Food trends come and go—but cottage cheese is here to stay.
Ever since creators on TikTok came up with Green Goddess Toast back in 2022, recipes riffing on the retro fridge staple haven’t stopped coming. And they haven’t stopped going viral either. (We haven’t forgotten when people were mixing it with mustard and using it as a dip for their chicken sausage.)
From ice cream to flatbreads, the internet certainly has its favorite ways to eat cottage cheese—and so do our editors. Whether you’re looking for a quick snack or high-protein dessert, if you still can’t get enough cottage cheese after all this time, they have some deliciously creative ideas for you to try.
Cottage Cheese Salad and a Balanced Breakfast
Jan Miller, senior editor
What we eat throughout childhood tends to stay with us for life (whether good or… not so good). Miller grew up knowing there would always be a side salad on the dinner table, thanks to her mom—and many evenings, it landed in the form of cottage cheese, along with “whatever canned fruit was stashed away in the cupboard, most likely peaches or pineapple,” she recalls.
“When summer rolled around we topped creamy small curd cottage cheese with sliced ripe-red beefsteak tomatoes from the garden—but that’s the closest we came to a ‘savory’ cottage cheese salad.”
Now that she’s the one putting the salads on the table, Miller has taken that concept and made it her own. Here’s how she does it.
“Years later, I still love cottage cheese, but my palate and perspective about the diet-staple has changed. I always take it in a savory direction, topping it with a mixture of snipped fresh herbs from my herb container garden in the summer months—lemon thyme, parsley, and basil are my top picks.
When I don’t have the luxury of herbs outside my door in the cool weather months, I love to top a serving with a sprinkle of dried Italian herbs, a shake of black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. I also love a heavy sprinkle of Lake Shore Drive—an herb blend from The Spice House made up of scallions, chives, shallots and green peppercorns—it’s onion-y and so fresh tasting even though it’s made with dried herbs. I add cucumbers and cherry tomatoes to that combo and it makes me think spring is around the corner.
Finally, when I’m in the mood for a loaded crunchy salad, I make a clean-out-the-fridge salad and add a generous scoop of cottage cheese with a spritz of vinegar to serve as a high-protein dressing.”
For starting off the day right, Miller turns to our very own Test Kitchen’s recipes.
“I love the high protein waffles we created for BHG,” she says. “No one would ever know there was cottage cheese in the batter—delicious, stealthy use of cottage cheese.”
Cottage Cheesecake
Ginger Perra, social media editor
As a self-described “gal with a sweet tooth and a contrasting appreciation for a healthy lifestyle,” Perra is always looking for ways to make dessert more nutritious.
“Cottage cheese ice cream is all the rage, but my favorite way to eat it is a cottage cheesecake,” she says. “This way you’re really leaning into the cheese flavor—not pretending it’s something it’s not.”
Here’s how she puts a savory twist on this classic treat:
Blend up around a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese until smooth with 1 to 2 teaspoons of natural maple syrup. Then add in frozen fruit or melted chocolate, and blend just enough to combine. Place it in a mason jar or bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour. When you’re ready to eat, crumble some graham crackers on top for texture and crunch. This gets you around 10 to 15 grams of protein and a mouthwatering sweet treat!
A Savory Snack
Emily Williams, editor
“My go-to snack lately has been cottage cheese sprinkled with Everything But the Bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s. I like to scoop it up with Pretzel Thins, but it’s great with crackers or on its own, too. I love that it’s loaded with protein for a midday pick-me-up.”
Erin Hooker, assistant food editor
“I mix cottage cheese with fresh chopped herbs, a few tablespoons of Green Goddess salad dressing, and flaky sea salt. Eat with crackers, and it’s the perfect high-protein snack!”