Tuna-&-Tomato Mac & Cheese

Last updated: August 2026 · 3 min read

Mac and cheese usually costs you a lot of calories for very little protein. This one doesn’t. Tomatoes with green chiles and ancho chile powder take it southwest, crushed blue tortilla chips go on top, and a can of tuna and a puréed cup of cottage cheese push it to 33 grams of protein a serving.

Serves 4. Fifteen minutes of hands-on work, 45 minutes start to finish.

Before you start

You need a large ovenproof skillet — the sauce is built and baked in the same pan. No ovenproof skillet? Build the sauce in any large pan and transfer everything to a baking dish before it goes in the oven. You also need a food processor or blender for the cottage cheese.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (about 3 cups) whole-wheat rotini
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup nonfat milk, divided
• ½ cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
• ¼ cup grated pepper Jack
• ¼ teaspoon ground ancho chile powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1½ cups reduced-fat cottage cheese, preferably low-sodium
• One 5- to 6-ounce can chunk light tuna, drained and flaked
• One 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
• ¼ cup crumbled tortilla chips, preferably blue corn

Method

1. Heat the oven to 450°F.
2. Boil the rotini in a large saucepan for the time on the package. Drain and rinse.
3. While the pasta cooks, whisk the flour into 2 tablespoons of the milk in a small bowl until smooth. Warm the rest of the milk in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat until it steams.
4. Whisk a few tablespoons of the hot milk into the flour mixture, then pour it all back into the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring the whole time, until the sauce is smooth and has thickened slightly — about a minute. Off the heat, stir in the Cheddar, pepper Jack, ancho chile powder, salt and pepper.
5. Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth, scraping the sides as you go. This is what makes the sauce creamy without a heavy roux or twice the cheese — it’s where most of the protein comes from. Stir it into the skillet, then add the tuna and the drained pasta and fold until everything is coated. Scatter the tomatoes over the top.
6. Bake at 450°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Scatter the crumbled tortilla chips over the top and serve.

Notes

• Ancho chile powder is ground dried poblano — smoky and mild rather than hot. Regular chili powder works; use the same amount and expect a different, less smoky heat.
• Chunk light tuna flakes into the sauce better than albacore and is lower in mercury.
• Want it milder? Swap the tomatoes with green chiles for a 14-ounce can of drained petite diced tomatoes and use mild chili powder.

Make it ahead

Work through step 5, transferring to a baking dish if you’d rather, and stop before the tomatoes and chips. Cool, cover and refrigerate up to a day. Bake at 450°F for about 35 minutes from cold.

Nutrition

Per serving, about 1½ cups: 442 calories, 33 g protein, 55 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat (6 g saturated), 9 g fiber, 725 mg sodium, 39 mg cholesterol, 0 g added sugars. Also 375 mg calcium — 38% of a day’s worth.