Bacon Mac & Cheese made with 5 cheeses!! (low calorie, lower carb, lower fat, and protein packed)

This recipe is packed with bacon, cheese, and garlic!!  I used real bacon but you could try it out with turkey or vegan bacon if you want to.  It has amazing flavor and I would put this up against any traditional mac and cheese out there!!  Plus this recipe is super easy to prepare and can be assembled the night before then popped into the oven to make it even quicker.  I promise if you try this recipe you will never know that I cut out a ton of carbs and fat while doubling the protein when compared to traditional mac and cheese.  All that protein will fill you up way better than a traditional version of white flour laden mac and cheese too!! You will be amazed that something this good can be totally guilt free 😉

Ingredients:

6 ounces (168 grams) uncooked Barilla Plus elbow pasta

16 ounces 1% cottage cheese

1/2 cup Italian style Weight Watchers shredded cheese

8 tablespoons parmesan cheese

8 slices center cut bacon (center cut is a little leaner than regular bacon)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook bacon until crunchy then drain on paper towels.  Crumble it once it is cool.

Cook pasta according to package directions then drain and set aside.

Add cottage cheese, shredded cheese, parmesan, and garlic to a food processor or blender along with 1 tablespoon of water.  Blend this all until it is whipped and makes a very thick cheese sauce.  You will need to scrape down the sides of blender at least once to ensure it is totally blended.

Spray a square baking dish with nonstick spray.  Add pasta, cheese sauce, and half of the cooked bacon.  Stir well to combine and smooth out the top so it is even in dish.  (At this point you could pop in fridge if you are making this ahead of time.  Just allow dish to come closer to room temp before you cook it)

Bake for 25 minutes.  Top with remaining bacon before serving!  A simple salad goes perfectly alongside this dish 🙂

Makes 4 servings

Per serving:

374 calories

11 grams fat

34 grams carbs

3 grams fiber

35 grams protein