Blending cottage cheese into the sauce sneaks in extra protein while keeping that classic buffalo mac tangy, creamy, and impossibly rich.
High Protein Honey Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
Dive into a creamy, high-protein twist on a classic favorite with our Honey Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese! This mouthwatering dish combines tender, spicy honey buffalo chicken with rich, cheesy pasta, making it a fantastic option for meal prepping. Get ready to savor every bite while fueling your day with deliciousness!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This bodybuilder's fever dream collides 1964 Buffalo, New York—birthplace of that vinegary hot sauce dunked on chicken wings—with the protein-obsessed macros culture of 2020s Instagram, blending cottage cheese into a cheddar sauce like some mad scientist swapped New York's diner grease for a supplement shop's fridge, proving Americans will fortify literally anything with whey if you give them a spoon.
Regional Twist
Down in Louisiana's Cajun parishes, they'd swap the smoked paprika for cayenne-heavy Tony Chachere's seasoning and stir Steen's cane syrup into the honey-buffalo glaze, giving the chicken breast a proper bayou kick that laughs at Buffalo's original vinegar-only approach.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 700g Diced Chicken Breast (raw weight - seasoned with salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder & onion powder) (1.54 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 35g Natural Cheddar (Dairyworks) (1.24 oz)Dairyworks
- 350g Low Fat Cottage Cheese (12.4 oz)
- 65g Low Fat Cream Cheese (Philadelphia - or 4 light laughing cow cheese wedges) (2.29 oz)Philadelphia or 4 light laughing cow cheese wedges
- 80ml Low Fat Milk (2.7 fl oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 1 Tbsp Honey & 1 Tbsp Buffalo Sauce (mix with cooked chicken) (15 ml)
- 320g Macaroni or Elbow Pasta (dry weight - Lulupasta Protein Elbow Pasta) (11.3 oz)Lulupasta Protein Elbow Pasta
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 20ml Hot Sauce (Franks Redhot Buffalo Sauce) (0.68 fl oz)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
741
Protein
114g
Carbs
43g
Fat
13g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season the diced chicken breast with salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder, then set it aside.
- 2
In a blender, combine low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat cream cheese, cheddar cheese, low-fat milk, and hot sauce, then blend for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- 3
Cook the seasoned chicken on medium heat until cooked and crispy.
- 4
While the chicken is cooking, cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- 5
Once the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat and mix in honey and buffalo sauce.
- 6
Combine the cooked and drained pasta with the creamy cheese sauce.
- 7
Divide the mac and cheese with the Honey Buffalo Chicken into 4 equal servings and enjoy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Blend cottage cheese at high speed for the full 2 minutes to break down curds below 100 microns; under-blending leaves a grainy texture because cottage cheese curds won't fully hydrate into the cream cheese emulsion.technique2 minutes, high speed
- ✓Add the blended cheese sauce to hot pasta (not cold), maintaining 65-70°C, because starches gelatinize and absorb the sauce 40% more efficiently than room-temperature pasta, preventing separation as the dish cools.timing65-70°C pasta temperature
- ✓Dice chicken to 12-15mm cubes and cook on medium (not high) for 8-10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, because high heat causes exterior to set before interior reaches 74°C, trapping moisture and preventing the crispy exterior you're targeting.technique12-15mm cubes, 8-10 minutes medium heat, 74°C internal temp
- ✓Reserve 120ml pasta cooking water before draining and add 30ml to the cheese sauce if it thickens excessively, since starch in the reserved water (1-2% concentration) acts as an emulsifier and prevents the sauce from breaking as it cools.ingredient30ml starchy pasta water (1-2% starch concentration)
- ✓Apply honey-buffalo glaze after removing chicken from heat (not during cooking) because honey's fructose begins caramelizing at 160°C and will burn if exposed to direct medium heat for more than 1-2 minutes, creating bitter compounds.timingPost-cooking, caramelization begins at 160°C
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Blending cottage cheese into the sauce sneaks in extra protein while keeping that classic buffalo mac tangy, creamy, and impossibly rich.
High Protein Honey Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese
Dive into a creamy, high-protein twist on a classic favorite with our Honey Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese! This mouthwatering dish combines tender, spicy honey buffalo chicken with rich, cheesy pasta, making it a fantastic option for meal prepping. Get ready to savor every bite while fueling your day with deliciousness!
The Story
This bodybuilder's fever dream collides 1964 Buffalo, New York—birthplace of that vinegary hot sauce dunked on chicken wings—with the protein-obsessed macros culture of 2020s Instagram, blending cottage cheese into a cheddar sauce like some mad scientist swapped New York's diner grease for a supplement shop's fridge, proving Americans will fortify literally anything with whey if you give them a spoon.
Regional Twist
Down in Louisiana's Cajun parishes, they'd swap the smoked paprika for cayenne-heavy Tony Chachere's seasoning and stir Steen's cane syrup into the honey-buffalo glaze, giving the chicken breast a proper bayou kick that laughs at Buffalo's original vinegar-only approach.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 700g Diced Chicken Breast (raw weight - seasoned with salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder & onion powder) (1.54 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 35g Natural Cheddar (Dairyworks) (1.24 oz)Dairyworks
- 350g Low Fat Cottage Cheese (12.4 oz)
- 65g Low Fat Cream Cheese (Philadelphia - or 4 light laughing cow cheese wedges) (2.29 oz)Philadelphia or 4 light laughing cow cheese wedges
- 80ml Low Fat Milk (2.7 fl oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 1 Tbsp Honey & 1 Tbsp Buffalo Sauce (mix with cooked chicken) (15 ml)
- 320g Macaroni or Elbow Pasta (dry weight - Lulupasta Protein Elbow Pasta) (11.3 oz)Lulupasta Protein Elbow Pasta
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 20ml Hot Sauce (Franks Redhot Buffalo Sauce) (0.68 fl oz)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
741
Protein
114g
Carbs
43g
Fat
13g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season the diced chicken breast with salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder, then set it aside.
- 2
In a blender, combine low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat cream cheese, cheddar cheese, low-fat milk, and hot sauce, then blend for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- 3
Cook the seasoned chicken on medium heat until cooked and crispy.
- 4
While the chicken is cooking, cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- 5
Once the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat and mix in honey and buffalo sauce.
- 6
Combine the cooked and drained pasta with the creamy cheese sauce.
- 7
Divide the mac and cheese with the Honey Buffalo Chicken into 4 equal servings and enjoy.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Blend cottage cheese at high speed for the full 2 minutes to break down curds below 100 microns; under-blending leaves a grainy texture because cottage cheese curds won't fully hydrate into the cream cheese emulsion.technique2 minutes, high speed
- ✓Add the blended cheese sauce to hot pasta (not cold), maintaining 65-70°C, because starches gelatinize and absorb the sauce 40% more efficiently than room-temperature pasta, preventing separation as the dish cools.timing65-70°C pasta temperature
- ✓Dice chicken to 12-15mm cubes and cook on medium (not high) for 8-10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, because high heat causes exterior to set before interior reaches 74°C, trapping moisture and preventing the crispy exterior you're targeting.technique12-15mm cubes, 8-10 minutes medium heat, 74°C internal temp
- ✓Reserve 120ml pasta cooking water before draining and add 30ml to the cheese sauce if it thickens excessively, since starch in the reserved water (1-2% concentration) acts as an emulsifier and prevents the sauce from breaking as it cools.ingredient30ml starchy pasta water (1-2% starch concentration)
- ✓Apply honey-buffalo glaze after removing chicken from heat (not during cooking) because honey's fructose begins caramelizing at 160°C and will burn if exposed to direct medium heat for more than 1-2 minutes, creating bitter compounds.timingPost-cooking, caramelization begins at 160°C