Description
Creamy, cheesy, and packed with protein, this high protein mac and cheese bake combines tender elbow macaroni, shredded chicken, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and melted cheddar into the ultimate comforting baked pasta dish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Cook elbow macaroni until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in flour.
- Slowly whisk in milk until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Stir in cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Add 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese and half of the parmesan cheese, stirring until melted and creamy.
- Fold cooked macaroni and shredded chicken into the sauce until evenly coated.
- Transfer mixture into prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
- Top with remaining cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- Freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
- Do not overcook the pasta before baking.
- Add a splash of milk when reheating leftovers for extra creaminess.
- You can prepare the dish ahead and refrigerate before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 42g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: high protein mac and cheese bake, healthy mac and cheese, baked mac and cheese, protein pasta bake, cheesy chicken pasta bake