Cottage cheese is having a surge in popularity, with folks turning it into ice cream, dips and more. But cottage cheese bread? You bet! It ups the protein, lowers the carbs and makes for a delicious slice you can use for toast, sandwiches and more. Keep reading to learn the benefits of baking with cottage cheese, get a simple bread recipe and see our favorite ways to enjoy it.
The ingredients in cottage cheese bread
Most recipes for this bread combine cottage cheese with other ingredients like almond flour and eggs to form a batter. The cottage cheese acts as a binding agent to help everything come together in dough form. Afterward, the mixture is baked in a loaf pan until it’s golden brown on top and the center is tender.
How cottage cheese bread differs from other breads
Cottage cheese isn’t the first bread-baking ingredient that comes to mind. But it’s a great binding agent that holds the dough together similar to butter and even all-purpose flour. The end result is cheese-based bread with a soft and springy texture and slightly tangy flavor compared to commercial white breads.
Along with its unique taste, cottage cheese bread has a nutritional advantage over other kinds. The average slice of cottage cheese bread contains 135 calories, 1 gram of saturated fat, 23 grams of carbs and 6 grams of protein. This is significantly better than the 157 calories, 27 grams of carbs, 3 grams of saturated fat and 4 grams of protein found in a slice of homemade white bread.
How does this happen? Well, Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDCES, LDN, CPT, registered dietitian and author of Belly Fat Diet For Dummies, shares three ways that cottage cheese creates a healthier and tastier loaf of bread.
1. It reduces the bread’s saturated fat content.
Palinski-Wade notes that cottage cheese tames the bread’s saturated fat and calorie content. In fact, a ½-cup serving of this superfood contains approximately 110 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat. “For those looking to cut carbs to improve blood sugar, this can be very beneficial, as diets high in saturated fat are linked with increased insulin resistance,” she says.
2. It lowers the carb content.
Although refined flour gives bread an easy-to-chew texture, it spikes its carbohydrate content. Luckily, Palinski-Wade says you swap these flours for cottage cheese to whip up light and fluffy bread without guilt. “Using cottage cheese to make bread is an easy way to cut out refined flours to reduce the overall carbohydrate content of the bread,” she notes.
3. It boosts the protein content.
According to Palinski-Wade, adding cottage cheese to the dough “boosts the protein content, allowing the bread to have less impact on blood sugar while promoting fullness.” Keep in mind that not all cottage cheese brands are created equal. That’s why she suggests using Daisy 4% Cottage Cheese (Buy from Walmart, $3.78) as it only contains three ingredients and provides a whopping 13 grams of protein per ½ cup.
These are just a few benefits of making bread using cottage cheese, and for more, click through to read our stories on the digestive perks of eating cottage cheese, how it helps kickstart fat loss and additional ways to add it to your daily diet!
How to make cottage cheese bread
Unlike traditional bread recipes, preparing cottage cheese bread doesn’t require any kneading or lengthy rise times. Just follow this recipe shared by Carol-Ann Robert, RD, registered dietitian at TeamNutrition, to make a homemade loaf in under 2 hours.
Cottage Cheese Bread
Ingredients:
Directions:
- Active: 10 min.
- Total time: 1 hr, 45 min.
- Yield: 1 loaf (at least 12 slices)
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9″x5″ loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In bowl, mix almond flour, baking powder and salt.
- In another bowl, beat eggs, then add cottage cheese and melted coconut oil. Mix until smooth.
- Incorporate dry mixture into wet ingredients and mix well until the batter is smooth.
- Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth top.
- Bake until the bread is golden and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 min.
- Once baked, remove bread from oven and let cool in pan for 3 min., then transfer to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hr.
- Slice and enjoy!
Note: Homemade bread is best when eaten within 2 to 3 days. So be sure to click through for our story on how to store bread to ensure it doesn’t go stale.
What to do with cottage cheese bread
Cottage cheese bread is tasty enjoyed on its own or toasted and smeared with butter, cream cheese or jam. Our favorite way to use this bread? Slice and fill it with nourishing ingredients to make a lower-carb, high sandwich. Below, you can find our top three sandwich recipes that work well with sliced cottage cheese bread and will become staples in your lunch rotation!
Double-Decker Clubs
Prep an extra batch of our easy from-scratch red pepper hummus to use as a dip for veggies or chips.
Ingredients:
- 12 slices cottage cheese bread
- 1 (15.5 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
- ¼ cup sesame tahini
- 1 Tbs. lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
- ¼ tsp. salt
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup chopped drained roasted red peppers
- 2 small tomatoes, sliced
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
- 1⅓ cups fresh pea shoots or alfalfa sprouts
Directions:
- Active: 30 min.
- Total time: 30 min.
- Yield: 4 servings
- Grill or toast bread. In food processor, combine chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, salt and cayenne pepper; process until smooth.
- In medium bowl, combine 1 cup hummus with roasted red peppers. Dividing evenly, spread red pepper hummus over 1 side of each of 4 slices of bread; top each with 1 bread slice. Spread with remaining plain hummus. Top with tomatoes, avocado and pea shoots. Cover with remaining bread slices. If desired, secure with toothpicks.
Chicken ’n’ Veggie Sandwiches
To ensure even cooking and tenderness, we pound the chicken to an even thickness before grilling.
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbs. + 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1½ Tbs. balsamic vinegar
- 4 (5 to 6 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 1 red pepper, seeded, quartered
- 1 medium red onion, sliced
- 8 (½” thick) slices cottage cheese bread
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- 2 cups baby arugula
Directions:
- Active: 20 min.
- Total time: 30 min. + grill prep time
- Yield: 4 servings
- Prepare grill for medium-high direct-heat cooking. In small bowl, combine 3 Tbs. olive oil and balsamic vinegar; reserve.
- Place each chicken breast half between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using meat mallet or can covered with foil, pound each breast to ½” thickness.
- In medium bowl, toss chicken with remaining 2 tsp. olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Coat pepper and onion pieces with cooking spray. Transfer peppers and onions directly to grill grate. Grill, flipping once, until just tender, 3 to 5 min. per side. Grill chicken, flipping once, until no longer pink in center, 4 to 5 min. per side. Grill bread, flipping once, until grill marks appear, about 1 min. per side.
- Brush one side of each bread slice with dressing. Slice pepper pieces. Fill bread with chicken, peppers, onions, tomatoes and arugula.
Salmon Watercress Sandwiches
These smoky sandwich stacks feature crisp cucumber, vibrant watercress and lemon-flavored cream cheese for extra zing.
Ingredients:
- 1 lemon
- 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temp.
- 16 thin slices cottage bread, toasted or grilled
- 1 cup microgreens or watercress
- 8 oz. smoked salmon
- 1 cup diced seedless cucumber
Directions:
- Active: 20 min.
- Total time: 20 min.
- Yield: 4 servings
- Grate 1 tsp. zest and squeeze 2 tsp. juice from lemon. In bowl, combine cream cheese, lemon zest and juice. Spread one side of 12 bread slices with cream cheese mixture.
- For each sandwich, place ¼ cup microgreens on one bread slice, spread side up. Top with bread slice, spread side up, 2 oz. smoked salmon, then bread slice, spread side up, and ¼ cup diced cucumber. Cover with plain bread slice. Cut diagonally into 4 sections.
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
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