The Easy Ingredient That Adds A Ton Of Protein To Your Taco Dip

A good taco dip should be creamy, zesty, and rich with a spicy kick. It should also feel substantial and slightly decadent to balance the light, crispy chips and veggies it is paired with. The dip's thick consistency is generally achieved with cheese and other types of fats, but imagine if, instead, the same delicious texture could come from a much higher-protein source. This is exactly what using cottage cheese to make taco dip does. The fresh cheese also has a mild, creamy flavor, making it the perfect base to formulate a delicious dip in minutes. Simply mix in your favorite taco seasoning to the cottage cheese and blend till smooth; then garnish with chopped tomatoes, onions, and chilies, and serve alongside chips, crudités, and other dippables.

While there are several cottage cheese brands, some with more additives than others, it is generally a stunningly nutritious ingredient. About half a cup of low-fat cottage cheese has just 80 calories but packs roughly 14 grams of protein. It also contains vitamins, calcium, and other nutrients. You can easily make cottage cheese at home with simple ingredients, so you can control whether you use low-fat or regular milk for it. While the creamiest dip requires full-fat cottage cheese, other varieties churn out tasty results, too. Both large and small curd varieties also work equally well, since the cottage cheese is blended. 

For the silkiest dip texture, make sure to use a powerful blender or blend the cottage cheese in batches. Since it's dairy, keep the dip refrigerated, and it can be stored this way for up to seven days.

Whether you're building muscle, seeking out lower-calorie ingredients, or just looking for more protein-rich options, cottage cheese makes a great, delicious addition to the diet. It does contain lactose, which some could find difficult to digest, but lactose-free varieties are available, as are those with low or no sodium. Because of its light flavor, cottage cheese can be blended, flavored, and added to myriad dishes. Depending on where it is used, you can use pureed cottage cheese as a substitute for mayonnaise, cream cheese, or ricotta. Thus, you can add it to lasagna, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, and more.

While you can always add it to dishes, having it as a dip makes it easier to always have on hand, so consider making a few different varieties of cottage cheese dips that you can pair with various snacks. The cottage cheese taco dip is great with chips, but can just as well be used to fill sweet peppers or baked potatoes to create a delicious side dish. You can also make a spicy, creamy Buffalo chicken dip nutrient-rich by substituting the cream cheese with blended cottage cheese. Combined with the chicken it already contains, this becomes an extremely protein-rich snack. 

If you've got a sweet tooth, add a dash of honey or maple syrup and some vanilla essence into the blender with the cottage cheese to make the perfect accompaniment to fruits. You can also add a little water to thin the dip to use as a sweet, creamy, protein-rich drizzle over desserts. This truly is a versatile powerhouse of an ingredient.