These cottage cheese–stuffed potatoes, with their crispy skins and creamy, savory filling are comfort food that’s high in protein and low in saturated fat. They are great as a side dish, or as bite-sized snacks.
Ingredients & Nutrition
Potatoes aren’t going to win many awards for being the most nutritious vegetable, some diets don’t even consider them vegetables. However, they are quite high in vitamin C and potassium, and they contain more fiber/calorie than brown rice. Most twice baked potato recipes use russet potatoes, I use yellow/gold potatoes for this recipe. The buttery, creamy flesh helps make them smooth and rich, plus they are higher in carotenoids and have a lower glycemic index.
Cottage cheese is a high protein, low carbohydrate food that balances the carbohydrates in potatoes. One cup of low-fat cottage cheese only contains around 4 g carbohydrates and 24 g of casein protein, which supports muscle maintenance and is slower to digest than other proteins so you’ll stay full longer. It also provides some calcium for bone health. Cottage cheese can have quite a bit of sodium, so check the label if you’re watching your sodium intake.
Extra-virgin olive oil has many health benefits compared to other fats. It is high in monounsaturated fats (especially oleic acid), which support heart health by improving cholesterol levels and reducing inflammation. And it contains polyphenols and vitamin E, which help protect cells from oxidative damage.
Green onions are not only flavorful, they are are a good source of vitamins k, a and c, along with fiber and antioxidants: quercetin, kaempferol, and anti-inflammatory sulfur compounds.
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 138 kcal | 6.9% |
| Total fat | 7.1 g | 9% |
| – Saturated fat | 1.0 g | 5% |
| – Trans fat | 0.0 g | — |
| – Monounsaturated fat | 4.9 g | — |
| – Polyunsaturated fat | 0.7 g | — |
| – Cholesterol | 1.9 mg | 0.6% |
| Sodium | 219 mg | 9.5% |
| Total carbohydrate | 13.7 g | 5.0% |
| – Dietary fiber | 1.75 g | 6.2% |
| – Total sugars | ~1.1 g | — |
| Protein | 3.65 g | 7.3% |
| Vitamin C | 15.5 mg | 17% |
| Calcium | 25.8 mg | 2.0% |
| Iron | 0.68 mg | 3.8% |
| Potassium | 349 mg | 7.4% |
Instructions
Potatoes like these are are often called twice baked potatoes because well, they’re baked twice. The basic process is like this.
- Bake potato.
- Scoop most of the flesh from skins.
- Mash with mix-ins.
- Stuff skins.
- Bake again.
To get crispy, well seasoned, skins, I start by using the process outlined by America’s Test Kitchen. Instead of trying to get salt to stick to the skin, dip them in salty water, then bake on a rack at high temperature (450℉) until they are soft (205℉ internal temp).
Once the first bake is complete. Carefully cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, and scoop out the flesh leaving about ¼ inch inside the skin. Brush the skins with olive oil and put them back on the rack. Mash the potato flesh with cottage cheese, olive oil, green onions and spices. I add some nutritional yeast to make them a little more cheesy.
Then stuff the skins with the filling and put them back in the oven until the skins are crisp, the filling is hot, and they start to brown.
Cottage Cheese Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
- 300 gram gold potato
- 75 gram low fat cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 green onion
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅙ teaspoon pepper white or black
- ¼ teaspoon nutritional yeast optional
Instructions
Preheat Oven
- Preheat oven to 450℉.
- Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.
- Place rack on pan.
Prepare Potatoes
- Dissolve 1 tablespoons salt in a bowl with 1/2 cup warm water.
- Clean 300 gram gold potato.
- Dip potatoes in salt water and place on the rack. Prick holes in potatoes with fork.
Bake Potatoes
- Bake potatoes until they are soft (205℉ internal temp).
Stuff potatoes
- Chop 1 green onion.
- In a bowl, combine 75 gram low fat cottage cheese, 2 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon nutritional yeast, ⅙ teaspoon pepper and green onions.
- Remove potatoes from oven.
- Carefully cut potatoes in half lengthwise.
- Brush the potato skins with olive oil.Place the skins back on the rack.
- Scoop potatoes into bowl, leaving about ¼ inch inside the skin.
- Mash the potatoes into the stuffing.
- Stuff the potatoes with the stuffing.
Finish baking
- Return to the potatoes to the oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and serve.
