Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy, protein-packed, homemade macaroni and cheese made on the stovetop in about 20 minutes. Kid-friendly and healthier than store bought mac ‘n cheese!

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Hi there!

It’s Kinslee here today! You can probably guess what my favorite food is, right? I mean, I like a good meatball sandwich or a hot dog with sweet chili sauce.  But what I really love?

It’s good old homemade macaroni and cheese.

I love any macaroni and cheese so I normally ask mom to buy the cheap boxes at the store. But, my mom promised me that she would make a nice, cheesy, homemade macaroni and cheese for me. One that’s healthier than the boxes from the store.

And she did!

I’ve tried just about every kind of macaroni and cheese you can think of. I’ve learned that the homemade, healthier macaroni and cheese is far better than any cardboard box. It’s creamy and cheesy, the noodles nice and soft. So easy to eat. It’s just the recipe you need for the perfect macaroni and cheese.

I know it is important that I get a lot of protein in my meals, so mom put cottage cheese, milk and shredded cheese inside this creamy deluxe dish.

I like normal shredded cheese from the bag, but grating your own block of cheddar cheese doesn’t take long and it melts so much easier and creamier. It does take longer than bagged cheese, but I like grating cheese. You just have to be careful not to scrape your knuckles!

Don’t worry about the cottage cheese inside. We used small curd, 4% milkfat cottage cheese, which just added to the creaminess. You’ll never even taste the cottage cheese!

Making this dinner only takes about 15-20 minutes. You’ll put some water on to boil and then cook the macaroni noodles for a few minutes less than what the package says. I cooked the noodles for 6 minutes.

Drain the noodles, add the milk, shredded cheddar cheese, cottage cheese and a touch of garlic salt.

Continue mixing the macaroni and cheese, cooking over low heat for about 5-7 minutes until it is heated through and all of the cheese is melted.

This recipe makes a big batch and I LOVE having the leftovers for lunch the next day. In fact, I’m happy if no one else eats it and I get to eat it all week.

You may also love our hamburger mac and cheese.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

5 from 1 vote

Creamy, protein-packed, homemade macaroni and cheese made on the stovetop in about 20 minutes. Kid-friendly and healthier than store bought mac ‘n cheese!

Servings 10

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

 

• 8 cups water
• 16 ounces elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch* for thickening
• 12 ounces small curd cottage cheese 4% milkfat
• 12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese about 3 cups
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Instructions

 

• In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni and boil for 6-7 minutes. It should still be very firm.
• Drain the macaroni and return it to the pan.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and arrowroot starch. Pour this into the macaroni.
• Add the cottage cheese and cheddar cheese.
• With the pan over medium-low heat, stir constantly until the cheese has completely melted and is smooth (about 5-7 minutes).
• Serve immediately.

Notes

*You could also use corn starch.

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 479mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Calcium: 330mg | Iron: 0.8mg

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Calories 366

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