The creamy and slightly salty flavor of cottage cheese is a must-use ingredient for many people because of how easy it is to prepare along with its light and milky aroma that makes it so appetizing that it’s tempting to spread some over all our favorite meals.
Alongside being incredibly tasty, cottage cheese is also completely keto-friendly with each 100g serving only containing around 3.5g of net carbs along with 2.7g of sugar and 4.3g of fat.
Cottage cheese is also packed full of protein with each serving offering around 11g each serving, making it an excellent ingredient to incorporate into a recipe.
With that being said, we have put together 9 of the best ways to use cottage cheese as part of a nutritious keto recipe that still retains that rich creamy flavor we all love so much.
What Is Cottage Cheese And Is It Keto-Friendly?
Similar to many dairy products, cottage cheese starts off as milk before the lactic acids begin to separate into curds which are essentially milk solids, fats, and proteins.
The curd cutter must then cut the solid block down into smaller pieces depending on how big they want the cheese to be, however when it comes to cottage cheese, it usually comes out a lot bigger and thicker than other types of cheese.
Cottage cheese was actually first made because farmhouses and cottages had an excess of milk from all the butter making, which is why it gets the ‘cottage’ name.
As opposed to its cousin ricotta cheese which is known for being creamy and sweet in its texture and taste, cottage cheese is a little thicker and has a slightly saltier taste that many people prefer using for recipes that don’t need to be as soft or fluffy.
With it also being packed full of protein, B vitamins, and several essential minerals including calcium, cottage cheese is an excellent addition to a keto diet.
Here are a few keto-friendly recipes that make full use of the delicious taste of some cottage cheese.
Ready in as little as 2 minutes and packed full of fruity nutritional goodness that is guaranteed to keep you energized for the day ahead, the cottage cheese in this recipe helps to hold together the fresh berries, chia seeds and walnuts that are used as the toppings.
All the ingredients used for this fresh and refreshing recipe are simple and healthy without any of them ramping up the calorie count, making it extremely low in carbs while still having the perfect balance between being both fruity and nutty, providing the perfect excuse to get out of bed in the morning.
These breakfast muffins (see also ‘AIP And Paleo Blueberry Lemon Muffins‘) that feature bacon and eggs as a part of the recipe taste just like the fast-food sandwiches we all love so much but manage to still be far healthier not only because of the inclusion of cottage cheese, but also because the bacon is cooked until crisp which is then crumbled while the excess fat is blotted with a paper towel.
With an easy mixture of baking powder, almond flour and coconut flour to make the base, the cottage cheese helps to give this recipe a nice and thick consistency that’s a delight to bite into, especially with the soft and meaty core that makes for the perfect substitute to a big and greasy fried breakfast meal.
With it being very low in carbs and being able to be made a week in advance before you eat it, these cute and delicious muffins are another great breakfast option as part of a keto diet.
These flourless waffles can be heated up to perfection after just 5 minutes of preparation, and with some sliced strawberries resting on the top and one serving feeding up to 4 people at once, this recipe puts a healthy spin on the traditional waffle that is perfect to enjoy either as a breakfast option, or even as a light afternoon treat for the family to enjoy while the sun is shining.
The cottage cheese grants the waffles an ever so slightly thick texture to ensure they don’t come out soft or hollow, however because of the baking powder and almond extract, they still remain fairly fluffy while also making them as sweet as can be in the process.
With these waffles being ready to eat in no more than 5 minutes, it’s never a bad idea to whip them up even if it’s just as the occasional healthy mid-week or weekend treat for you and the kids to tuck into.
It can be hard these days to find a dessert recipe that isn’t packed full of sugar or that’s low in carbs, however this delightful jello salad makes use of a sugar free black cherry jello mixture to create the fruity and creamy base of the dessert which is elegantly topped off with heavy whipping cream and pecans to give you something to crunch on each time you take a bite.
The cottage cheese gives the jello a nice and thick consistency to create the perfect dessert option not only for those warmer months, but even as a seasonal treat for the winter too.
If you have an hour or two to set aside, this is a delightfully healthy recipe that you need to try out.
It’s hard to find anyone out there who doesn’t love the mouthwatering taste of some rich and cheesy lasagna, however if you’ve never had the pleasure of taking a bite of it after using cottage cheese as the base, you’re missing out on one of the tastiest lunch options you can make.
The mixture of cottage cheese with tomato basil sauce, garlic powder and a little bit of parmesan cheese creates a nice, thick and slightly salty base that can serve up to 8 people after just an hour of preparation, making this a great healthy option when you need to feed a few people at once and want to serve them something you know they will enjoy.
With only 5 ingredients required and 5 minutes of preparation time, this delicious keto taco casserole is the perfect meal to whip up on those busier nights when you don’t want to spend hours on end preparing a filling meal that will keep you satisfied for a few hours.
The mixture of cottage cheese with ground beef or turkey (see also ‘15 Awesome Paleo Ground Turkey Recipes To Try Today‘) helps to enhance the meaty flavors even more, making the whole dish incredibly tasty while still being extremely low in carbs with each serving being around 440 calories with 26g of fat and a staggering 44g of protein.
If you want a keto-friendly afternoon meal that goes down so well as a solo dish that can be made in no time at all, you won’t want to miss out on this keto taco casserole.
Cottage cheese doesn’t only need to be used as a supplement to our favorite food dishes, it can just as easily be used to make a creamy and healthy sauce such as with this cottage cheese sauce that goes so well when spread over some grilled food, vegetables, and salads.
With just half a cup of mayonnaise, 2 garlic cloves, a few fresh chives and a few ounces of cottage cheese, you can break down the thickness of the cheese to transform it into a smooth, creamy and incredibly rich tasting sauce that won’t spike up the calorie count unlike most other sauces.
The mixture of ingredients fused together inside these scrumptious broccoli cottage cheese balls is what makes them so downright delicious.
From black peppers and dried oregano powder all the way to flaxseed meal and the broccoli florets, this mixture is held together perfectly by the cottage cheese to create these fantastic miniature bites that are as crunch as they are creamy.
Alongside being packed full of nutrients while also being very low in carbs and gluten free, these broccoli cheese balls are an excellent substitute for meatballs that have a much more refreshing and crunchier taste that many people actually prefer over their counterpart.
Despite these snacks being small in appearance, they are also extremely rich in fiber, and since they also contain decent amounts of good fat thanks to the cheese mixture, these are a perfect appetizer to incorproate into a keto diet.
Pizza really can be made for virtually any occasion whether it’s for a family gathering, or even if you’re a bit peckish and just want to enjoy some of that warm cheesy flavor as a solo dish, however the issue is it can usually be a little unhealthy to eat on a regular basis.
This is where this keto pizza recipe comes in with it being extremely low in carbs along with an extremely delicious and rich-tasting crust thanks to the delightful combination of melted butter with almond flour, garlic powder and cheddar cheese.
The cottage cheese adds yet another layer of flavor onto this already stacked pizza and when spread over with a creamy low-carb pizza sauce, you really won’t want to pass up on this combination of flavors that is unlike any pizza you’ve tred before.
Additionally, since this keto-friendly pizza can be cooked up in as little as 30 minutes, it’s an easy way to prepare a meal that you know will leave you and your friends or family feeling satisfied after just a few bites.
Summary
Cottage cheese is one of the best ingredients you can use as part of a keto diet since not only is it packed full of protein with a decent amount of fat content, it’s also an easy way to make a recipe that much more flavorful thanks to its naturally thick and salty flavor that can be used for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Try out a few of these amazing recipes to find your new favorite meal that makes full use of cottage cheese to enhance the flavors as much as possible.
Hi, my name is Jenna Lane and I have been following the paleo diet for almost three years.
I am a dietary specialist and help my clients find the right diets for them.
Unfortunately, I can only take on so many clients at a time. Though, thanks to the internet, I can upload my knowledge onto this website and help more people around the world!
That is my aim with this website, so please peruse it and learn. Dieting doesn’t have to be tough - you just need to find the right one for you.
