13 Ways To Eat Cottage Cheese
Trending as an easy source of protein and versatile ingredient, cottage cheese has staked its claim as a must have food item in your refrigerator. Want to include cottage cheese in your diet but don’t know where to begin? Here are 13 ways to eat cottage cheese that can help you get this tasty dairy product onto your plate.
13 ways to eat cottage cheese
It’s safe to say that cottage cheese is having its “it girl” moment and to be honest, I’m here for it! Y’all know I love the dairy section of the grocery store but cottage cheese holds a special plate in my heart because love it or hate it, you cannot deny its nutrient density.
With a low calorie content, a high protein content (most brands feature 10 grams +), and the micronutrients we know and love of milk-based products, cottage cheese is a great addition to your plate!
Featured in a variety of recipes from sweet to savory, breakfast to dinner, snacks to desserts, it seems that there isn’t much that a scoop of cottage cheese can’t do. Not sure where to start? Here are 13 of my favorite ways to incorporate cottage cheese into your diet:
Cottage cheese recipes
Cottage Cheese Egg Bites
Finding a source of protein at breakfast time, especially when you are in a hurry to get out the door for work or get your kids to the bus stop on time can be a challenge. If this is you, then cottage cheese recipes for breakfast, like these high protein cottage cheese egg bites, could be the breakfast for you!
These high protein egg bites come together really quickly and have a higher protein content because of the blended cottage cheese which increases the protein, volume, and changes the texture of the egg bites themselves. Want some recipe ideas? Try these two cottage cheese egg bite recipes:
Cottage Cheese in Savory Bowls
Savory cottage cheese recipes are always top of the list for me. For example, adding a scoop of cottage cheese to savory dinner bowls like this vial ground beef and sweet potato bowl is an easy way to enjoy cottage cheese, especially if you do not mind the texture. Cottage cheese will coat the other ingredients in a creamy coating while also boosting the protein, calcium, and vitamin D content.
If you want an easy and healthy dinner recipe idea, try eating cottage cheese in this viral sweet potato ground beef bowl or blended into this high protein dill pickle egg salad for lunch.
Cottage Cheese Paired with Fruit
Cottage cheese and fruit is a snack staple that I enjoy every week and is a great example of my base + protein approach to snacking. Snacks are an opportunity to include more color in your diet but you want to pair them with a protein source to ensure you are building up a balanced and satisfying snack.
Cottage cheese is a fantastic protein option to choose because it not only contains over 10 grams of protein per serving but it also features fat, another macronutrient that digests slowly and keeps you fuller for longer.
While you can always find your own favorite pairings, I think the best fruit to eat with cottage cheese are:
Cottage cheese and nectarines
Cottage cheese and peaches
Cottage cheese and pineapples
Cottage cheese and strawberries
Cottage cheese and raspberries
Cottage Cheese Chia Seed Pudding
As someone who loves to meal prep my breakfast with overnight oats or chia seed pudding recipes , adding a dollop of cottage cheese to my morning recipes has been an easy way to boost my protein intake at breakfast.
While you can certainly blend cottage cheese into overnight oats, I have found that my favorite way to serve cottage cheese at breakfast is to blend it with fruit and then stir in some chia seeds for a fiber and protein packed breakfast that is ready to go in your refrigerator. Here are a few recipes:
Cottage Cheese Smoothies
If yogurt can go into smoothies, cottage cheese can also go into smoothies. Cottage cheese fruit smoothie recipes are colorful and easy meal or snack options to add to your rotation that also feature some protein and fiber to keep you fuller for longer. Remember, we always want a protein smoothie recipe!
While protein powder, greek yogurt, fairlife chocolate milk, and peanut butter are popular options for protein sources in smoothies, let’s not forget about cottage cheese in smoothies. Its mild yet creamy flavor makes it the perfect addition to smoothies like a strawberry and cottage cheese smoothie or a creamy peach and cottage cheese smoothie recipe.
Here are a few cottage cheese fruit smoothie recipes:
Cottage Cheese Pasta Recipes
My children love mac and cheese and I can’t blame them for that, what’s not to like about noodles and cheese? As a dietitian mom however, I am constantly trying new ways to bump up the nutrition. I will add shredded cheese, I’ll add steamed veggies, I’ll sprinkle in nutritional yeast, and lately, I have been stirring in cottage cheese in pasta sauce as well.
Traditionally, ricotta has been the most popular cheese to add to pasta sauces. You can use cottage cheese as a substitute for ricotta and if you are interested in learning about the differences between cottage cheese versus ricotta , I have an entire blog post written on that topic here.
I like to make cottage cheese pasta recipes, like my homemade high protein mac and cheese recipe, because it makes the pasta sauce a bit creamier and a whole lot more nutritious. You can also easily add cottage cheese to pasta like boxed Mac and cheese for a boost in nutrition. Plus, your kids will still love it!
Don’t stop at cottage cheese mac and cheese though because you can also make a cottage cheese alfredo, protein creamy mushroom, or stir it into many of your other pasta sauce recipes like I did with this one pot sausage and tortellini with spinach.
Cottage Cheese Desserts
Most of us know that cottage cheese cookie dough recipes were trending for quite some time on the internet. And for good reason If you want to enjoy a high protein dessert at the end of the day then blending cottage cheese into your favorite sweet tooth recipes may be the perfect way to do that!
I love to blend cottage cheese into high protein cheesecake for a whipped cottage cheese dessert or add it to a light and creamy protein chocolate mousse for a dessert that tastes delicious and helps me hit my protein goals.
Here are a few sweet cottage cheese recipes you may like:
Cottage Cheese Toast
When I want a meal or snack that easy, delicious, and nutritious, I typically make a cottage cheese toast. Cottage cheese helps boost the protein content of your toast, adds a creamy texture, and can be made in both sweet and savory recipes.
Avocado cottage cheese toast is the most popular breakfast recipe in my home but you can also make a savory cottage cheese recipe with tomato and cucumber cottage cheese toast.
Here are a few of my favorite cottage cheese toast recipes:
Cottage Cheese Salad Dressing
You heard me right, cottage cheese can actually be used to make a high protein salad dressing. If a creamy dressing can be made with Greek yogurt, a creamy dressing can also be made with cottage cheese. In fact, cottage cheese may work better in some recipes due to its mild flavor.
If have a few greek yogurt dressing recipes like this healthy jalapeño ranch dressing that you can try with cottage cheese for a cottage cheese dressing instead or you can make this cottage cheese green goddess salad dressing!
Cottage Cheese Dip
Closely following the salad dressing recommendation, you can also use cottage cheese as the base for many fruit or vegetable dips. Cottage cheese is often used as a protein substitute for mayonnaise because it preserves the creamy consistency, boosts the protein, and lowers the fat content.
My favorite healthy dip recipe is to make a cottage cheese dip with ranch seasoning. It’s only two ingredients and adds tons of flavor and protein to any veggie platter. You can also make a sweet cottage cheese dip recipe like my easy peanut butter cottage cheese dip that pairs well with apple slices.
If you want a few cottage cheese dip recipes for parties for parties or game days, here is a list of ones that you can try:
Cottage cheese flatbread
One of the most popular recipes on my blog is this 2 ingredient cottage cheese flatbread. You simply combine cottage cheese with self rising flour and create a variety of high protein baked goods that have minimal ingredients and a surprisingly light and fluffy texture.
Use your cottage cheese flatbread as the base for these easy chicken pita wraps or top it with any toppings of your choice for a healthy and high protein dinner recipe.
Here is the 2 ingredient cottage cheese flatbread recipe:
Add cottage cheese to muffins and loaves:
You can easily add cottage cheese into savory breads like my cottage cheese flatbread or cottage cheese bagels, but it’s equally as delicious in muffins and sweet breads like banana bread or pumpkin bread.
Making muffins with cottage cheese not only adds protein to your baked goods but it also helps keep your muffins and breads moist and delicious! Bluberry cottage cheese muffins are popular in my house but we also love cottage cheese banana bread recipes for a denser loaf thats still delicious.
Here are a few cottage cheese bread recipes to try:
Cottage cheese bagel recipes
Just like with your cottage cheese flatbread, you can also easily incorporate cottage cheese in bagel recipes as well. Making cottage cheese bagels will give you a slightly higher protein content and a dense dough that makes the perfect base for cottage cheese bagel breakfast sandwiches or to spread some honey on for a sweet cottage cheese breakfast.
Here are two recipes to try- one put cottage cheese in bagel dough and the other has cottage cheese on a bagel.
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Hey! I’m Lauren
I’m a registered dietitian and my goal is to give you tips and tricks to make healthy eating fun, easy, and even delicious!