What’s not to love about mac and cheese? It’s cheesy, comforting, delicious and family-friendly. And even better, this recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes and uses minimal dishes.
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Weeknights are often busy so it’s great to have 30-minute meals that the whole family can agree on. This high-protein mac and cheese has a creamy sauce and is high in protein to keep you feeling full.
This recipe comes together on the stovetop with a traditional sauce that starts with a roux, which is a combination of butter and flour that is cooked together and helps create a thick and creamy sauce. Then milk, cheddar cheese, and cream cheese are added and cooked until it all comes together to form a creamy sauce. The cream cheese really helps make the sauce extra creamy.
A cup of pumpkin puree also adds extra nutrition to this meal and helps add some traditional orange color to the sauce. The pumpkin is optional but if you have some in your pantry, go ahead and add it. It does not change the flavor and is a great way to get some vegetables into any picky eaters.
What makes this mac and cheese high in protein?
There is nothing fancy in this recipe that adds protein. Most mac and cheese recipes are high in protein thanks to the combination of milk, cheese, and pasta. While regular white pasta is not a traditional source of protein, one serving generally contains about 11g of protein (depending on the brand). When you combine all the ingredients, this recipe works out to have about 28g of protein per serving, you want to aim for around 25g of protein at each meal.
If you wanted to, you could also use a higher protein pasta such as one made with chickpeas or lentils. These pastas are also high in fiber, which helps keep us feeling full;
Ingredients:
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this high protein mac and cheese.
Pasta – this recipe can be made with any small shaped pasta such as macaroni, shells, or ‘scoobi doo’ pasta.
Butter – a couple tablespoons of butter (or you could use olive oil) are used to help make the roux.
Flour – adding some flour to the butter helps form “a roux” which is cooked butter and flour. This is a typical base when you are making a cream sauce. Usually, you need equal parts of butter, or fat and flour.
Milk – forms the sauce. I usually buy 2% milk for my family, so I use that in the sauce, and it works well. Whole milk or 1% would also work fine.
Nutmeg – a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg enhances the flavor of any cream sauce. Nutmeg is a strong spice so a little bit goes a long way. If you don’t have nutmeg, dry mustard also works well in cream sauces.
Cheddar cheese – sharp cheddar cheese is used. You could a mild cheddar but sharp cheddar adds much more flavor the sauce.
Cream cheese – a small amount of cream cheese adds a touch of tangy flavor and helps make the sauce so much creamier.
Pumpkin puree- this is optional but it’s a great way to add nutrition and antioxidants to the recipe. The pumpkin does not change the flavor of the recipe, my kids do not even know it’s in there. If you are using pumpkin, be sure that it is pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
Salt & Pepper – even though cheese has salt, a touch of salt is needed to help balance out the flavors of the dish.
How to make this recipe:
This recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes and doesn’t use too many dishes. You need one pot to cook the pasta and one for the sauce.
Prepare the pasta and cook it for two minutes less than the package directions. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
While the pasta is cooking, start on the sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine and try to get the mixture as smooth as possible. Cook this for 1-2 minutes.
Add the milk slowly and continue to whisk to get out any lumps. Add the nutmeg.
Add the cheddar cheese, cream cheese, and pumpkin if you are using it. Continue to whisk the sauce until it is smooth and creamy and no lumps remain. Once the sauce is smooth, you can use a wooden spoon to stir. The sauce will be thick enough to coat a wooden spoon. Then it is done.
You can continue to cook the sauce over medium heat, if the milk starts to boil, turn the sauce down to low.
Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce and stir it over low heat until the pasta is cooked through.
Serve hot and enjoy!
High Protein Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 250 grams macaroni or small shape pasta
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups grated sharp or old cheddar cheese
- 1 cup pumpkin puree optional
- 2 tbsp cream cheese
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta for about two minutes less than the package directions call for.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter.
- Once the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes.
- Add the milk and continue to whisk vigorously until there are no lumps and the sauce is smooth.
- Add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and pumpkin puree if you are using it. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Turn the heat off of the sauce. Mix to combine to finish cooking the pasta and allow it to absorb the sauce.
Notes
Recipe FAQ
Is mac and cheese a good source of protein?
Mac and cheese isn’t typically thought of for it’s protein content, but the combination of cheese, dairy milk, and pasta all combine to make it high in protein. This recipe has ~27g of protein which is similar to what you would get in a piece of chicken or fish.
What protein goes well with mac and cheese?
You could serve mac and cheese with chicken, pulled pork, or ribs – think Texas barbeque style food. This mac and cheese can be eaten as a main course and it is a good source of protein on its own.
If you love this high protein mac and cheese, you’ll also enjoy:
Ground turkey and black bean taco skillet – An easy weeknight meal
Tortellini soup – Anoter easy and comforting dinner recipe that includes white beans for a source of protein
