bone broth mac and cheese (a high protein dinner)
Made with just a few pantry staples and ready in 20 minutes, this bone broth mac and cheese packs in 32 grams of protein. And because it wouldn't be one of our recipes without fiber, this one has 7 grams! I've tested this so many times that I'm confident you can make great pasta in just one pot (without boiling the pasta separately).
Servings: 4
Calories: 580kcal
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta any kind, see notes for gluten free
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1.5 cups chicken bone broth
- 15 oz white beans drained like cannelini or Great Northern
- ½ c cottage cheese any kind
- 2 cups of any combination of white and yellow cheddar I like doing half and half
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt to taste
- ½ - 1 teaspoon black pepper or hot sauce optional
Instructions
- Blend together 3 cloves garlic, 1.5 cups chicken bone broth, 15 oz white beans drained, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and ½ c cottage cheese. Pour this into a large stock pan or Dutch oven and bring to a simmer. Add the 8 oz pasta and stir to coat. Make sure the pasta is fully covered. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Stir constantly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Although it will likely still stick some due to the sauce being made from beans. Also monitor the liquid level. If the pasta absorbs too much and is no longer submerged, add enough broth to just cover the top of the pasta. This is common if using gluten free pasta.
- When the pasta is done, stir in the 2 cups of any combination of white and yellow cheddar until melted. Then taste and add salt and pepper as desired. I love mine with buffalo!
Video
Notes
Every pasta will absorb liquid differently. The only way to ensure your pasta cooks correctly and isn't dry or all liquid is to only add broth as needed. I start with the recipe as written and then add a splash more broth as needed when the pasta is almost done, and only if I see the pasta isn't covered all the way anymore.
The best pasta to use: Dan and I had a lot of discussions about what pasta to use. I love a floppy one or shells. He enjoys penne or macaroni. So, use what you like. Gluten-free works, but you will need to add more broth towards the end so keep an eye on it.
My favorite cheese to use: I love sharp cheddar cheese, so a gruyere cheese and then an extra sharp yellow cheddar are my favorites. Monterey Jack is also delicious.
Making this into baked protein mac and cheese: You can make this as directed, then top with your favorite breadcrumb topping and bake it. In testing this, however, the mac and cheese always got dried out, which I find to be the case with any baked mac and cheese... So proceed with caution.
My pasta is sticking!
Keep stirring! Since we aren't cooking with just water, the pasta might stick, so make sure you stir it periodically. There's too little or too much liquid.
If your pasta is almost done and there isn't enough broth for the top pasta to finish cooking, add more to cover it. If there's too much liquid when the pasta is done, remove the lid and cook until it's cooked off. Storage: I wouldn't say mac and cheese is great for meal prep because it needs to be reheated with some more liquid to rehydrate. But it will last for up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. I don't recommend freezing it.
Keep stirring! Since we aren't cooking with just water, the pasta might stick, so make sure you stir it periodically. There's too little or too much liquid.
If your pasta is almost done and there isn't enough broth for the top pasta to finish cooking, add more to cover it. If there's too much liquid when the pasta is done, remove the lid and cook until it's cooked off. Storage: I wouldn't say mac and cheese is great for meal prep because it needs to be reheated with some more liquid to rehydrate. But it will last for up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. I don't recommend freezing it.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 14g | Sodium: 640mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g