16 Unexpected Cottage Cheese Pairings That Change The Game

For such a mild food, cottage cheese is rather controversial. For many, a carton of cottage cheese inspires a sense of dread only rivaled by cabbage soup or the golden maple syrup-and-cayenne pepper elixir of the Master Cleanse. A staple diet food of the 1980s, cottage cheese has since become a bit of a joke. Really: It's a food for those stuck in the world of spandex and Jane Fonda VHS tapes. But cottage cheese is capable of so much more than filling out a hollow melon.

You just need to find some fresh ways of preparing and serving the creamy, curdy, high-protein cheese that make it shine and take it far beyond the rice cakes of yore. All you need is the right pairing to make this humble but delicious ingredient stand out, so we've gathered 16 of the most delicious, at times unconventional pairings that might just turn you from a skeptic to a true blue cottage cheese enjoyer. Just don't be surprised when you start genuinely craving a scoop or two.

Typically, cottage cheese is paired with sweet toppings, such as pineapple, peaches, and fruit preserves. But what if you took things in a more savory direction? This isn't just possible; it might be the key to fully enjoying the creamy cheese. One not so obvious (but totally delicious) pairing is smoked salmon and all of the best bagel fixings that go along with it.

The combination of tangy cottage cheese with the toppings of savory smoked salmon makes for the start of a wonderful bagel bowl that replicates the flavor notes of a bagel with lox. Adding other ingredients, such as sliced cucumber, red onions, tomato, and capers, only adds to the deliciousness. Bonus points if you top with Everything but the Bagel seasoning. Serve with thin bagel chips as a dip or on its own as a tasty breakfast bowl.

Nothing beats a true, freshly made Caprese salad. The classic Italian dish, made from mozzarella, ripe, juicy tomatoes, basil, and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic is kept together in its simplicity. When prepared with fresh ingredients, it proves that a dish need not be complicated to be delicious. For this reason, substitutions aren't usually looked upon with kindness, but we urge you to give cottage cheese a chance in place of mozzarella.

While cottage cheese isn't an exact replica of mozzarella, its taste is similar due to both being fresh cheeses made from curds that haven't gone through any aging processes. You can use cottage cheese as a way to boost protein in this salad. You can also make a Caprese salad-style cottage cheese bowl with the tomato and basil serving as delicious toppings. Think of it as the perfect, refreshing lunch to live out your impromptu, homebound, Italian summer vacation dreams.

The humble, delicious baked potato might just be the perfect food. It is, at least, the perfect canvas for creating the exact food to fit your mood. There are many ways to dress up a baked potato, from giving it a saucy twist to topping with a myriad of veggies. With this pairing, however, we're keeping things simple.

While sour cream is the default topping for baked potatoes, cottage cheese can do most anything that sour cream can and more. After all, it shares a similar creamy and tangy flavor, all with a unique texture that can take your potato to a new level. Plus, it adds a great kick of protein and, if you use cultured cottage cheese, can really amp up the zing in your baked potato. This cottage cheese combo simply works. Why not give it a go?

For some diners, the limiting factor of their enjoyment of cottage cheese is its texture. Consisting of creamy, chunky curds, this cheese evokes polarizing responses. This need not be the case; by blending your cheese you create a smooth, creamy base that can make the beginnings of many dips and spreads. You can customize your whipped cottage cheese in several ways, but one tasty addition does stand out among the rest.

Tahini, a spread made from ground sesame seeds, is a fantastic building block for many recipes, from hummus to chocolate chip cookies. Its warm, nutty taste works well in foods both sweet and savory, and it can be just the addition to give your cottage cheese a solid, sturdy base. Simply blend your cheese with a small amount of tahini, some honey to taste, and seasonings of your choice. The resulting spread is creamy, nutty, slightly sweet, and perfect for spreading on toast and topping with the fruit of your choosing. Just a warning, though: You may become addicted.

Adding a creamy element to eggs is not groundbreaking. Sour cream, crème fraîche (the preferred scrambled egg addition of Gordon Ramsay), milk, and heavy cream are all common additions; why not try cottage cheese? Like these ingredients, cottage cheese gives your scrambled eggs a rich twist. Simply add a dollop to your cracked eggs and mix to combine. The resulting eggs have even more protein than your usual scramble and a delicious, smooth texture. If you prefer your cottage cheese to be distinct from your egg, make a cottage cheese omelet. Bonus points for adding hot sauce to your cottage cheese before scooping it into your omelet for extra flavor and a spicy kick.

Fresh, tangy cottage cheese is a perfect match for a briny, savory olive tapenade spread (it's a favorite of domestic goddess Martha Stewart). For a creamy consistency, simply blend your cottage cheese until smooth, adding in salt and seasoning to your liking; garlic and onion powder are great choices. You can also add some olive brine to your cottage cheese base for additional briny flavor. Add other flavorings, such as blue cheese or even a dash of gin or vermouth, to make a creamy, dirty martini dip. Then, spread it on toast and top with the olive tapenade (a mixture of olives, olive oil, and capers) or a healthy serving of chopped olives that pair beautifully with the cheesy base.

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, it would be better with a scoop of cottage cheese. On the surface, pairing cottage cheese with pizza doesn't make much sense. On one hand, cottage cheese has a distinctly "diet food" reputation. On the other, pizza is a classic comfort food often enjoyed during movie marathons or as a party food staple. So why bring these two together? It's surprisingly delicious, for one. Combining these two foods can be as simple as scooping a few dollops of cottage cheese onto a slice of pizza. Here, cottage cheese tastes shockingly similar to burrata, which is gaining traction as a pizza topping. However, cottage cheese has a relatively low price point, so it can be a great choice for the burrata-curious.

You can also add cottage cheese to your pizza sauce, mixing drained cottage cheese with spinach, artichoke, and Parmesan to make a white sauce. Here, cottage cheese stands in the place of an Alfredo or béchamel. You can also blend ricotta with plain Greek yogurt for a creamier base and make a pizza crust out of cottage cheese by blending it smooth then combining with flour. This may not be the tastiest use for cottage cheese in pizza, but it is high in protein.

Cottage cheese is a pretty standard swap for sour cream — as seen in our cottage cheese and baked potato pairing — so why not extend that use case to tacos and taco bowls? Cottage cheese makes the perfect cool, tangy dollop to finish off any such dish. To add, simply scoop it on top of your base of rice, taco-seasoned beef, black beans, and other taco-themed toppings. The added cottage cheese gives a similar zing as sour cream to your bowl, but with substantially more protein.

You can also use it as the base for a taco bowl as well, not just as a topper. Simply swap rice for cottage cheese and add in your usual trimmings. Since cottage cheese has a thicker consistency than sour cream, it holds up better against the typical taco toppings. You can also drain your cottage cheese and use the dried curds as a swap for queso fresco on your tacos.

While we're on the sour cream swap topic, here's a simple but delicious pairing to try: Cottage cheese and green onion dip mix. This pairing is easy-peasy; simply add a packet of green onion dip mix (or regular onion dip mix if you prefer) to a cup of cottage cheese and, well, mix. Add some freshly chopped chives or green onions for taste and serve with chips. It's easy, delicious, creamy, and cool. You can also use this dip in your taco bowl or on a baked potato. Either way, this pairing is both classic and delicious, so give it a go.

Let's take a trip to the sweet side for this pairing with ambrosia salad, which is a little vintage. Often found at potlucks or family dinners, the dessert salad doesn't get the love it deserves. Consisting of a mix of canned and fresh fruit, marshmallows, coconut shreds, and a creamy "dressing" of Cool Whip mixed with sour cream, ambrosia salad is decadent, refreshing, and perfectly apt for a cottage cheese swap.

To make this pairing, simply use your typical ambrosia salad base and mix cottage cheese with the Cool Whip. Alternatively, you can make a dressing by mixing cottage cheese with Greek yogurt and vanilla pudding mix (or Jell-O mix) for sweetness. Then, add on top of your salad and mix to combine. If you prefer a smooth consistency, blend your cottage cheese before adding, et voilà! A delicious, protein-packed ambrosia salad snack.

Crab rangoons are an almost-perfect food. The dish combines a cream cheese base with crab, green onions, a crispy wonton wrapping, and a bright red sweet-and-sour dipping sauce. Why not make it even more perfect with a dollop of cottage cheese? You can cottage up your crab rangoon in several ways.

For starters, you can blend your cottage cheese until smooth and simply use it as a direct swap for cream cheese in your next batch of rangoons. Alternatively, you can make a crab rangoon dip with cottage cheese blended with a few tablespoons of Babybel- or Boursin-brand cheese and some seasonings, such as garlic powder and onion powder. Then, mix in a hefty portion of imitation crab, pour into a pan, top with mozzarella, and bake until hot and bubbling. Use fried wonton wrappers as chips and top with sweet chili sauce for a sweet-and-sour twist. This combo is surprisingly flavor-packed and makes for a great appetizer (or single-serve snack).

Cottage cheese is a lot of things, including creamy, tangy, and cool. It is not, however, what one would call a flavor-packed food. Not that it doesn't have its charms, but sometimes you want to add a little crunch to your creamy, and a little spice to your mild. One simple way to add a bit of flavor to your cottage cheese is by topping it with delicious chili crunch oil. Simply drizzle some chili crunch on your next slice of cottage cheese toast, or cottage cheese bowl, and enjoy. You can make this treat even more delicious by drizzling on some honey (hot or otherwise) for a bit of sweetness that really makes your cottage cheese drool-worthy.

Cottage cheese probably isn't the first ingredient you'd use when making pudding, but you might want to reconsider. After all, its chunky texture doesn't exactly blend well with the smooth consistency of a pudding. However, if you blend your cottage cheese and then combine with pudding mix and milk, you've got one simple, delicious, high-protein pudding. If you're hoping for something more homemade, you can also combine your blended cottage cheese with cocoa powder and a sweetener, such as honey, to make a simple pudding treat.

Cottage cheese makes for a great swap for other dairy products. This is a well-worn truth. But this pairing is perhaps the simplest of them all: Use cottage cheese in place of ricotta in a pan of lasagna. Its creamy, chunky consistency mirrors the texture of ricotta, and both cheeses have a mild, delicious taste. To thicken, you can mix cottage cheese with an egg so it sets while cooking. For added flavor, toss in a bit of shredded Parmesan or mozzarella. Plus, it gives your lasagna an extra boost of protein!

As seen in many of the above cottage cheese tips and tricks, blending cottage cheese is a real gamechanger. Perhaps one of the most apt uses for blended cottage cheese is as the base for a dip, and what dip is more delicious and delectable than a Buffalo chicken dip? The creamy, spicy dip version of the saucy upstate New York chicken wing is not just a quirky appetizer, it's become an icon in its own right. A staple of potlucks, cookouts, and watch parties across the United States, it might seem impossible that cottage cheese can fill in the cream cheese shoes of a typical Buffalo chicken dip. But it absolutely can.

Simply blend cottage cheese with Buffalo sauce, salt, lemon, and seasonings such as garlic powder and onion powder. Then, add in shredded chicken, top with shredded mozzarella, and bake until hot, gooey, and perfect for dipping. You can also serve the dip cool and top with chopped green onions and blue cheese. It's a perfect accompaniment to crackers, carrots, and celery.

Baking is a science, bound by specific procedures and ingredient portions. One errant tablespoon and poof, your perfect cupcakes have gone flat, dense, or dry. This might inspire some amount of fear when it comes to swapping ingredients, but this need not be the case. For cottage cheese, a little daring might be due.

Cottage cheese makes a particularly delicious and protein-packed swap for milk in many baked goods, especially muffins. You can blend your cottage cheese beforehand for a smoother result or stir it in as is. It adds a good amount of moisture to your muffins. If you're feeling apprehensive about swapping out milk for cottage cheese in your usual muffin recipe, there are plenty of cottage cheese-based muffin recipes to choose from online.