Combine A Hard-Boiled Egg With One Ingredient From Your Fridge To Get 20 Grams Of Protein

Protein is an essential macro that has become the source of many diet fads, from keto to Atkins. However, before you start looking for specialty items to up your protein intake, you'll find that household staples provide some of the best and most delicious sources of protein. Hard-boiled eggs are a quick, easy, and versatile protein source, for example. And, when combined with cottage cheese, another staple you likely have in your fridge, you'll have a meal or snack that's packed with a whopping 20 grams of protein. A standard egg offers around 6.3 grams of protein, and around a half cup (or roughly 115 grams) of cottage cheese provides the rest.

Both eggs and cottage cheese are optimal sources of protein and healthy fats while also being practically devoid of carbs. So this duo would be a great meal or snack for low-carb diets. The protein content will keep you full for hours, while the fat supplies a rich and luxurious flavor. Eggs are buttery while cottage cheese strikes a balance between milky and tangy, making for a delectable combination.

And combining the two couldn't be easier. Instead of topping cottage cheese with hard-boiled eggs, you can use eggs as the foundation for a generous spoonful of cottage cheese. Cut the egg or eggs (it's up to you how you divide up the amount of cottage cheese and eggs) into halves to top with cottage cheese and a drizzle of your favorite condiment. You can season with freshly cracked pepper or condiments like hot sauce, pesto, or chili oil. A more cohesive combination of the two would be to blend cottage cheese into a smooth texture to replace mayonnaise in egg salad.

If you want a higher ratio of cottage cheese to eggs, simply slice a hard-boiled egg into quarters or chunks to sprinkle over cottage cheese in a bowl. Try making easy upgrades like adding sliced fresh tomatoes with salt and pepper or crunchy cucumbers to elevate the cottage cheese and eggs while adding more healthy nutrients. You can also flavor the cottage cheese with a tablespoon of dijon mustard, or add a packet of ranch seasoning for a herbal and pungent punch that will also complement any veggies you've added. These seasoning upgrades would also apply to a cottage cheese egg salad recipe to stuff into lettuce wraps for a low-carb meal. 

However, you can make more of a well-rounded meal out of hard-boiled eggs and cottage cheese with carbs. For example, cottage cheese can replace cream cheese over a bagel or a piece of toasted bread. Blend the cottage cheese with everything bagel seasoning for a creamy and aromatic spread to slather over a toasted bagel to top with quartered jammy eggs, avocado, thinly sliced onions, and a drizzle of sriracha. For a more Mediterranean meal, blend cottage cheese with paprika, sumac, cumin, harissa paste and tomato paste to spread over crusty bread, topping it with hard-boiled eggs, pickled onions, fresh cilantro, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.