Cottage Cheese Is Good, Actually

By Zeke Shomler

Cottage cheese is making a comeback!

You might have seen one of the many viral TikTok videos praising cottage cheese, the protein-rich food that was popular in the 1980s. Some people call it an ideal diet food, being low in carbs and high in protein (and often fats, too). But I’m here to say that there is so much more to love about it than its role in diet culture, which is often problematic… and despite some people getting “bombastic ick” from the unique texture, I’m here to say that cottage cheese rocks!

As a busy graduate student, I am always on the lookout for quick and easy filling meals. And guess what? Cottage cheese has come to the rescue! One of my favorite super-easy breakfasts is a bowl of cottage cheese with some fruit on top. Think of it like the amped-up version of yogurt. If you are really pressed for time (or, let’s face it, you just don’t want to chop fruit in the morning), consider adding pre-diced canned fruit like peaches or pineapple.

Photo by Zeke Shomler

Simple Cottage Cheese Breakfast

Ingredients:

• ½ cup regular cottage cheese

• ½ cup fruit

There are so many fruits you can try with cottage cheese! I’ve used canned pears, canned diced peaches, canned mandarin orange slices, canned pineapple, fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries, and fresh mango. Try different combinations and figure out which one is your favorite! Canned diced peaches are my go-to. You might also consider doubling the recipe!

If you’re feeling really fancy, you can add some carbs to the meal by putting your cottage cheese and fruit on a slice of toast. Cottage cheese toast is something I hadn’t considered before seeing it all over TikTok, but it’s been a total game-changer! Check out this video for some more ideas for cottage cheese toast.

As a vegetarian, I sometimes have a hard time getting enough protein. I mean, there are only so many beans you can eat, right?! That’s another reason cottage cheese is so great for a quick breakfast—a cup of cottage cheese has 25 grams of protein, which is about the same as 3 ounces of chicken. 

Try adding cottage cheese to your next salad for a protein boost and a great creamy, cheesy flavor! I love a spring mix with fruit and vegetable toppings, vinaigrette, and a nice big scoop of cottage cheese.

Green Salad with Cottage Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups spring mix with spinach

• ¼ cup julienned carrot (basically, cut them into skinny little strips. Or buy them that way!)

• ¼ cup sliced almonds

• ¼ cup sliced strawberries

• Two heaping spoonfuls of cottage cheese

• Dressing of your choice!

Combine all the ingredients and enjoy.

Finally, I love to put cottage cheese in lasagna instead of ricotta. I love the texture, and the fact that it has actual curds means you get some wonderful meltiness. Don’t come at me for suggesting homemade ricotta when I just said I’m a busy college student—lasagna is not as hard as you might think! I don’t pre-cook the noodles; I just layer it all in there, add some extra water for the noodles to soak up, cover it with tinfoil, and throw it in the oven for about an hour. If you are somebody that has access to an oven, definitely make sure you try making lasagna sometime.

If you’re a vegetarian like me, you might be disappointed by the very low selection of frozen lasagnas without meat… and homemade is SO much better! I like to add vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, and even sometimes bell peppers or broccoli. Plus, after you’ve made a lasagna, you have a quick, reheatable lunch for a week! Once you start making lasagna, you’ll never go back.

Vegetarian Lasagna

Ingredients:

• One box lasagna noodles (about 12-15)

• 2 cups 4% milkfat cottage cheese

• One 24-oz jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

• 2 cups sliced spinach

• ½ white onion

• 1 large zucchini

• 1 cup cremini mushrooms

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 8 oz shredded whole-milk mozzarella

• ½ cup water

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees

• Dice your zucchini, mushrooms, and onions. Saute them in a pan with the olive oil until soft. Once cooked, add the spinach and stir until combined.

• Start your lasagna by first putting down a layer of sauce in a 9x13 baking dish.

• Then, add three noodles on top of the sauce layer (No need to cook them!)

• Spread an even layer of cottage cheese on top of the noodles (about ½ cup)

• Add a layer of your cooked veggies (about ¼ of the total) and about 1 oz of mozzarella

• Repeat with a layer of sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, veggies, and mozzarella

• Continue adding layers until all you have left is some mozzarella

• Top it off with an even layer of the mozzarella

• Carefully pour the water around the edges of the lasagna

• Cover with tin foil

• Bake 50 minutes covered, then remove tin foil and bake another 10 minutes

• Cut into pieces and enjoy!

What’s your favorite way to enjoy cottage cheese? It’s a creamy, delicious, versatile food that can be sweet or savory, breakfast or dinner, a snack or part of a whole meal. Try it out, you might just love it!