Cottage cheese, known for its creamy curds, is a rising trend, currently perceived as a dairy item that spans both the breakfast and snacking categories like yogurt. Also like yogurt, cottage cheese is beginning to be sold not just on its own, but also with single-serve packages that include fruity flavors and granola mix-in options, providing several ways to enjoy it each day.
With so many convenient and tasty ways to bring cottage cheese to the table, here are some ways to put your own spin on the increasingly popular dairy food.
When you discover your love for cottage cheese and realize you need a larger batch than the individual packets or the tubs available at the store, why not try making it at home using fresh milk and other dairy products you have on hand?
There are many recipes to choose from depending on what you have at home. Simply heat whole milk in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add something acidic like lemon juice, white vinegar, or rennet to separate the milk. Stir to combine and cover with a lid until the curds and whey have separated. Break up and pour curds into a colander lined with a cheesecloth and let drain until curds are cool, then transfer drained curds to a bowl. Raid the fridge and add buttermilk, heavy cream or yogurt and salt to taste to the curds. Break them up and mix to combine into cottage cheese, serving on its own or with fresh fruit.
And when you want to bring cottage cheese to other dishes, you still have plenty of options. Serve chips and cottage cheese by making dips like this Roasted Garlic and White Bean Dip or this deliciously easy guacamole. No one will guess your secret ingredient on their own. Once you reveal what gives your dip its creamy consistency, everyone will stare in awe as their ideas on cottage cheese change forever.
So why not blow everyone’s minds even further? Serve crostini at your Saturday afternoon catch-up, bringing an extra touch of elegance to your offerings of chicken salad sandwiches served with sweet tea. Casually share your new talent of baking from scratch with the in-laws, passing the butter dish for your homemade bread made with your homemade cottage cheese. By Sunday evening, your creativity and ease in the kitchen will be lauded around town.
Serve cottage cheese on its own or in other dishes, homemade or in convenient packaging from the store, on-trend or in your own way. However you choose to enjoy it, applaud the return of this often underappreciated dairy product to the list of trendy foods. Cottage cheese brings a lot to the table, so bring it to yours.