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Cottage Cheese Queso

For a high-protein Game Day snack that’s ready in just five minutes, look no further than this creamy queso dip made with cottage cheese.



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Being pregnant during football season is pretty fantastic. You’ve got entire afternoons of sitting on the couch in your sweatpants while eating delicious snacks and it’s considered completely normal. Halftime nap? Totally acceptable. Third bowl of chili? Go for it.


Only the last half of football season was like that for me (except for the sweatpants part) because I was in my first trimester and the morning sickness was a beast. During the colder months I typically love meat-heavy comfort foods like chicken pot pie, chili, and pot roast. But during the first trimester those were the last things I wanted. This actually lasted my entire pregnancy, and to this day I’m still pretty picky about meat. When this aversion continued past my morning sickness stage, I mentioned it to my doctor. She said that was totally normal and fine, but that I would have to make sure I was getting enough protein from other sources. There are actually a lot of ways to get protein from other sources if you are willing to get a little creative.


Why is protein so important during pregnancy?


Protein is made up of several of the building blocks that are essential for your baby’s growth and development. It helps build:


  • Tissues and organs

  • Brain

  • DNA

  • Antibodies for their Immune system

  • Hormones and enzymes


Protein is important for moms as well. Your blood volume increases significantly, as does the growth of your maternal tissues like your breasts and uterus. More protein is needed to help transfer oxygen throughout all of these new blood cells and to help build this extra tissue.


How much protein should you get during pregnancy?


The Institute of Medicine recommends 46 grams of protein per day in the first trimester and 71g per day in the second and third trimester.


What are good sources of protein other than meat?


While meat is the most common source of protein, there are plenty of other ways to meet the daily recommendation. Here are some other high-protein foods (grams are based on a ½ cup serving unless stated otherwise):


Animal-based proteins:

  • Cottage cheese- 14 grams

  • Greek yogurt- 10 grams

  • Milk- 4 grams

  • Eggs- 1 egg is 6.3 grams


Plant-based proteins

  • Peanut butter- 32.5 grams

  • Almonds- 12 grams

  • Lentils- 9 grams

  • Quinoa- 4 grams

  • Pumpkin seeds- 17.2 grams

  • Sunflower seeds- 14.5 grams

  • Flax seeds- 15 grams

  • Chickpeas-7.25 grams

  • Black beans - 7.5 grams

  • Pinto beans- 7.7 grams



Is there a difference between animal and plant proteins?


One important difference between plant and animal proteins is the fact that animal-based proteins contain all of the amino acids needed to form a “complete protein." Many plant-based sources only contain a few of those amino acids, meaning they aren’t technically protein yet. This simply means that you need to eat a variety of plant-based sources to get all of the different amino acids so that they can form complete proteins in your body.

For example, black beans contain the amino acids that brown rice lacks and vice versa. If you pair them together (burrito bowl anyone?) your meal now contains complete protein.



Anyways, back to Game Day. One of my favorite football foods is queso, and thankfully my morning sickness had not affected my love for a bowl of melted cheese. Processed cheese has always kind of freaked me out so I wanted to make a dip that used actual cheese. Due to the high protein content of cottage cheese, I decided to experiment and make that the foundation of my queso. I blended it with shredded cheddar, taco seasoning and a little bit of milk before heating it on the stove and stirring in some fresh pico de gallo. The flavor turned out incredible, and from start to finish it was ready before the first quarter was even close to ending. I loved it so much that I made it for the Super Bowl, and it was devoured before halftime





What ingredients do I need to make this cottage cheese queso?


  • Cottage cheese- full-fat works best

  • Shredded cheddar- you can swap this out for Mexican blend or pepper jack

  • Taco seasoning- store-bought or homemade

  • Whole milk- this helps keep the cheese from curdling or separating as it heats up

  • Pico de gallo- use your favorite store-bought brand or recipe



Helpful products for making this recipe:




Can I make cottage cheese queso on the stove?


Yes! You can heat the mixture over low heat in a small saucepan, stirring often, until heated through. Using low heat helps prevent the cheese from becoming grainy.




How can I customize this recipe?


You can use any type of shredded or cubed cheese. I’ve done both a Mexican blend and pepper jack and been really happy with the results. You can also stir in some green chiles, hot sauce, or chopped jalapeños for a little kick.





How do I store leftover queso?


You can store extra queso in the fridge for 3-5 days. Then simply follow the heating instructions from the recipe. If the cheese separates, try stirring in a Tablespoon of milk after heating.




How many servings of cottage cheese queso does this recipe make?


You will get about four ¼ cup servings of queso.



How many grams of protein are in this recipe?


There is a whopping 70 grams of total protein or 17.5 grams of protein per serving.


Why is the texture different than traditional queso?


Processed cheese creates a smooth consistency that natural cheese doesn't, so the texture will be slightly different. To prevent your queso from being grainy, make sure to cook it over low heat. You can also stir in a little bit of milk after heating.





Did You Make This Recipe?

Let me know!

Mention @preggokitchen or tag #preggokitchen



Did You Like It?

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Ingredients:


  • 1 ¼ cup full-fat cottage cheese

  • 1 ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

  • 1 teaspoon taco seasoning

  • 4-6 Tbsp milk

  • ½ cup pico de gallo


Directions:


  1. Blend cottage cheese, shredded cheese, taco seasoning, and milk in a small food processor or use an immersion blender to blend it to a smooth consistency

  2. Microwave for 30 second increments, stirring between each round, until heated through

  3. Stir in the pico de gallo and enjoy!








Sources:

1. Fooddata Central Search Results. FoodData Central. (n.d.). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food- details/1100185/nutrients


2. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Nutritional Status During Pregnancy and Lactation. Nutrition During Pregnancy: Part I Weight Gain: Part II Nutrient Supplements. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1990. 19, Protein and Amino Acids. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK235221/


3. Murphy, M. M., Higgins, K. A., Bi, X., & Barraj, L. M. (2021, February 28). Adequacy and sources of protein intake among pregnant women in the United States, NHANES 2003-2012. Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7997328





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