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At some point in the last few decades, we fell out of love with cottage cheese. The nation’s eaters loved the stuff — today, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone that’d choose it over Chobani. But there’s nothing quite so dead it can’t be brought back with a makeover (at least when it comes to food). Rekindle the love affair with our favorite savory cottage cheese recipes.
Must all cheese be sexy to be allowed the privilege of nudging its way onto your plate? For those of you inclined to argue that cheese has never been sexy, we’re sorry for you and shudder to think about the kinds of charcuterie boards you’ve had to contend with. Everyone else will agree: cheese is an altogether sensory experience.
But that’s no reason to take cottage cheese out of the running altogether. Cottage cheese makes a perfect alternative to more expensive cheese, like ricotta. Just drain well until the curds are mostly dry and it becomes a nearly cup-for-cup substitution. It’s generally saltier and ricotta is more sweet, so just keep that in mind when cooking.
Certainly, a fresh, lovingly-considered cottage cheese is a wholesome, not-sweet breakfast option, which is getting fewer and farther between. In these options, cottage cheese is folded into recipes that level up the use of this comparatively inexpensive soft cheese, also known as the quaint curds and whey of nursery rhyme status. So have a little faith the next time you’re in the dairy aisle — you’ll be rewarded with a mild, salted, creamy and subtly squeaky cottage cheese that you can then bake into a delightful cornbread recipe, sling in a breakfast casserole, add richness to a crustless quiche, or even pile onto avo-toast.
Let’s get into our pick of the best savory cottage cheese recipes out there:
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Savory Cottage Cheese Toast With Cherry Tomatoes
These protein-rich, savory cottage cheese toast recipes will become your new favorites for fast, filling breakfast or snacks. Imagine biting into a crisp, toasted slice of bread generously smeared with velvety cottage cheese adorned with a sprinkle of parsley, a handful of sprouts, and juicy pieces of cherry tomatoes.
If you’re not a morning person, this creamy, comforting breakfast bowl will help you recharge. We like to top it best with syrupy sweet strawberries to kickstart the day.
This loaf’s got the most curious silky, dense texture; it’s not altogether unlike a soda bread. Depending on your mood, this bread toasts wonderfully and also stays soft for days on end. Spread it with some seafood butter for a splendid afternoon lunch.
Do you love the combination of garlic and chives in a dip like we do? If your answer is a yes, this dip should be a must-try. You can prepare it well in advance and best served alongside crunchy, raw vegetables or salty pretzels.
We also like to add a little mayonnaise but purists are welcome to do without.
These are a winner with the little ones, which isn’t to say that we aren’t fond of them, too! Serve alongside a simple salad and you’ll thank yourself later for such a delicious recipe.
Southerners insist that you should make cornbread with white cornmeal and that it should never be sweet, whereas Northerners ascribe to a yellow-er, fluffier bread with a subtle, lingering sweetness. Whatever camp you fall under — this recipe is a hit. A little coleslaw, some hot spicy pork ribs, and you’re golden.
For people that often wake up wishing they’d smashed their alarm clock to bits with a mallet, Looney Toons style, we’re awful sticklers for lovingly-considered breakfast. This dish is the perfect good morning.
Sometimes a rich, meaty, robustly cheesy feast is all that will do. And this is precisely that — get your fix. Conclude with a cold flute of white wine.
Phenomenal.
These savory, rustic muffins are a marvelously quick affair — an asset on those pinched, harried days when time is in short supply, and there are errands a-plenty.
Eating chips and dip is the most fun there is. Abandon your futile search for the perfect guacamole — we’ll pass on the bland, pea-green gloop, thanks — this is way, way better, anyway. Blessedly simple and quite willing to be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled, this recipe is positively foolproof.
The bottom line
We say cottage cheese on toast works fine, but it’s also the star of any salad that’d benefit from adding dairy and pretty much all breakfast foods ever. As we’re not particularly-scientific cooks, what’s most appealing about cottage cheese is its versatility. If you find yourself wondering what to eat with cottage cheese, you ought to know that the answer to that question is anything.
Everything. Go on then — what’re you waiting for?
