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.

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. If this is you, then protein packed egg bites could be a breakfast you consider pepping for those busy mornings.

Egg bites come together really quickly and if you are wanting to up the protein content, you can easily add blended cottage cheese to increase protein, increase volume, and change the texture of the egg bites themselves. Want some recipe ideas? Try these:

Cottage Cheese in Savory Bowls

Adding a scoop of cottage cheese to savory dinner bowls (or breakfast bowls!) is likely the easiest 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 nectarines, pineapple, and berries with cinnamon pecans.

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. Smoothies are a colorful and easy snack or meal on the go but, just like with the oatmeal, we want to be sure we add in enough protein to keep us full!

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. Its mild yet creamy flavor makes it the perfect addition to different smoothies a peaches and cream smoothie! Here are a few recipes:

Cottage Cheese Pasta Base

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 as well.

I like to add cottage cheese to both boxed mac and cheese as well as homemade high protein mac and cheese recipe because it makes the pasta sauce a bit creamier and a whole lot more nutritious. 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

If you want to enjoy a high protein dessert at the end of the day then blending cottage cheese into some of your favorite sweet tooth recipes may be the perfect way to do that!

I love to blend cottage cheese into high protein cheesecake 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 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. 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 instead or you can make this cottage cheese green goddess salad dressing!

Cottage Cheese Fruit or Vegetable 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.

If you want a few cottage cheese dip recipes for parties for parties or gamedays, here is a list of ones that you can try:

Bake cottage cheese into breads

From cottage cheese bagels to easy cottage cheese flatbreads, you can 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. Here are some recipe ideas:

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.

Cottage cheese not only adds protein to your baked goods but it also helps keep your muffins and breads moist and delicious! Here are a few recipes to try:

Use cottage cheese as a filling

Finally, you can use cottage cheese in a variety of filling options from sweet, savory, or sweet & savory. One of my all-time favorite recipes combines cottage cheese, cream cheese, and rosemary into a delicious blended filling. Then, use that filling to stuff Medjool dates, wrap them in bacon, and bake them to create a delicious, higher-protein appetizer!

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13 Ways To Eat Cottage Cheese