High Protein Cottage Cheese Recipes – Toast Edition

Welcome to the first in my series of high protein cottage cheese recipes. Cottage cheese is a versatile ingredient that’s low in calories and high in protein, and today, we’re talking all things toast!

When cottage cheese was trending, I was going through tonsil cancer treatment, so I’m super late to the party, but I’m here now and all in. I LOVE cottage cheese. I also work hard to hit my daily protein goals, so these high protein cottage cheese recipes are right up my alley!

Cottage cheese is a blank canvas, and there are many ways to enjoy it, from spreading it on toast to blending it and using it in recipes. I’m so excited about this series, and I’d love for you to share your favorite way to eat cottage cheese in the comments below. But for now, let’s dive in!

What Is Cottage Cheese?

Cottage cheese is a fresh cheese that is not ripened or aged. It’s made by adding an acid to pasteurized milk, which causes the milk solids to separate from the whey. These solids are gently cut into small pieces and drained from the whey, forming curds. The curds are agitated or pressed the curd to expel as much as possible. The dry curds are mixed with a “dressing” made from cream, milk, citric acid, and salt. Just one-half cup provides 13 grams of protein, calcium, potassium, selenium, and B12. It’s perfect for high protein cottage cheese recipes!

What’s The Big Deal About Cottage Cheese?

People have strong feelings about cottage cheese. It’s one of those foods that people either love or hate. I love it, and here’s why.

• Cottage cheese is a delicious, versatile source of protein.
• It’s tasty on its own and pairs well with other ingredients.
• It can be whipped or blended and enjoyed as a sauce, dip, or dressing.
• You can cook with it! Try replacing cream with blended cottage cheese.
• Just 1/2 cup provides 13 grams of protein, calcium, potassium, selenium, and B12.
• It’s low in calories, making it my go-to for high-volume, low-calorie meals.

What’s The Big Deal About Protein?

In addition to being late to the cottage cheese party, I was also late to the protein party. It wasn’t until I was struggling with menopause weight that I learned about the importance of protein. If you missed this post on my menopause weight loss journey, I update it regularly as I learn what’s working and what’s not. Here are a few reasons I love protein, and so should you!

• Protein is satiating, keeping you fuller longer and reducing calorie consumption.
• Adding protein to a meal can balance blood sugar levels and prevent spikes.
• Studies show a positive link between a high-protein diet and better bone health.
• Getting adequate protein helps us build and maintain muscle, especially before, during, and after menopause.

What Is The Best Cottage Cheese?

This is a personal preference. Some like low-fat for its lower calorie content, while others prefer a higher fat content for its creamy consistency. Some brands are saltier than others, while others are sweeter. You may have to try a few to find one you love.

• Good Culture 4% cottage cheese is my favorite! The higher fat content results in a creamier, richer texture. It’s usually thicker and less watery than the nonfat and low-fat varieties. Since I eat cottage cheese almost daily, the ingredients matter to me. I look for dairy sourced from pasture-raised cows and free from hormones, preservatives, gums, thickeners, carrageenan, and added sugar. Good Culture also has live and active cultures, which are great for digestion and gut health.

High Protein Cottage Cheese Recipes – Toast Edition

Cottage cheese toast has become my go-to breakfast or afternoon snack. It’s quick, easy, high in protein, low in calories, and nutritious.

• Cottage cheese toast is a perfectly balanced meal with protein, carbs, and fiber.
• It’s quick and easy! Every recipe listed below can be made in 10 minutes or less.
• The possibilities are endless. Try different combos and have fun with it.

Ingredients In Cottage Cheese Toast

• Cottage cheese is the star, so use one you like.
• Bread. I love Ezekiel bread, but use whatever you like. Sourdough is great, too!
• Toppings. Avocado, chili crisp, olive oil, nuts, radish, cucumber, and berries, to name a few.

Ezekiel bread is a flourless bread made with a variety of sprouted grains. It’s nutritious, naturally gluten-free, and has more protein than other store-bought bread. It’s hearty and dense and holds up well to cottage cheese toast.

How To Make Cottage Cheese Toast

This is self-explanatory, but I’ll share my process. But first, I have a few criteria.

• It must not be too messy. I don’t want to be aggravated by my food first thing in the morning.
• The order in which you add the ingredients matters or the cottage cheese gets squished out.
• It can’t be too big, so I don’t go crazy with the toppings. A nice, thin layer of each does the trick.
• It has to taste good, obviously!

Tip: I play around with toppings over on Instagram stories, and my followers have seen the combinations that didn’t make the cut. If you’re not following me there yet, you can give me a follow here. I post on stories almost daily!

Process

1. Toast the bread in a toaster, regular oven, or air fryer. I keep my Ezekiel bread in the freezer, so I toast mine in the air fryer at 400 degrees.
2. While the bread is toasting, gather my ingredients and prepare anything that needs to be cooked, usually just an egg!
3. To assemble the cottage cheese toast, I like to let the bread cool for a minute or two so the cottage cheese doesn’t get warm. To keep the macros consistent, I always use a quarter cup of cottage cheese every time and spread it over the entire surface of the toast. There are some combinations where the cottage cheese doesn’t come first, which I’ll discuss below.
4. Add your toppings. The order here matters. Something like bacon should go under the cottage cheese. If not, it will press down into it and be messier. If I’m using avocado, I add it first to mash it into the toast gently.

To summarize, toast the bread, gather ingredients while it’s toasting, assemble, and enjoy immediately.

Toast is the perfect vessel for high-protein cottage cheese recipes. Here are some of my current favorite combos!

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Cottage Cheese Toast With Avocado, Egg, And Feta

This combination was fantastic! Za’atar is a Middle Eastern seasoning blend that adds an earthy, herbaceous flavor to your dishes. It’s delicious, and I’m obsessed with it. Aleppo pepper is earthy and fruity with a mild heat. I’ve been using it almost in place of black pepper lately. It just adds more pizazz!

• 1 slice of toasted Ezekiel bread (80 calories, 4 grams protein, 3 grams fiber)
• 1/2 small avocado, whipped (12o calories, 1 gram protein, 4 grams fiber)
• 1/4 cup 4% Good Culture cottage cheese (110 calories, 13 grams protein, 0 grams fiber)
• 1 over-medium fried egg (70 calories, 6 grams protein, 0 grams fiber)
• 1 tablespoon crumbled feta (2o calories, 2 grams protein, 0 grams fiber)
• Garnish: pinch of Za’atar seasoning, Aleppo pepper, and parsley

With the ingredients and brands I used, the approximate totals for protein, fiber, and calories are:

• Protein = 26 grams
• Fiber = 7 grams
• Calories = 400

Tip: The calories in avocado will vary depending on its size. The avocados I use are tiny and yield about 1/4 cup of mashed avocado per half.

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Cottage Cheese Toast With Scallion Eggs And Crispy Shallots

Cooking the scallions with the egg adds a subtle oniony flavor, and sprinkling the raw scallion on top adds freshness and crunch!

• 1 slice of toasted Ezekiel bread (80 calories, 4 grams protein, 3 grams fiber)
• 1/4 cup 4% Good Culture cottage cheese (110 calories, 13 grams protein, 0 grams fiber)
• 1 egg scrambled with the white part of a scallion (70 calories, 6 grams protein, 0 grams fiber)
• 2 tablespoons crispy shallots
• Garnish: pinch of flakey salt, Aleppo pepper, and the top part of the scallion

With the ingredients and brands I used, the approximate totals for protein, fiber, and calories are:

• Protein = 23 grams
• Fiber = 3 grams
• Calories =260

*** I didn’t count the crispy shallots or scallions in the nutrition totals. They will add a few calories but no protein or fiber.

Tip: Crispy shallots take this to the next level. I have a step-by-step video on Instagram where you can also get the recipe.

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Cottage Cheese Toast With Smashed Peas And Crispy Shallots

There are two types of people regarding peas: those who love them and those who hate them. I love them and thought about this combination for days after I made it. It was delicious!

• 1 slice of toasted Ezekiel bread (80 calories, 4 grams protein, 3 grams fiber)
• 1/4 cup 4% Good Culture cottage cheese (110 calories, 13 grams protein, 0 grams fiber)
• 1/4 cup frozen peas, prepared as noted below (35 calories, 2 grams protein, 2 grams fiber)
• 2 tablespoons crispy shallots (70 calories, 6 grams protein, 0 grams fiber)
• Garnish: pinch of flaky salt and Aleppo pepper

*** I didn’t count the crispy shallots in the nutrition totals. They will add a few calories but no protein or fiber.

With the ingredients and brands I used, the approximate totals for protein, fiber, and calories are:

• Protein = 255 grams
• Fiber = 5 grams
• Calories = 295

Tip: There’s no need to cook the frozen peas. Let them hang out in hot water while preparing the other ingredients. I do this right after tossing the bread in the air fryer using hot water from my tea kettle. Drain them, lightly mash with a fork, and add a pinch of salt and pepper.

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Cottage Cheese Toast With Peanut Butter And Granola

I loved the texture of the granola on this one, but I’d be lying if I said I loved all of it together. This series has shown me that sweet cottage cheese toast combinations are not my thing. However, my family loved it!

• 1 slice of toasted Ezekiel bread (80 calories, 4 grams protein, 3 grams fiber)
• 1/4 cup 4% Good Culture cottage cheese (110 calories, 13 grams protein, 0 grams fiber)
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter (60 calories, 8 grams protein, 2 grams fiber)
• 1/4 cup :ratio keto granola (150 calories, 8 grams protein, 2 grams fiber)
• 1 tablespoon raw honey (70 calories, 0 grams protein, 0 grams fiber)

With the ingredients and brands I used, the approximate totals for protein, fiber, and calories are:

• Protein = 33 grams
• Fiber = 7 grams
• Calories = 470

Tip: To lower the calories, I make my peanut butter using sugar-free peanut butter powder with just enough water to make it thick and creamy.

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Cottage Cheese Toast With Tuna Salad, Bagel Seasoning, And Scallions

Who knew tuna salad and cottage cheese were a match made in heaven? This was SO SO good!

• 1 slice of toasted Silver Hills Bakery bread (100 calories, 6 grams protein, 4 grams fiber)
• 1/4 cup 4% Good Culture cottage cheese (110 calories, 13 grams protein, 0 grams fiber)
• 1/2 batch of tuna salad (recipe below) (110 calories. 13 grams protein, 0 fiber)
• Garnish: bagel seasoning + scallions

With the ingredients and brands I used, the approximate totals for protein, fiber, and calories are:

• Protein = 32 grams
• Fiber = 4 grams
• Calories = 320

Tip: For the tuna salad, I mixed one can of Wild Planet Tuna with 1/3 cup Siggi’s Greek yogurt, one tablespoon avocado mayonnaise, two tablespoons capers + one tablespoon caper juice, and a generous pinch of black pepper. The total protein for the tuna salad was approximately 27 grams, and I used half of it for one piece of toast. One of the residual side effects of my tonsil cancer treatment is dry mouth, so I like a wet tuna salad. If you don’t, start with less yogurt and add more to taste.

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Cottage Cheese Toast With Bacon And Scallions

Don’t underestimate the simplicity of this one. The crispy bacon adds a smoky, salty flavor that pairs perfectly with the cool, creamy cottage cheese. A generous pile of scallions adds freshness and crunch.

• 1 slice of toasted Ezekiel bread (80 calories, 4 grams protein, 3 grams fiber)
• 2 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked (110 calories, 8 grams protein, 0 grams fiber)
• 1/4 cup 4% Good Culture cottage cheese (110 calories, 13 grams protein, 0 grams fiber)
• Garnish: curly scallion tops and Aleppo pepper

With the ingredients and brands I used, the approximate totals for protein, fiber, and calories are:

• Protein = 25 grams
• Fiber = 3 grams
• Calories = 300

To make curly scallions:

1. cut the dark top part of the scallion into 2″ pieces
2. slice them into very thin strips lengthwise
3. soak the sliced scallions in ice water for five minutes or until they start to curl up
4. drain on paper towels and enjoy your fancy scallions 😉

Recipe Variations

The possibilities are endless, from sweet to savory! I gravitate toward savory combinations, but here are a few ideas you can try that my family loved!

Sweet Cottage Cheese Toast Ideas

• Cottage cheese + sliced bananas + granola + honey
• Cottage cheese + jam + blueberries + chia or hemp seeds
• Cottage cheese + grilled peaches + hemp seeds + fresh mint
• Apple butter + cottage cheese + diced apples + cinnamon + maple syrup
• Cottage cheese + sliced pears + almond butter + pumpkin seeds + maple syrup

Savory Cottage Cheese Toast Ideas

• Smashed avocado + cottage cheese + micro greens + bagel seasoning
• Cottage cheese + sliced cucumber + za’atar seasoning
• Cottage cheese + sliced tomato + fresh basil + good olive oil + flakey salt
• Smashed avocado + cottage cheese + fried egg + chili crunch + scallions
• Cottage cheese + smoked salmon + red onion + capers + fresh dill

Helpful Tips

• If you don’t like the texture of cottage cheese, try blending it! Add the entire container to a small food processor or NutriBullet, and blend for 30 to 60 seconds or until smooth.
• Some brands have more liquid than others, making your toast soggy. If you see liquid on the top of the cottage cheese, pour it off and give the cottage cheese a good stir.
• Use a bread hearty enough to stand up to the toppings. Soft white bread won’t work here.
• Food prep makes throwing together meals like this quick and easy. I wash and prep scallions, bell peppers, bacon, roasted tomatoes, and fresh herbs every week.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does cottage cheese taste?

• Some brands are slightly sweeter than others, while others can be pretty salty. I look for a fresh, clean taste in my cottage cheese. Good Culture 4% and Daisy 4% are my favorites. You may have to try several brands before finding one you love.

Do you use butter or oil on the bread before you toast it?

• Fats (oil, butter, ghee, etc.) have between 90 and 120 calories per tablespoon, so I like to save the calories, and I don’t think it’s necessary. I find the cottage cheese moistens it enough.

Can this be made gluten-free?

• It sure can! Use your favorite gluten-free bread and add gluten-free toppings. Cottage cheese is naturally gluten-free!

Can I make this in advance?

• I don’t recommend it. Cottage cheese is inherently wet, even if you drain it. I suggest eating it as soon as it’s made. To save time, you can prep the toppings in advance, so it’s easier to prepare when the time comes. For example, in the picture above with the bacon, I had already prepped the bacon when I did my weekly food prep.

Serve This With 

• 10-Minute Tangy Tomato Dressing Recipe
• Foolproof Butter & Lemon Baked Rice Recipe
• Easy Oven Roasted Broccoli Recipe
• Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe | Plus 25 Ways To Use It

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