Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes (Creamy & High Protein)
These cottage cheese mashed potatoes are incredibly creamy, comforting, and surprisingly light. Blending cottage cheese into mashed potatoes makes them rich and fluffy without heavy cream, while adding a subtle tang and extra protein.
Cottage cheese in mashed potatoes tastes just like classic, ultra-creamy mashed potatoes. No one will guess the secret ingredient!
They’re quick and easy to make with just a potato masher or fork, and I also share two simple ways to dress them up – folding in sautéed kale or topping them with crispy panko crumbs.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love this Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes Recipe:
- Creamy without being heavy
- Extra protein – Each serving packs extra protein thanks to the cottage cheese in the mashed potatoes.
- Simple ingredients – Just good old potatoes, cottage cheese, butter, milk and fresh herbs if you happen to have any.
- Make-ahead friendly – Life gets busy, right? These can be made ahead of time and reheated. Just add a bit of milk if they are too dry. Or make the day before and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. They are perfect for weeknight dinners and special occasions!
- Cafe-quality results at home – The fresh herbs and cottage cheese take your mashed potatoes to the next level.
Why Cottage Cheese in Mashed Potatoes Works
In Baltic and Northern European cooking, cottage cheese isn’t a “diet ingredient”. It’s an everyday staple. You can read more about how it fits into the Latvian and Baltic table if you’re curious.
Growing up with Latvian cooking, cottage cheese was always in our fridge. It was folded into savory dishes just as often as sweet ones, so adding it to mashed potatoes feels completely natural to me.
Once blended, cottage cheese disappears into the potatoes, adding creaminess and a gentle tang, much like sour cream, but with more protein.
Ingredients
- Potatoes – You can make these mashed potatoes and cottage cheese with any kind of potatoes you have at home! But if you’re planning ahead, Yukon gold potatoes or russet potatoes will give you the fluffiest, creamiest results and are the best choice for any mashed potato recipe. I used Australian Sebago potatoes this time, which are sort of close to American russets.
- Cottage Cheese – Small curd or large curd is fine as you will be blending it anyway. The cottage cheese is what makes these potatoes special, adding protein content and this subtle tangy flavor, a bit like sour cream. Whole-milk cottage cheese is best, but you can also use low-fat cottage cheese if you like.
- Milk – Just a splash of milk to bring everything together. You could substitute with skim milk, almond milk, or other plant-based milk or even water if you prefer.
- Fresh Herbs – Fresh chives and dill are my favorites here because they add this fresh, bright flavor and remind me of my grandmother’s Baltic cooking, where you put dill into everything! Parsley is also a great choice. Fresh herbs make everything look so pretty! But dried herbs also work. Dried dill in particular goes really well with potatoes.
- Butter – because we are talking about mashed potatoes here 😀. You need butter in mashed potatoes to get that traditional mashed potato taste. Unsalted is best, because it allows you to control the saltiness. Some cottage cheeses have a lot of salt in them, so don’t add any salt until the very end, and then taste test the whole thing.
- Garlic or onion powder (optional) – If you are making these for the first time, I would suggest making the cottage cheese mashed potatoes without the garlic or onion powder, because they are so incredibly yum as is. They do not need any flavor enhancements. But if you love that garlic/onion flavor, go for it.
- Salt and Pepper – Only to taste. I do not include any amounts because it completely depends on so many things. First of all, different cottage cheese brands have varying amounts of salt added, so you may not need to add any salt. And you might be using these mashed potatoes with cottage cheese as a base for a spicier meal, such as lemon pepper chicken drumsticks, and you don’t want to be overloading the salt and pepper. So be patient and wait until the very end, then taste and see if you would like to add some more salt.
What Potatoes Should I Use?
Yukon Gold and Russet are your best bets for these mashed potatoes with whipped cottage cheese, but you can definitely use any potato you have at home. Here is a table that summarizes the differences at a glance.
Instructions
- Cook the Potatoes: Place chopped potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to maintain a gentle boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes until fork-tender and easily pierced.
- Drain and Steam: Drain potatoes thoroughly and return to the hot pot. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes without the lid on to allow excess moisture to evaporate. This prevents watery mashed potatoes. You can always add more liquid later.
- Prepare the cottage cheese (the secret weapon): While the potatoes cook, blend the cottage cheese with a food processor, stick blender or immersion blender until smooth.
- Using a potato masher or fork, mash potatoes until smooth. You can leave some little bits in if you like. You could also use a hand mixer, but be very careful not to overmix. If you overmix, the potatoes get this glue-like consistency! A potato masher or fork really is your best bet. Fold in the whipped cottage cheese in the mashed potatoes, along with the unsalted butter, milk and garlic powder (if using). The cottage cheese is the star of the show here!
- Add more milk until you reach your desired creamy consistency. Start with less and add more as needed.
- Chop fresh dill, chives or parsley and sprinkle on your cottage cheese mashed potatoes. You can also use dried herbs such as dried dill and chives.
These mashed potatoes with cottage cheese taste delicious as is, but you can also top them with a crispy panko crumb garnish or fold in some pan fried kale.
Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes Variations
Here are two easy ways to dress them up when you want something a bit more special.
Crispy Panko Crumb Variation
This is a super easy, crunchy golden topping made with panko or plain breadcrumbs, brown butter and cheese. It’s got that French bistro vibe and turns simple mashed potatoes with cottage cheese into something you’d be proud to serve at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Crispy Panko Crumb Garnish Ingredients
- Butter – to get that crunchy crumb
- Panko breadcrumbs – you can also use plain breadcrumbs
- Grated cheese – (optional) Gruyere or Comte give you that lovely French flavor, but you can use Parmesan or cheddar as well.
- Extra fresh chives and/or parsley chopped
Instructions to Make Panko Crumb Garnish
- Brown the butter: In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and continue cooking until it turns golden brown and smells nutty (about 3-4 minutes). Watch carefully to avoid burning.
- Toast the breadcrumbs: Add panko breadcrumbs to the brown butter and stir frequently until golden brown and crispy (2-3 minutes).
- Cool slightly: Remove toasted panko crumbs from skillet and let cool for 1 minute. Then stir in the grated cheese, chopped chives and parsley or dill.
- Apply and broil: Sprinkle evenly over your mashed potatoes and broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and the top is golden.
Adding Kale to Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Pan-fried kale adds this lovely earthy flavor and makes the whole dish feel a bit more virtuous (even though we’re still talking about buttery mashed potatoes here!).
Instructions if Adding Kale
- Wash kale and remove the harder stalks.
- Cut kale leaves into 1-inch pieces.
- Sauté the kale with a bit of butter or olive oil until wilted. About 3-4 minutes.
- Stir into the cottage cheese mashed potatoes and add the Panko crumb garnish if using.
My grandmother is from Latvia, and cottage cheese was always in our fridge – we ate it with everything! If you are looking for other cottage cheese ideas, try these easy recipes:
- Easy avocado cottage cheese dip
- Cottage cheese avocado toast with seeds, tomatoes or smoked salmon
- Cinnamon roll overnight oats – with naturally sweet cottage cheese frosting or yogurt frosting
- Cottage cheese blueberry muffins that are naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup especially when topped with creamy cottage cheese frosting
- Three banana cottage cheese muffins that are incredibly moist and filled with extra protein from cottage cheese
Serving Suggestions
These mashed potatoes cottage cheese go with practically everything.
- Eat them plain. They are amazing! The ultimate comfort food! Or drizzle some butter or olive oil and sprinkle a little gruyère, parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese on top.
- These are especially good alongside traditional Latvian kotletes, the classic Latvian weeknight dinner of pan-fried meat patties with mushroom cream sauce.
- They make an excellent side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas Turkeys and hams.
- Great choice for busy weeknights to go with a roast chicken, lemon pepper chicken drumsticks, hamburgers or some simple bacon and eggs.
- Delicious base for roast vegetables, such as honey roasted beets and carrots, roasted carrots and cauliflower, or roasted asparagus and carrots topped with maple pumpkin seeds, if you are having a vegetarian meal.
If you made this mashed potatoes with cottage cheese recipe, I would love it if you gave me a star rating ❤️
Storage
- Store leftover mashed potatoes in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in a microwave and then pop in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up the panko crumb topping.
- Or gently over low heat, adding a splash of milk or water to restore that creamy consistency.
- Do not freeze. Mashed potatoes just do not freeze very well.
Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes FAQ
Yes! Cottage cheese goes really well with mashed potatoes. They add:
Extra protein and nutrition – Cottage cheese boosts the protein content while adding calcium and other nutrients.
Creamy texture without excess calories – It creates rich, fluffy mashed potatoes with fewer calories than using large amounts of butter, cream, or sour cream.
No worries! You can omit them and just flavor with a bit of salt and pepper. Or you can use dried herbs, just use about 1/3 the amount since dried herbs are more concentrated. Dried chives and dill work beautifully, or try dried parsley with a pinch of garlic powder for a different twist.
A potato masher or potato ricer is your best friend here, but a good old fork works too. The key is not to overmix once you add the wet ingredients – that’s when potatoes turn gluey. Fold gently and stop as soon as everything’s combined!
The cottage cheese is pretty essential to this recipe’s magic, but you could try a dairy-free cottage cheese alternative if you can find one. Swap the butter for vegan butter and use a plant-based milk or cream.
Honestly, mashed potatoes don’t freeze beautifully. They can get a bit grainy when thawed. But they’ll keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat really well, so I’d stick with making what you’ll eat within a few days.
Yes! This recipe scales up beautifully!
No. While whole milk cottage cheese gives the richest results, low-fat works too. Just add an extra tablespoon of butter to compensate. Small curd blends more smoothly, but large curd works if that’s what you have. So yes, just use whatever cottage cheese you have.
Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes Recipe Card
Would you like to save this recipe?
We’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
The Best Cottage Cheese Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Potato peeler
- 1 Large pot To boil the potatoes
- 1 Potato masher, potato ricer or fork To mash the potatoes
- 1 skillet To toast the panko crumbs if using
Ingredients
Cottage cheese mashed potatoes
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes the best potatoes for this recipe, but you can use whatever potatoes you have, I used Russet this time around, peeled and cut into 1-inch chopped potatoes
- 1 1/3 cups of cottage cheese – whole-milk cottage cheese small curd or large curd – the secret ingredient!
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup milk plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder optional – I prefer it without
Crispy panko crumbs topping (Optional)
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 cup Panko crumbs or breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp Grated cheese Comte, Gruyère, Parmesan, Cheddar,…
If adding kale to your cottage cheese mashed potatoes
- 2 cups chopped kale
Instructions
How to make the cottage cheese mashed potatoes:
- Cook the Potatoes: Place chopped potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to maintain a gentle boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes until fork-tender and easily pierced.
- Drain and Steam: Drain potatoes thoroughly and return to the hot pot. Let them sit for 2-3 minutes to allow excess moisture to evaporate. This prevents watery mashed potatoes.
- Using a potato masher or fork, mash potatoes until smooth. You can leave some little bits in if you like. You could also use a hand mixer, but be very careful not to overmix. If you overmix, the potatoes get this glue like consistency! A potato masher or fork really is your best bet. Fold in the whipped cottage cheese, unsalted butter, milk and garlic powder (if using).
- Add more milk until you reach your desired creamy consistency. Start with less and add more as needed.
- Chop fresh dill, chives or parsley to sprinkle on your cottage cheese mashed potatoes.
How to make the Panko crumb garnish
- Brown the butter: In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and continue cooking until it turns golden brown and smells nutty (about 3-4 minutes). Watch carefully to avoid burning.
- Toast the breadcrumbs: Add panko breadcrumbs to the brown butter and stir frequently until golden brown and crispy (2-3 minutes).
- Cool slightly: Remove toasted panko crumbs from skillet and let cool for 1 minute. Then stir in the grated cheese, chopped chives and parsley or dill.
- Apply and broil: Sprinkle evenly over your mashed potatoes and broil for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and the top is golden.
How to add kale
- Wash kale and remove the harder stalks.
- Chop into smaller, 1-inch pieces.
- Gently saute in frying pan for 3-4 minutes, until it becomes wilted.
- Stir into the cottage cheese mashed potatoes and add the Panko crumb garnish if using (you can then place the cottage cheese mashed potatoes under the grill for a few minutes).
Notes
- Nutritional information calculated for mashed potatoes only, without panko crumbs or kale. They are approximate only. Consult your dietitian.
- Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes work best, but you can use any kind of potato.
- Make sure you drain the potatoes well and let the steam evaporate in the pot without the lid on.
- Do not overmix the potatoes, or they get this glue consistency.
