High-Protein Loaded Cottage Cheese Salad
All the loaded baked potato flavours — bacon, cheddar and green onions — in a creamy high-protein salad
This high-protein loaded cottage cheese salad takes everything you love about a loaded baked potato — crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, green onions — and turns it into a creamy, scoopable salad.
Per serving: 22g protein, 6g net carbs and 280 calories. Ready in 15 minutes, no cooking beyond the bacon, and completely sugar-free.
Why you’ll love this loaded salad
- 22g protein per serving — a side dish that eats like a meal
- Only 6g net carbs and 280 calories per serving
- Bacon, cheddar and green onions in every bite
- Ready in 15 minutes, mostly just stirring
- Perfect for meal prep, BBQs and packed lunches
- Sugar-free and low carb, with no mayo-heavy dressing
Health notes
- Cottage cheese: The high-protein base — creamy curds without a heavy dressing.
- Greek yogurt: Adds tang and more protein in place of sour cream or mayo.
- Green onions & peas: Fresh crunch and sweetness for very few carbs.
- Bacon & cheddar: A little goes a long way — big loaded flavour, measured portions.
- No added sugar: Ranch seasoning does the work, sugar-free.
Key element — drain the cottage cheese first
Tip the cottage cheese into a sieve for 5 minutes while you prep everything else. Skip this and the salad slowly turns watery as it sits — drain it, and it stays thick, creamy and scoopable for days.
Ingredients
Loaded salad
- 2½ cups cottage cheese, drained 5 minutes
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup peas, thawed if frozen
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced (optional, for crunch)
Seasoning
- 1 tsp sugar-free ranch seasoning
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Swaps
- Sour cream: Swap the Greek yogurt for sour cream for a richer, tangier salad (protein drops slightly).
- Turkey bacon: Use turkey bacon or diced ham for a lighter loaded flavour.
- No peas: Skip them and add diced cucumber for the same fresh pop.
- Spicy: Add diced jalapeño and a pinch of cayenne.
Instructions
| 1 | Drain the cottage cheese. Tip it into a sieve over a bowl and leave for 5 minutes. Discard the liquid — this keeps the salad thick. |
| 2 | Crisp the bacon. Cook the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels, then crumble. Keep a tablespoon aside for topping. |
| 3 | Stir the base. In a large bowl, stir the drained cottage cheese with the Greek yogurt, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. |
| 4 | Fold in the veg. Fold in the peas, green onions and celery (if using) until evenly mixed. |
| 5 | Add the loaded toppings. Fold in most of the bacon and cheddar, saving a little of each for the top. |
| 6 | Finish and serve. Spoon into a serving bowl, scatter the reserved bacon, cheddar and extra green onions on top, like the photo. Serve now, or chill 30 minutes for the flavours to meld. |
Pro tips
- Drain first, always — watery cottage cheese makes a watery salad.
- Cook the bacon properly crisp; soft bacon disappears into the salad.
- Hold back some bacon and add it fresh if meal-prepping — it stays crisp.
- Taste before salting — bacon, cheddar and ranch already bring salt.
- It’s even better after 30 minutes chilled, once the flavours meld.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 280 |
| Protein | 22g |
| Net carbohydrates | 6g |
| Total carbohydrates | 8g |
| Fiber | 2g |
| Total fat | 18g |
| Sodium | 680mg |
Per serving (4 servings), locked from the cover: 22g protein, 6g net carbs and 280 calories. Exact macros vary with cottage cheese and bacon brands.
Variations
Buffalo loaded
Stir in sugar-free buffalo sauce and swap cheddar for blue cheese crumbles.
Ranch chicken
Fold in 1 cup diced cooked chicken — a full meal at roughly 35g protein.
Egg & bacon
Add 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs for a breakfast-style loaded salad.
Everything bagel
Swap ranch for everything bagel seasoning and add diced cucumber.
Storage
| Method | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Up to 3 days | Airtight container; add fresh bacon on top when serving |
| Freezer | Not recommended | Cottage cheese turns grainy and watery when thawed |
| Make ahead | Up to 24 hours | Mix the base ahead; fold in bacon just before serving |
