High Protein Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes – Super Creamy!
Add Preferred SourceI love a scoop of real mashed potatoes, but I don’t love how little they do for me nutritionally. This is the high-protein mashed potato recipe I make, and you’ll never know it’s got cottage cheese in it. Super creamy and buttery, these might just be better than the original!
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Mashed potatoes might be comfort food, but they’re not usually high-protein food. However, one simple trick can turn your mashed taters into a high-protein side dish.
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Cottage cheese is the secret here, but don’t just dump it in or it’ll be lumpy. Blend the cottage cheese completely smooth before it goes anywhere near the potatoes, so there isn’t a curd in sight anywhere in the bowl. It’s become my go-to side any night I want dinner to feel a little more filling without changing what’s actually on the plate.
Chef Jenn’s Take on High Protein Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Most high protein mashed potato recipes fall into one of two camps. Either they taste like gritty protein powder snuck into the bowl, or the cottage cheese never fully breaks down and you end up biting into little curds where you expect creamy potato.
The fix came down to one step I don’t skip anymore, and it’s small. I warm the milk before it hits the blender with the cottage cheese and melted butter. Cold milk seizes the butter into tiny fat flecks instead of blending into one smooth mixture, and those flecks are what give away that something extra went into the bowl.
Warm milk keeps everything liquid long enough to blend completely smooth, so it folds into the mashed potatoes instead of sitting on top of them. That’s the difference between a high protein side dish and a bowl of potatoes that taste like they’re hiding something.
What You’ll Love About High Protein Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Reheats well enough that I make a double batch on purpose, one for dinner and one for lunch the next day.
- Delivers real protein per serving without turning your mashed potatoes into a chalky protein powder situation.
- Adds one extra step, blending the cottage cheese smooth, to a mashed potato recipe you already know how to make.
Ingredients
- Yukon Gold potatoes – Russet works too, but Yukon Golds mash creamier and hold up better once the wet ingredients go in.
- Cottage cheese – Small curd blends smoother than large curd. Don’t skip blending it; that’s what keeps the texture right.
- Whole milk – Warm it before blending so it doesn’t seize the melted butter. Half-and-half works if you want it richer.
- Butter – Melted. Salted or unsalted both work; just adjust the added salt to taste.
- Kosher salt – Use about half as much if you’re subbing table salt; it’s denser.
- Black pepper – Freshly ground if you have it, but pre-ground works fine here.
- Chives – Optional. Skip them, or swap in the green tops of a green onion.
How to Make High Protein Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Start the potatoes in cold, well-salted water, not water that’s already boiling. Cold-start cooking gets them tender all the way through instead of falling apart on the outside before the centers catch up. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes, until a fork slides in with no resistance.
While the potatoes cook, warm the milk and blend it with the cottage cheese and melted butter until completely smooth. This is the step that makes the whole recipe work. Blend longer than feels necessary; you want zero visible curds before it goes anywhere near the potatoes. An immersion blender works great here.
Drain the potatoes well, then return them to the hot, empty pot over low heat for a minute or two. This cooks off extra moisture clinging to the potatoes, which keeps the final mash from turning watery once the cottage cheese mixture goes in.
Mash the potatoes until mostly smooth, then pour in the cottage cheese mixture and stir until fully combined. The texture should be silky with no separation and no curds anywhere in the bowl.
Season with salt and pepper, tasting as you go since the cottage cheese carries some salt of its own. Fold in the chives at the end if you’re using them, just enough to stir through without overmixing.
Serve it hot alongside your protein of choice. Leftovers also make a solid base for a mashed potato bowl if you want to build something new out of them the next day.
Make It A Meal
I serve this alongside Smothered Pork Chops or Mississippi-Style Salisbury Steak when I want a heavier, gravy-forward plate. For something lighter, try it next to Biscuit-Topped Chicken Pot Pie, spooned in instead of the biscuit topping if you want to keep the whole plate higher in protein.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of milk stirred in, since the potatoes firm up as they chill. This doesn’t freeze well; the texture turns grainy once thawed and reheated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, a blender will work well. Just make sure the cottage cheese blends fully smooth with no visible curd before adding it to the potatoes. A small food processor works too if that’s what you have on hand.
Make it up to a day ahead, then reheat it covered in a low oven with a splash of warm milk stirred in to bring the texture back. Stir it every 15 minutes or so as it reheats, so it warms evenly instead of drying out on top.
Yes, this recipe doubles well. Use a large enough pot that the potatoes have room to cook evenly, and blend the cottage cheese mixture in two batches if your blender is on the smaller side.
High Protein Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- ½ cup 2% cottage cheese
- ¼ cup whole milk warmed
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for the cooking water
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives chopped; optional
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold, well-salted water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until fork tender.
- Blend the cottage cheese, warm milk, and melted butter until completely smooth and creamy.
- Drain the potatoes well, then return them to the hot pot over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes to evaporate excess moisture.
- Mash the potatoes until mostly smooth, then pour in the cottage cheese mixture and stir until creamy and well combined.
- Season with salt and pepper, adjusting to taste. Fold in the chives, if using.
- Serve hot alongside your favorite protein, or use as the base for a mashed potato bowl.
Video
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Mash the potatoes before stirring in the cottage cheese mixture, not all at once. Adding it too early or overmixing after makes the potatoes gluey.
- Keep it warm in a slow cooker on low for up to 2 hours if you’re serving it as part of a bigger spread, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t form a skin on top.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
