Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese

I graduated on Saturday, December 9th, 2017. College of Education commencement, NIU main auditorium. I walked across the stage and shook someone's hand and took the diploma cover — the real diploma comes by mail — and looked out at the audience for one second and found Steve's face, which is the same face in every photo I have ever seen of him, the face that shows nothing but that I can read completely, and he was holding Patty's hand, which is how I knew he was proud. Patty was crying. Babcia Rose was in a green hat with a feather. I will never forget this as long as I live.

Babcia Rose said "I'm proud" when she hugged me in the parking lot. She said it once, quickly, and then let go and said "Where are we eating?" But she said it. That word — "proud" — from Babcia Rose, who communicates primarily through food and disapproval and love, in that order, is the equivalent of a speech.

Home for winter break. Three days into it, Babcia Rose asked me to come to her kitchen. She said "We are making pierogi. You need to learn properly." We started at nine in the morning and did not stop until two. I measured everything she put in — watched her hands, called out amounts when I could, estimated when I couldn't. When she pinched salt into the dough I asked "How much?" She said "Enough." I wrote "enough — approximately one teaspoon" in my notebook and put a question mark after it.

We made sixty pierogi. My dough was better than the practice run but Babcia Rose folded the edges more tightly than I did — her fingers have fifty years of practice. She is 87 and slower and her hands are still stronger than mine at the pinching. I wrote everything down when I got home. The flour amount, the egg, the sour cream, the filling ratio. I taped it to the wall above my desk. Babcia Rose's cookbook, one recipe at a time.

Standing in Babcia Rose’s kitchen that December, measuring everything she touched and writing “enough — approximately one teaspoon” with a question mark, I understood something: her food is always about the filling, the richness, the thing that makes you feel held. I can’t always make sixty pierogi from scratch on a Tuesday night, but this cottage cheese mac and cheese gives me that same dense, creamy, unapologetically filling comfort she built into every pinched edge. The cottage cheese is her spirit animal — humble, unpretty, and doing more work than anyone gives it credit for.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz elbow macaroni or medium shells
1 cup full-fat cottage cheese
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
1/2 cup Gruyere or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni according to package directions until just al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining. Drain and set aside.
Blend the base. While the pasta cooks, combine the cottage cheese and milk in a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, about 45 seconds. This removes all curds and creates the silky sauce base.
Build the sauce. In the same pot used for pasta, melt the butter over medium heat. Pour in the blended cottage cheese mixture and stir to combine. Add the Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Heat gently, stirring frequently, until the mixture is warm and just beginning to steam — do not boil.
Melt in the cheese. Reduce heat to low. Add the shredded cheddar and Gruyere in two or three additions, stirring well between each addition until fully melted and the sauce is smooth. If the sauce feels too thick, add reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time until it reaches a creamy, pourable consistency.
Combine and season. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and fold gently to coat every piece evenly. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Let the pasta sit over the lowest heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring once, so the pasta absorbs the sauce slightly.
Serve. Divide into bowls and finish with a pinch of smoked paprika and fresh chives or parsley if desired. Serve immediately while hot and creamy.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese — The Comfort of Babcia’s Kitchen in Every Bite