Eat Cottage Cheese

If you’ve been looking to add healthy new foods to your diet that aren’t a chore to eat, look no further than cottage cheese. Not only is it loaded with protein, calcium and vitamin D, it’s also mild enough to be used in a variety of different dishes, making it endlessly customizable. Cottage cheese can be eaten on its own, turned into a rich topping or filling or even used as a more nutritious alternative to other dairy products that are higher in fat and calories.

Steps

Eating Cottage Cheese Plain

1. Enjoy it by itself. Simply spoon some cottage cheese into a bowl and dig in. If you find the flavor lacking, season it lightly with a dash of sea salt and cracked black pepper. It’s also common for people to enjoy their cottage cheese with crackers or other crispy items, which can add extra dimension to the texture.
   • Since it’s high in protein, calcium and other beneficial nutrients, cottage cheese makes a well-balanced snack on its own.
   • Cottage cheese can be eaten like yogurt, with lots of different stir-ins and additives from granola to chocolate to crushed pistachios.
2. Serve it with fruits and vegetables. Pair cottage cheese with slices of fresh peaches, apples or tomatoes, or scoop it up with baby carrots and celery sticks. The sweet and tangy notes of the fruits and veggies will provide a pleasant contrast to the smooth, subtle flavor of the cottage cheese.
   • A veggie tray with cottage cheese for dipping can make a light, refreshing poolside snack in the summertime.
3. Spread it on toast. For the first meal of the day, skip the butter and go with a more wholesome dairy alternative. A layer of cottage cheese will soften the crunchy toast and keep it from being quite so bland. Devour your loaded toast as-is, or top it with other ingredients like savory nut butters, raisins or a drizzle of honey.
   • You could also try cottage cheese on a bagel or toasted muffin.
   • Cottage cheese is higher in protein than both milk and cream cheese, and lower in fat, too.
4. Heap it on a salad. Along with beets, herbed croutons or toasted almonds, a spoonful of cottage cheese can provide the finishing touches to a hearty salad worthy of a meal. Cottage cheese is a staple of many salad bars for good reason—it complements the many different components well without making the salad soggy the way dressings tend to do.
   • Cottage cheese can be used to hold together other types of salads, as well, like chicken or tuna salad.

Cooking with Cottage Cheese

1. Bake it into a lasagna. Cottage cheese can be used in place of ricotta for a more health-conscious take on the beloved Italian dish. Whip the cheese by hand and layer it between strips of pasta and zesty tomato sauce. For even more flavor, fold in grated parmesan, a little minced garlic and some fresh parsley or basil.
   • Strain the excess moisture out of the cottage cheese and pulse it in the food processor for a few seconds to make the consistency more like ricotta.
   • Don’t worry about ruining dinner, even if you’re not the biggest fan of cottage cheese—once everything is cooked together, you won’t even be able to taste the difference.
2. Use it to thicken sauces. Stir cottage cheese into sauces or stews as they simmer to bulk them up and make them more filling without the need to add meat. When heated, the soft curds will set up particularly well in dishes with creamy bases, such as vodka sauce or stroganoff.
   • Stir cottage cheese into your leftovers just before you reheat them to keep them from getting too dry.
   • Reach for a carton of cottage cheese instead of a can of creamed soup when you’re whipping up a savory casserole.
3. Add it to baked goods. The next time you bake a pound cake, cookies or cornbread, mix in a few ounces of cottage cheese once you’ve combined your wet and dry ingredients. The finished product will be rich, flavorful and have a remarkably smooth consistency right out of the oven.
   • Try making dense confections like biscuits and scones with cottage cheese instead of buttermilk.
4. Serve it in or on pancakes. Whisk the cottage cheese straight into the batter, whipping or blending it first to eliminate the biggest chunks. The result is a satisfying (but not too heavy), complete breakfast that will leave you feeling energized and get your day off to a healthy start.
   • You can also spoon it straight onto the top, along with maple syrup, banana slices, chocolate chips or your choice of add-ons.
   • Incorporating cottage cheese into pancake (and waffle) batter is a great way to get a protein-packed breakfast without resorting to cooking with protein powder, which can often interfere with the flavor of a dish.

Finding Other Uses for Cottage Cheese

1. Substitute it for sour cream or mayo. Throw one or two cups of cottage cheese in a blender with a splash of white vinegar or lemon juice and blend until smooth. When you’re done, you’ll have a convenient go-to condiment that looks and tastes almost exactly like its high fat counterparts, but with a fraction of the calories.
   • Slather your sour cream replacement onto nachos, baked enchiladas, a bowl of chili or a burger.
   • Fill deviled eggs with a cottage cheese mixture for a protein-packed nibble.
2. Blend it into a smoothie. Cut the amount of milk you add to your smoothies in half and let cottage cheese fill in for the rest. This will up the protein content considerably, and since it’s thicker, you’ll never have to worry about watery smoothies again.
   • Choosing to include sweeter flavors can help balance out the saltiness of the cottage cheese.
   • Add cottage cheese to make-ahead smoothie packs and refrigerate. That way, all you have to do is dump everything into a blender when you need a quick snack or meal replacement.
3. Top a baked potato. Cottage cheese makes a welcome addition to a steaming spud, especially when teamed up with bacon, chives, shredded cheddar and all the other fixin’s. In fact, it’s smooth and salty enough to make butter unnecessary, which will help spare you even more calories and fat.
   • You can also use cottage cheese to fill out twice-baked potatoes and potato skins.
4. Try it in your favorite dips. Where you would ordinarily use cream cheese, going with blended cottage cheese can enhance both the flavor and texture of hearty dips. A decadent spinach-artichoke or creamy bleu cheese buffalo chicken dip made with cottage cheese is sure to be a crowd pleaser at your next dinner party or casual get together.
   • For Mediterranean-inspired dishes, create your own skinny version of tzatziki by blending cottage cheese with cucumber, dill, mint and lemon juice.
   • Don’t forget to strain the liquid whey out of the cottage cheese before folding it into your dip.

Tips

• Choose a reduced fat cottage cheese if you’re counting calories.
• Cottage cheese is best when it’s fresh. Before you start cooking, check the package to make sure it hasn’t passed its expiration date.
• Make your own cottage cheese at home so that you’ll always have a ready supply on hand.
• By selecting your ingredients wisely, you can modify your favorite dishes and continue enjoying them while dieting rather than having to give them up altogether.

Warnings

• Like other dairy products, cottage cheese should be avoided or used in moderation if you’re lactose intolerant.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Cook with Cheese
• Slice Cheese
• Make Cheese Sauce with Jalapeño Peppers
• Make Paneer (Indian Cheese)
• Make Cottage Cheese Good
• Make Cheese Babka
• Make Mozzarella Cheese with Cultures
• Make Mac and Cheese Lasagna
• Make Strawberry Cream Cheese
• Make Cheese Sauce in the Microwave

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