Cottage cheese is shedding its old-fashioned image, as younger generations embrace its delights and share their love on TikTok. With nearly 500 million views, this dairy favorite is experiencing a modern renaissance.
Cottage cheese is undergoing a renaissance. If you think cottage cheese and then think of your mother’s or grandmother’s diet foods, it’s time to leave those thoughts in the past. Younger generations are discovering all there is to love about this dairy delight and taking their newfound love to TikTok, where “cottage cheese” has garnered nearly 500 million views.
However, let’s be honest. Not every TikTok “hack” or viral recipe is worth trying out, and that’s certainly been the case with some of the cottage cheese recipes that have received ample attention on the app.
Like mustard and cottage cheese? It’s being touted as a cheap diet food (one TikTok influencer claimed the food combo helped her lose 80 pounds), but nutritionists agree that it’s not exactly a well-rounded, healthful combo to eat on a regular basis. Not to mention, cottage cheese and mustard isn’t really the tastiest combination of ingredients out there.
So if you want to rediscover cottage cheese for yourself — which does come with its health benefits, like high amounts of calcium and vitamins, so as long as you’re not making it a substantial part of your diet — what should you really try? Here are five new ways to eat cottage cheese.
1. Make a protein-rich stuffed eggplant
Stuffed veggie entrees are no longer relegated to just ground beef-stuffed bell peppers. Broaden your horizons with this veggie-stuffed, protein-heavy eggplant recipe that combines quinoa with cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, for a flavorful mix that’s just as delicious as it is healthful.
2. Upgrade your baked potato
Baked potatoes make an easy, healthful side dish, but sometimes that health factor can feel a little negated when you start piling on toppings like cheese, sour cream and bacon. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a loaded baked potato, though, and still stick to your health goals. Swap out sour cream with cottage cheese and bacon for chopped, roasted or sautéed veggies.
3. Spread it on your toast
One TikTok cottage cheese trend that definitely sounds far more appetizing than cottage cheese and mustard? Cottage cheese on toast. Spread it on your favorite toasted sourdough or gluten-free bread and then drizzle it with your favorite toast toppings, like honey, chili oil, diced or sliced fruits and veggies, and more, for a protein-rich, vegetarian breakfast or anytime meal.
4. Add it to your pasta
Add cottage cheese to your favorite creamy pasta sauces instead of heavy cream and you’ll find that many recipes come out lower in fat and higher in protein.
5. Make ice cream
No, really! One of the TikTok-favorite uses for cottage cheese at the moment is for making an easy, protein-packed ice cream. All you need are two base ingredients: cottage cheese and peanut butter. From there, you can add in extra ingredients of your liking, such as chocolate chips, fruit or honey. Put it all in your food processor and process until creamy, and then let it harden in the freezer.
