Spanakopita mac n cheese
If spanakopita and mac & cheese had a baby, this would be it — creamy, savoury, comforting, and packed with all the flavours I grew up loving. But this version has a twist. It’s part of my protein-packed series, which means we’re taking a classic comfort dish and quietly upgrading it to deliver over 30 grams of protein per serving — without sacrificing flavour or texture.
The secret? A silky béchamel made with blended cottage cheese. It melts into the sauce, giving you that rich, creamy consistency you expect from mac & cheese, but with a serious protein boost. Combined with sweet leeks, spinach, warm spices and salty feta, it hits all the notes of a traditional spanakopita — just in a much more indulgent, spoonable form.
This is the kind of recipe that feels like comfort food first… and high-protein second. Exactly how it should be!
Ingredients
300g macaroni
Salted water, for boiling
Spinach & leek filling
1–2 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, finely chopped and washed
400g spinach
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
High-protein béchamel
30g butter
25g plain flour
350ml whole milk
400g full-fat cottage cheese, blended smooth
200g feta, crumbled
Serves 4
Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the macaroni until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks with a pinch of salt and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft and slightly sweet. Add the spinach and cover with a lid to help it wilt down. Remove the lid and cook off any excess moisture.
Squeeze out excess liquid if needed. Add to a bowl along with the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ground black pepper.
Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth — this is what gives you that creamy, classic mac & cheese texture without using loads of cream.
In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth and slightly thickened. Add the blended cottage cheese and continue stirring until the sauce is creamy and cohesive. Keep the heat medium-low so it doesn’t split.
Add the cooked pasta, spinach-leek mixture and crumbled feta into the sauce. Fold everything together until evenly coated and creamy.
