Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl (High Protein)

This cottage cheese pizza bowl blends smooth and bakes up like a cross between a cheesy pizza and a warm baked dip. It has real protein from the cottage cheese and parmesan, and it comes together in one dish with almost no prep.

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It bakes in under 20 minutes and is best served warm, straight out of the oven, with something to scoop it up with.

🛒 Ingredients

• Cottage cheese. I use small curd, full fat cottage cheese for the smoothest blend. It breaks down into something close to ricotta once it is fully blended, which is what gives this its creamy base.
• Parmesan cheese. I grate it fresh when I can. It melts right into the base and carries most of the salty, savory flavor since there is no meat in the cheese layer itself.
• Garlic powder and onion powder. These build a real savory backbone into the blended base so it does not just taste like plain cottage cheese with sauce poured on top.
• Dried oregano and dried basil. This is the classic pizza herb pairing. A store-bought Italian seasoning blend works fine as a swap if that is already in your pantry.
• Marinara sauce. I like a thicker, chunkier marinara rather than a thin one. A watery sauce pools under the cheese and makes the middle layer soupy instead of set.
• Mozzarella cheese. I shred a block myself instead of using the bagged pre-shredded kind. It melts smoother without the starchy coating that keeps bagged shreds from fully melding together.
• Turkey pepperoni. Regular pepperoni works too if that is what you have. Turkey pepperoni renders less grease as it bakes, so the top layer stays a little less oily.
• Red pepper flakes. Just a light pinch for background heat, not a spicy dish. Leave them out completely if you are serving this to kids or spice-sensitive guests.
• Vegetables, bread sticks, crackers or crostini. Bell pepper strips, cucumber, celery and carrots all hold up well for scooping without going soft. Bread sticks or crostini turn this into more of a full snack.
• If you like more high protein cottage cheese recipes, try my Cottage Cheese Scrambled Eggs, Viral Cottage Cheese Toast or Cottage Cheese Breakfast Tacos next.

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🥘 How To Make Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl Step By Step

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9.5 to 10 inch round baking dish.
2. Add the cottage cheese, parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and basil to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Spread the cottage cheese mixture in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.

4. Spoon the marinara sauce over the cottage cheese layer and spread it gently to cover.
5. Sprinkle three quarters of the mozzarella cheese evenly over the marinara.
6. Arrange the pepperoni slices over the cheese in a single layer, then scatter the remaining mozzarella and a pinch of red pepper flakes on top.
7. Bake for 15 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and return the dish for 2 more minutes, watching closely so the cheese and pepperoni edges don't burn.
8. Let the bowl rest for 5 minutes before serving so it firms up slightly, then serve warm with vegetables, bread sticks, crackers or crostini for dipping.

For another warm, shareable baked dip, my Crock Pot Jalapeno Popper Dip follows the same idea, just with a slow cooker instead of the oven.

More Cottage Cheese Recipes You'll Like

📖Recipe

Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl

A creamy, high protein cottage cheese pizza bowl baked with marinara, mozzarella and pepperoni, served warm as a dip with vegetables, bread sticks or crackers.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 17 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 ½ cups cottage cheese
• ▢ ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, grated
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon dried basil
• ▢ ⅔ cup marinara sauce
• ▢ 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
• ▢ 2 ½ ounces pepperoni, sliced, about 22 slices, or smoked sausage
• ▢ red pepper flakes, a pinch, optional
• ▢ vegetables, bread sticks, crackers, or crostini, for dipping

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a 9.5 to 10 inch round baking dish.
• Add the cottage cheese, parmesan, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and basil to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, about 1 minute.
  1 ½ cups cottage cheese, ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon dried basil
• Spread the cottage cheese mixture in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.
• Spoon the marinara sauce over the cottage cheese layer and spread it gently to cover.
  ⅔ cup marinara sauce
• Sprinkle three quarters of the mozzarella cheese evenly over the marinara.
  1 cup mozzarella cheese, ⅔ cup marinara sauce, 2 ½ ounces pepperoni
• Arrange the pepperoni slices over the cheese in a single layer, then scatter the remaining mozzarella and a pinch of red pepper flakes on top.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and return the dish for 2 more minutes, watching closely so the cheese and pepperoni edges don't burn.
• Let the bowl rest for 5 minutes before serving so it firms up slightly, then serve warm with vegetables, bread sticks, crackers or crostini for dipping.
  red pepper flakes
• If you like this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating, thank you!

Notes

• Blend the cottage cheese well: a full minute in the blender gives it a smooth, ricotta-like texture so the finished bowl doesn't have lumps.
• Use full-fat cottage cheese: it bakes up creamier than low-fat versions, which can turn slightly grainy in the oven.
• Watch closely under the broiler: the pepperoni edges can go from crisp to burnt in under a minute, so stay near the oven for those last 2 minutes.
• Storage: refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warmed through.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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