Adding cottage cheese to a meatball might sound like an attempt to cram extra protein into a recipe, but it’s not the only valid reason. Something magical happens with the addition of cottage cheese: It practically disappears in the baking process, lending the meatballs juiciness and a subtle savory-salty flavor. As a bonus, the cottage cheese helps to stretch the recipe and you’ll end up with almost twice as many meatballs from one pound of ground beef.
Think of this recipe as a bit of a blank canvas, allowing you to use the meatballs however you please. You can bake them and pop them in your mouth as is, drop them into simmering tomato sauce, or stuff them between slices of bread for a hearty sandwich. They, like most meatballs, are also very meal-prep-friendly and take to freezing well.
More great cottage cheese recipes this way: Cottage Cheese Lasagna; Cottage Cheese Caramelized Onion Dip; and Roasted Honeynut Squash With Cottage Cheese and Chili Crisp.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Mix together 1 large egg, 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, one 16-oz. container cottage cheese, 1 lb. ground beef, 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper in a large bowl to combine. Scoop out into 2-Tbsp. (heaping) portions and roll into smooth balls between your hands (you should have about 30).
Step 2
Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Working in batches and adding more oil between batches as needed, cook meatballs in a single layer, turning halfway through, until browned on 2 sides, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake in oven until cooked through, 12–14 minutes.
Do Ahead: Meatballs can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; transfer to an airtight container and chill, or freeze up to 1 month.
