Nicole

In all honesty, I am not a cook and have my own version of microwave semi homemade lasagna. 😂 I am willing to sacrifice taste for faster and healthier versions of a recipe. It drives my dh insane. I am going to give lasagna with cottage cheese a try.

I think I have used it in lasagna ages ago, but honestly I haven't made lasagna in ages either. I do, however, eat cottage cheese almost daily for breakfast. I did read an article that cottage cheese consumption is way up. I imagine cottage cheese could work well with a variety of egg recipes (scrambled, frittata? etc).

I've used it in baked rigatoni (basically lasagna but easier) and have tried the CC pancakes which tasted great but I'm not a big pancake person so it was a one and done. DH loves CC and eats a small custard cup frequently with his lunch. I don't eat it often but there is something about canned peaches (in juice not syrup) on top of CC that is very nostalgic and tasty once in a while.

I actually made pizza crust with it. Here is one. There are several recipes if you google.

Pizza with Cottage Cheese Crust

• Author: Lindsay
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 3-4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

The amounts written below will yield a thinner crust. You can also 1.5x these amounts to get a thicker crust! When I make it to feed our entire family (2 adults + 2 kids), I do the 1.5x amounts. Just par-bake for closer to 10 minutes before adding sauce and cheese since it’s thicker.

For the crust:

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup flour + a few tablespoons for dusting
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1–2 tablespoons olive oil

For the pizza:

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup sauce (I’ve been using Rao’s marinara)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a rack at the highest position, near the top.
2. Prep Cottage Cheese: Blend the cottage cheese until smooth.
3. Make Dough for Crust: Place blended cottage cheese in a bowl; mix with the flour, baking powder and salt until a dough starts to come together. It will start to get kind of shaggy, crumbly, and sticky – use your hands to really bring it together. I usually turn it out on the counter and give it a few squishes, coating with a bit of extra flour, to make it into a cohesive ball.
4. Form The Crust: Place a sheet of parchment on a pizza pan or baking sheet. Place the dough on the parchment and press into a circle that is about 10-12 inches in diameter. It is a pretty bready crust, so you want to really press it out into a thinner, wider surface area.
5. Prep The Crust: Rub the top of the crust with olive oil.
6. Pre-Bake The Crust: Place in the oven; bake (no toppings) for 8-10 minutes.
7. Add Sauce and Cheese: Remove from oven. Spread with sauce and top with the two cheeses. Bake on that same top rack for another 5 minutes to melt the cheeses.
8. Broil and Finish: Finally, broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese and crust edges are deeply golden, like the picture. I like to sprinkle the slices with red pepper flakes, drizzle with olive oil or hot honey, and dip into more sauce! It’s too good!

Find it online: https://pinchofyum.com/my-new-favorite-pizza-has-a-cottage-cheese-crust

I add cottage cheese to scrambled eggs to increase the protein content. I like cc on its own once in a while. I'd also like to try it as a replacement for sour cream in dips--there are a number of recipes on the internet for this.

Cottage cheese with cinnamon and stevia. Dessert!

I like cottage cheese with crackers — like tortilla chips and salsa, except I scoop CC with crackers. Everyone in my family thinks it’s weird but I like it!

I have never had it with fruit or anything sweet. My dad loved CC with peaches.

Sure used it for years. Yes in lasagna--cheaper, healthier no down side to that. The kids loved a hamburger hot dish recipe that called for it back in the day. It adds a great tang! I have a spaghetti pie I love that has cottage cheese in one of the layers. If the texture is an issue--easily fixed with a blender. I add cottage cheese vs sour cream or yogurt in recipes often. Most recently our annual summer cucumber soups. I used to love it with just a tish of salad dressing or fruit.

I have been prioritizing protein for quite a while, and I love cottage cheese, but it has become such a darling ingredient that my stores are OUT of the one I like. I tried Daisy, because it is clean, but to me, it has NO flavor. I found Breaksone, which only has one other gum ingredient, and it tastes GREAT to me, but has been out of stock for weeks. Good Culture is not available in any of my stores. The rest have 18 ingredients, and that is TOO many.

I made my grandson a high protein smoothie today using cottage cheese. The texture becomes creamy when it's whipped up = he really likes it (calls it his shake). I use various ingredients = I change the flavor up all the time.

Today I made him a peanut butter and chocolate (shake) with low sugar + high protein. I use powdered peanut butter (cuts down on the fat + no sugar added). I use dates in it for a little sweetness + it also provides a caramel flavoring to it. It also has spinach + some other veggies hidden in it + it has vegan chocolate protein nutrition (meal) powder in it (not just protein powder).

I eat quite a bit of cottage cheese - however, the type of cottage cheese makes a big difference re: flavor. Good Culture 4% cottage cheese tastes good (Sam's has big tubs of cottage cheese - It tastes like Good Culture).

I've always liked cottage cheese. It was a staple at home growing up. The majority of egg-bite recipes I've seen use cottage cheese. I haven't really thought about it health- or diet-wise, but I love it drizzled with a good vinaigrette and plenty of black pepper. Add some sliced peaches and you have a dream dish.

DLM2000

Cottage cheese and peaches. I remember my dad eating that when I was a child.

Arapaho

I don't know why I didn't think of pizza crust! My dh makes it with homemade kefir. Thanks for the recipe!

Sue

I just read about someone eating it with Doritos.

Springroz

Good Culture is my favorite but very difficult to find. I have heard that the TJ's brand is good. I plan on trying that.

Bunny

I have read that many people like it with black pepper. I have also heard the black pepper + olive oil is a good combination but I think I will skip that.

Dani

I might try your shake idea with protein powder. That sounds like a powerful punch! That has to be a ton of protein.

Njmomma

I'm trying your recipe tonight.

I have used cottage cheese as a salad dressing. I doctor it up a bit - sometimes lemon pepper; sometimes a splash of Italian dressing; whatever strikes my fancy and is handy to add flavor. I don’t thin the cc. Just plop a big scoop on top of the salad. It isn’t something you would serve to company - no eye-appeal, but I like it.

I also like to eat it with Cheez-Its. The bigger Cheez-its make better scoops.

Cheez-Its? What a combination! I will have to try it on salad.

This was njmomma inspired.

Whipped cottage cheese

Swerve

Cinnamon

Vanilla bean paste

Chocolate mint protein bar

My kid gave it two thumbs up and had no idea it was cottage cheese.

I'm craving cottage cheese + peaches + a tangy dressing.

I have a very old mashed potato casserole recipe that calls for cottage cheese - the cottage cheese is whipped in food processor to remove the lumps. You can't even tell it's in the potatoes except for a slightly tangy taste.

@Sueb20 I grew up eating cottage cheese on top of Saltines. Loved it!

I make egg bites with cottage cheese - definitely gives it a nice creamy texture. I put the eggs, cottage cheese and shredded cheese into my blender first to give it a fluffy and smooth texture then add veggie mix ins.

I ate cottage cheese a lot years ago but at some point stopped for no particular reason. I've been trying to add it back into my diet more since I need to add more protein to my diet.

What an interesting idea. I've never tried to do much of anything with cottage cheese except add fruit. I'll have to try using it instead of ricotta in pasta.

Only think I cook it in is lasagna - don't care for ricotta. I like cottage cheese but kind of quit eating it because of the high sodium content. Once in a while if I'm home alone I'll have cottage cheese and canned peaches.

Sueb, my Dad loved cottage cheese with peaches. This is kinda weird, isn't it ;)

I love cottage cheese with a sprinkle of black pepper and fresh homegrown sliced tomatoes.

My neighbor would serve me cottage cheese with fruit when she would ask me to have lunch with her and I would eat it - but it isn't something I would serve here at home.

Where I would sub with it was back in the years when we made a lot of Lipton California dip. I'd use cottage cheese in place of the sour cream, adding the required envelope of Lipton Onion Soup mix to convince myself it was healthier. It did have more protein.

DH likes cottage cheese so you do find it in my refrigerator. My favorite way to eat it is cold but with hot roast beef gravy ladled over,

Morz8, that took a totally different turn than I expected—hot roast beef gravy?! These cold combos are wild.

Cottage cheese pairings:

With gravy

With black pepper, plus tomatoes or peaches with a tangy dressing/vinaigrette

With Cheez-Its or crackers

With lemon pepper and Italian dressing

Similiar to the cinnamon and stevia combination—cottage cheese and apple butter. I also like cc and summer peaches.

I make DH cottage cheese bagels about twice a month. Usually don't make more than six. I only like to eat one right out of the oven.

I often eat cottage cheese with kim chee. Not mixed together, just the two items eaten together. Odd but very good.

Wow, blast from the past. I had forgotten that my dad used to eat cottage cheese and apple butter. I like it, but DH won't touch it, so I never buy it. I've used it in lasagna, and I like the idea of using it in place of cream. If there is leftover, I'd happily eat it plain.

I use blended cottage cheese to make Ranch veggie dip. Just add a bit of water to thin it out. My kids can’t tell the difference and they eat a lot more fresh veggies when there is a dip!

Love the idea of boosting nutritional value with more or ”hidden” protein, but it wouldn’t be with cottage cheese. I grew up watching my mother eat cottage cheese with canned peaches on top. Consequently I have never eaten it — or that other staple from childhood, mac and cheese— because of the appearance. Lasagna is a fan favorite around here and I use ricotta.

Laceyvail

I am a huge kimchi fan and always have a couple of jars in the refrigerator. We eat it several times a week.

I have never heard of kimchi served with cottage cheese. After you posted this I Googled. It is totally a thing! I still don't know if I can bring myself to try it. 😬

@ilikefriday The TJ's organic IS good, and I pick up a few every time I make the 1.5 hour trip to get to one!!

My mother made lasagna with cottage cheese back in the 60s and 70s before we knew about ricotta. One time she accidently bought cottage cheese with pineapple when she was making lasagna for a family get-together. I offered to run to the store but she said they'll never know and used it. That was before anyone heard of pineapple pizza. Maybe it wouldn't seem as weird today as it did then.

I use cottage cheese on rice cakes - put a tomato + some balsamic. I think it's yummy - and I'm not on a diet or anything. I just like it.

A bit off topic (= not cottage cheese) - but a great protein source that I just discovered a couple weeks ago.

It's made with ultra high filtered milk. It has a very light vanilla taste - and is not super sweet because it doesn't have any sugar substitutes added to it. The texture is SO CREAMY. My SO isn't a big yogurt person - and he thought it was good. I think it's a bit addictive.

I decided to buy the plain one yesterday. I had it this morning - I added a little vanilla bean paste/agave (you could use other types of sweeteners)/flaxseeds (whole) + some ground flaxseeds (flaxseeds are really good for you - I mix them because I like having the whole ones for some texture)/frozen wild blueberries. I love frozen tiny wild blueberries in my yogurt - I don't thaw them (makes it like a "frozen" dessert).

I can see many uses for the plain one - it also has a creamy texture and not super tangy. I'm sure that I will use it in my smoothie bowl later today. The plain one could work for many savory dishes.

I make our yogurt every week a 1/2 gallon.

I looked at the label for this Oikos and it has stevia to sweeten and tapioca starch to thicken it . Not something we would ever eat. They drain it to get the whey out and make the yogurt thicker and call it Greek … that removes essential nutrients and protein , then they add it back plus more stuff the thickeners and sweetener.

I like TJs organic lowfat (NOT nonfat) too. Some brands I've tried don't seem to have much flavor at all, sadly. I buy organic only. This brand is also really good, but costs a bit more than TJ's

My sister loves Nancy's but it's way too sour for my taste.

I've tried it in lasagna, but it was too tangy and tasted weird to me. I realize that tanginess varies by brand, maybe I need to try one of those bland varieties - like Whole Foods or Sprouts store brands.

I do make a baked peppers casserole with it - from the Moosewood Cookbook, and it's good stirred into pasta bakes. I also have a recipe for a cheese dip made in a blender with cottage and cheddar cheese.

I used to put it in pancakes too, but haven't made pancakes in forever.

I do eat it for breakfast, plain, practically every day, with some fresh fruit on the side.

I am going to try both the Oikos yogurt and the TJ's cottage cheese.

I love really thick yogurt and made my own for a while but that is just too much work for me at this point.

At the moment I am steaming egg bites made with cottage cheese. I am addicted to them!

I grew up eating it plain, and I still do. Occasionally we did add fruit , and once in a while, added cucumbers, tomatos, and green pepper chopped up.

My grandkids eat "cottage cheese toast" which is toast, with cottagecheese and Zatar sprinkled on it.

It's pretty good. I ljust had it yesterday with a slie of tomato and it was great.

What are the egg bites you're all mentioning?

Current favorite CC is Daisy.

Salonva

Egg bites are small, frittata style eggs. I typically make them in a muffin pan and add fillings similar to what you might find in omelettes. Cottage cheese makes them creamer. Starbucks sells sous vide style egg bites that have become popular.

I make sous vide egg bites. It isn’t quick (nothing sous vide is quick, but this is especially long). First, you have to get the sous vide water heated to 172 degrees. Then you sous vide the eggs for an hour. I’ve recently started adding boiling water to the tap water. That helps a bit with getting the water up to temp. I’ve combined two recipes. One for ingredients and one for method. Both are below.

Ingredients: https://copykat.com/starbucks-sous-vide-egg-bites-bacon-gruyere/#recipe

Method: https://recipes.anovaculinary.com/recipe/sous-vide-egg-bites-bacon-gruyere

I have used caramelized onions and gruyere for a Quiche Lorraine flavor; ham, sauteed spinach, wrung dry and whatever cheese I have on hand; ham/bacon with peppers and onions and cheddar cheese. Also just cheese with Millionaire Bacon served on the side.

During football season, I have a lot of houseguests. I need to figure out a way to have the egg bites ready quicker. Maybe keep the water hot all night; prepare and refrigerate the 1/2 cup jars ahead of time; then get up really early to toss them into the sous vide bath.

For just me, I’ve prepared sous vide egg bites and reheated from refrigerated. They are okay. I’ve also frozen them and microwaved from frozen. They are edible but sub-par. They are best freshly made.

Love ricotta when it is used to make cannoli.

Bbstx

I’m no cook, so take this for what it’s worth… Have you tried steaming them instead of sous vide? I started out with sous vide—both an immersion stick and the Anova oven—but found I like 100% steam so much better. The egg bites turn out creamier and they reheat really well in the microwave the next day.

Friday, tell me more about steaming. Does it take any specialized equipment?

I use my Anova oven on 100% steam and 185 degrees for one hour to cook six egg bites in a jumbo muffin pan.

I have also done it on the stove with a steaming basket. Cover the muffin pan with the basket turned upside down. The trick to doing it on the stove is to not have the water too hot. I use a basket like this, meant to make rice, as my cover.

Have you ever made Asian steamed eggs? I think a similar process would also work with eggbites. A covered muffin pan inside a covered pan of water.

Cottage cheese with diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes from my garden with flaked salt and ground pepper is one of my go-to lunch meals in the summer. I sometimes add chopped cucumbers. When I don’t have tomatoes, peaches (fresh or canned) are a favorite add here too. That goes back to childhood as my mother always ate it that way. A long time ago i tried it in lasagna but switched to ricotta which i prefer. I don’t make it much anymore, but we do like it. I don’t think I’ve used it in cooking anything else.

I like Breakstone brand since I can usually find it. I tried Good and have bought Daisy but always go back to Breakstone. I wondered why the shelves were almost empty recently and then heard it is now a ’thing’.

My only steamer ”tool” is one of these

I sous vide my egg bites in 1/2 cup canning jars. Wonder if I could steam the canning jars sitting on the steamer basket? I need to put cottage cheese on my grocery list and do some experimenting!

I love cottage cheese, always did. Mostly store brands, then Daisy, then one day DH brought home Kemp’s. That’s my brand now. Yum.

We haven’t cooked with it except it’s in some Indian dish that I like (and no, I don’t remember the name. I just tell DH ”what’s that dish I like?” and he knows.) My favorite ways to enjoy it are straight up, or on an English muffin, or (please don’t gag) with a little ketchup stirred in. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

This is the casserole I mentioned - it's really good with cottage cheese:

Mexican Pepper Casserole

(4-5 servings, adapted from The Moosewood Cookbook)


2-3 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced - or approx. 3/4 cup sliced green onions

2 cups bell peppers - any color, sliced

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup (or more) frozen corn kernels

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

fresh or dried oregano to taste


1 tsp cumin seed, whole or ground

1/2 tsp chipotle powder - or to taste

1/2 tsp salt + black pepper to taste


2 T flour


Custard:

3-4 large eggs


2 cups yogurt/sour cream/cottage cheese, or a combination

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground coriander

6 ounces sliced or grated cheese

smoked or regular paprika for dusting


Preheat oven to 375F.

In a large pan, heat oil and saute onions over medium high heat until softened. Add garlic and bell peppers, tomatoes, as well as cumin, chipotle pepper, salt, black pepper and corn and cook 6-7 minutes until all vegetables are just tender.

Add flour and cook, stirring lightly until thickened - just a few minutes.

Put pepper mixture into a greased 10″, 3" deep casserole (or equivalent).

Beat eggs with sour cream/yogurt or cottage cheese and coriander. Pour over peppers. Top with cheese. Sprinkle with smoked paprika - or more chipotle powder. Place casserole in oven and bake uncovered for 35 minutes until puffed and bubbly. Let stand 8-10 minutes before serving.

I serve this with tortilla or corn chips. These are my faves:

You can roll it up in flour tortillas too.

@bpath paneer. It is used in certain Indian cuisines. firmer than cottage cheese as it is usually cubed , fried or sautéed.

Here is an unusual (IMHO) topping for cottage cheese

Strawberry-Basil Cottage Cheese Bowls

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1026945-strawberry-basil-cottage-cheese-bowls?unlocked_article_code=1.i08.6NZK.crYDOk7xFDUb&smid=share-url