You know the cheesy Tostitos brand salsa con queso found in the chips aisle of the grocery store? Well, this Cottage Cheese Queso is a HEALTHY, high-protein twist on queso! It's cheesy, creamy, and it is made in 5 minutes with 4 simple ingredients! No cooking required.
This easy blended cottage cheese dip is a GAME changer for me because it's a healthy but DELICIOUS and satisfying snack.
It's also a great way to use up a cup of cottage cheese.
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Healthy queso dip
What makes this queso healthy, you ask? Cottage cheese! Low-fat, high-protein cottage cheese is the base of this queso. It's blended together with real shredded cheese, so the cheesy flavor in this queso is authentic.
The queso is seasoned with chili powder and taco seasoning to give it loads of flavor and a bit of a spicy kick.
The queso is naturally flavored and naturally colored (no Yellow #5 or #6 like in the store-bought stuff). It has a delicious creamy texture. It can be served room temperature or warm.
It's a game changer for satisfying, healthy snacking. This cheesy dip has 6 grams of protein per serving! Extra protein is always a good thing in my book! I've been making this cottage cheese queso recipe long before it appeared on social media or became a viral TikTok recipe.
If you're looking for more healthy cottage cheese recipes, be sure to check out my collection of low-carb cottage cheese recipes and this pumpkin blended cottage cheese.
Blender queso
This high protein queso is made in the blender! No real cooking involved. Just blend everything together until smooth. If your blender has a heating option or a soup setting, you can heat the queso right in the blender. Otherwise, you can transfer the queso to a microwave-safe bowl and heat it up and until gooey, cheesy, warm, and delicious.
You can use a food processor if you prefer, but I find that the texture comes out smoother in a blender. An immersion blender might work, just start by adding a little bit of shredded cheese and adding more once you have a smooth texture.
More cheesy dips to try: Cheesy Seafood Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese (I used low-fat)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided roughly in half. You can use pepper Jack if you want a spicier queso, or sub half the cheese for Pepper Jack.
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning or fajita seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
More easy appetizer recipes: 5 Minute Roasted Garlic Dip
Equipment
- Blender
- Silicone spatula to scrape everything out of the blender
- Microwave (optional, if you want to heat up your queso) and microwave-safe bowl
More easy cheesy appetizers: Whipped Brie
Instructions
In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, half the shredded cheddar (½ cup), ¼ cup water, taco seasoning, and chili powder. Blend until smooth. You might need to scrape down the sides a few times to get it to blend.
Add the rest of the shredded cheddar and blend until very smooth.
Decision time! If you want to serve it chilled or room temperature, simply transfer to a bowl and serve right away. It will be somewhat thick, but you can always stir in or blend in a tablespoon or two of water.
If you prefer a thin cheese sauce, blend in extra water.
If you want warm runny gooey queso, transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 40-60 seconds, in 20 second increments, until the queso is warm. You will see some orange separating out around the edges of the bowl, but THAT'S OKAY! Just stir it all together until it's one color and serve warm and gooey.
If you blender has a heating option, you can also heat your queso directly in the blender.
More cottage cheese recipes to try: Savory Cottage Cheese Recipes
How to serve cottage cheese queso and use leftovers
Serve this cottage cheese dip with tortilla chips, corn chips, or raw veggies for dipping, pour over nachos, spread it on a chicken quesadilla, drizzle some on tacos (try my ground pork tacos!) and taco salad, stir into rice, pour some on these brown rice taco bowls. The cheese-abilities are endless!
I like to mix leftover queso with shredded chicken to make a delicious cheesy chicken spread to eat with crackers.
Stir in some black beans, diced avocado, diced onions, fresh cilantro, top with some pico de gallo, and serve with your favorite tortilla chips (you can use baked tortilla chips for a healthier version).
You can stir in some hot sauce, lime juice, salsa, or a few tablespoons of Rotel or diced tomatoes, but keep in mind that the acidic additions will make the queso curdle a little if you decide to heat it. It's OK if it curdles—just blend it all together until smooth again and serve.
Related recipe: Spicy Crunchy Chicken Salad
How long will cottage cheese queso keep?
Cottage cheese queso will keep well in the fridge in a sealed airtight container for up to 5 days. You can serve it cold straight from the fridge, let it come to room temperature, or heat it gently in the microwave. After a few days, the water might separate out and pool on top a little bit, but you can just stir it back in, or drain it off.
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Cottage Cheese Queso
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese - (I used low-fat)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese - divided roughly in half
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chili powder - or to taste, start with less and blend in more later if you want
Special equipment
- Silicone spatula for scooping out all the cottage cheese from the blender
- Microwave and microwave-safe bowl
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, half the shredded cheddar (½ cup), ¼ cup water, taco seasoning, and chili powder. Blend until smooth. You might need to scrape down the sides a few times to get it to blend.
- Add the rest of the shredded cheddar and blend until very smooth.
- Decision time! If you want to serve it chilled or room temperature, simply transfer to a bowl and serve right away. It will be somewhat thick, but you can always stir in or blend in a tablespoon or two of water.If you want warm gooey queso, transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 40-60 seconds, in 20 second increments, until the queso is warm. You will see some orange separating out around the edges of the bowl. Just stir it all together until it's one color and serve warm.If you blender has a heating option, you can also heat your queso directly in the blender.
- Serve with tortilla chips, and see notes below for other serving ideas and storage info.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.