Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (2024)

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This Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe is so quick and easy. In under two hours, you will have delicious Homemade Cottage Cheese or Pot Cheese.

Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (1)

Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe

Not only can your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker make wonderful Instant Pot Yogurt, but you can use them to make Homemade Instant Pot Cottage Cheese, Pot Cheese, Farmer Cheese and Indian Paneer as well!

Most of the major brand of Multi Cooker machines that have a yogurt button work in much of the same way.

As a kid, I hated cottage cheese. I was forced to eat cottage cheese because my parent(s) always had me on a diet.

I did, however, love pot cheese and farmer cheese, with Creamettes, sour cream and salt and pepper, which I was recently reminded. It’s a Jewish thing. In fact, I love it so much, I created a post with my beloved recipe. Check out my Pressure Cooker Lokshen Mit Kaese recipe and I bet you will love it too!

Cottage cheese was big in Weight Watcher circles and I followed Weight Watchers as a very young kid. As I got older, I actually started liking cottage cheese. In fact, one of my favorite Weight Watchers treat is a Weight Watchers “cheese danish” made with cottage cheese, cinnamon and a sugar substitute melted on top of toast.

Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (2)

Cast of Ingredients for Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe

With a few ingredients, you will end up with about five cups of Instant Pot Cottage Cheese.

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What Type of Milk to Use?

That my friends is up to you. Low fat, full fat, non-fat, whichever you please.

Just keep in mind that the less fat in the milk, the less dense and creamy cottage cheese.

Is it Cost Effective to Make Your Own?

It depends on the type of milk you are using. You will get a lot of whey out of the cottage cheese when straining. Since the homemade cottage cheese is super fresh, you could compare the cost to what you would spend in an organic store, which sells fresh cottage cheese.

Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (3)

Pour the Milk into the Instant Pot

Is There a Low Carb Keto Option?

Yes, pretty much there is and it is simple. Substitute the milk with heavy cream

For a low carb and keto option, use heavy cream in place of milk.

Recipes Using Cottage Cheese

I love to eat a scoop of Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe for breakfast, as a side dish to my Mexican Salsa Lime Chicken Omeletand my Pressure Cooker Spanish Tortillaand also on my Pressure Cooker One Pot Spaghetti Dinner.

Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (4)

Push Yogurt and then Adjust

Which Lid To Use When Making Homemade Cottage Cheese?

As Instant Pot Cottage Cheese is not made under pressure, like Instant Pot Yogurt, just a glass lid is needed.

Of course, you can use the lid that came with your pot.

Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (5)

The Boil Cycle is about 45 Minutes

It is easier for me to use the Instant Pot Glass Lid during theBoil Cycle, so that I can easily lift if off and Whisk the Milk.

YourInstant Pot will Beep after about 30-45 minutes, letting you know that it is ready and up to temperature.

Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (6)

Give the Milk a Whisking

If you Whisk the Milk a few times during the Boil Cycle, the Milk will come up to temperature quicker.

It will also prevent any milk from sticking on the bottom.

Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (7)

Take the Temperature

Because I am a perfectionist, I use a Digital Thermometerto take the temperature. It’s really not necessary, as exact temperature for this recipe is not key. 170-180 is fine.

There is a slight difference in getting up to 180, but really, not enough to worry, so if you feel like it, take the temp and get the milk up to 180.

By starting with a cool Cooking Pot ANDWhisking during the boil cycle, I can get up to temp on the first try.

By the time I snapped this picture, the temp had already come down a bit, as I was trying a different set up and almost knocked the Instant Pot off the counter.

How to Make Cottage Cheese in the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker.

  • The milk is warmed to about 180 degrees.
  • Lemon juice or White Vinegar is carefully mixed into the milk.
  • The curds will separate with the whey.
  • Whey is drained from the curds and cream and salt is added.

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Cover and let sit for a bit

Turn off your Instant Pot or GoWise Electric Pressure Cooker and cover the Cottage Cheese.

Leave the Cottage Cheese alone for at least 30 minutes.

Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (10)

Prepare your Strainer

I have several Cooking Pots, so, if I am planning on saving the Whey, I place my Strainer Basket into my extra Cooking Pot, so that I can catch the Whey.

The Whey from the Cottage Cheese will have vinegar in it, which essentially turns the Whey into a good substitute for “Buttermilk,” which is awesome!

I love to usethe substitute “Buttermilk Whey”in my Banana Bread recipes and in my Country Sourdoughrecipe.

It is also good to use in my Instant Pot Dutch Oven Crusty Bread recipe.

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Pour the Cottage Cheese into Strainer Basket

If you want to make Farmer Cheese out of this recipe, line your basket with Butter Muslin, so that you can squeeze out all the liquid.

Keep squeezing until you get out every drop. Wrap it in plastic wrap and you can shape the Farmer Cheese.

Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (12)

YARKOR Tofu Press, Paneer Press, Farmer Cheese Press

Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (13)Or check out this Yakor Tofu Press and easily drain the liquid. You can also use it for making Paneer, which is Indian cheese!

Cut it into cubes and you have an easy recipe for Indian paneer!

That’s it for the Farmer Cheese, Indian Paneer and tofu!

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Rinse the Strainer of Cottage Cheese under Cool Water

Using a light stream of cold water and aSpatula, carefully move around the Curds, so that the Vinegar will be removed.

For Pot Cheese – drain the liquid, but don’t squeeze it out. That’s it. Stop here. You have Pot Cheese!!

Use Pot Cheese for my Pressure Cooker Creamettes and Pot Cheese recipe.

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Mix Salt in the Cream

Addthe Salt in to the cup with the Cream and give it a good Whisk. If you want to keep your Cottage Cheese lower in fat/calories, you can use Half & Half, if you like.

Milk actually works too, but the result will not be creamy.

Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (16)

Pour Cream into Cottage Cheese

Gently incorporate the Salt/Cream mixture into the Cottage Cheese, making sure not to break the Curds up too much.

For a smaller Curd, break them up more.

Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (17)

Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese

What a difference this Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe is from store bought.

It tastes so fresh and delicious.

Try it on top of my Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Squash and Meat Sauce, for a very healthy meal.

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

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Here is the handy printable recipe:

Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (18)

Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe

4.85 from 33 votes

Print Pin Save Rate

Course: Breakfast, Lunch

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 281kcal

Author: Jill Selkowitz

Ingredients

  • 1 Gallon Whole Milk or Heavy Cream 2% or 1%
  • 2/3 cup Distilled Vinegar or Lemon Juice
  • 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream or Half & Half more as needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Pour milk into Instant Pot cooking pot and cover with Glass Lid or Black IP Lid.

  • Push the Yogurt button and then the Adjust button. The display should read "Boil."

  • During the Boil cycle, remove the lid and whisk the milk a couple of times during the cycle.

  • When Beep sounds, remove lid and take temperature.. Anywhere from 170-180 degrees is fine.

  • Slowly pour in the lemon juice or vinegar and gently move around the milk. It will begin to look curdled.

  • Turn off the Instant Pot. Cover the milk with the Glass Lid and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

  • Add salt to the cream and whisk. Set aside.

  • Pour theCottage Cheeseinto a Strainer Basket lined with butter muslin, sitting inside of a Cooking Pot or other device to drain.

  • Remove Strainer Basket to sink and run a slow stream of cool water over the Strainer Basket to remove excess Vinegar.

  • Place Cottage Cheese into bowl.

  • Gently pour in the cream with the salt and incorporate.

  • Refrigerate and enjoy.

Farmer Cheese and Indian Paneer

  • Follow the exact same instructions for Cottage Cheese, but don't add any cream or salt.

  • Instead of placing the cottage cheese into a bowl after draining out the liquid, gather the ends of the butter muslin and twist. Squeeze out as much liquid with your hands as you can. The cheese will form into a ball.

  • Shape the cheese into a block.

  • Place block of cheese into Tofu/Paneer Press and lock into position.

  • Let sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour, so that more of the moisture will be removed.

  • The farmer cheese/paneer can then be cut into pieces.

Notes

Recipe inspired by Mom'sThumb.

The nutrition information below is based on using heavy cream. For those using milk, the fat content will be considerably less.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 281Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 111mg37%

Sodium 79mg3%

Potassium 61mg2%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 1196IU24%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 53mg5%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Mention @ThisOldGalCooks or tag #thisoldgalcooks!

© ThisOldGal.com - Sharing the recipe link to any of my recipes posts are both encouraged and appreciated. Unauthorized and improperly attributed or non-attributed use of this material, including screen shots, copy/paste of full recipes to any social media site, website, mobile application or service (e.g., copymethat, recipe keeper, pepper) or cookbook, without the requisite attribution or otherwise with express written permission from Jill Selkowitz is strictly prohibited. You may share a photo with a link back instead.

PIN this Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese!

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Instant Pot Homemade Cottage Cheese

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Homemade Cottage Recipe Low Carb - Instant Pot, Mealthy, GW (2024)

FAQs

Is cottage cheese sugar free? ›

Plain, full-fat cottage cheese has a modest amount of carbohydrates, with most not exceeding 5 grams. It also contains no added sugar, so experts say it's a good candidate for those observing a low-carb and low-glucose diet. Low-fat and fat-free cottage cheese, on the other hand, may contain more carbs and sugar.

How to get cottage cheese smooth? ›

Add cottage cheese to a food processor. Blend on high until smooth and creamy (about 1-2 minutes). You might have to stop a few times to scrape the sides down. Scoop whipped cottage cheese into a shallow bowl or on a small plate and top with a drizzle of olive oil and a crack of fresh black pepper, if desired.

Will I lose weight if I eat cottage cheese everyday? ›

A research study indicates that cottage cheese weight loss is consistent with the weight loss people experience when they follow low-calorie diets rich in calcium and other dairy foods.

How many times a week should you eat cottage cheese? ›

“I would consider limiting cottage cheese intake to 1 cup per day to allow for nutrient variety,” Voelkers advises. Before purchasing, she says to compare food labels as some cottage cheese can be higher in sodium than others, and the low-fat varieties may sneak in sugar.

What's better, Greek yogurt or cottage cheese? ›

So far, these two high-protein snacks are neck in neck when considering protein, calcium and calories. But one clear distinction steers the choice: Cottage cheese can be loaded with sodium. Just 1 cup of cottage cheese can deliver 8 to 9 times the sodium found in Greek yogurt.

What cottage cheese has no carbs? ›

Full fat cottage cheese has the lowest amount of carbs, but low and nonfat are other valid keto options. Try to avoid ingredients like guar, xanthan, and carrageenan which may have health issues.

Why is my homemade cottage cheese rubbery? ›

Don't overheat. That will make your cottage cheese rubbery. When the comes to the top, it's time to remove it from the heat. Place a colander in the sink and line it with cheese cloth.

What is the best cottage cheese for weight loss? ›

Best: Friendship Dairies 1% Low-Fat Whipped Cottage Cheese

The Friendship brand of cottage cheese is a great bet, according to registered dietitian Lauren Harris-Pincus, specifically the 1%, low-fat whipped version, which contains 110 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 19 grams of protein per 5-ounce serving.

How to thicken up cottage cheese? ›

First, add your cottage cheese to either a blender, food processor, or a large jar or bowl an immersion blender can fit inside. Blend on high for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of your container with a spatula, and resume blending until the blended cheese is thick and creamy. About 2 minutes.

Is cottage cheese good for losing belly fat? ›

When talking of what foods help burn belly fat, cottage cheese is one that has weight loss properties. Cottage cheese is rich in protein which can improve metabolism and prevent weight gain. It is also low in calories while being packed with calcium, vitamins B, selenium, and phosphorus.

Does eating cottage cheese at night burn fat? ›

By Mens Health Staff | May 1, 2021

According to a new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, consuming cottage cheese before going to sleep can help you lose weight. The findings suggest that low calorie foods boost metabolism, muscles and overall wellbeing, even while you're asleep.

Which is better for weight loss cottage cheese or yogurt? ›

Huneke gives an analysis, “nu*tritionally speaking, plain Greek yogurt is the closest comparison (to cottage cheese) – they're both lower in calories (the 0-2% fat versions), high in protein, a good source of calcium, contain no added sugars, and have lower levels of lactose (so they're among the more easily-tolerated ...

What to eat with cottage cheese at night? ›

Cottage Cheese With Natural Peanut Butter

Considered a classic night-time nosh by many health enthusiasts, cottage cheese with natural peanut butter is a snacking no-brainer. Cottage cheese is ideal before bed because it includes lots of casein protein, which releases slowly into the body.

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