23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (2024)

Cottage cheese is a beloved ingredient used in kitchens worldwide for centuries. Its high protein and calcium count make it a healthy food for meal planning. If you have a tub in the fridge, there are many ways to enjoy it beyond plain or with fruit (though we like it that way, too). So whether you're in the mood for pancakes, veggies with dip, or even lasagna, there's a cottage cheese recipe for you.

18 of the Best Cheese Dishes Ever Created in Our Test Kitchen

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (1)

01of 23

Honey-Lemon Cottage Cheese Pancakes

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (2)

Plain cottage cheese pancakes are already great, but these will hit your breakfast out of the park. Lemon zest, vanilla, blueberries, and honey combine to create the irresistible flavor of your new favorite short (or tall, we don't judge) stack of pancakes.

Does Maple Syrup Need to Be Refrigerated? Here’s How to Store It

02of 23

Cottage Cheese Pizza Toasts

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (3)

Give your ordinary toast a major upgrade with pizza sauce, cottage cheese, and your favorite toppings. We're also including cottage cheese recipe variations for pesto pizza toast and white pizza toast.

03of 23

Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowl

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (4)

This fruit and cottage cheese recipe is an upgraded version of the one you're used to having at Grandma's house. Along with fresh berries and kiwi, extra texture comes with every bite in this bowl by topping with granola, dried apricot pieces, and chia seeds.

12 Quick-and-Easy Healthy Breakfast Ideas to Kickstart Your Day

04of 23

Classic Lasagna

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (5)

If you've never made this comfort food from scratch, cottage cheese is the secret ingredient to our favorite lasagna recipe. (You can also use ricotta if you don't have cottage cheese.) We can smell the bubbly layers of cheese and tomatoes right now.

05of 23

Cottage Cheese-Dill Dip

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (6)

Prepare to meet your new favorite party dip. This low-fat cottage cheese recipe includes green onion, herbs, and spices. Chill (up to 24 hours!) until your guests arrive. Serve with veggies and crackers.

Sou Bourek

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (7)

This delightful cottage cheese recipe by chef Carrie Nahabedian pays tribute to her Armenian roots. Layers of fresh noodles are filled with a mixture of eggs, cottage cheese, and shredded Muenster or Monterrey Jack cheese. If you don't have time to make the noodles from scratch, you can still accomplish an equally tasty dish with wide egg noodles.

Homemade Gluten-Free Noodles

07of 23

Spinach and Feta Casserole

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (8)

With more than 75 ratings, here's a recipe you shouldn't pass up. This creamy cottage cheese recipe gets a bit of extra tang from crumbled feta cheese. Tote this easy vegetable side dish to your next cookout or serve it alongside chicken breast for a wholesome, low-carb meal.

The Best Potluck Casseroles That Will Have Everyone Asking for Seconds

08of 23

Honey and Poppy Seed Biscuits

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (9)

Here's another delicious cottage cheese recipe for bread. Instead of butter, these flaky biscuits utilize cottage cheese. A biscuit mix helps keep prep time (and the ingredient count) down. Serve warm with homemade jam alongside eggs for breakfast or lunch.

09of 23

Copycat Bacon and Gruyere Egg Bites

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (10)

Cottage cheese helps give these filling egg bites the same fluffy texture as your favorite coffee shop. Prepare a few of these to store in the fridge on Sunday, so you'll have breakfast ready for a few days during the busy week ahead.

16 Mason Jar Recipes for Easy, Portable Meals

10of 23

Mina (Matzo Pie with Spinach and Leeks)

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (11)

Matzo is an unleavened bread that's traditionally served during Passover. This recipe layers the bread with a filling of spinach, leeks, feta, and cottage cheese. It's a crave-worthy vegetarian meal even meat eaters will devour.

11of 23

Lightened-Up Spaghetti Pie

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (12)

Craving Italian but want a quick, healthier option? Get those same delicious flavors in this savory cottage cheese recipe. Ground turkey is swapped for beef, and fresh veggies (mushrooms, green bell peppers, and onion) provide extra nutrients.

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash as a Low-Carb Pasta Alternative

12of 23

Cottage Cheese Puff

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (13)

This nostalgic BHG cottage cheese recipe dates back to the '70s! Whipped eggs give this soufflé-like dish an airy texture while the cheese gives it some tang. It would make an excellent vegetarian dish for brunch or dinner.

13of 23

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (14)

No one will ever guess this lightened-up sweet treat is a cottage cheese recipe. Blend the curds with cream cheese and lime-flavor gelatin before pouring over a graham cracker crust. This no-bake dessert gives the same delicious flavor of a key lime pie with far less time or stress to prepare.

14of 23

Million Dollar Spaghetti

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (15)

A few extra ingredients help this baked spaghetti recipe earn its million-dollar name. Adding cottage cheese, sour cream, and cream cheese, along with the meaty sauce, ensures the finished dish is rich and creamy.

Inside-Out Spaghetti Pie

15of 23

Hamburger Cheese Bake

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (16)

This weeknight-ready cottage cheese recipe can be on the table in under an hour. The hearty casserole is filled with ground beef, cottage cheese, and wide noodles. As one BHG home cook raved, "This is one of my family's favorite meals! Have been making this for years."

16of 23

Classic Lasagna Soup

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (17)

Skip the fuss of making a pan of lasagna and whip up this hearty soup instead. Each bowl is topped with a dollop of a creamy cottage cheese and Parmesan mixture. Season the finished soup with plenty of fresh basil.

17of 23

Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (18)

This easy diced chicken and cottage cheese casserole recipe includes cream cheese and sour cream. Top the bubbly baked dish with crushed butter crackers and freshly sliced green onions.

What to Eat With Cream Cheese (Beyond Bagels) and Yummy Recipes to Try

18of 23

Whole Grain Waffles

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (19)

Add a little protein to your morning stack with this cottage cheese waffle recipe. Wheat germ in the batter adds texture, while almond butter adds a nutty flavor to the high-protein breakfast.

The 8 Best Waffle Makers of 2024 for a Fluffy Breakfast Treat, According to Testing

19of 23

Vegetable Lasagna

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (20)

This vegetarian lasagna recipe is loaded with mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, and carrots. The creamy layers are made with ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, and Italian seasoning. Top the layered dish with mozzarella and shredded Parmesan cheese.

20of 23

Sheet Pan Lasagna

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (21)

If the crispy edges are your favorite part of lasagna, meet your new favorite cottage cheese recipe. Cooking lasagna in a sheet pan allows for more area to become caramelized. Don't worry; all the melty goodness you love is there, too!

21of 23

Caesar Dip with Vegetables

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (22)

Transform the flavors of a classic Caesar dressing into a creamy veggie dip. When blended, cottage cheese becomes smooth and velvety. Mix up the entire dip in your food processor and serve with fresh veggies or potato chips.

22of 23

Bagel, Lox, and Egg Strata

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (23)

If your go-to breakfast is a bagel topped with lox, this is the breakfast casserole you need to try. Bagel pieces are topped with a cottage cheese and egg mixture, lox, and fresh chives to make it. Add Swiss cheese for melted texture and flavor.

These 2-Ingredient Bagels are Easy to Make and Taste Amazing

23of 23

Overnight Breakfast Pie

View Recipe

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (24)

Prep this cottage cheese recipe for breakfast the night before you plan to serve it. To assemble, crispy bacon is mixed with eggs, cottage cheese, and hash browns before being piled into a pie crust.

23 Cottage Cheese Recipes You’ll Actually Crave (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular way to eat cottage cheese? ›

SWEET
  1. Fresh fruit. Try chopped peaches, plums or pineapple (or add your favorites). Berries. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc!
  2. Jam and toasted nuts.
  3. Granola and honey. Or Granola and maple syrup.
  4. Dried fruit. Try apricots or cranberries.
  5. Chocolate. Chips, chunks or shavings!

What mixes well 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.

Why is cottage cheese making a comeback? ›

For a younger generation of increasingly plant-based eaters who no longer consider drinking cow's milk “cool,” the revival of the dairy-based cottage cheese by Gen Z has many confused. One of the biggest reasons cottage cheese seems to be making a comeback is due to its highly nutritious profile.

Why is everyone eating cottage cheese? ›

Cottage cheese is high in protein and is an excellent source of calcium. Choosing a low-fat cottage cheese can reduce saturated fat intake when substituting it for other higher fat foods, such as cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise or ricotta cheese. It's also full of vitamins and minerals that support a healthy diet.

Are there any negatives to cottage cheese? ›

He said that while most cheese, including cottage cheese, contains nutrients such as vitamins and calcium, it can also have high levels of sodium and fat, so he recommends eating it in moderation.

What do most people put on cottage cheese? ›

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.

What helps cottage cheese taste better? ›

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 seasoning tastes good on cottage cheese? ›

Combine the cottage cheese, dill, tarragon, chives, salt and white pepper in a small bowl. Spread about 1/4 cup of the cottage cheese mixture on each slice of warm toast.

What is healthier yogurt or cottage cheese? ›

The Bottom Line. And the winner is... plain Greek yogurt by a very thin margin. Greek yogurt's advantage is very slight due to a little more calcium, lower sodium and a higher chance of containing probiotics.

What happens to your body when you eat cottage cheese? ›

“And cottage cheese offers lots of health benefits.” As a dairy product, cottage cheese is a great calcium source, which is important for bone health. Having healthier bones makes you less likely to get osteoporosis (weak bones). Cottage cheese in your diet can even help with your blood sugar levels.

Why is cottage cheese so addictive? ›

The protein found in milk — human or animal — is called casein, and when it breaks down in your body, it produces molecules called casomorphins. These strings of amino acids have the same effect in your brain as opiates do. Yep, it works kind of the same as heroin does in your brain.

What pairs well with cottage cheese? ›

Perfect Pairings
  • Avocados with Cilantro & Tomatoes. Craving guacamole? ...
  • Bananas & Pecans. ...
  • Beets & Baby Romaine. ...
  • Blackberries & Walnuts. ...
  • Blueberries & Almonds. ...
  • Figs with Pistachios & Cardamom. ...
  • Granny Smith Apples & Cinnamon. ...
  • Grapefruit with Mint & Honey.
Dec 22, 2014

What type of cottage cheese is healthiest? ›

Percentage of fat. 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.

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.

How is cottage cheese traditionally eaten? ›

Cottage cheese can be low in calories compared to other types of cheese — similar to yogurt; this makes it popular among dieters and some health devotees. It can be used with various foods such as yogurt, fruit, toast, and granola, in salads, as a dip, and as a replacement for mayonnaise.

How do Americans eat cottage cheese? ›

High in protein and low in fat, its uses are myriad, as a snack or “salad” in its own right, or as an alternative to either ricotta or cream cheese in lasagnas and cheesecakes, etc. “My default is fresh tomatoes, or peaches,” says Mack, simple savory and sweet options when it comes to partnering cottage cheese.

Is it better to eat cottage cheese in the morning or at night? ›

For this reason, consuming it before bed has been shown to increase metabolism and muscle synthesis overnight without affecting the breakdown of fats ( 17 ). Due to the slow absorption of casein, some bodybuilders like to eat cottage cheese before bed.

What seasoning to put on cottage cheese? ›

Olive oil, salt, and pepper: These classic flavors never disappoint — and you most certainly have them already in your kitchen. Give cottage cheese a drizzle of your best olive oil, flaky sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Roderick King

Last Updated:

Views: 6038

Rating: 4 / 5 (51 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Roderick King

Birthday: 1997-10-09

Address: 3782 Madge Knoll, East Dudley, MA 63913

Phone: +2521695290067

Job: Customer Sales Coordinator

Hobby: Gunsmithing, Embroidery, Parkour, Kitesurfing, Rock climbing, Sand art, Beekeeping

Introduction: My name is Roderick King, I am a cute, splendid, excited, perfect, gentle, funny, vivacious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.