Macaroni Cottage Cheese Deluxe with Tomato & Basil Meat Sauce

[@Espiel78]

Thanks for this, Xeta. Your reels are not just interesting but absolutely and uniquely yours . Be well and happy and Merry Christmas!

[@xetaprime]

Thank You! A Happy and Merry Christmas back atcha! :)

[@helencraw]

Looks delicious. Like how you made it your own. Comfort food!

[@xetaprime]

It was helen! Comfort food indeed! I get strangely, weirdly happy when a recipe tastes good. And I did make an awful lot so now we'll see how it freezes :)

[@rstumbaugh43]

That looks/sounds SOOOOO good!!!! I regularly add cottage cheese to my spaghetti, with a side of steamed broccoli sautéed with browned butter/fresh minced garlic….THANKS for posting Xeta!!

[@xetaprime]

Rick! You add cottage cheese to spaghetti? A spoonful out of the container? Add it to tomato sauce? Inquiring minds!

[@rstumbaugh43]

I add probably 1/2 cup cottage cheese, into the pan with the spaghetti sauce, to warm it through, then incorporate the spaghetti into the sauce. Just something my mom made, bro g vegetarian, cottage cheese was another way to get protein.

[@stevem.9022]

I didn't realize that lasagna made with cottage cheese instead of ricotta was a thing till I moved to the mid-west from the east coast. I've never had it, but it must be good as few people in my area use ricotta. BTW, I'm sure you've heard this a thousand times, but jeez Louise you sound a heck of a lot like Bob Odenkirk!!

[@xetaprime]

I didn't know it was a thing until last week! Bob Odenkirk! I haven't! I sound like Saul? :)

[@jeffreyboyd4719]

I knew that would be good when you used Classico. It's my fave sauce from a jar.

[@xetaprime]

Really? I found it a little thick but loved the taste! Maybe because I tend to buy cheap :)

[@jeffreyboyd4719]

@xetaprime Next time you use it you can try adding a little beef stock to thin it out a little.😎

[@TuckerSP2011]

You might have invented something there Xeta! Looks very good. I hope you're feeling better now. ❤

[@xetaprime]

I am feeling better Tucker. Thank you! Hope you are doing better as well. The leftovers for this have been awesome! I'm really tempted to add some parsley (get some green bits in there) and try layering the mac and sauce, like with lasagna. When is too soon to do this? :)

[@TuckerSP2011]

@xetaprime I think everyone would look forward to it asap Xeta.

[@debbie845]

Looks like lasagna. Looks good Xeta. Hope you’re feeling better.

[@xetaprime]

Thanks debbie I am, knock on particle board. I'm going to try and do a layered casserole. Better than Lasagna! :)

[@dvaoa2910]

Looks good! I wonder if the cheese "sauce" would be less curdly if you blended in a little bit of sodium citrate, the trick to a really smooth cheese sauce. Normally, for a stovetop mac n cheese I add 1/2 tsp sodium citrate in 1/2 cup simmering water, then add 8 oz of fresh shredded cheese (not the pre-shredded stuff that's coated in cellulose).

[@xetaprime]

Never heard of adding sodium citrate to mac & cheese. Googled! Very interesting! What would that do to whipped cottage cheese?! Thanks for the suggestion :)