be nice substitutions.

Energy: 374 kcal, Carbohydrates: 25 g, Protein: 28 g, Fats: 18 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g