Creamy Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
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Bold opinion: If you think egg salad is just mayonnaise and ennui, you clearly haven’t met this creamy cottage cheese egg salad — it’s the culinary equivalent of finding $20 in your winter coat pocket while watching Thanksgiving leftovers become legend. Also: don’t sleep on cottage cheese. Also: butter still matters. Also: hot take. (Okay, I’ll stop.)
I once tried to bring “ambitious” to a neighborhood potluck and ended up serving what I now call The Great Casserole Betrayal of 2018 — a casserole that looked like modern art and tasted like regret. My aunt politely called it “innovative,” which, in family code, means we fed it to the dog and pretended it was intentional. That holiday debacle taught me two things: one, simplicity saves marriages; two, eggs are a quiet, forgiving hero. Which is how this salad swooped in to rescue my reputation at the next holiday brunch and also my self-esteem.
The turkey-day casserole that ruined my sense of control (and that one perfect egg)</rh2]
There I was, wielding a whisk like a wand and thinking Trader Joe’s novelty cheeses would be the difference between “impressed” and “awed.” Spoiler: they were not. My neighbor, Karen — who once microwaved a frozen pie and pretended it was “warm nostalgia” — saved the day with a bowl of something unassuming and perfect: egg salad. I stole her recipe (not literally; she gave it to me because she’s a saint) and swore I would never weaponize cream-of-something ever again. This salad is the evolution of that lesson — lighter, tangier, but still decadently smooth.
Pivot to medicine: why this recipe exists and why you should make it immediately</rh2]
ANYWAY, before I verbally unspool the entire family tree and the 62 emotions I feel about mayonnaise: this version replaces half the mayo with cottage cheese so you get creamy body without that “I just sat in a car for 6 hours” heaviness. It’s perfect on toasted sourdough, folded into a lettuce wrap, spooned onto crackers at 10 p.m. (don’t lie), or packed for work like a tiny, savory hug. Also, if you’re into breakfast masochism, check out my obsession with the blueberry cottage cheese breakfast bake — and then come back here and tell me it doesn’t change your life.
Ingredients — yes, you can buy them at Trader Joe’s (or Aldi, no judgment)</rh2]
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (such as dill or chives)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mini-rants: Fresh herbs are not optional in my book — they are the sparkle on top. Trader Joe’s has perfectly chopped dill for people who are emotionally exhausted (me). If you’re cheap-and-proud, Aldi’s cottage cheese is a stealth champion. Farmer’s market glory is always welcome but not required.
Cooking Unit Converter — quick help with measurements</rh2]
If you prefer grams or cups, translate on the fly with this handy tool.
Technique, which is mostly me rambling and helpful tips you’ll pretend to ignore</rh2]
There’s an art to making something rustic and not sloppy. I’ve learned — through experiments, a few ugly Instagram photos, and a truly tragic picnic — that chopping eggs too big is a texture crime, and overmixing will make the cottage cheese piano-player-smooth but characterless. I like a little chunk for bite. Also, the mustard is a personality: add more if you’re confrontational, less if you’re trying to fall in love on a first date.
Here’s what actually helps, in plain steps (yes, numbered because my brain needs order sometimes):
- Chop the hard-boiled eggs into small pieces.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped eggs, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and fresh herbs.
- Mix until well combined.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for later use. Enjoy!
Pro tip: let it chill for 15–30 minutes so flavors marry. Also, if your kitchen is like mine (a small studio of culinary chaos), use a fork and embrace imperfection.
I once tried to turn this into a spread for dinner party crostini and oversalted it because I was emotional. Lived, learned, apologized to guests with extra wine (non-alcoholic sparkling grape juice for me, thanks).
Why this recipe feels like home even when home is complicated</rh2]
Cooking roots me. My grandmother’s Thanksgiving had a salad bowl that always smelled faintly of dill and cigarettes (don’t worry — our menus have evolved). Food is how my family apologizes and celebrates. This egg salad is nostalgia in a scoop: simple enough to make on a Tuesday, comforting enough to bring to a holiday table where someone inevitably brings a mysterious gelatin salad (no pork gelatin here, promise).
A tiny, embarrassing story you’ll laugh at politely</rh2]
Once I labeled a container “Egg Salad” and someone in my office ate it thinking it was vegan potato salad. The betrayal. The shame. We laugh now, but I also learned to clearly mark food and to never, ever assume coworkers read labels.
Frequently Asked Questions — chaotic but useful</rh2]
Yes — absolutely. It’ll be slightly less decadent but still glorious. I’ve used it when I was being “good” and survived to tell the tale.](No judgment.)
Up to 3 days if sealed well. After that it ages like a bad rom-com and should be retired.](Chill it, then check smell.)
Yes! Celery, chopped pickles, or even apples for an audacious sweet-salty thing. I won’t stop you. (I might raise an eyebrow.)
Perfect. Try it on toasted sourdough with arugula. I once ate a whole sandwich in the car and felt very proud of myself.](Nap optional.)
Okay, I’ll stop now — mostly because my kitchen timer is judging me and also because you need to make this and report back with feelings. If you mess up, tell me; if you succeed, send photos; if you’re indifferent, we can still be friends. And if you want to air-fry your life into handheld delights, I have thoughts on easy air fryer cheeseburger egg rolls that are dangerously delicious.
Daily Calorie Needs Calculator — figure out how this fits into your day</rh2]
Estimate how this salad aligns with your daily intake using the calculator below.
Creamy Cottage Cheese Egg Salad
Ingredients
Method
- Chop the hard-boiled eggs into small pieces.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped eggs, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and fresh herbs.
- Mix until well combined.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for later use. Enjoy!
