Need a change of pace for your morning meal? Try this Savory Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowl for a protein packed jump start to your day.

Gray bowl filled with cottage cheese, soft egg, smoked salmon and green onions.

Save This Recipe!

Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.

Lately, I’ve been put through the ringer coming up with new ideas for soft foods for a very grumpy teething toddler.

It turns out that applesauce, savory yogurt, and waffles and ice cream can only be used for so many meals.

For some reason, it took me a long time to realize that cottage cheese would be perfect for her (and luckily, she loved it!).

Of course, I ended up buying two HUGE containers of it, and now I need to start eating it too, or it’s going to expire.

I plan to make lasagna with cottage cheese with some of it, and the rest of it will be eaten for breakfast.

I had some smoked salmon left over from a small smoked salmon platter I made for brunch last weekend and paired it with a few things I had in my fridge to create this Savory Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowl.

Gray bowl on top of dark gray napkin. Bowl is filled with a savory cottage cheese breakfast, including a soft egg and smoked salmon.

Is it good to eat cottage cheese for breakfast?

Cottage cheese is a GREAT breakfast food, because it is so high in protein.

The nutrition label of a popular national brand of cottage cheese shows that a 1 cup serving contains a whopping 26 grams of protein!

This protein boost gives your metabolism a jump start for the day, and keeps you feeling full throughout the morning. It will also decrease levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin.

In short, cottage cheese for breakfast is a fantastic choice, and I’m not sure why it’s not more popular! I even use it to make a sweetened, whipped dip for my Easter fruit salad.

Baking pan with small dishes of everything bagel seasoning, cottage cheese, sliced green onions, brown eggs, chopped cucumber and smoked salmon.

The ingredients for this cottage cheese breakfast bowl are simple

  • cottage cheese – the protein-rich base of this breakfast bowl.
  • egg – adds additional protein, and that jammy yolk is hard to resist.
  • smoked salmon – adds a smoky flavor profile and omega-3 fatty acids.
  • cucumber – adds a fresh, crisp flavor and texture to the bowl.
  • green onion – the mild onion flavor pairs well with the smoked salmon.
  • everything bagel seasoning – infuses the dish with the satisfying flavor of an everything bagel.
Baking pan with two bowls full of curd cheese topped with soft eggs, smoked salmon, green onions and cucumber, along with spoons and a small dish of everything bagel seasoning.

How to Make Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowls

  1. BUILD. Making this cottage cheese breakfast bowl couldn’t be simpler: place the cottage cheese in a pretty bowl, then top it with the egg, salmon, cucumber, onion and everything bagel seasoning.
Savory cottage cheese bowl topped with lox, onions, cucumbers and soft egg, alongside mug of coffee and small bowl of seasoning mix.

Tips for making this cottage cheese breakfast into a meal prep recipe

This is just about the easiest meal prepped breakfast ever.

Buy a container of cottage cheese and a package of smoked salmon (ideally a BIG package, so you can make a smoked salmon pizza, too), and keep them in the fridge.

Chop up the cucumbers and onions, and keep those in separate containers in the fridge.

Make sure your everything bagel seasoning is mixed up if you’re making homemade, or you’ve bought some from the store. That stays at room temperature.

Now, while I like a soft cooked egg if I’m eating this right away, I don’t really enjoy a COLD soft cooked egg.

Something about cold runny yolk just isn’t for me. If you like it, go for it. But when I’m meal prepping, I go with either a hard boiled or medium boiled egg.

I make all of my eggs at the beginning of the week and keep them in the fridge, in their shells.

When I’m ready to eat, I assemble the bowl, take the shell off the egg and cut it, and eat!

This recipe is also great to prep and set out as one of a few brunch ideas for a crowd, maybe with some seafood deviled eggs as well!

Closeup on savory cottage cheese breakfast bowl topped with soft egg, lox, cucumber and green onion.

Cottage Cheese Bowl Ideas

What goes with cottage cheese for breakfast?

I think that in general, Americans tend to think of cottage cheese as something to eat plain, or paired with something sweet, like fruit or fruit preserves.

I’ve never done this. I grew up eating cottage cheese as basically a vehicle for salt and a LOT of black pepper.

Because the cottage cheese itself has just a neutral, creamy flavor, it will pair with just about any savory topping or mix-in you can dream up!

Savory Cottage Cheese Bowl storage

Savory cottage cheese bowls are best when they’re freshly made, so I recommend prepping all of the components and storing them separately in the fridge, then assembling your bowl when you’re ready to eat.

However, if making your breakfast bowl the night before will save you a lot of hassle in the morning, I say go for it. Build your bowl in an airtight container or even mason jar and store in the fridge overnight.

Overhead view of a cottage cheese breakfast spread featuring six bowls, including sausage and sweet potato, spinach artichoke, roasted mushroom, pesto zucchini and tomato, buffalo cauliflower, and smoked salmon and dill, arranged on a dark surface with fresh herbs and toppings.

Savory Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowls

Six savory cottage cheese breakfast bowls with flavorful toppings, smart texture contrasts and practical tips to keep every bowl from tasting bland.
4.4 from 7 ratings

Save This Recipe!

Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe to your inbox.

Ingredients

Smoked Salmon & Dill Cottage Cheese Bowl

Sweet Potato & Turkey Sausage Cottage Cheese Bowl

  • ½ cup chopped sweet potatoes 1-inch cubes
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • ¾ cup cottage cheese
  • cup cooked turkey sausage crumbles
  • 1 tablespoon sliced green onions
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup

Sauteed Mushroom & Thyme Cottage Cheese Bowl

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil divided
  • 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 small garlic clove minced
  • ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • ¾ cup cottage cheese

Pesto Zucchini Cottage Cheese Bowl

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • ½ cup sliced zucchini
  • ¼ cup cherry tomatoes
  • ¾ cup cottage cheese
  • 1 tablespoon Basil Pesto
  • 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts or walnuts

Spinach Artichoke Cottage Cheese Bowl

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 small garlic clove minced
  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • ¼ cup artichoke hearts drained and chopped
  • ¾ cup cottage cheese
  • Pinch red pepper flakes

Buffalo Cauliflower Cottage Cheese Bowl

  • 1 cup small cauliflower florets
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon buffalo sauce
  • ¾ cup cottage cheese
  • 2 tablespoons shredded carrots
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced celery

Instructions

Smoked Salmon & Dill Cottage Cheese Bowl

  • Place cottage cheese in a bowl. Top with smoked salmon, cucumbers and pickled red onions. Sprinkle with fresh dill and Everything Bagel Seasoning, if using.

Sweet Potato & Turkey Sausage Cottage Cheese Bowl

  • Place sweet potatoes on rimmed baking pan, drizzle with oil and toss until well combined. Roast at 400 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender, tossing once. Place cottage cheese in a bowl and top with sweet potatoes, sausage and onions, then drizzle with maple syrup.

Sauteed Mushroom & Thyme Cottage Cheese Bowl

  • Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Transfer to small bowl. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook 1 more minute. Place cottage cheese in a bowl and top with mushroom mixture and breadcrumbs.

Pesto Zucchini Cottage Cheese Bowl

  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until it starts to soften, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and cook 2 minutes or until tomatoes start to blister, stirring occasionally. Place cottage cheese in a bowl and drizzle with pesto. Top with vegetable mixture, then sprinkle with nuts.

Spinach Artichoke Cottage Cheese Bowl

  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add spinach and cook until wilted, stirring frequently. Stir in artichokes and cook 2 minutes. Place cottage cheese in a bowl and top with spinach mixture. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Buffalo Cauliflower Cottage Cheese Bowl

  • Place cauliflower on rimmed baking pan, drizzle with oil and toss until well combined. Roast at 425 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender, tossing once, then drizzle with buffalo sauce and toss to combine. Place cottage cheese in a bowl and top with cauliflower, then sprinkle with carrots and celery.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 Smoked Salmon & Dill Cottage Cheese Bowl.
Calories: 233kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 1202mg, Potassium: 340mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 325IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 147mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Leave a Review below or share a photo and tag me on Instagram @foxeslovelemons with the hashtag #foxeslovelemons.