Protein Mac And Cheese Instant Pot

Published 9/16/2022 • Updated 11/5/2024

Cottage Cheese Protein Mac and Cheese

Looking for a quick and protein-packed dinner idea? You will love our protein mac and cheese made right in your Instant Pot. It packs in 17g of protein per serving and you can even up that amount by serving it next to a protein! We love this protein mac and cheese recipe because it’s made with cottage cheese and Greek yogurt for both extra protein and creaminess. PS: there is no roux involved like classic mac and cheese!

Featured Ingredients

Noodles: we’re using a classic macaroni elbow noodle in this recipe, but you could also use a whole wheat noodle, too! Broth: broth is used in place of water to cook the noodles in the Instant Pot to add flavor. Spices: garlic powder, dijon, salt, and pepper are used to add flavor. Cheddar cheese: it wouldn’t be a mac and cheese without some freshly shredded cheddar cheese! Cottage cheese: cottage cheese adds a great texture along with more protein! Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt is our secret weapon for extra creaminess. Plus it adds a decent amount of protein. Heavy cream: this adds a bit of richness without going to crazy.

How to Make Protein Mac and Cheese in the Instant Pot

Serving Suggestions

Mac and cheese not enough to float your boat? Here are some serving suggestions to pair with your mac! Kid-friendly 17g protein/serving Ready in 30 minutes Instant Pot Duo Add when hot: we recommend adding the cheeses, heavy cream, and Greek yogurt right after you open your Instant Pot so that the hot noodles can do their job and melt the cheese, Put the lid back on: simply place the lid back on your Instant Pot so the steam can get trapped and melt the cheeses. Use saute function: quickly turn the saute feature on so that the noodles get hot again to melt the cheese.

Chicken breast: pretty much any and all of our chicken recipes would be delicious with this mac. Try our grilled whole chicken, air fryer chicken nuggets, or baked chicken thighs. Salad: get your veggies in with a quick and simple salad: garden salad, strawberry broccoli salad, or Nicoise salad.