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Chuck's Favorite Mac and Cheese

This mac and cheese with cottage cheese is easily doubled for a potluck or family function. My whole family loves this recipe!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people
Calories 3124.4 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Stockpot For boiling pasta
  • 1 Colander For draining pasta
  • 1 9x13 inch Baking Dish For assembling and baking
  • 1 Medium Mixing Bowl For preparing breadcrumbs
  • 1 Rubber Spatula For stirring and combining ingredients

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 1 8 ounce package elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup dry bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup butter melted
  • 1 12 ounce container small curd cottage cheese
  • 1 8 ounce package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 1 8 ounce container sour cream
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
  • Mix bread crumbs and melted butter together in a small bowl.
  • Transfer drained macaroni to the prepared baking dish. Add cottage cheese, Cheddar, sour cream, Parmesan, salt, and pepper; stir until well combined. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over top.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on top, 30 to 35 minutes. Chefbound

Notes

For optimal flavor, consider grating a pinch of fresh nutmeg or a teaspoon of Dijon mustard into the cheese mixture; both enhance dairy notes beautifully. Ensure your macaroni is cooked to a firm al dente, as it will soften further during baking—this prevents a mushy texture. To elevate the breadcrumb topping, lightly toast the breadcrumbs in the melted butter in a pan until golden before sprinkling; this adds a superior crunch and depth of flavor. A common pitfall is overbaking, which can dry out the dish; bake just until the topping is golden and the cheese is bubbly. For a gourmet touch, experiment with adding a blend of cheeses like Gruyère or Fontina to the Cheddar for increased complexity and creaminess.