5 Minute Cottage Cheese Toast with Tomato and Chili Crisp Oil

Looking for a quick and easy 5 minute breakfast? Look no further – this cottage cheese toast recipe is a perfect combination of creamy and crunchy with a hint of spice that you can whip up in 5 minutes or less. Not only is it a quick and easy breakfast or even snack, but it’s also loaded with protein, nourishing fats, and a variety of essential nutrients. 

As an intuitive eating Registered Dietitian, my clients are often looking for quick and easy breakfasts or snacks (like this cottage cheese with peaches and mint snack) that are both nourishing AND satisfying. This cottage cheese and tomato toast recipe checks both boxes. Rich in fiber, protein, and vitamins, it’s the perfect way to start your day (even if you’re in a rush). All you need is 5 simple ingredients and 5 minutes of time and you have a protein-packed sweet and savory brekky that will keep you feeling both full and satisfied as you tackle the day. 

What you need for this Cottage Cheese Toast & Substitutions

Cottage cheese: I love spreading my toast with cottage cheese. Not only does it have a ton of nutritional benefits (more on that here) but I also love the creamy and slightly tangy flavor it adds to this recipe. 

I know cottage cheese can be a polarizing ingredient – some people love it and others… not so much. If you fall into the latter category, try using ricotta, greek yogurt, or even mashed avocado. You can also melt a piece of your favorite cheese (soft mozzarella would be delish) when making the toast.

Toast: I used sourdough toast. It’s usually one of my go-tos when it comes to toast but you can use whatever bread variety you like. If you don’t have bread and want to try a fun variation of this recipe, you could always try it with potato or sweet potato toast (get the recipe here). 

Tomatoes: I am a huge fan of heirloom tomatoes for this recipe. I love the flavor and texture that they add to a dish. They are often a little sweeter than regular tomatoes, making them a great addition to a savory and creamy dish like this cottage cheese on toast. 

Unfortunately, they were out of season when we were taking photos of this recipe so I used vine tomatoes and it was still delish! Cherry or strawberry tomatoes or roma tomatoes are also great alternatives that are typically available in grocery stores year round. You can also substitute for other veggies. This would taste great with sliced cucumbers, radishes, or asparagus. 

Tip: Add a sprinkle of salt directly to your sliced tomatoes to bring out even more flavor. I got this tip from Salt, Acid, Fat, Heat and it has changed how I season tomatoes. 

Chili crisp oil: Chili crisp oil is the secret ingredient that takes this toast to the next level. If you’ve never tried it, go buy a jar and start putting it on everything. It’s delicious in cottage cheese eggs, in my pork and turkey wonton soup, or in this cottage cheese toast recipe. It adds a spicy and crunchy kick and elevates the overall flavor of this dish. 

You can use chili flakes or hot sauce instead or leave it out if you’re not a fan of spice.  

Honey: I love a sweet and spicy dish! The honey balances out the spiciness of the chili crisp oil, adding a hint of sweetness to the toast. You can substitute the honey for a drizzle of maple syrup or can even experiment with your favorite jam. I think apricot fig jam would be so tasty!

How to Make Cottage Cheese Toast

Is Eating Cottage Cheese Intuitive Eating?

As an intuitive eating dietitian, I often see cottage cheese being called out as a diet culture food. But I’m sorry – diet culture doesn’t get to own all of these foods! Life in the kitchen should not be all or nothing. There’s space for all kinds of food including cottage cheese, cauliflower rice, and rice cakes. 

This is one of the principles of intuitive eating – Make Peace with Food. 

Whether you’re adding cottage cheese to your eggs to make them fluffy or a scoop into your pancake batter for an extra dose of protein or eating it straight up with peaches, you want to be in a place where you’re eating it because you truly enjoy it and not because you feel it’s the “healthy” or “good” choice. 

So the next time you’re reaching for a food item that you used to elevate or demonize, give yourself unconditional permission to eat and enjoy that food without any judgment and see how your experience shifts.

Nutritional Benefits

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are not only flavorful but also pack a nutrition punch. They’re an excellent source of vitamins A and C, which play important roles in immune function, skin health, and vision. In fact, 1 medium sized tomato has almost 15% of the recommended daily intake for Vitamin A and almost 20% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C. Pretty powerful stuff right there!

They also contain potassium, which supports heart health and is also rich in Lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant that can protect your body from free radicals and may lower your risk of developing heart disease. 

Cottage cheese: I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again – cottage cheese is a nutritional powerhouse that offers a range of benefits. A ½ cup of cottage cheese (like in this recipe) has around 12-15 grams of protein. It also has nourishing fats – you know the ones that have that satiety factor and make us feel both full and satisfied when we include them in our diet. 

That alone is pretty impressive! But that same serving also has almost 30% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin B12 and is rich in selenium, riboflavin, and phosphorus. 

Toast: Let’s talk about toast. Bread is a carbohydrate. Diet culture has been telling us for years that carbs are not our friends but as a Registered Dietitian, I am here to tell you they’re wrong. Our bodies need carbs (in fact when we restrict carbs, our bodies will actually crave them – more on that here). 

So why is bread in this recipe so important? First of all, it provides our body with one of the 3 macronutrients that our bodies need to function – carbohydrates. They’re our body’s preferred source of energy and fuel both our nervous system and red blood cells. Not only that, adding bread onto your plate will give you a dose of fiber which helps with gut health.

How to Take this Toast to the Next Level

I always like to start simple and then share ways on how to add to your plate (vs take away).

Pump up the greens: Add a handful of baby spinach or arugula for an extra dose of vitamins and minerals. These will go beautifully with the other ingredients.

Add an egg: Top this toast with some fluffy cottage cheese scrambled eggs, a poached egg, or fried egg. They’re an egg-cellent (sorry I had to) source of protein and also provide our bodies with nourishing fats and micronutrients like vitamins A, D, E, choline and iron. Pretty amazing that all that is in one single egg!

Mix in more veg: Add some more veggies and take this toast to the next level! Smash in some avocado, slice some radishes or cucumbers, or top with fresh herbs like basil, dill or parsley.  

Finish with chia seeds or hemp hearts: Both chia seeds and hemp hearts are small but mighty ingredients that you can add onto your plate for an extra boost of nutrition. Sprinkle a little on this toast for a little extra crunch!

If you make this Cottage Cheese Toast with Tomato and Chili Crisp Oil recipe, it would make my day if you would leave a comment and/or star rating below— I love hearing your feedback! And don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @lindsaypleskot.rd so I can see your versions! It makes me so happy to see these recipes come to life in your kitchens! Xo