Crispy Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowls
These are the pizza bowls that broke the internet in our little corner of it. No flour. No dough. No sad pizza substitute energy. Instead: a skillet-crisped cottage cheese base that gets golden and almost chewy on the edges, then you pile on whatever pizza toppings your heart desires. 48 grams of protein per serving and it's genuinely one of the most satisfying things I've ever eaten.
The secret to the crispy base is full-fat cottage cheese blended completely smooth. Don't skip the blending step — and let the edges get really golden before you add toppings. That's where the magic happens.
Ingredients
The Base
- 2 cups whole-milk cottage cheese, blended smooth
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
Toppings
- ½ lb ground turkey, browned
- ½ cup marinara or pizza sauce
- 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- handful fresh basil to serve
Instructions
Preheat & prep
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place a 10-inch oven-safe skillet (cast iron works best) in the oven while it preheats — a hot pan is the key to a crispy base.
⏱ 10 min preheatBlend the base
Add the cottage cheese and eggs to a blender. Blend on high for 45 seconds until completely smooth — no curds visible. Season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt. Give it one more blend pulse to combine.
Bake the base
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Spray with cooking spray, then pour in the cottage cheese mixture. It should sizzle — that's what you want. Bake for 12–15 minutes until the edges are deep golden and the center is fully set. Don't rush this step.
⏱ 12–15 minCook the turkey topping
While the base bakes, brown the ground turkey in a separate pan over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Season with a pinch of Italian seasoning, garlic, and salt. Cook until no pink remains, about 6 minutes.
⏱ 6 minTop and broil
Remove the base from the oven. Spread the marinara sauce over it, leaving a small border around the edges. Scatter the cooked turkey evenly, then top with mozzarella. Switch your oven to broil and place the skillet back under the broiler for 2–3 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden in spots. Watch it closely!
⏱ 3 min broilRest and serve
Let the bowl rest for 2 minutes before cutting — this helps it hold together cleanly when you slice it into wedges directly from the skillet. Top with fresh basil and red pepper flakes if you like heat. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Per Serving
* Nutritional values are estimates based on the specific ingredients used. Exact values will vary depending on brands, portion size, and substitutions. This information is provided as a courtesy and should not be used as a substitute for professional nutritional advice.
Reader Reviews (847)
Made this three times this week. THREE TIMES. My husband who is extremely skeptical of "healthy" food said it was the best thing I've made in months. That base gets so crispy on the edges it's almost like a thin-crust pizza. 48g of protein is insane.
I was very skeptical — cottage cheese pizza? But the blended base is genius. It's creamy and slightly tangy and it absolutely crisps up beautifully. Used Italian sausage instead of turkey and it was phenomenal. This is now in my permanent rotation.
Absolutely delicious. I made mine with veggie toppings — roasted red pepper, olives, and fresh basil — and it hit 32g protein. Still incredible. Took mine out at 14 minutes and the edges were perfectly crispy. Thank you for this recipe!