The best recipes to make with cottage cheese

We love cottage cheese – it’s versatile and indulgent yet full of nutritional benefits. Here, we share some of our favourite healthy cottage cheese recipes.

Until recently, cottage cheese was seen as just another of many things stuck in an 80s time warp (along with aerobics classes and leg warmers). But now, as Aussies have a new focus on health, a whole new generation is discovering the high protein, low-fat properties of the product.

Here are some reasons why cottage cheese is great to incorporate into a healthy diet, followed by some incredible recipes courtesy of taste.com.au.

What is cottage cheese?

Bulla Dairy Foods was the company that helped drive the popularity of cottage cheese over 40 years ago. Their recipe and process for making cottage cheese has not changed, with the product still hand cut and made from fresh local milk in their factory in Colac in regional Victoria. Cottage cheese is sold and eaten fresh and does not need to be matured like other cheeses, so it’s easy to produce and can be used in a huge variety of dishes.

Cottage cheese nutritional benefits

Is cottage cheese healthy? Yes. It is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can enjoy, with minimal calories. One serve provides more than 16g of protein (per 1/2 cup), along with calcium, magnesium and vitamin B12.

Cottage cheese is incredibly versatile.

Cottage cheese vs. feta and ricotta

If you’re looking for weight loss, cottage cheese is a great option. It has less than half the calories of feta and one-quarter of the fat. But despite being the leaner choice, it has almost as much protein as feta, as well as one-quarter of the salt. When it comes to cottage cheese calories, it has about 30 per cent less cals than full fat ricotta, plus more protein and half the fat.

Best cottage cheese recipes

Ever wondered how to cook with cottage cheese? It’s surprisingly versatile. Its smooth creamy texture and milk flavour makes it a great base to pair with either sweet or savoury ingredients. This versatility also means that it can be used as a part of any meal from breakfast through to dinner and all of the snacking occasions in between. Here are a few of our favourite ways to use cottage cheese:

Healthy raspberry muffins

They’re nut-free (so lunch box-friendly), easy to bake and make a great healthier alternative when you’re craving a sweet treat, as they contain less sugar and are made with wholemeal flour. Keep a bag of frozen raspberries in the freezer and some Bulla Cottage cheese in the fridge at all times and you’ll be able to throw these together anytime!

Try these healthy raspberry muffins ASAP.

Magic tuna, corn and cheese puffs

Everyone loves a cheesy nibble! These are great for a quick snack or you can enjoy them with a green salad to create a balanced lunch. They make great leftovers to munch on the next day.

Perfect to pack into a lunch box.

Healthier crustless lemon cheesecake bites

Baked cheesecake just went bite-sized! These taste like a naughty dessert but they’re actually lighter thanks to the use of cottage cheese, yoghurt and honey in the cheesecake layer and crushed nuts instead of a biscuit base.

Who said cottage cheese was strictly savoury?

Pie maker spinach and cheese fritters

Made from just cottage cheese, egg, flour and frozen spinach and cooked in the super-popular pie maker appliance, these hacky kid-friendly fritters can just be made in minutes and served warm straight away or cold as a snack or lunchtime treat the next day.

Cottage cheese is the hidden star of this dish.

More ways with cottage cheese

• Cottage cheese pancakes
• Low cal peanut butter mousse
• Cottage cheese sausage rolls

Originally published as The best recipes to make with cottage cheese