Cooking With Cottage Cheese

Cooking with cottage cheese is a great way to add protein, flavor, and creaminess to meals, but it can be tricky. Here are some tips for success!

I was obsessed with cottage cheese long before it became a trend, and I have been sharing my recipes on Instagram stories for years. From cottage cheese omelets to every kind of sauce and dip combination you can think of, I’ve probably tried it! I love cooking cottage cheese, but it can be finicky.

Cottage cheese is high in protein, with one cup providing 14 to 20 grams, depending on the brand. It’s nutrient-rich, low in calories, and fermented, making it an excellent source of gut-friendly probiotics. It’s a versatile ingredient that can be enjoyed with your favorite crackers for a quick, high-protein snack, blended into a dip or dressing, and even added to pasta sauces for creaminess. I consume it daily, and after years of trial and error, here are some things I’ve learned.

Taste, texture, and consistency can vary from brand to brand. Some are mild and almost sweet, while others are pretty tangy. Consistency can range from large curds, typically wetter, to small curds, which are thick and creamy. It’s a personal preference, but I prefer a small curd variety with less moisture, especially when cooking with cottage cheese. Good Culture and Daisy Pure & Natural 4% Milkfat are my two favorite brands.

Excess liquid can cause issues when cooking with cottage cheese, depending on what you’re using it in. Draining it overnight can help. Place a medium-sized fine-mesh strainer over a bowl large enough to hold it without touching the bottom. Pour the cottage cheese into the strainer, cover the top and bowl tightly with foil, and place in the refrigerator overnight. You’ll be surprised how much liquid (whey) will be at the bottom of the bowl in the morning!

Don’t get it too hot. When cottage cheese gets too hot, the curds can separate from the whey, resulting in a watery mess and/or a grainy texture. Here are a few things you can do to prevent this.

Draining the cottage cheese removes most of the whey, so less liquid can separate.
Use gentle heat to prevent the cottage cheese from getting too hot.
Adding a bit of cornstarch or starchy pasta water helps stabilize the sauce.
Using eggs, extra cheese, and/or evaporated milk in the sauce helps prevent separation.

All these things can help, but nothing is 100% if you let the cottage cheese get too hot. Now that we know what causes that watery separation and how to avoid it, I’ll share some of my favorite ways to eat cottage cheese and use it in cooking!

Cottage Cheese Queso Dip

One of my favorite ways to use cottage cheese is to whip it into a creamy, high-protein dip, and I’m obsessed with this queso-style version!

Add cottage cheese and salsa to a blender.
Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy. You may need to add a touch of water.
Transfer the cottage cheese mixture to a small, non-stick pan over medium-low heat.
Add some grated cheddar cheese to the pan, and start to stir slowly.
Continue slowly stirring until the mixture is warmed and the cheese is melted.
Do NOT let this mixture start to bubble or get too hot. Use low(ish) heat and be patient.
Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the shredded cheese is melted.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
Enjoy with chips and veggie slices!

Add your favorite hot sauce and spices to jazz it up, and have fun with garnishes. I love fresh pico and extra shredded cheese on top!

Omelettes

Cottage cheese omelettes were an idea from an Instagram follower years ago, and I’ve been making them ever since! You can watch me make it here.

Start by making a simple omelet.
Add whatever fillings you want and warm through.
Add some cottage cheese, fold the omelet, and remove it from the stove.

The heat from the eggs will warm the cottage cheese just enough that you’re not eating it cold. If you add the cottage cheese to the eggs while they’re cooking, it gets too hot, and you will see that separation I explained above. Therefore, I add it just before removing it from the heat.

Simple Cottage Cheese & Eggs

While I love cottage cheese omelettes, this is the variation I make the most because the flavors are similar, and sometimes it’s just easier and than making an omelet.

It’s simple and quick and one of my go-to breakfasts, but there’s a trick. Never combine the eggs with the cottage cheese while they’re cooking. It gets too hot and separates, so I enjoy it on the side.

In the photo above, two scrambled eggs, three chicken sausage links, and a serving of cottage cheese provide over 40 grams of protein. I also love fried eggs on cottage cheese and rice. The yolk becomes a sauce—a fantastic combination of flavors!

Cottage Cheese Bowls

When we’re not cooking with cottage cheese, we’re making simple cottage cheese bowls. They’re incredibly versatile and a great way to use odds and ends. The base of any cottage cheese bowl is—well—cottage cheese. I like to spread it around the bottom of the entire bowl. This way, when I eat, I get a bit of it with every bite. Here are a few of my favorite combinations.

Cottage cheese, rice, tuna salad, Sriracha, and scallions.
Cottage cheese topped with a simple tomato, cucumber, and onion salad, pictured above.
Cottage cheese, chicken sausage, bell peppers, red onions, and scallions.
Cottage cheese, crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, peas, and bagel seasoning.
Cottage cheese, chicken sausage, kimchi, scrambled eggs, sesame seeds, and scallions.

The variations are literally endless. Cottage cheese’s mild flavor can be used in sweet and savory combinations!

Baking Tips

Baking with cottage cheese is a fantastic way to add flavor, protein, and moisture to your baked goods.

When you bake with cottage cheese, you typically combine it with flour, which does a fantastic job absorbing excess moisture. Many people substitute cottage cheese for Greek yogurt in the two-ingredient Greek yogurt bagels, but that doesn’t always work. Depending on the brand of cottage cheese, it can make the dough too wet. These are essential things to know before diving into a cooking with cottage cheese journey!

Cooking with cottage cheese can be tricky, so be sure you’re following a recipe from someone you trust and thoroughly tests their recipes.

Cottage Cheese Toast

I couldn’t write a post about cooking with cottage cheese without mentioning cottage cheese toast. Out of all the meals listed above, this is the one I eat the most. I love it so much that I wrote an entire post about it. You can read that here, but here are some tips.

The way you assemble the sandwich matters. I typically put the cottage cheese layer down first so that any moisture from the cottage cheese can soak into the bread. This doesn’t make the sandwich soggy unless you use a particularly wet brand of cottage cheese.
Remember that cottage cheese is savory and can be pretty salty when choosing your ingredients. If you’re using salty ingredients like bacon or Parmesan cheese, you may need to balance them with something more neutral-flavored. One of my favorite combinations is cottage cheese, fried eggs, and a boatload of Parmesan. I don’t salt the eggs because there is plenty in the cottage cheese and Parmesan.

Cottage cheese toast is a quick, healthy, high-protein breakfast with endless variations!

I hope this post has given you some tips for success when cooking with cottage cheese. If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments below!

Check out our vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, and low-carb recipes if you have food sensitivities!

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