Pizza Style Cottage Cheese Bake (Print)

Creamy cottage cheese layered with mozzarella, tomato sauce, and herbs in a warm baked dish.

# Ingredients:

→ Dairy

01 - 2 cups cottage cheese, full fat or low-fat
02 - 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
03 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Sauce & Vegetables

04 - 2 cups tomato pasta sauce or marinara sauce
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Herbs & Spices

08 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - 1 teaspoon dried basil, or fresh basil for garnish
10 - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 - Fresh parsley or basil for serving

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×9-inch baking dish with olive oil.
02 - In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Remove from heat.
03 - In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
04 - Spread half of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
05 - Spoon the cheese mixture evenly over the sauce, smoothing the top with a spatula.
06 - Scatter the sautéed onion and garlic evenly over the cheese layer.
07 - Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the top and gently spread to cover.
08 - Sprinkle oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes evenly over the surface.
09 - Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and edges are golden. For a browned top, broil for 1-2 minutes, watching closely.
10 - Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil and serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like pizza night but requires zero dough-making skills or patience.
  • Cottage cheese stays secretly creamy instead of rubbery, which surprised me the first time.
  • You can have it bubbling in the oven while you pour a glass of wine and actually relax.
  • Leftovers are just as good cold straight from the fridge the next morning.
02 -
  • Don't skip sautéing the onion and garlic; that brief cooking transforms their sharpness into something mellow and sweet that makes the whole dish taste more intentional.
  • The resting period isn't just tradition—those 5 to 10 minutes actually let the layers set so you get clean, pretty slices instead of a molten puddle on the plate.
  • Full-fat cottage cheese matters if you want true creaminess; low-fat works but the texture skews a bit grainier and tighter.
03 -
  • Don't spread the top sauce layer too aggressively; a gentle spread keeps the cheese mixture from breaking apart and mixing into the sauce in a muddy way.
  • If you're worried about the top drying out, cover loosely with foil for the first 20 minutes, then uncover to let it brown in the final stretch.
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