Big Boy Mac and Cheese
This Mac and Cheese is calorie and protein dense, making it a wonderful option for muscle and weight gain goals. The sauce is made from cheddar and cottage cheese as well as almost 2 lbs of roasted vegetables to sneak in some easy nutrients.
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 1008kcal
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp oil
For the Vegetables
- 1 lb frozen cauliflower
- 1 small onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 large carrots
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
For the Mac & Cheese
- 1 lb macaroni noodles gluten free if needed
- 8 oz cheddar cheese block is best
- 1 lb 4% cottage cheese
- 1½ cups pasta water
- 1½ cups 2% milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup chopped parsley optional
Instructions
For the Macaroni
- Heat a large pot of water and bring to a boil. For reference, I used 96oz (2800mL) of water to cook the pasta. Too much water will dilute the starchy pasta water that we will use to thicken the sauce later.
- Cook the macaroni according to the packaging. Shoot for just past al dente on the doneness. Reserve 1½ cups 360g of the pasta water for your cheese sauce.
- Once they are cooked, rinse and store in cold water to stop the cooking process until you are ready to use later.
For the Vegetables
- Preheat your oven to 425 °F (218 °C).
- Wash and cut your vegetables into a rough chop. You just need pieces to roast up. These will all get blended into the sauce later. Cut the onions, pepper, and carrots into 1-2 inch pieces. Leave the garlic whole.
- In a large bowl, add the frozen cauliflower florets, chopped peppers, onions, carrots, and garlic.
- Add the oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Toss in the bowl to coat. Spray a sheet pan lightly with oil and spread the vegetables out on the pan.
- Roast for 25-30 minutes and toss around the 20 minute mark.
For the Chicken
- In your now empty vegetable bowl, add 1 tbsp of oil, the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir to form a marinade.
- Trim the excess fat and skin from the chicken and add it to your bowl. Toss it around until evenly coated.
- Place the chicken on to an oil sprayed sheet pan. Place into the oven at 425°F for 15-20 minutes. If you are roasting the chicken and vegetables at the same time, I find it best to put the chicken on a rack below the vegetables.
- Once the chicken has finished roasting, allow it to rest for a few minutes and then cut it into a small dice.
For the Cheese Sauce
- Shred your block of cheese using a box grater or food processor. Using a blend of different cheese can also add layers of flavor if you don't mind buying a few blocks of cheese.
- Once the vegetables have finished roasting, place them into a blender with 1½ cups of pasta water, 1½ cups of milk, cheddar cheese, and cottage cheese. Blend on high speed for 30-60s or until smooth. You may need to do this in two rounds to fit inside of the blender. To get this smooth you need to have a high powered, quality blender.
For the Mac & Cheese
- Drain the water away from the noodles. Pour the cheese sauce into the noodles and mix. It is going to seem liquidy, it will thicken as it heats.
- Place the pot over medium heat and let it start to warm and thicken. Add in your chopped chicken and mix. Stir frequently so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
- Taste taste and salt as needed once it has thickened. If you wish, you can add in a bit of chopped parsley for color.
Plating
- This recipe makes 5 servings. Cut the dish into 5 equal portions and place into each meal prep container. Top with chopped parsley for a garnish if you wish.
Nutrition
Calories: 1008kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 73g | Fat: 39g | Fiber: 7.5g