27 Satisfying Cottage Cheese Recipes (2024)

27 Satisfying Cottage Cheese Recipes (1)Share on Pinterest

It has suffered long enough from a bad reputation as an ’80s diet food. Guess what? Mom was right. Cottage cheese is super healthy, packed with protein, calcium, vitamin B-12, and selenium.

Even better, it’s a versatile ingredient that can make everything from lasagna to desserts taste better. Mildly tangy, acidic, and naturally low in fat, it’s a fresh cheese of curds packed with some of the whey.

We ignore any calls for low fat or fat free dairy in these recipes. Regular cottage cheese, as it’s called, naturally has 4 percent milk fat. It comes in large and small curd varieties. Small curd has 25 grams of protein per cup, and large curd has 23 grams.

So forget those old-school diet meals with that scoop o’ cottage cheese and cantaloupe (though, admittedly, it’s a delicious combo). Here are 24 recipes that bring cottage cheese up to date.

1. Cottage cheese lasagna

Swap in cottage cheese for the ricotta and keep the awesome layers of ground beef, spicy sausage, tomato sauce, and pasta. Getting hungry?

2. Vegetarian cottage cheese lasagna

Loaded with colorful, healthy vegetables, this lasagna doesn’t hold back on the creamy goodness, with cottage cheese and mozzarella oozing between sheets of pasta. Do yourself a favor and use no-boil lasagna noodles.

3. Gluten-free cottage cheese lasagna

This recipe feeds a crowd (12 to 15 servings) or provides lots of future frozen dinners. Gluten-free noodles (you could sub wide zoodles) bake in layers of zesty homemade tomato sauce and four kinds of cheese.

4. Strawberry cottage cheese cake

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This one-bowl cake is gluten-free baking done right. A batter of cottage cheese, coconut flour, eggs, and milk is studded with sliced strawberries.

We take a few liberties with this recipe, replacing the low fat milk with whole. We slice the strawberries lengthwise for a prettier shape.

5. Double chocolate cottage cheese cookies

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These cookies look and taste like any other chewy chocolate treats, but they pack in 1/2 cup of protein-rich cottage cheese. Chocolate chips sweeten the cocoa-rich cookies, and oat flour keeps them gluten-free.

6. Healthy cheesecake

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Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt (we use whole-milk varieties) blend into a rich batter flavored with classic lemon zest and vanilla. Sweet and creamy, it’s everything a cheesecake should be. Top with granola for crunch.

7. Strawberry raspberry cream pops

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These hot-pink frozen treats get their creamy texture from cottage cheese. And kids will never know it because the sweet flavor of strawberries and raspberries, accented with honey, is so spot-on.

We call that sneaky genius.

8. Chocolate chip cookie dough protein bars

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These bars use every healthier ingredient sub in the book, including chickpeas, dates, oat bran, and yes, our new best friend, cottage cheese. And they taste amazing. Good-for-you dessert that tastes good: win-win!

9. Strawberry cottage cheese mini muffins

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A platter of these mini cakes stands out on the dessert buffet. They’re bursting with fresh strawberries, flavored with orange juice, and hiding protein-rich cottage cheese. And they’re cute — especially if you get creative with icing.

We replace the canola oil with coconut oil. The white flour in this recipe helps the little cakes rise in the oven, creating a light texture.

10. Protein cheesecake mousse

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If you don’t have the patience to wait for a cheesecake to bake (we don’t blame you), go for this 5-minute version instead. With cocoa and protein powder blended with cottage cheese, it’s anything but traditional.

11. Strawberry cheesecake overnight oats

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Cheesecake for breakfast? We’re in. Prep the night before to make two jars of protein-rich, strawberry-sweet goodness. It takes just four ingredients and 5 minutes to make.

Grab it from the fridge, stick it in your (and your S.O.’s) bag, and take it along on the car/subway/train ride to your desk.

12. Fruit salad tacos with honey-whipped cottage cheese

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Fact: Everything is better in taco form. Proof: this recipe. Whip cottage cheese into a creamy orange-honey filling to spread into a warm tortilla and top with fruit salsa.

13. High protein gluten-free blender pancakes

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Oats, banana, and cottage cheese are the main ingredients in these light, fluffy, cinnamon-scented pancakes. All you’ve gotta do is toss everything in the blender and then cook ’em up 1/4 cup at a time.

14. Healthy breakfast banana split

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Once you drizzle an all-fruit jam (or dark chocolate) over cottage cheese and sprinkle on some crunchy granola and nuts, this banana split starts to look like the real deal. And it’s just as much fun to eat.

15. Cottage cheese and tomato on baguette breakfast

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Crusty bread. Creamy cheese. Juicy tomatoes. Fruity olive oil. NOM.

16. Summer melon protein parfait

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Switch up the usual parfait with cottage cheese instead of yogurt. This three-ingredient parfait features melon, but you can use it as a template and sub in fruits that are in season (or frozen).

17. Raspberry and blueberry oaty breakfast bars

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Cottage cheese gives these oat bars a light texture and a protein boost. Studded with sweet, juicy berries and crunchy pumpkin seeds, these babies are an awesome make-ahead, grab-and-go breakfast.

18. Sweet potato fajita cottage cheese bowls

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Pile fajita veggies on top of cottage cheese to dramatically amp up the protein count without meat. Sweet potatoes, red and green bell peppers, and onions seasoned with fajita powder get an extra boost of flavor from salsa.

19. Green power protein salad

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We looked up “nutrition” in a dictionary, and we swear a picture of this salad showed up. Think we’re exaggerating? It’s bursting with greens, lentils, nuts, seeds, and our friend cottage cheese.

It’s energizing, tasty, and satisfying — a total veggie love fest.

20. Low carb spanakopita cottage cheese and egg casserole

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Can’t find phyllo or simply want to keep the carb count low? Ditch it. Just keep the filling, featuring the Greek flavors of garlicky spinach, feta, and dill. Cottage cheese adds creaminess to this grain-free twist on tradition.

21. Easy guacamole tostadas with added protein

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Blend cottage cheese with lime, cilantro, cumin, and cayenne for an alternative to sour cream. The blogger stirs it into mashed avocado. We like to use it as a topping for the guac.

22. California cottage cheese bowl

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Keep things simple, tasty, and quick with this straightforward lunch.

23. Waldorf salad with cottage cheese

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Speaking of retro recipes, this eternal favorite proves that some things never get old, but they can get better. Here, cottage cheese takes the place of the mayo that binds the apples, celery, raisins, and walnuts.

24. Cottage cheese egg salad

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Cottage cheese subs for mayo, adding a boost of calcium and protein to this new version of an old favorite. Mustard and dill add familiar egg salad flavors. (We use spicy whole-grain mustard and fresh dill.)

Whether it’s a quick lunch straight out of the container (just add avocado and cherry tomato) or the secret ingredient in a dessert, cottage cheese is more awesome than you might have thought.

It adds protein and calcium to breakfast, lunch, dinner (lasagna… *drool*), and dessert. And come on, you know you’re starting to really dig that mild, tangy flavor.

27 Satisfying Cottage Cheese Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What does eating cottage cheese at night do? ›

It turns out consuming 30 grams of protein 30 minutes before bed—the amount in a little more than a cup of cottage cheese—was linked to stronger muscles, a quicker metabolism and better overall health in a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

What do most people eat cottage cheese with? ›

One of the most common ways to eat cottage cheese is by topping it with fresh fruit, like strawberries, blueberries, or kiwi. Topped with salt and pepper. If you're a cottage cheese purist, a bit of salt and pepper is all you need to add a savory touch. Mixed with honey.

Why do dieters eat cottage cheese? ›

Aids in weight loss

Low in fat: Full-fat cottage cheese contains less fat than some other cheeses (4% fat versus 30% fat in cheddar), and its high protein makes it an excellent low-fat option. Provides calcium: Studies show that increasing calcium can help you lose weight when combined with a calorie-restricted diet.

What is good and bad about cottage cheese? ›

Cottage cheese is low in carbohydrates. In addition, the protein in cottage cheese slows digestion, which promotes satiety and can prevent blood sugar spikes. It can be a filling snack alongside fruit. Although it is good for you, cottage cheese is high in sodium.

What seasoning to put on cottage cheese? ›

Savory Cottage Cheese Toppings

Give cottage cheese a drizzle of your best olive oil, flaky sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Caprese: Dice fresh tomatoes and chop basil, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic reduction, and add a dash of salt and pepper to make a "caprese" cottage cheese salad.

What happens if you eat cottage cheese everyday? ›

Cottage cheese is a good source of some vitamins and minerals, but it only contains small amounts of others, or none at all. If you only eat cottage cheese throughout the day, you won't get the RDI of all the nutrients your body needs to function well. You may lose energy throughout the day, especially if you exercise.

Why does cottage cheese burn belly fat? ›

What is in cottage cheese that burns fat? Cottage cheese itself does not burn fat. But it is high in protein, with 25 grams per one cup serving. Fat is burned through exercise and moving your body.

Is cottage cheese anti-inflammatory? ›

A 2021 study of 35,352 postmenopausal women published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reported a connection between higher intakes of dairy foods (including cottage cheese) and lower levels of CRP and IL-6. The same study revealed that eating yogurt was linked to a drop in type 2 diabetes risk.

What is the best thing to mix with cottage cheese? ›

The cheese's texture lends itself well to simple toppings, like a drizzle of olive oil, but textural pops like crunchy chips and juicy tomatoes work well as a fun change if you feel like you're stuck in a CC rut. Other mix-in ideas from our readers included crumbled bacon, Kalamata olives, and salsa.

How many times a week should you eat cottage cheese? ›

“I would consider limiting cottage cheese intake to 1 cup per day to allow for nutrient variety,” Voelkers advises. Before purchasing, she says to compare food labels as some cottage cheese can be higher in sodium than others, and the low-fat varieties may sneak in sugar.

What's better, Greek yogurt or cottage cheese? ›

So far, these two high-protein snacks are neck in neck when considering protein, calcium and calories. But one clear distinction steers the choice: Cottage cheese can be loaded with sodium. Just 1 cup of cottage cheese can deliver 8 to 9 times the sodium found in Greek yogurt.

What is the 30 30 30 rule? ›

The rule includes eating 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up in the morning and then doing 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise.

What type of cottage cheese is healthiest? ›

Fat-free, 1% and 2% fat cottage cheese have less saturated fat and fewer calories than the 4% fat variety, which includes cream. Lower fat varieties also generally have slightly more protein.

What is the mustard lady diet? ›

What is the Mustard Diet on TikTok? The mustard diet originated from “Mustard Girl”, Tiffany Magee, and involves eating a highly restricted diet of cottage cheese, chicken apple sausages, eggs, and raw vegetables – all with mustard included on the plate, or even mixed into the food itself.

Why do people put fruit in cottage cheese? ›

Cottage Cheese with Fruit is a nutritious and delicious breakfast or snack option! Assembled in less than 5 minutes, this quick and easy “recipe” is packed with protein and fiber. Plus the additional toppings of your choice – like granola, nuts, or seeds – can make these satisfying bowls even better.

What is the cottage cheese trend? ›

The dairy product, made from milk curds, is being hailed by health-conscious social media users as a high-protein hero. Inventive recipes from food influencers are going viral, from cottage cheese cookie dough to hot honey & cottage cheese toasts, and UK retailers are subsequently reporting an increase in sales.

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