Say Cheese!
Cottage cheese, that is.
Our family is headed to Indian Rocks Beach this month for our annual Fun-in-the-Sun Fest — part family reunion, part culinary adventure, and for me, always a reset button for healthier living. Something about the salt air and sun-warmed skin does that. The long morning walks on the shoreline, the gentle drone of waves, naps under an umbrella, and fresh-caught fish for dinner have a way of rearranging my priorities.
In years past, we would start the week with breakfast at the little French patisserie located right next door to our condo. Its siren-call aromas could beckon us straight from our slumber — warm quiche, crepes, and espresso drifting down the breezeway like an invitation. And truthfully, it’s hard to argue with a morning that starts with flaky croissants dusted in powdered sugar. But this year, I’m trying a new rhythm.
An early riser by nature, I happily claim breakfast duty as my contribution to the week. Lunch is easy — everyone does their own thing. Over the years, we’ve learned a trick or two under the veil of simplicity: Groceries are delivered the morning we arrive. We stock up on everyone’s favorite fixings for quick salads, wraps, and bowls — low effort, high reward.
Dinner is our sweet spot. Some nights we snag early reservations at our favorite local haunts so we can be back in time for a sunset stroll. Other nights, we keep it casual: paper plates, grilling by the pool in our swimsuits, and the kind of lingering laughter that only happens when no one is checking the clock as we soak up the last remnants of the day from the patio hot tub until the sky turns inky and the palm trees start to silhouette.
As I started planning breakfasts, I kept circling back to one idea: protein in the morning. If it helps us feel full and satisfied longer, that means more time in the surf and fewer snack runs — no cooler required. Enter cottage cheese — high protein, creamy, and suddenly the star of the internet. I started testing recipes at home to find the ones my family would genuinely enjoy — because if we’re going to resist the pastry case next door, my breakfasts have to be worth denying the call.
That’s how these recipes came to be. Oh, we’ll still indulge ourselves at the patisserie once — on departure day, when suitcases are packed and discipline is tired. But the rest of the week? I’ve got a treat planned for them … and you.
3 Cottage Cheese Recipes
Cottage Cheese Blueberry Bake
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 2 c. cottage cheese (4% fat, small curd)
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 c. almond flour
- 1/4 c. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 2 c. fresh blueberries
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9-by-9 baking dish with butter. In a blender, combine cottage cheese and eggs and blend until smooth. Then add the almond flour, syrup, vanilla, zest, juice, and baking powder and blend again until ingredients are well combined. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle in the blueberries. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Take out of the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes to fully set. Serve warm or room temperature.
Spinach, Egg, and Cottage Cheese Bake
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1/4 c. flour
- 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach (thawed)
- 16 oz. cottage cheese (4% fat, small curd)
- 1/4 c. butter (melted)
- 8 oz. cheddar cheese (shredded)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9-by-13 dish with butter. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, onion, and flour until well combined. In a mesh colander, squeeze the water out of the spinach and fold into the egg mixture. Add the cottage cheese, butter, and cheddar cheese and stir until well combined. Pour into the prepared dish and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Salt and pepper to taste. Cut into large squares and serve warm.
Cottage Cheese Bagels
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 c. cottage cheese (4% fat, small curd)
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp. water
- Everything bagel seasoning
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk
flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add cottage cheese and stir together with a wooden spoon until just blended. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it for about 30 seconds. Divide dough evenly into eight sections. Roll each piece into a 7-inch rope and join ends to form a circle. It will look like a doughnut.
In a small bowl whisk egg and water. Brush each bagel with the egg wash and sprinkle the seasoning over the top. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before cutting. Slice in half and serve with butter, cream cheese, avocado slices, salmon, or egg.
These recipes are from the August 2026 issue of HomeLife Magazine. For more tasty recipes, check out our HomeLife recipes collection!
