Cottage Cheese & Eggs

Cottage Cheese and Eggs. Disgusting combination or a bodybuilder's dream? 

This delectable combination is one I’ve been using for years, a quick trick to cream up my eggs without, well… cream. For that little extra satiating protein in the morning, sure, but also, it’s delicious. 

Turns out this combination is not as well-known as I originally thought. I’m here to persuade those of you who have not joined the cottage egg train. Choo Choo 🚂!

Last spring, on a painstakingly long car ride trip to Florida, my friends and I were discussing go-to breakfasts. I brought up cottage cheese and eggs which resulted in gags of disgust from the backseat. After arguing for a few minutes, I gave up on changing the feeble culinary minds that are my dorm-ridden college friends - love you guys :). 

A few minutes of by and genius strikes, “OH, you know what I love? The Starbucks Egg bites.” They roar with applause as I’ve finally spoken their language. Little did they know I had an ulterior motive. “Hey, do you know what’s in Starbucks Egg bites?” I proceed to read off the list of ingredients. The second ingredient, following egg whites, is cottage cheese.

Gotcha!

Thus began the process of opening their minds to this combination. I hope to do the same for you. If you’re not already a fan, here are a few reasons to be:

1. Protein 

   1. Yes, that quintessential macronutrient that has taken over the minds of Americans. A classic breakfast of 3 eggs on whole wheat toast goes from around 320 calories and 23g of protein to 365 calories with 30 grams of protein when I add a half-serving of low-fat or non-fat cottage cheese. Jokes aside, protein is an important nutrient for maintaining muscle, and overall strength. It also helps maintain weight as we feel satiated on less. 

2. Texture

   1. Do you like the chunky texture of cottage cheese? Instead of or in addition to your avocado on toast, add a helping of plain cottage cheese. Top it with a fried egg for a deliciously creamy and textured morning toast. 

   2. Prefer scrambled eggs? Cottage cheese will make your eggs extra creamy. Add in a half-serving roughly 30 seconds before removing it from the heat and you will never think about scrambled eggs the same. It fixes an accidentally hard-scrambled egg and enhances your perfectly soft-scrambled egg. 

3. Use it up

   1. Let’s be honest, you might have a container of cottage cheese for a recipe you told yourself you would make 3 months ago. It’s about to go bad, and you don’t want to go get the ingredients for your goulash. Don’t let it go to waste. Get creative and use it in your eggs. 

   2. Another perfect leftover meal… frittatas. Add a little cottage cheese to your frittata and you’ll have a waste-free home and be on your way to Mr. Olympia in the next year. 

There are plenty of lovely ways to marry eggs and cottage cheese together. This is just my small contribution to the fight for this food’s freedom.