Dinner · 35 min · american

Copycat Mac & Cheese (Panera’s style)

Dinner decisions, handled: Copycat Mac & Cheese (Panera’s style) pairs elbow macaroni with low-fat cottage cheese for a 35-minute American dinner. It is weeknight cooking that still hits your targets — 26 grams of protein per serving. It scales cleanly if you are cooking for more than one.

Ingredients

• 8 oz Elbow macaroni
• 2 cups Low-fat cottage cheese
• 1.5 cups Sharp white cheddar
• 3/4 cup Low-fat milk
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Steps

1. Cook the pasta 2 minutes short of the box; it absorbs sauce in the oven and overcooks in a blink.
2. Blend the cottage cheese and milk until it pours like heavy cream — this is the protein backbone of the whole dish.
3. Melt the sauce gently with the cheddar, Dijon, and garlic powder; keep it under a simmer or it turns grainy.
4. Fold in the pasta and let it sit 5 minutes; the noodles drink the sauce and everything tightens up.
5. Top with panko tossed in a mist of oil and broil 3 minutes until the crust goes deep gold — watch it, broilers lie.
6. Rest 10 minutes before scooping; molten mac needs a minute to set or it runs everywhere.

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