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Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Cooking Thursday

Recently, I had some leftover pulled pork and was looking for a different way to use it. I came across a recipe that combined it with macaroni and cheese.  Bob loves mac and cheese, but it's something I rarely make as it's not the healthiest of meals!  But I decided to try this one and it was really good.  This one has cottage cheese in it to increase the protein, which you would never know once it's made.  So, if you want a way to use pulled pork that would be a yummy treat, here's a recipe for you! I halved the recipe to make a 9x9 pan,



Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese

3 1/2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups milk
8 ounces velveeta cheese, cubed
1 1/3 cups small curd cottage cheese
2/3 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
4 cups pulled pork
1 1/2 cups BBQ sauce

Cook macaroni as directed on package and drain.
In medium saucepan melt butter, then stir in flour, salt and sugar until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk, bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes until thickened.
Stir in velveeta cheese until melted, then stir in the cottage cheese sour cream and 2 cups cheddar cheese until melted.
Pour over macaroni and stir. 
Transfer to greased 9x13 pan.
Stir together the pork and BBQ sauce and place on top of mac and cheese.  Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese on top.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, then remove foil and bake another 20 minutes.

24 comments:

  1. Dear Marie, this looks delicious, dear friend! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I really appreciate it.

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  2. Sorry about the typo, I meant Mari! Sometimes my keyboard has a mind of its own. :)

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  3. Hi Mari! I'm going to give this one a try! Thanks for this idea!

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  4. Sounds very good! Thank you for sharing

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  5. Oh, wow, that sounds good! I've been hankering for some good macaroni and cheese lately...and this sounds like a "winner for dinner". Thanks for the recipe!! Now, I just have to make some pulled pork, which is a bigger issue...LOL.

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  6. Thanks so much for the recipe, Friend. We enjoy pulled pork and we both like mac and cheese...so, as you said, it will be a nice treat.

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  7. That actually looks so delicious!

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  8. YUM, YUM, YUM..... We have a local BBQ joint in our area that serves a dish very similar to this. My grands love it!!! Of course they love anything with Mac and cheese. Who would ever guess it calls for cottage cheese? different but I know it's very good.

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  9. WOW! What's not to like about this dish?!!!!

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  10. That looks really good! Rich loves mac and cheese but I rarely make it because of the carb count. Maybe I'll try it with pulled pork for him!

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  11. Definitely copying this down! Yum!! When we are working on healthier things we often use sugar-free BBQ sauce (there are some really good ones) to make the pulled pork. And I love the cottage cheese touch. If I were to health it up a bit more I might swap greek yogurt for the sour cream too. And use whole grain pasta. With a side of fiber-rich veggies it would be a little better (& combat all the wonderful cheese a bit! Lol) But when we just want a treat I would make it just like this!! 😋

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  12. Very creative way to finish up the leftovers. I should be more creative with our "second time around" meals! And mac and cheese is such a nice treat!:)

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  13. Oh, I so love mac and cheese but for my hubby its a big fat no. So I guess I will have to pass...Boo ...
    Sue

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  14. Many thanks for sharing your recipe.

    All the best Jan

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  15. It never would have occurred to me to put pork in mac & cheese, but I’ll bet it was good. I also like the idea of cottage cheese in mac & cheese to lighten it up a bit. I would never eat cottage cheese on its own, but I do love it when it’s baked into things.

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  16. Another keeper, for sure!! Thanks, Mari!

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  17. Good grief! This reads like the ULTIMATE comfort food! My grandkids will LOVE this. Maybe I can make it and lure them over to eat with me, haha xoxo 🏴‍☠️

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