Bethenny’s mac and cheese trick is simple: she adds cottage cheese. That’s it. You cook pasta like normal, save a little of the starchy water, then stir in cottage cheese and a sprinkle of cheese powder until it turns creamy. It looks a little questionable for about ten seconds, then it smooths out and suddenly you’ve got a cheesy bowl that feels like comfort food instead of a healthy swap.
The cottage cheese pulls the protein weight here, which is why this ends up more filling than regular mac. Want to push it further? Use a higher-protein pasta (we like Barilla Protein+), or a chickpea or lentil pasta. Keep the seasonings basic with salt and pepper, then add crushed red pepper if you like a little heat. It’s fast, low effort, and hits the exact mac and cheese craving without needing a whole sauce project.
Ingredients
- Pasta (fusilli, penne, or shells work great; you can also opt for a chickpea or high-protein option)
- Parmesan cheese powder (or cheese topping of choice)
- Cottage cheese
- Red pepper
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Salt and pepper, for taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook pasta until al dente.
- Strain the majority of the water, leaving about half a cup in the pot.
- Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Add a little bit of finely crushed red pepper depending on desired spice level.
- Mix in a chunk of cottage cheese and some powdered cheese—Bethenny uses the mac and cheese powder from a Goodle box.
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Mix thoroughly until everything is creamy and melted.
