3 Easy Cottage Cheese Snacks to Power You Through Summer
There’s so much good stuff about summer — the sunshine, the pool time, that glorious seasonal produce — and so much running around to do it all. It’s the time of year when you want snacks that are filling enough to fuel all that activity, but are light and refreshing for when the temperatures spike. And they have to be as simple to prep as possible.
We find ourselves reaching for Hood® Cottage Cheese throughout the day, a brand we love because it tastes so good. Each half-cup serving of cottage cheese boasts 13 grams of protein. It’s a cool and creamy complement to all those fruits and veggies hitting their peak right now. Together, they make a bright and fresh combo that’s packed with the protein we need to keep us satisfied through long summer days.
Hood® has 10 perfectly blended sweet and savory flavors, each a delicious snack on its own. But dress them up just a little and you have some quick and easy mini-meals — here are a few of our new go-tos.
Tossing pasta with cucumbers, tomatoes, and Hood® Cottage Cheese with Cucumber and Dill keeps things simple but full of flavor. And it’s so versatile! It’s a simple make-ahead lunch to eat all week during those busy hours between summer camp drop-off and pick-up. Pack it up for a day at the beach with your visiting in-laws, or bring it along to your next neighborhood potluck.
Cucumber & Dill Pasta Salad
Prep time 15 minutes
Serves 10
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 12 ounces
rotini pasta (regular or whole-grain)
- 2 cups
Hood® Cottage Cheese with Cucumber & Dill
- 1/2
medium red onion, chopped
- 2 cups
cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1
large cucumber, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup
fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just al dente. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water.
Meanwhile, combine cottage cheese, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, dill, and black pepper in a large bowl.
Add pasta to vegetable mixture and stir until combined. Serve immediately at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.
So you finally cut up that huge watermelon you bought. Eating icy-cold wedges poolside is great, but only gets you through, like, a quarter of what’s left in the fridge – and barely qualifies as even a snack. Try this modern version of a classic salad. Toss watermelon cubes with a light vinaigrette, then top with a mix of Hood® Country Style Cottage Cheese and briny feta cheese. A final scattering of olives and fresh mint over the top really amplifies those sweet and salty notes.
Watermelon Salad
Prep time 10 minutes
Serves 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon
lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon
Tabasco or other hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon
salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups
chopped seedless watermelon, chilled
- 1/2 cup
crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup
Hood® Country Style Cottage Cheese
- 1/2
medium red onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup
chopped pitted Kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup
fresh mint leaves, chopped
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper, using a whisk to mix thoroughly. Reserve.
Place the watermelon in a large shallow serving dish and sprinkle with the chopped onion. Pour the olive oil mixture on top and toss gently to mix.
In a small bowl, combine the feta cheese and cottage cheese. Layer it on top of the watermelon and onion. Top with the olives and mint and cheese. Layer it on top of the watermelon and onion. Top with the olives and mint.
A sweet take on the savory classic, thinly sliced pears and apples are topped with Hood® Cottage Cheese with Honey & Pear. Add a handful of your favorite granola and a drizzle of honey and you’ve got a quick and filling snack. Bonus: It’s a hit with the kids that will keep bellies satisfied. (A total win when they’ve been asking for a snack every hour on the hour since the day school has gotten out.)
Pear & Apple Nachos
Prep time 5 minutes
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
medium apple, cored and sliced thinly (use a mandoline for slicing, if you have one)
- 1
medium pear, cored and sliced thinly
- 3/4 cup
Hood® Cottage Cheese with Honey & Pear
- 1/2 cup
oats and honey granola (or your favorite granola)
- 1 tablespoon
honey
Instructions
Arrange alternating apple and pear slices on a large plate, with slices overlapping (as you would chips for traditional nachos). Place dollops of cottage cheese over apple and pear slices. Sprinkle granola evenly over fruit and cottage cheese. Drizzle with honey. Serve.
A fridge stocked with cottage cheese means a whole summer of quick protein-packed snacking, whether you use it in a recipe or eat it right out of the package.
This post was created by the Kitchn Creative Studio and is sponsored by Hood®.
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