Healthier Chicken Salad Recipe with Cottage Cheese

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This delicious traditional chicken salad recipe gets an added boost of protein from cottage cheese. You’re going to love this healthy makeover!

 

When I cook for the blog, my kids are constantly trying to eat the food as I am trying to photograph it. There could be an entire refrigerator full of food, but they always seem to want what I just made. So it was no surprise when my oldest son asked if he could have the sandwich I was photographing. I was actually close to being done with the pictures for a change, so I asked him if he wanted half the sandwich or the whole one. His response: “Depends on what it tastes like.” (SIGH).

This particular son is my pickiest eater. He’s not really picky in the normal sense of the word, but I come from a family that eats quite healthy, and he’ll pass on things the rest of us love to eat.  So I was prepared for him to say something along the lines of “I’m only eating it because I’m hungry.”

Imagine my surprise when he took a bite and then informed me that he would be eating the whole sandwich. Score!

After finishing up with my pictures, I put the leftovers away, planning to have some of them for lunch at work the next day. But then my youngest son came downstairs and ate the rest of it. Score two!

My sister-in-law also gave this chicken salad recipe a thumbs up…she and I shared a sandwich as well.

I  chose Hood® Cottage Cheese for my chicken salad recipe. Why Hood? Living in New England, I’ve been cooking with Hood products for as long as I can remember. Their products are a staple in my kitchen. Founded in 1846 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the oldest neighborhood in Boston, today Hood is one of the largest branded dairy operators in the United States. I like that they use farms across the Northeast for their production. I also like their commitment to making high quality dairy products that you can trust…and if you’ve ever cooked with them, you know what I mean. They’re the number-one dairy brand in New England for a reason!

When I mentioned this recipe to a couple people, they seemed surprised that I used cottage cheese in it. Cottage cheese seems like it’s an often forgotten ingredient. Back in the day, people would eat it plain or with fruit as part of their “diet.”

But cottage cheese is actually quite versatile. Hood® has all sorts of wonderful flavored cottage cheeses, from sweet to savory, that are great as a snack on their own, or can be incorporated into a variety of dishes. I tend to cook more along the lines of savory than sweet, but I could definitely see using Hood Cottage Cheese with Pineapple in a tropical smoothie or Hood Cottage Cheese with Maple and Vanilla added in a cheesecake.

For this particular recipe, I was looking for a good way to boost protein in our lunches and post workout snacks.

Our family is very athletic…four of us are runners and our oldest son plays soccer. We just opened a health club at the beginning of July as well!  Working out is part of our daily routine.  I’m also very conscious of what I’m feeding my family, because what you eat after a workout is actually just as important as what you eat before.

Cottage cheese is the perfect fit for a healthy diet!

Besides being high in protein, cottage cheese is one of the top sources of casein. Casein is a slow digesting milk protein that provides a steady release of amino acids that help rebuild and repair muscles, which is essential after a workout. That reason alone is important enough for me to want to add it into our meal planning.

HEALTHIER CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE WITH COTTAGE CHEESE

I was actually planning on making my chicken salad recipe with Hood Cottage Cheese with Garden Vegetables but they only had Hood Cottage Cheese with Chive at the grocery store when I went. I think either one would work great though!

Start with two cups of chopped chicken. I tend to use leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken.  Combine the chicken with the chopped dill pickles and pickle juice, chopped celery, chopped herbs, Cottage Cheese, and a couple tablespoons of mayo. Mix it well, add a little salt and pepper if you’d like, and eat it plain or add it to a sandwich.

 

I like a hearty bread with lots of seeds, and I like to toast my bread when I’m making chicken salad sandwiches. A slice of melted cheese is also nice. Havarti goes quite nicely, but of course you can use any cheese that you like. Lettuce, tomato, and avocado slices also make great add-ons.

Lunch is served!

 

FOR OTHER GREAT RECIPES USING HOOD PRODUCTS

• Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Bacon
• Crab Imperial Appetizer
• Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Let’s get cooking!