Shake up your breakfast and snacking routine with my quick & easy recipe for Tomato Cottage Cheese Toast! Made with just a handful of ingredients in about 5 minutes, this squeaky, savory, summery treat will make you wonder why you haven’t put cottage cheese on toast before.
Cottage cheese is having a serious moment right now, and it’s easy to see why. It’s packed with protein and calcium, inexpensive, easy-to-find, and extraordinarily versatile. Heck, you can make everything from cheesecake and cookie dough to ice cream and pasta sauce with it! It also just so happens to be one of my favorite healthy toast toppings.
Today, we’re keeping things nice and simple with a 5-minute recipe for a protein-packed open-faced iteration of a southern tomato sandwich. Made with little more than a slice of (homemade?!?) sourdough bread, a tub of cottage cheese, and a handful of cherry tomatoes, this delightful breakfast toast is perfect for filling you up without weighing you down.
⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’re looking for a healthy breakfast with toast, look no further. Aside from being the absolute ideal post-workout snack or light breakfast or lunch, this tomato cottage cheese toast recipe is also:
- Quick & Easy - If you have just 5-10 minutes to spare, you can make yourself a soul-satisfying, filling dish that’ll make you want to lick the plate.
- Budget-Friendly - If rent week has you stressing, my cottage cheese and tomato toast is the ideal cheap and cheerful meal — especially when tomato season is in full swing!
- Perfect Use For Homemade Sourdough - If you’ve been on a sourdough-making kick, you might need some fresh new ideas to keep your snacking game on point. This cottage cheese toast is a great spot to start!
- Completely Customizable - The great thing about bread and cottage cheese is that they play very nicely with others. Whether you want to veer into sweet territory by swapping out tomatoes for different fruits or want to lean heavy into savory flavors by roasting your tomatoes first, there are tons of ways to make this meal your own. Read on below for tons of ideas!
🍴Ingredients
As promised, you only need a handful of ingredients to make this tasty cottage cheese and tomato tartine. Here’s what to grab:
- Sourdough Bread - Feel free to use classic sourdough, cinnamon sourdough, herbed parmesan sourdough, rustic sourdough, or any other sliced crusty bread you prefer.
- Olive Oil - Just your normal cooking oil is perfect here.
- Greens - Feel free to use your choice of Insta-worthy microgreens, colorful mixed greens, spicy arugula, or leafy butter lettuce.
- Cottage Cheese - I personally prefer good culture, but don’t feel limited. Full-fat or low-fat, small curd or large curd, dairy or plant-based — it’s totally up to you!
- Cherry Tomatoes - Since these snacking tomatoes can easily be grown in greenhouse conditions, this delightful recipe is easy to make all year round. Feel free to swap in sliced ripe summer tomatoes when they’re in season.
- Balsamic Vinegar Glaze - Feel free to buy this premade, or simply simmer your favorite balsamic vinegar with a tablespoon or two of sugar until it’s thick and syrupy.
- Salt & Pepper - For basic seasoning. I suggest using kosher salt and freshly ground pepper for the best results.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
⏲️ Substitutions & Variations
- Vegan/Dairy-Free - Swap in your favorite plant-based cottage cheese alternative for a deliciously vegan breakfast.
- Gluten-Free - Feel free to use your favorite gluten-free crusty bread if needed!
- Ricotta Cheese Toast - Swap the cottage cheese for some of my homemade ricotta or burrata cheese on toast or creamy bruschetta slices for a fun twist.
- Cottage Cheese Avocado Toast - Add some extra creamy goodness to your plate with some slices of ripe avocado.
- Try Other Healthy Toppings For Toast - While tomatoes, balsamic glaze, and greens are a classic combo, don’t feel limited. You have tons of other options like:
- Other Fruits - If you like your cottage cheese with pineapple or berries, try adding them to your breakfast toast! Instead of using black pepper, greens, and balsamic, swap in sweet-friendly substitutes like cinnamon, fresh mint, and honey.
- Put An Egg On It - Amp up the protein (and color!) with a lovely saffron-hued, jammy-yolked turmeric egg, pretty in pink pickled quail eggs, fluffy scrambled eggs, or any egg of your choice.
- Herb Garden - Feel free to add color and bright, fresh flavor with your choice of tender herbs like basil, thyme, oregano, or mint.
📖 How To Make Cottage Cheese Toast: Step-by-Step Instructions
This light and lovely cheese toast recipe comes together in just a few simple steps. Here’s how:
Preheat your cast iron pan (or the pan of your choosing) to medium-high heat.
Step 1: Prep Tomatoes & Prep Bread. Lightly brush each side of the sourdough bread slices with olive oil. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half to get small, bite-sized pieces.
Step 2: Toast Bread. Place the bread slices on the preheated grill or grill pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes per side or until lightly browned.
Step 3: Assemble, Part I. Place the grilled slice of sourdough onto your serving plate and add your greens in a light layer on top, followed by the cottage cheese.
Step 4: Assemble, Part II. Next, add the halved cherry tomatoes on top, season with salt & pepper, drizzle with the balsamic glaze, and enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- The fastest way to halve cherry tomatoes is by using two matching tupperware lids.
- Feel free to griddle your toast as long as you like. You can also try using a touch of butter in the pan or swap in a thin layer of mayo to encourage more browning.
- Season your tomatoes and lettuce. It sounds weird, but adding a sprinkle of salt on your raw ingredients helps their flavors to shine through more clearly!
- For an easy breakfast packed with grams of protein, spread creamy cottage cheese on a slice of sourdough and top with fresh fruit like strawberries, then finish with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup for a perfect balance of sweetness.
- Transform your regular cottage cheese toast into a savory delight by adding toppings like avocado slices, red onion, and tomato slices; this not only enhances flavor but makes it a high protein meal great for any time of the day.
- If you're not a fan of the texture of cottage cheese, using a food processor to whip it into a smoother consistency can make for a delightful base for both sweet and savory toasts on whole grain bread.
- Cottage cheese is one of the healthiest cheeses, offering a good source of vitamin B and protein; for a savory version, try smoked salmon, cucumber slices, and fresh dill on top of the cottage cheese spread on sourdough.
- For those watching their caloric intake, opting for low calorie or fat-free cottage cheese is a great way to enjoy this easy meal or snack, and pairing with fresh produce or herbs from the grocery store can elevate the taste and nutrition of your cottage cheese toast.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Back in the day, when farmers used to make cheese at home, they didn't have fancy factories like we do today. Instead, they made cheese in their cozy cottages. Hence the name "cottage cheese"! It's as simple as that! 😄
Over time, the name stuck, and even though now we have big cheese-making facilities, the name reminds us of those quaint cottage days. So next time you enjoy some cottage cheese, you can also savor a bit of history and rustic charm! 🏡🧀
Cottage cheese and ricotta cheese are both soft, fresh cheeses, but they're made differently. Cottage cheese comes from curds formed by heating milk, while ricotta is made from reheating the whey left over from making other cheeses.
Now, cottage cheese vs. cream cheese: they're both creamy, but their textures and flavors differ. Cottage cheese has curds, making it a bit lumpy, while cream cheese is smooth and spreadable. Plus, cream cheese has a richer, tangier taste compared to cottage cheese.
For this cottage cheese toast recipe, feel free to use any soft, fresh cheese you prefer. I just love cottage cheese because it has tons of protein, so it helps me stay full for longer!
Cottage cheese toast recipes offer a range of delicious options for those seeking both sweet and savory toasts. For an easy lunch or minute breakfast, spread good quality, whipped or plain cottage cheese (brands like Hood Country Style Cottage Cheese or Good Culture are great sources of protein) on your best bread, preferably a slice of toast.
If you're a fan of sweet cottage cheese toast, top it with fresh strawberries, chia seeds, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a drizzle of hot honey or olive oil for that mild flavor.
For savory versions, consider savory toppings like smoked salmon, fresh tomatoes, and fresh herbs, which can be a tasty snack or afternoon snack. For those who aren't the biggest fans of cottage cheese's texture, opting for smooth cottage cheese is a great option.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Cottage Cheese Toast
Equipment
- Serving Plate
Ingredients
- ½ cup Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 Slice Sourdough Bread
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Greens of your choice, microgreens, mixed greens
- ½ cup Cottage Cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar Glaze
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your cast iron pan or the pan of your choosing to medium-high heat.
- Rinse the cherry tomatoes under cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Cut them in half to get small, bite-sized pieces.½ cup Cherry Tomatoes
- Lightly brush each side of the sourdough bread slices with olive oil. Place the bread slices on the preheated grill or grill pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes per side or until lightly browned.1 Slice Sourdough Bread, 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- Place the gilled slice of sourdough onto your serving plate and add your greens in a light layer on top, followed by the cottage cheese.¼ cup Greens of your choice, ½ cup Cottage Cheese
- Next, add the halved cherry tomatoes on top and season with salt and pepper before drizzling on the balsamic glaze and enjoying!1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar Glaze, Salt & Pepper
Video
Notes
- Vegan/Dairy-Free - Swap in your favorite plant-based cottage cheese alternative for a deliciously vegan breakfast.
- Gluten-Free - Feel free to use your favorite gluten-free crusty bread if needed!
- Ricotta Cheese Toast - Swap the cottage cheese for some of my homemade ricotta for a fun twist.
- Cottage Cheese Avocado Toast - Add some extra creamy goodness to your plate with some slices of ripe avocado.
- Try Other Healthy Toppings For Toast - While tomatoes, balsamic glaze, and greens are a classic combo, don’t feel limited. You have tons of other options like:
- Other Fruits - If you like your cottage cheese with pineapple or berries, try adding them to your breakfast toast! Instead of using black pepper, greens, and balsamic, swap in sweet-friendly substitutes like cinnamon, fresh mint, and honey.
- Put An Egg On It - Amp up the protein (and color!) with a lovely saffron-hued, jammy-yolked turmeric egg, pretty in pink pickled quail eggs, fluffy scrambled eggs, or any egg of your choice.
- Herb Garden - Feel free to add color and bright, fresh flavor with your choice of tender herbs like basil, thyme, oregano, or mint.
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