🍳🔥 Cottage Cheese Shakshuka Bake: Tomato, Egg & Cheese Magic
Forget fussy brunch menus. I toss spiced tomatoes, creamy cottage cheese, and runny eggs into one pan and call it weekend perfection. You want minimal cleanup and maximum “whoa” vibes? This bake wins—every. single. time.
⚡ Quick Snapshot
- 10-minute prep. Oven does the rest.
- 5 pantry heroes: canned tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, cottage cheese, eggs.
- Protein punch: 20 g+ per serving.
- One-skillet wonder → fewer dishes → happier you.
- Breakfast, lunch, or “I-forgot-dinner” lifesaver.
🍅🧀 Tomato-Cheese Tag-Team
| MVP | Superpower | Why You’ll Dig It |
|---|---|---|
| Crushed Tomatoes | Lycopene antioxidants | Saucy depth, zero fuss |
| Smoked Paprika | Campfire kick | Instant flavor flex |
| Cottage Cheese | Lean protein + calcium | Creamy pools that melt into the sauce |
| Eggs | Complete protein | Runny yolk = built-in sauce |
| Fresh Herbs | Color + aroma | Fancy look, zero effort |
Pro tip: Full-fat cottage cheese melts smoother than the fat-free sad stuff. Live a little.
🛒 Ingredient Lineup
| Item | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | Sauté goodness | 1 tbsp |
| Yellow onion, diced | Sweet base | 1 small |
| Red bell pepper, diced | Crunch + color | 1 |
| Garlic cloves, minced | Flavor bomb | 3 |
| Crushed tomatoes (canned) | Saucy body | 1 × 28 oz can |
| Smoked paprika | Smoky depth | 1 tsp |
| Ground cumin | Earthy warmth | 1 tsp |
| Chili flakes | Heat check | ¼ tsp (or YOLO) |
| Salt & pepper | Balance | To taste |
| Cottage cheese (full-fat) | Creamy dollops | 1 cup |
| Large eggs | Protein stars | 4–6, your call |
| Fresh parsley or cilantro | Insta-worthy garnish | Handful |
FYI: No cumin in the spice drawer? Sub in taco seasoning. Flavor police won’t show.
🔥 One-Pan Game Plan (30 Minutes Start → Fork)
- Heat oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
- Warm oil in an oven-safe skillet. Sauté onion + pepper 5 min till they soften.
- Stir in garlic, paprika, cumin, chili flakes. Smell that? That’s brunch bragging rights.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes. Simmer 5 min. Season like you mean it.
- Dollop cottage cheese around the pan—think little islands of creamy joy.
- Make wells; crack eggs into each.
- Slide skillet into oven. Bake 8–12 min until whites set but yolks jiggle.
- Shower with herbs. Serve straight from skillet. High-five yourself. 🙂
🎨 Remix Ideas
- Green Garden: Add handful spinach with tomatoes. Veggie flex.
- Spicy Rebel: Swap chili flakes for diced jalapeño. Break a sweat.
- Mediterranean Mood: Top with olives + feta instead of cottage cheese. Opa!
- Carb Hug: Serve over toasted sourdough or stuff into warm pitas.
💪 Health Perks (Zero Boring Science Talk)
- Protein Party: Eggs + cottage cheese keep you full longer than that sad muffin.
- Lycopene Love: Cooked tomatoes help fight cell damage—science says so.
- Low-Carb Friendly: Skip the bread and you’re keto-ish.
- Iron Boost: Cumin sneaks extra minerals into the mix.
❓ Rapid-Fire FAQ
Can I meal-prep it?
Yep. Cook sauce ahead, park in fridge 3 days. Reheat, add cheese + eggs, finish in oven.
Dairy-free option?
Swap cottage cheese for coconut yogurt dollops or just ditch it—still tasty.
Runny yolk hater?
Bake 2–3 extra minutes. Yolks firm up, judgment doesn’t.
Cast-iron must?
Any oven-safe skillet or even a casserole dish works. Just keep sides high enough for saucy splashes.
🔥 The Last Forkful
You just met the brunch recipe that checks every box: easy, protein-packed, dishwasher-approved. Next lazy morning, skip overpriced café shakshuka and flex this skillet masterpiece at home.
So yeah, if you’ve slept on cottage cheese, wake up, bake up, and dive in. Trust me—you’ll lick the pan clean. 😉
