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My take on the TikTok viral cottage cheese queso trend! Cottage cheese is blended with shredded cheese and taco seasoning to create a creamy base, then seasoned ground beef and green chiles are mixed in. A high-protein, low-carb dip that will win over any crowd!
What You’ll Love This Cottage Cheese Queso Recipe
If you haven't already noticed, cottage cheese is having a renaissance and I am here for it! I've had so much fun playing around with it to create fun cottage cheese recipes: this Cottage Cheese Alfredo Sauce, this Ranch Dip, these Mini Cheesecakes, and more! And today I'm sharing this High Protein Cottage Cheese Queso recipe, which is flavorful and delicious and will probably be my dip of the summer (all season long!).
Cottage cheese is such a great, versatile ingredient because it's relatively low in calories, high in protein, and has such a mild flavor that it's easy to jazz up with spices and seasonings. In this queso dip, I've blended the cottage cheese with simple ingredients like shredded pepper jack, a shredded Mexican cheese blend, and a packet of taco seasoning for a smooth, creamy, and flavor-backed base. It's finished with juicy ground beef and diced green chile for even more flavor, protein, and texture!
Eat this dip with your favorite tortilla chips, raw veggies, crackers, and more! It would even work on top of tacos, burrito bowls, nachos, or your favorite Mexican-inspired dish.
Ingredient Notes
- lean ground beef: You can use any type of ground beef, but make sure to drain the fat!
- salt
- garlic powder
- cottage cheese: I used a whole container of Good Culture 2% low-fat cottage cheese. Feel free to use non-fat or full-fat cottage cheese if desired.
- pepper jack cheese
- Mexican blend cheese or shredded cheddar cheese
- taco seasoning: I like the Siete Foods brand. You can also make your own with a blend of spices like ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
- diced green chiles
- water
How To Make Cottage Cheese Queso
Step 1
Cook the ground beef with the salt and garlic powder in a skillet over medium heat until browned and no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
Step 2
Combine the cottage cheese, pepper jack, shredded cheddar blend, taco seasoning, and water in a blender or food processor.
Step 3
Blend or pulse on high for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend again until smooth. Pour the blended cottage cheese mixture into a medium-sized bowl (make sure it's a microwave-safe bowl). Microwave in 30-second intervals until creamy and smooth, stirring in between. It took about 3 minutes total for me.
Step 4
Add in the cooked ground beef and diced green chiles and stir. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips or veggies and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use whichever type of cottage cheese you prefer, just keep in mind that it may alter the nutrition facts. I used low-fat cottage cheese, but you can use full-fat or fat-free cottage cheese.
- This makes a great snack or appetizer platter next to a variety of chips, veggies, and crackers. Add it to a serving bowl and garnish with a little chopped cilantro, green onion, or diced tomatoes if desired.
- If the base is too thick, add a little water or splash of milk to the blender until the desired consistency is reached.
- Make sure to heat in 20-30 second increments in the microwave. Anymore could over heat the cottage cheese and it will curdle.
Serving and Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave, then give it a good stir and serve with your favorite chips and fresh veggies like mini bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, celery, and more.
This easy cottage cheese queso is best served right after making it. You can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat as needed, but the consistency might change a little. The taste will still be great!
Recipe FAQs
There are 22 grams of protein in ½ cup of this dip.
Viral High Protein Cottage Cheese Queso Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ lb lean ground beef
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups cottage cheese, I used a whole container of Good Culture 2%
- ½ cup pepper jack cheese
- ½ cup Mexican cheese blend, or shredded cheddar
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning, I like Siete Foods brand
- ½ cup water
- 4.5 oz diced green chiles
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef with the salt and garlic powder in a skillet over medium heat until browned and no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
- Combine the cottage cheese, pepper jack, shredded cheddar blend, taco seasoning, and water in a blender.
- Blend on high for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend again until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a medium-sized bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments until creamy and smooth, stirring in between. It took about 3 minutes total for me.
- Add in the cooked ground beef and diced green chiles and stir.
- Serve with your favorite tortilla chips or veggies and enjoy!
Notes
Expert Tips
-
- Use whichever type of cottage cheese you prefer, just keep in mind that it may alter the nutrition facts. I used low-fat cottage cheese, but you can use full-fat or fat-free cottage cheese.
-
- This makes a great snack or appetizer platter next to a variety of chips, veggies, and crackers. Add it to a serving bowl and garnish with a little chopped cilantro, green onion, or diced tomatoes if desired.
-
- If the base is too thick, add a little water or splash of milk to the blender until the desired consistency is reached.
Serving and Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave, then give it a good stir and serve with your favorite chips and fresh veggies like mini bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, celery, and more. This easy cottage cheese queso is best served right after making it. You can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat as needed, but the consistency might change a little. The taste will still be great!Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
Love this. Sometimes I keep whipped cottage cheese on hand and the beef separate for easier macro tracking. It comes together so quick. Dump it on a salad and you don’t need dressing. I use black bean tortilla chips to add fiber and it’s the absolute best lunch, dinner or snack. I’ve even used it in making crunch wraps. I cannot rave about it enough.
SO delicious! Everyone loved it and truly could not have been easier to make.
Have you tried warming on the stovetop? I don’t have a microwave.
Yes, it will work over very low heat!
Mine turned out super watery and the cheese never really got mixed in. It was just a clump under water. Not sure what went wrong.
Hmm, what type of cottage cheese did you use/ what brand? Did you microwave in short increments?
So close to the real thing! I added a diced red bell pepper and that was a good addition.
So glad you enjoyed it Kristy!
Very simple ingredients, easy to make, and tastes delicious. Gotta love a protein packed dip! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Ronda!
My family loved this!
Thank you!!
My family loved this!
Thank you!