I Add This Cheap, Protein-Rich Ingredient to Everything

High-protein meals and snacks have become somewhat of a trend. I keep seeing food influencers post clever tricks to sneak more protein into foods that don’t have a lot on their own. Not to toot my own horn, but that’s something that I’ve been passionate about for years! In my opinion, the best way to go about eating more protein is to look for ways to elevate what I already want to eat instead of changing what I eat to meet my goals.

Therefore, figuring out how to add protein and other macronutrients to my meals has become almost a game for me. When I’m at the grocery store, I compare the macronutrients of each brand and think: What simple ingredient swaps can make my meal more nutritious?

Luckily, it seems like the internet is coming around to my POV, since hacks for high-protein ingredients, meals and snacks have been all over my FYP lately. While I’ve found several go-tos for my personal high-protein journey (shoutout to Mission Carb-Balance flour tortillas, Oikos Greek yogurt and PB2), I add one ingredient in particular to all kinds of meals and snacks.

What is this high-protein ingredient?

It’s cottage cheese! I know, some people think it’s gross—but even if you’re in this category, please trust me and keep reading. I’m painfully aware that cottage cheese is polarizing for its curdy texture and somewhat tangy taste, but believe me: It can be disguised. You can whip it in the food processor, and voila! The curds are gone. You can transform its flavor by adding it to your pasta sauce and even freezing and turning it into ice cream. You just have to be willing to experiment.

It’s worth a shot because cottage cheese is so good for you. It’s low in carbs and can help manage blood sugar levels after meals. Of course, it’s high in protein, too. In the Target brand cottage cheese, you’ll find 12 grams in a 1/2 cup for just 80 calories. Generally accepted definitions of “high protein” mean 1 gram of protein per 10 calories, and cottage cheese’s ratio of protein to calories is even better than that!

Cottage cheese made a comeback last year, but I still felt it wasn’t as popular as it should have been. It has fantastic health benefits, versatility and a cheap price. But now, we’re finally seeing people embrace cottage cheese like they should.

Ways to Use Cottage Cheese in Everything

While you can eat cottage cheese out of a bowl, there are dozens of ways to use cottage cheese to make meals more nutritious. General swaps include using cottage cheese instead of ricotta or sour cream, but you can add it to recipes that don’t have a creamy ingredient at all to make them into cottage cheese recipes, too.

Breakfast

• Eggs: Adding cottage cheese curds to scrambled eggs can make them fluffy and delicious. Don’t be afraid to add cottage cheese to your eggs in quiche recipes and egg casseroles, too.
• High-protein bagels: Combining self-rising flour, cottage cheese and an egg can result in a bagel that is surprisingly similar to what you’re used to.

Lunch & Snacks

• In a bowl: Of course, you can eat cottage cheese straight from the bowl. The lunch bowl I’ve been making for almost two years now is cottage cheese with fresh salsa verde mixed in, topped with fresh cracked pepper and halved grape tomatoes. Serve with blue corn tortilla chips and eat like nachos for a craveable, hearty snack or light lunch! Cottage cheese is also great with sweet toppings like strawberries or blueberries if you’d rather have a sweet lunch over a savory one.
• Dips: The viral cottage cheese queso dip surprised us in the best way. You can also blend up cottage cheese with plenty of other ingredients to make veggie dips like curry dip, Greek bean dip or even ranch dip.
• Wraps: Blend cottage cheese with an egg and seasonings, spread thinly onto a baking sheet and bake to create a tortilla replacement for your sandwich wrap recipes.

Dinner

• Pasta sauce: I can’t remember the origin of most cottage cheese hacks I’ve found online, but when it comes to pasta sauce, I know exactly who I learned it from. One of my favorite cookbook authors, Lindsay Moser of The Hunger Diaries, turned me on to blending cottage cheese into pasta sauces.
• Mac and cheese: I love higher-protein comfort food, like cottage cheese mac and cheese.
• Lasagna: Replace ricotta cheese in your favorite lasagna recipe for slices that are just as decadent.
• Pizza dough: Combine flour with cottage cheese and other typical dough ingredients to make a protein-filled crust.

Dessert

• Edible cookie dough: I keep cottage cheese cookie dough in the fridge when I need something to satiate my everlasting sweet tooth. In this recipe, cottage cheese is sweetened up with maple syrup and vanilla extract and combined with almond flour to create a healthy, sweet snack.
• Mousse: Whip cottage cheese with cocoa powder and honey or maple syrup and even a half scoop of vanilla protein powder to make a protein dessert you’ll look forward to.
• Ice cream: Cottage cheese ice cream was a popular TikTok recipe back in the day, made with honey and peanut butter or fruit.

Where to Avoid Using Cottage Cheese

While I am selling the idea of using cottage cheese to boost everything, there are instances where you may want to think twice. I will say that cottage cheese ice cream is a bit of an acquired taste, especially if you’re an ice cream enthusiast like me.

I’d also advise not using it in recognizable dips that you’ll serve at parties, since it would be a shame for your guests to go in for a scoop of queso or ranch and find the flavor to be different (and therefore, disappointing). If you’re looking for a cottage cheese dip recipe for a crowd, try something that people haven’t tried before so there are no expectations involved. Then, you can pleasantly surprise your friends when they ask you for the recipe!