I'm an absolute fiend for mac and cheese. Ever since I was a kid, I've loved a comforting, cheesy bowl of macaroni, whether it's from a box or homemade.
Unfortunately, adulthood has made it clear that I can't eat mac and cheese every day. So, when I came across this protein-packed, single-serve mac and cheese recipe from Nourish Nutrition, I knew I had to try it.
Along with roughly 23 grams of protein per serving, this dish takes only 20 minutes to make from prep to plate, making it the perfect weekday lunch option to add to my rotation.
Here's how it went making this spin on one of my favorite meals.
The ingredients were simple enough, but I was thrown by the tofu.
When I read "creamy protein mac and cheese" in the recipe title, I honestly expected to see Greek yogurt or cottage cheese in the ingredients list.
So, I was surprised to see that tofu was one of the key components of the dish. I like tofu, but I was worried about how it would affect the sauce's flavor. Would it be too earthy?
Besides the tofu, the rest of the ingredients — salt, elbow macaroni, milk, garlic salt, butter, and shredded cheddar cheese — sounded like the start of a fantastic meal.
I boiled the pasta and got to work on the base for the cheese sauce.
I started a pot of salted water on the stove to boil. While that was heating up, I shredded some cheese and measured out the rest of my ingredients.
After tossing the noodles into boiling water, I got to work on the sauce, which simply involved blending tofu, milk, and garlic salt — a much faster method than the roux (a mixture of fat and flour) I typically make for homemade mac sauces.
The blended tofu mixture and cheese melted into an ultra-creamy sauce.
After the pasta was cooked and drained, I dumped in the shredded cheese, butter, and blended tofu mixture.
It only took about 30 seconds for the cheese and tofu mixture to melt together into what looked and smelled like a very promising, luscious sauce.
I was curious whether silken tofu could really be the secret to a creamy cheese sauce.
The sauce started separating slightly once it was in the bowl.
I served the entire portion of pasta in a bowl, and I was happy to find that this was a generous single serving.
However, I noticed some minor separation in the cheese sauce, despite shredding my own rather than using pre-shredded, which usually has anti-caking agents that prevent a sauce from incorporating smoothly.
Despite the slight break in appearance, the sauce was incredibly smooth.
After noticing the sauce breaking slightly, I braced myself for a gritty or clumpy texture. But alas, this recipe impressed me.
The sauce was silky smooth, and it wasn't super stringy like some cheese sauces can sometimes be. Also, I didn't taste the tofu at all — only cheesy, garlicky goodness.
The recipe took just 20 minutes to make, and I'd only make one change next time.
Making this recipe took me from 1 p.m. to 1:24 p.m., including the time it took for the water to start boiling and the several breaks I took to take photos.
I really enjoyed this mac and cheese and already plan to make it again for a quick, fulfilling lunch.
Moving forward, I think adding some more seasoning, like extra garlic salt and some paprika, would elevate it even more. As a bonus, I think this would also be delicious with veggies, so I may throw in some broccoli, tomatoes, peas, spinach, or zucchini next time.
Overall, this is such a simple recipe that's easy to customize. I already know it'll be a staple for my future solo meals.
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Based in Los Angeles, Paige loves to explore her surroundings and go on spontaneous adventures. When she isn't out and about, Paige also enjoys decorating her apartment, enjoying a cup of coffee, and experimenting in the kitchen with local, seasonal ingredients. Aside from writing for Business Insider, Paige also serves as an editor of Inhabitat and a freelancer for EuroCheapo. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Ohio University and holds a certificate in Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
