Reduced-Fat Macaroni & Cheese

This lighter mac and cheese gets its creamy sauce from an unexpected source: blended cottage cheese. Pureed until smooth, it mimics the richness of a full-fat bechamel while cutting a serious amount of fat from the dish.

The trick is blending the cottage cheese in a food processor until it’s completely silky with no curds visible. That smooth base gets stirred into a simple flour-and-skim-milk sauce with sharp cheddar and a pinch of nutmeg. Sharp cheddar is a must here because you’re using less of it, so every bit needs to deliver maximum flavor.

The broiled Parmesan crust on top makes all the difference. Those two to three minutes under the broiler give you a golden, crispy cap that crunches against the soft pasta underneath. Watch it closely though, because broilers go from golden to burnt in seconds.

Pro Tips

• Blend the cottage cheese until absolutely smooth. Any remaining curds will show up as grainy patches in the sauce.
• Stir the flour-milk mixture constantly as it thickens. Lumps form fast and they’re stubborn to break up.
• Use extra-sharp cheddar. Mild cheddar in a reduced-fat recipe tastes like almost nothing.
• Let the casserole rest 5 minutes after broiling so the sauce thickens and holds together when you scoop it.

Variations

• Stir in a handful of steamed broccoli florets or sauteed spinach for a veggie boost.
• Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the sauce for a tangy sharpness.
• Swap elbow macaroni for shells or cavatappi, which trap more sauce in their curves.