Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl Single Serve High Protein
If you’ve seen the viral cottage cheese pizza bowl recipe on social media and wondered if it lives up to the hype, it does. This high-protein lunch is the perfect quick lunch or easy dinner when those pizza cravings hit. And thanks to simple ingredients like cottage cheese, marinara, and melty mozzarella cheese, it’s got all the delicious pizza flavors you love without the crust or the crash!
Ingredients
- ½ cup good culture whole milk cottage cheese or similar small curd brand
- ¼ cup tomato basil sauce you can also use an arrabbiata sauce if you like a little heat
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder omit for easy to digest or replace with garlic scape powder* see ingredient notes in post
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes more if you like heat
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 6-8 slices turkey pepperoni diced
- fresh basil sliced thin for garnish
Instructions
- Blend the base. In a food processor, blend cottage cheese and garlic powder or garlic oil (if using) until smooth.
- Assemble. Add the blended cottage cheese to a microwave-safe bowl. Top with pizza sauce, red pepper flakes, and mozzarella.
- Microwave. Heat for 30 seconds, stir, then add turkey pepperoni.
- Final heat. Microwave again for 1 minute or until cheese melts.
- Garnish & serve. Top with fresh basil and extra red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
Tips & Tricks
- If you don't love the texture of cottage cheese, blending it until ultra-smooth helps mimic the feel of pizza dip or melted ricotta, so don't skip this part!
- Want to bulk it up? Add sautéed green peppers, black olives, or diced onions to the cottage cheese mixture before microwaving.
- For air fryer lovers: You can bake this in an oven-safe bowl at 375ºF for about 6–8 minutes to get a golden, bubbly top.
- Swap turkey pepperoni for ground beef, italian chicken sausage, or even vegan pepperoni.
- Add Italian Seasoning, parmesan cheese or your favorite toppings before serving.
Each bowl has approximately 22 grams of protein, depending on your cheese brand and toppings. A great high-protein lunch option! Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! Assemble the bowl without microwaving and store in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to eat, microwave as instructed. Can I use low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese?
You can, but you’ll get a slightly less creamy texture. For the best melt and flavor, stick to full-fat cottage cheese or at least low-fat.
How to Store
This is a single serve recipe, but if you decide to meal prep and make a larger batch you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend assembling the bowls but not heating them until you're ready to eat. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second bursts until warm and melty. These cottage cheese bowls are not freezer-friendly, this one's best fresh! Tried this recipe?Mention @prettydeliciouslife or tag #PDLrecipes!