I went through this phase when I was in high school where I forced myself to eat cottage cheese with fresh fruit and a little brown sugar for breakfast. I’m not quite sure why I thought this was necessary, especially since I really don’t like the texture of plain cottage cheese but I guess I thought it was healthy and therefore I had to eat it. Long gone are the days of me eating foods just because I think I “should” since they’re “healthy”. There are so many foods out there that are healthy and I LOVE so I can’t be bothered with eating anything I don’t like.
Here in Mexico, though, non-fat unsweetened greek yogurt (Fage I miss you SO much!) is non-existent, so I’ve turned to cottage cheese as my greek yogurt substitution. I like putting it in smoothies to make them extra thick and protein-packed. And I’ve been having fun sneaking it into some of my favorite savory foods like Macaroni and Cheese to add some extra protein. I never knew that cottage cheese actually gets melty and gooey like normal cheese when heated up.
So, I present to you Cottage Cheese Cornbread. Kind of like Greek Yogurt Cornbread but, as explained, plain greek yogurt is a no-go in Mexico.
I tested this recipe twice to get it just right. The first time, things were a bit too dry so I increased the wet ingredients. When you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients it will look like you have way too much liquid, but the cornmeal really absorbs it all so have no fear.
Also, be not afraid of the small amount of butter. The cornbread is still low fat and you can always sub in coconut oil for the butter. But really, I kept the butter amount minimal so I can slather more on top of each slice. Mwahaha!
Have you ever eaten foods you don’t like just because they are supposedly “healthy”?
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 heaping cup low fat cottage cheese
- 3/4 cup skim milk
- 2 medium eggs, whisked
- 2 tablespoons honey, melted if very thick
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 baking dish.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together until they are combined.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Don't overmix. Pour the batter into your greased baking dish.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a knife comes out clean.
- Store in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer in an airtight container.
- Optional: serve with a drizzle of honey and extra butter.
Recipe adapted from Daily Garnish (http://www.dailygarnish.com/2011/05/white-cheddar-yogurt-cornbread.html)
Great Cottage Cheese Tips here, I’ve never put it into a smoothie or tried to melt it. Very curious to experiment now! Although my family loves it plain too. I can’t imagine being unable to get greek yogurt 🙁 The only food I’ve ever had to force myself to eat for health was fruit, although after all these years there are a few that I enjoy (mostly berries and citrus). Looks delicious!
I know- the greek yogurt sitch is a tragedy really. Let me know how the cottage cheese experimenting goes!