Cottage Cheese Queso (High-Protein)
A creamy high protein cottage cheese queso dip made with sautéed poblano, fresh tomato, and blended cottage cheese instead of processed cheese. 12 grams of protein per serving, ready in 20 minutes, and it tastes like real restaurant queso.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or butter
- 1 large Roma or plum tomato, diced (with juices)
- 1 large poblano pepper, diced
- ¼ cup diced white onion, about ½ small onion
- Salt, to taste
- 1 ¼ cups cottage cheese, whole or 2% (not fat-free)
- ½ – ¾ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- ¼ cup milk, cow's or unsweetneed, unflavored almond or cashew
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Blend the cottage cheese. Add the cottage cheese to a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Set aside. No need to wash the blender, you'll use it again later.
- Sauté the poblano and onion. Heat olive oil or butter in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced poblano, onion, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden.
- Add the tomato. Stir in the diced tomato with its juices and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the spices. Add the cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Stir to coat the veggies in the spice blend. Optional: scoop out 2 tablespoons of the sautéed veggie mixture and set aside for garnish.
- Mix the cottage cheese and pepper jack. In a small bowl, stir together the blended cottage cheese and shredded pepper jack cheese.
- Take the pan off the heat. Lower the heat to low, then remove the skillet from the burner completely. This is the move that prevents graininess.
- Stir in the cottage cheese mixture. Slowly add the cottage cheese and pepper jack blend to the off-heat skillet. Keep stirring off the heat until everything is combined and the cheese has melted from the residual warmth of the pan.
- Transfer to the blender with milk. Pour the queso mixture back into the blender and add the ¼ cup milk.
- Blend until velvety smooth. Blend for 30 seconds until silky, creamy, and smooth. If the queso ever looks separated or grainy, blend it again with another splash of milk, it comes back together every time.
- Serve warm. Pour into a serving bowl or back into the skillet. Top with the reserved sautéed veggies, fresh cilantro, and an extra sprinkle of pepper jack. Serve with tortilla chips, pretzels, or fresh veggies.
Notes
For the prettiest presentation: Reserve 2 tablespoons of the sautéed poblano, onion, and tomato mixture before blending in the cottage cheese. Spoon it over the finished queso as a garnish — it adds color and lets people see what's in the dip.
The off-heat technique matters. Take the pan completely off the heat before adding the blended cottage cheese mixture. Direct heat curdles cottage cheese fast and causes the queso to turn grainy.
Use freshly shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting and pull the cottage cheese apart. Shred a block yourself.
Full-fat cottage cheese works best. 4% gives the creamiest texture. 2% works but thinner. Skip fat-free, it turns rubbery when heated.
The second blend is the secret. After mixing in the cheese, return the queso to the blender with ¼ cup milk and blend until smooth. This is what gives it the velvety, restaurant-style texture.
If it ever goes grainy, blend it again. A 30-second blend with a tablespoon of milk brings it back together every time.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals with a splash of milk if needed. Don't freeze, the texture won't hold up.
To keep warm at a party: Transfer to a small slow cooker on the warm setting. Stir every 15 minutes and add a tablespoon of milk if it thickens.
Make it spicier: Add a diced jalapeño with the poblano, or stir in pickled jalapeños at the end.
Nutrition
Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 300mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 631IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 1mg
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