Ways To Upgrade Cottage Cheese

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Cottage cheese is often seen as bland and uninspiring. And, we hear you, but it doesn't have to be like that. If you want to add more of it to your diet, there are ways to upgrade cottage cheese that make it way tastier. Or, maybe you're already a cottage cheese fan but you're looking for new ways to enjoy it. Well, there's something for you here, as well.

Whether adding to cottage cheese or finding new ways to use it in recipes, there are all kinds of options for leveling it up. As a protein-rich food, it can be a valuable addition to your culinary repertoire, particularly if you don't eat meat or want to cut back. However, that doesn't mean you have to eat it straight out of the tub and be happy with that. Rather, you can add twists or use it in creative ways to make it more flavorful and enjoy eating it.

We're about to go into greater detail about some of the best ways to upgrade cottage cheese. It might revolutionize the way you consume this protein-packed dairy product. The reason why you should eat cottage cheese might be for its nutrients, but you'll end up enjoying how it tastes and its versatility too.

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If you want a quick and easy way to make your cottage cheese taste better, just add herbs. It might seem like an obvious choice, but it's one people often overlook. It's so simple to level up cottage cheese in this way, and you can opt for either fresh or dried herbs; whatever you have on hand.

Generally, when working with the fresh stuff, it's easier to add soft herbs to cottage cheese. The difference between soft herbs and hard herbs is largely in the texture. Soft herbs have tender leaves and are eaten raw, but hard herbs are woodier and not as easy to chew your way through. If you do want to use woodier herbs, like rosemary or thyme, make sure you use just the leaves, not the stems and chop them as finely as possible. Where possible, use the younger, more tender stems.

Dried herbs also work in cottage cheese. They can add an unpleasant texture, though, so it's best to plan ahead. Stir in any dried herbs at least a couple of hours ahead of time and they'll soften up and improve in texture. Which herbs to use depends on your preference and the kind of dish you're making. For instance, if you want to spread your cottage cheese on a bagel, dill would be a fitting choice, but if you're planning on dolloping it on a burrito bowl, cilantro would be a better choice.

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Spices are another easy way to make cottage cheese more interesting, and something that most people have in their pantries. So, no need to pop to the grocery store or buy something that you're only going to use once. You just have to raid your spice rack and you're ready to get started.

All you need to do is take some dried ground spices, and mix them through your cottage cheese. You can also grind your own whole spices, if you prefer. This gives a punchier flavor but a crunchier texture, which isn't to everyone's preference. However, to really make your spices pop, you should balance them out with a little extra salt. A drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice also wouldn't go amiss, if you still feel you need something extra.

The beauty of spices is that you can tailor them depending on what kind of vibe or flavor profile you want. Garam masala or a blend of cumin, coriander, and cinnamon will give you an Indian-inspired flavor profile, while coriander and smoked paprika or chili powder will have more of a Tex-Mex vibe, or a blend like berbere has Ethiopian roots. This gives you so many options and can easily be adjusted depending on what you have access to or what you plan to eat your cottage cheese with.

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You can blend cottage cheese into a creamy pasta sauce to give it a new lease on life. There are some recipes that use cottage cheese as a secret ingredient, where you would never guess that it played a big part in the dish, and this is one of them. Some people call this a cottage cheese Alfredo, but whatever name it goes by, it's a simple way to make a protein-heavy pasta sauce and make something deliciously creamy without relying on heavy cream.

There are many ways to make this kind of dish, but all of them are similar and none of them are wrong. Some simply blend the cottage cheese to make a thick sauce, which is then thinned down with pasta water. Others add some Parmesan into the mix, which helps emulsify the sauce once pasta water is added. Some thin the cottage cheese down with milk when blending. And, occasionally, cornstarch or similar is added to thicken it back up.

Whatever method you choose, you will need to season it and add extra ingredients, if you want the most flavorful results. Salt and pepper are a must. Some recipes call for garlic powder and onion powder. You could also saute garlic, onion, or both and blend this into the sauce. Red pepper flakes can also add a little kick, if desired. You can add extras of your choice, like fried mushrooms or fresh herbs. Once you've made the sauce, stir it through the pasta, and you've got yourself an easy dinner.

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Avocado is one of those ingredients that you can add to cottage cheese to give it a bit of a boost. Not only does it add more flavor to your dish, it's also a source of healthy fat, which is something cottage cheese is low in. So paired together, they're big on nutrition. Both have a creamy texture, but if you slice your avocado, rather than mashing it, you also get some contrast to the softness of the cottage cheese.

There are a range of ways you can combine cottage cheese and avocado. One of the mistakes people make with avocado toast is keeping it too simple. But pairing cottage cheese with avocado and putting them on toast changes things. The two complement each other. Avocado brings richness, while cottage cheese has a tang. Add some salt and pepper in the mix and you've got a great snack with just a few ingredients.

But, you could also combine avocado and cottage cheese in a salad bowl with other ingredients, use them as a topping on chili, or just have a bowl of cottage cheese with sliced avocado on top. One of the big considerations is adding seasoning, because both can be lacking in that department. It's one of those cases where both are good on their own but they're even better combined.

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For many folks, cottage cheese is always a savory food, but it doesn't have to be. You can turn it into a sweet treat by adding fruit. This is an excellent choice for breakfast or snacking on during the day. And, if that seems strange to you, think of cheesecake or how ricotta can be used in sweet foods. The flavor profile of cottage cheese is actually quite neutral, so it can easily be pushed either sweet or savory.

You can really pair any kind of fruit with cottage cheese. Pears, apples, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, mangoes, pineapples — the list goes on. Fresh fruit is lovely, but if you need to save time or you want to make it pantry-friendly or freezer-friendly, you could use either canned fruit or frozen fruit.

Fruit can do a lot of the work, but if you want it sweeter, using maple syrup or agave nectar is a good bet. Layering up different types of fruit with additions like nuts or granola also makes a tasty parfait for a wholesome dessert or a fancy-looking breakfast. So, don't let preconceived notions about whether cottage cheese should be sweet or savory dictate what you do with it. By going sweet, you unlock a new direction with a wide range of options.

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One of the wonderful things about cottage cheese is how easy it is to transform it into something else. Sure, it's great as it is, but if you want to take it to the next level, you can whizz it into all kinds of new forms. One easy thing to do with cottage cheese is to turn it into a dip. There's a great range of options, and once it's in dip form, you can eat it with crudités, chips, and any other dippers.

Whipped cottage cheese dip is a great choice if you want it to retain its character, but take a new form. You can tell it's cottage cheese from the taste, but it's next level. If you like whipped feta or whipped ricotta, this is a good choice. All you need to do is blend it up with a handful of other ingredients: salt, pepper, olive oil, and garlic. Herbs and chilis are optional but can be a nice addition. Making a garlic and herb cottage cheese dip is another great choice for letting you retain the cottage-cheesiness while adding lots of extra flavor, and you can tailor the herbs to your preference.

However, you can also add it to dips as more of a secret ingredient. Blend it into guacamole to make it creamier, or add some tang and extra protein to hummus, whizz it up with some roasted red peppers for a creamy bell pepper dip. All of these options and more could really up your dip game.

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Want to know the breakfast food Katharine Hepburn loved to eat? Spoiler alert: it involved cottage cheese. According to Hepburn's goddaughter, she mixed cottage cheese into her pancakes; and this is something you could do too. It's a whole new way to enjoy cottage cheese, and you might not even notice that you're eating it.

Although you could leave it chunky if you want to really taste the cottage cheese, most people blend it when adding it to pancakes. When you blend it and mix it into the batter, it becomes practically undetectable. You just get a slight, pleasant tang. What's more, the acidity reacts with the raising agents, such as baking soda, and can give the pancakes more lift, leaving you with fluffier results.

The cottage cheese doesn't just give you fluffy, tangy pancakes, it also adds protein. Not that you ever need an excuse to have pancakes for breakfast, it can leave you feeling fuller and helps avoid a sugar crash. If you want an indulgent breakfast that still makes you feel ready for the day ahead, it's a good choice.

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If you've ever had a caprese salad, you'll know how straightforward it is. A masterclass in the simplicity of Italian cuisine, it contains just tomato, basil, and mozzarella, finished with some salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. You can use this as a framework to upgrade your cottage cheese, making a caprese-style version.

A caprese cottage cheese bowl is easy to make. You just take cottage cheese and top it with basil and tomatoes. The quality really matters for something like this, though. You want the reddest, juiciest tomatoes you can find at the store. Better yet, pick some up from the farmers market, if it's tomato season. The sweetness makes all the difference here. You also need to use fresh basil, never dried, as the dry stuff has a totally different flavor profile.

Salt and pepper will help round this out, and a drizzle of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil brings a slight bitterness and some grassy notes. It's worth using the good stuff here. A dash of balsamic vinegar is optional, but it is nice to add some sweet-tart notes to complement the tomatoes. Be sparing, though, as vinegar can easily overwhelm the other flavors.

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We've already talked about how cottage cheese doesn't have to be savory. With that in mind, another great sweet option is to use it in smoothies. If you're tired of cottage cheese bowls for breakfast, this is a great alternative. It can also improve your smoothie game, even if you think it wouldn't add much to the party.

One of the most common smoothie mistakes is underestimating creamy ingredients. Sure, plain fruit smoothies can be delicious, but adding something creamy gives an extra dimension. If you like yogurt in smoothies, adding cottage cheese is a similar basic concept. It's rich and has a slight tang, which can help balance out the sweetness of the fruit. The main difference is that it has a thicker texture once blended, so you may need to use less than you would yogurt or add extra liquid. The added bonus is how much protein it contributes.

It can work with any type of fruit, so choose a combination you enjoy, add cottage cheese, and you're on your way to a wholesome drink. In hot weather, try adding fruit straight out of the freezer to get a cold drink and a consistency similar to frozen yogurt.

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Cottage cheese is often seen as a health food, but it's also just food. You can combine it with less wholesome ingredients, if you want to. It's tasty, and it doesn't negate the benefits of eating cottage cheese, like getting extra protein and calcium. So, with that in mind, why not upgrade your cottage cheese with syrups or jellies.

Cottage cheese and maple syrup pair beautifully. Maple syrup is sweet, but has a depth of flavor that something like corn syrup or a simple sugar syrup lacks. Agave nectar or runny honey are also easy to drizzle over the top and add sweetness and extra flavor. If syrup isn't your thing, jams and jellies are also great on cottage cheese. You can pick your favorite fruit and make it your own. Creating PB&J cottage cheese by topping it with peanut butter and a jelly of your choice is also a tasty option. And don't overlook fruit curds. Lemon curd is delicious eaten with cottage cheese.

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You shouldn't underestimate texture when upgrading cottage cheese. Despite having a slightly lumpy texture from the curds, it's still quite soft and uniform. So, adding something crunchy on top is a great idea, and one that can easily be paired with other upgrades.

There are many tasty crunchy toppings that are great on cottage cheese. Though, because of how wet it is, you need to bear that in mind, since some will become soggy sooner than others. Crushed potato chips or store-bought crispy onions, for example, are tasty additions, but they succumb to moisture quickly, so you need to add them just before eating. Some other crunchy and crispy toppings are more robust, such as toasted nuts or sliced raw vegetables.

But, crunchy toppings aren't only savory. If you want to eat your cottage cheese sweet, there are plenty of crunchy toppers you can have up your sleeve. Cookie crumbs, granola, breakfast cereal, crisp fruits, and crushed peanut brittle are all good sweet choices. So, whatever else you want to put on your cottage cheese, you can make it crunchy.