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I’ll admit that the cottage cheese pizza bowl trend isn’t brand new. In fact, I believe it originated with this TikTok video, created by @takingmylifebackat42, back in 2023. But it takes a special kind of trend (read: one that lives up to its virality) to undergo a second resurgence, and that’s exactly what’s happening here, with dozens of new cottage cheese pizza bowls popping up on TikTok just this month.
Though the seasonings and pizza toppings vary from bowl to bowl, the basic idea is as follows: add cottage cheese to a small oven-safe baking dish (this is a single-serve recipe, though you can make as many as you want at a time), mix in seasonings, sprinkle on desired toppings (pepperoni is by far the most popular), top with marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese, then bake or microwave until the cheese is melted.
The genius lies in how quick it is to assemble, how customizable it is, and the fact that it’s packed with protein. It’s also easy to meal prep (just pop ‘em in the fridge until you’re ready to bake), and low-carb, too, if that’s important to you. And while most TikTokers just dig in with a fork or scoop up the cheesy mixture with chips, I paired mine with spaghetti squash to make it a more substantial meal. Here’s how to do it:
Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowls
Serves 1
Ingredients
1 small spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup whole-milk cottage cheese (I prefer Good Culture)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Pinch red pepper flakes
Up to 1/4 cup chopped pizza toppings of choice (pepperoni, bell peppers, banana peppers, onion, fresh basil, etc. — anything that doesn’t involve pre-cooking)
1/4 cup marinara sauce (I prefer Rao’s)
1/4 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese
Chopped fresh basil leaves, for serving
Preparation
Heat the oven to 450°F. Trim the stem from the squash and cut in half crosswise, then scoop out the pulp and seeds. Brush the cut sides lightly with oil and season with the salt and several grinds black pepper. Place cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until the squash flakes easily with a fork, 25 to 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes in a small oven-safe baking dish and stir to combine. Sprinkle with pizza toppings, then spread on the marinara sauce in an even layer. Top with mozzarella cheese.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. If making more than one pizza bowl, arrange the baking dishes on a baking sheet (this will make it easier to get them in and out of the oven). Bake until the cheese is melted and the contents are warmed through, 12 to 15 minutes. (If you’re using a broiler-safe baking dish, you can broil for a minute or two to get a brown and bubbly top, but most Pyrex dishes aren’t broiler-safe).
Let sit for 5 minutes (this prevents it from being too liquid-y), then add your desired amount of spaghetti squash strands to the baking dish and stir to combine. Season with salt to taste. Alternatively, add the contents of the baking dish directly to the spaghetti squash half and mix to combine.
PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of Grace Elkus
