Breakfast Cottage Cheese Bowl
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.
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 made 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.
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.
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.
How to Make Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bowls
- 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.
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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 shrimp deviled eggs as well!
Cottage Cheese Bowl Ideas
- Other meat options are chopped bacon in the oven or sliced sausage links in the oven.
- Cherry tomatoes or even blistered tomatoes would add a burst of sweetness and color.
- Add a squeeze of hot sauce like sriracha for some heat.
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.
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Savory Cottage Cheese Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 egg soft- or medium-cooked, or hard boiled, halved
- 1 ounce thinly sliced smoked salmon
- ¼ cup diced English cucumber
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
- 1 teaspoon Everything Bagel Seasoning with Caraway
Instructions
- Place cottage cheese in cereal or soup bowl.
- Top with egg, salmon, cucumber and onion. Sprinkle with seasoning and serve immediately.
Notes
- 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.
I tried this for breakfast this morning (forgot about any seasoning because I remembered the basic ingredients) and it was very good. I normally don’t like veggies for breakfast but cucumbers work. Next time I would probably use a dukkah-type spice because that’s what I have (and from what I’ve read of the ingredients I would not care for everything bagel seasoning). I have found a really good, tasty brand of cottage cheese, so I’m happy to have more ways to use it. Will definitely make this again.
Love the dukkah idea, Susan! Either that or za’atar would both be great here. What’s your go-to brand of cottage cheese?
My go-to brand is Good Culture, which I find at Sprouts. The one I like best is the full fat with extra cream, which keeps really well for a long time. I love the idea of using za’atar as the spice, especially since I just bought some from Lebanon. I’ll probably try that first, because the more I think .about it, the better it sounds.
Oh yes, we use Good Culture too! It’s great!
This was so easy to make and so flavourful- the combination of the ingredients and the bagel season made for a very tasty breakfast bowl that I actually look forward to eating, unlike boring oatmeal and banana, lol.. I trust your recipes and will try making some other dishes in the near future! Wish I could post a photo of my finished dish!
I am so glad to hear you liked this, Bruce! I agree, I get tired of oatmeal and bananas too. haha.
If I soft boil the eggs ahead of time like you mentioned, how long do they last in the fridge (in shell)?
Hi Bruce! The FDA says that hard boiled eggs (in the shell or peeled) should be eaten within 1 week of cooking. That’s why I normally do hard boiled eggs for these bowls when I’m meal prepping. Soft boiled eggs, I would probably only keep in the fridge about 2-3 days.
This looks absolutely delicious! I have been making savory cottage cheese but never thought to add lox. Lox is not on my shopping list! I am going to do this with Greek yogurt and cottage cheese!
Thanks, Nicole. Enjoy your lox and cottage cheese! I hope you love it 🙂
I’ve been doing a somewhat savory cottage cheese bowl for breakfast, with pecans, coconut and blueberries. There is cinnamon & vanilla in it, too, so it’s somewhere between sweet and savory. For lunch I do one with pepitas and peas sautéed in butter, served with a green salad. I like your idea, but neither my husband nor I can deal with smoked salmon at any time of day! By the way, another possibility for your toddler, which makes a pretty good breakfast is ricotta cheese with whatever you like on top. Just in case said toddler likes variety.
Actually, yes – I had leftover ricotta last month, and stir some applesauce into it, and said toddler enjoyed it. Haha.
Hi Susan! May I ask for some details: is the coconut toasted? How do you add the vanilla? Sounds so good!