Cottage cheese is typically consumed as a side to a meal or alone as a snack. It can become boring, especially if you eat it often and may need an extra kick from time to time. The good news for cottage cheese lovers is that there are many ways to eat it. It is a very versatile food because it can be paired with many different foods that range in flavors. It is also an ingredient in many recipes and can be used as a substitute for other foods. Finding ways to eat cottage cheese becomes easier as you learn what food combinations or recipes work for you. There is no best way to eat cottage cheese no matter who tells you there is. Be free and eat it the way you like it!
Below we have provided some ideas for ways to eat cottage cheese. While this is not a complete list of options, hopefully it will give you some ideas for different ways to eat cottage cheese.
Ways To Eat Cottage Cheese
Fruit
A popular way to eat cottage cheese is with fruit. You can buy cottage cheese with fruit mixed in or in a side cup, but these always seem to taste a bit weird. It is better to add your own fresh fruit or even canned will work well. It is usually healthier this way anyhow. Almost any fruit pairs well with cottage cheese so pick what you like best. Some common fruit choices include strawberry, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, pineapple (canned chunks work well), peaches (canned or sliced fresh), cantaloupe, and mandarin oranges.
Vegetables
One of the classic combinations with cottage cheese is sliced tomato. Especially a garden fresh salted slice or two. Other options include lettuce wraps, peppers, chives, celery, red onions, carrots, and cucumbers. You can even top a salad with cottage cheese to replace a fattening dressing. In truth, almost all vegetables work well with cottage cheese so feel free to get creative.
Scrambled Eggs
We recently provided a recipe for scrambled eggs with cottage cheese that tastes yummy. The good part about this recipe is that the cottage cheese substitutes out the cheddar cheese that is typically found in scrambled eggs. This makes for a healthier breakfast while adding extra protein to keep you full through the morning. Additionally, you can add cottage cheese to an omelet just how you would a traditional omelet cheese like cheddar.
Smoothies
If you aren’t a fan of the chunky texture of cottage cheese, you may want to try a smoothie with added cottage cheese. As the ingredients run through the blender, the blade will chop up the curds creating a smooth texture. Try the following recipe:
Ingredients
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 cup favorite fruit (frozen works best)
1/2 tbsp of sugar or Splenda
Directions
Add all ingredients to the blender. Blend. Pour in glass and drink.
Peanut Butter
We recently tried cottage cheese and peanut butter. Full disclosure, we weren’t fans of the combination. However, this seems to be a somewhat popular combination, especially for people looking for high protein/lower carbs snacks. Add two tablespoons of peanut butter to a 1/2 to 1 cup of cottage cheese. Stir the peanut butter into the cottage and enjoy. You can also experiment with other nut butters like almond or hazelnut.
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Lasagna
Lots of lasagna recipes or other pasta dishes that have layers of ingredients contain ricotta cheese. However, cottage cheese can make an excellent substitute for ricotta because it is healthier and most people cannot tell the difference. As a comparison, one cup of 2% cottage cheese has 194 calories whereas one cup of part-skim ricotta has 339 calories. Unless you are feeding someone with a discerning tongue, opt for the cottage cheese if you are looking for to save calories.
Bagels or Toast
Cottage cheese makes a good spread for bagels or toast. It can replace higher calorie cream cheeses. You can stir in jelly, fruit, spices, or whatever you prefer prior to topping the bagel/bread with the cottage cheese. You can also use it as a replacement for traditional sandwich cheeses like cheddar or swiss.
Ketchup
President Richard Nixon was a big fan of cottage cheese. According to the Nixon Presidential Library, “President Nixon’s favorite breakfast usually consisted of cottage cheese (garnished with either ketchup and/or black pepper), fresh fruit, wheat germ, and coffee.”
Potatoes
Ditch the high-calorie sour cream for cottage cheese on your baked potato. Try this baked potato with herbed cottage cheese recipe, which also includes yogurt. You can also add cottage cheese to mashed potatoes to cut down on the cream and butter (see below).
Cottage Cheese Mased Potatoes – Ingredients:
4-5 large potatoes (2 lbs), peeled & quartered
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup onion
1 cup cottage cheese (4% milkfat)
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
Preheat over to 365 F. Boil the potatoes in salted water until you can easily stick a fork in them. Drain and then put them back in the boiling pan on low heat for 2 minutes to remove excess water. Add the potatoes to a large bowl with the butter. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add the onion, cottage cheese. and sour cream to the bowl. Fold in with a spatula. Salt and pepper to taste. Transfer potato mixture to a casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.
Pancakes
A good way to add extra protein to pancakes is to make them with cottage cheese. These are great for kids who don’t always like cottage cheese because it adds a bit more nutrition while hiding that cottage taste or texture.
Jam, Jelly, and Butter
Any sort of jam, jelly, or fruit-based butter is excellent in cottage cheese. Give apple or pumpkin butter a try for an almost dessert-like treat. Simply add a 1/2 to 1 tablespoon to a cup of cottage cheese, mix it in, and enjoy!
