Cottage Cheese Is A Game-Changer For High Protein Egg Salad
Egg salad is often a crowd-pleaser, and it's relatively easy to make. Most egg salad recipes require few ingredients and have simple directions. If you're looking to elevate your egg salad with some new flavors and ingredients, try replacing the mayo in the recipe with cottage cheese. There's a host of benefits. Not only will it give your dish a protein boost, but it will also make it creamy and light. The protein-packed cottage cheese can also make your dish more filling since high-protein foods tend to be more satiating. Egg salad isn't the only recipe that can benefit from this addition, either; cottage cheese is the secret ingredient in many mac and cheese, frosting, cheesecake, and scrambled egg recipes.
According to the USDA, the standard cup of mayonnaise only has 2.1 grams of protein while cottage cheese has 25 grams of protein and contains other nutrients including vitamin B12, selenium, and riboflavin. Most importantly, it's a simple swap to make that doesn't affect the flavor too much.
How to make egg salad with cottage cheese
If you want to play around with this tasty swap, you can start by swapping cottage cheese for mayonnaise at a 1-1 ratio. Both cottage cheese and mayonnaise have a creamy texture and a slightly tangy flavor. However, mayonnaise has more fat and often sugar than cottage cheese. On the other hand, cottage cheese is usually saltier than mayonnaise. Depending on your preferences and the type of egg salad you're used to, this could mean that traditional egg salad recipes with mayo could be a bit more flavorful than your cottage cheese version. If you might have to adjust your seasonings to compensate.
For a flavor boost or to get the perfect egg salad with cottage cheese, try experimenting with the ratio. You might need a bit more cottage cheese to really get the creamy and rich flavor you're looking for. You can also try adding some additional ingredients. A bit of avocado can add some more creaminess and flavor. Other ingredients to elevate your egg salad include Dijon mustard for a flavor kick, curry powder for a bit of spice or sweetness, or sriracha for a bit of heat. In fact, because cottage cheese has a milder flavor, you have a pretty blank slate to dress up your egg salad and add some fun flavors.