Protein Packed Healthy Mac and Cheese

A healthy mac and cheese recipe that is packed with protein, broccoli and spinach. Perfect as a full meal and a sneaky way to get your kids to eat more veggies. This post is sponsored by Barilla®.

Mac and cheese will forever be one of my favorite meals. It instantly brings me back to my childhood and reminds me of my sister. She taught me how to make all the pasta dishes you need to know how to make in high school and/or college — mac and cheese, buttered noodles and ramen. So, this recipe is for you, sis! With a little added nutrition oomph. 😉

Macaroni and cheese is a staple for most American families, but there is a miiiiinor problem with traditional mac and cheese — it’s pretty low in nutrients.

Since most kids I know are surviving off of mac and cheese, and because I miss having a bowl every now and then, I wanted to take a stab at turning a traditional recipe into a full meal that’s protein packed and sneaks in some green veggies. Challenge = accepted!

Ingredients in Protein Mac and Cheese

• Barilla Chickpea Rotini – I love using Barilla’s line of legume pastas because they’re made with one simple ingredient, packed with plant-based protein and have an excellent source of fiber. And as an added bonus, all of the Barilla legume pastas are certified gluten-free and non-GMO Project Verified.
• broccoli and spinach – because you can’t have healthy mac and cheese without some veggies. 
• butter – I prefer organic butter, but you can use whatever you have on hand. 
• milk – I used unsweetened almond milk, but you can use regular milk as well.
• Laughing Cow spreadable cheese wedge – for this you need just one  cheese wedge. You can find them at almost every grocery store in the cheese section. If needed, you can leave this out or sub it for cream cheese (dairy or non-dairy).
• reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese – I used organic Irish cheddar cheese and shredded it myself, but you can use whatever you prefer including reduced fat cheddar cheese.
• sea salt and pepper – for a little seasoning.

Notes & Substitutions

Pasta: As I mentioned above, I love using legume pasta to amp up the nutrition count. That said, you can totally use whatever pasta you prefer.

Veggies: Not a fan of spinach and broccoli? Feel free to use other veggies!

Cheese: I used organic Irish cheddar cheese and shredded it myself. In case you were wondering, let me just confirm that real cheese is 100x better than powdered cheese or even pre-shredded cheese. Fresh is always better and shredding the cheese takes no time at all. However, you can use whatever you prefer including reduced fat cheddar cheese.

Vegan + Dairy Free: If you want to make this recipe vegan or dairy-free you can use vegan butter, vegan shredded cheddar cheese and 1 Tablespoon of vegan cream cheese instead of the spreadable cheese wedge. I also have a Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe if you’re interested!

How to Serve This Protein Mac and Cheese

This mac and cheese is hearty enough to be served as a meal on its own, but if you want additional protein I recommend pairing it with an easy protein option like roasted chickpeas, tofu, shrimp or chicken. It pairs perfectly with my grilled apple cider vinegar chicken.

You can also serve it alongside a salad for extra veggie goodness. I’d recommend one of these salads: Garlicky Kale Salad, Easy Spinach Salad or Easy Caprese Salad.

How to Store Protein Mac and Cheese

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This mac and cheese will keep for 3-4 days.

More Pasta Recipes to Try

• Healthy Pasta Salad
• Creamy Pesto Rutabaga Pasta
• Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta
• One-Skillet Enchilada Pasta
• Penne alla Vodka
• Mushroom Stroganoff

More Broccoli Recipes to Try

• Broccoli Salad
• Roasted Broccoli
• Broccoli Noodle Stir-Fry
• Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole
• Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad
• Vegan Broccoli Raisin Salad

If you make this protein packed healthy mac and cheese, be sure to let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment and star rating below. Your feedback is so helpful for me and other EBF readers!

Protein Packed Healthy Mac and Cheese

4 from 44 votes

A healthy mac and cheese recipe that is packed with protein, broccoli and spinach. Perfect as a full meal and a sneaky way to get your kids to eat more veggies.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 box, 8 oz Barilla Chickpea Rotini
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 Tablespoon organic butter
• 1 cup milk, I used unsweetened almond milk
• 1 Laughing Cow spreadable cheese wedge
• 1 1/2 cups 6 oz reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese (more, if needed)*
• 1 handful chopped baby spinach
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

 

• Boil pasta & broccoli: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add chickpea rotini pasta, return to a boil and cook for a total of 8 minutes, adding in the broccoli florets at the four minute mark. Drain pasta and broccoli.
• Add remaining ingredients: In the same large pot over low/medium heat add butter, milk, salt and pepper. Once butter has melted add in drained pasta and broccoli, spreadable cheese wedge and shredded cheese. Let cheese melt a little, about 30 seconds. Use a spoon to stir everything together until pasta is well coated with cheese, adding more cheese if needed. Add in chopped baby spinach and toss until wilted.
• Serve: Serve immediately with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Notes

• Pasta: As I mentioned above, I love using legume pasta to amp up the nutrition count. That said, you can totally use whatever pasta you prefer.
• Veggies: Not a fan of spinach and broccoli? Feel free to use other veggies!
• Cheese: I used organic Irish cheddar cheese and shredded it myself. In case you were wondering, let me just confirm that real cheese is 100x better than powdered cheese or even pre-shredded cheese. Fresh is always better and shredding the cheese takes no time at all. However, you can use whatever you prefer including reduced fat cheddar cheese.
• Vegan + Dairy Free: If you want to make this recipe vegan or dairy-free you can use vegan butter, vegan shredded cheddar cheese and 1 Tablespoon of vegan cream cheese instead of the spreadable cheese wedge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(made with reduced fat cheddar cheese) Calories: 395kcal Carbohydrates: 42g Protein: 26g Fat: 17g Saturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 38mg Sodium: 354mg Fiber: 10g Sugar: 3g

Author: Brittany Mullins

Course: Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Keyword: healthy mac and cheese, protein mac and cheese

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