Philly Cream cheese and Cottage Cheese

[Merrilyn]

I'm sorry if this seems like a dumb question, but can someone please tell me the difference between cream cheese and cottage cheese?  Is it just in the way it's mixed?

I'm asking because DH bought three tubs of cottage cheese instead of cream cheese when I wanted to make French Onion Dip to take to a New Year's Eve party.  Wasn't game to use it then, so made a different dip, but I'm wondering if it would work out if I put cottage cheese in Thermie and gave it a good whizz then added the French Onion Soup mix.

Suggestions please.  I'm not fond of plain cottage cheese, and don't want to waste three tubs.

Many thanks.

[Merlin]

My understanding is that cottage cheese is basically milk curds. I believe it has a much lower fat content than cream cheese. I have never tried using cottage cheese as a substitute for cream cheese in dips etc, but I would definitely give it a go with the cottage cheese. The dips might be more watery with the cottage cheese, so you might have to add in something  else like thick  Greek yoghurt to bulk it up a bit. You know the beauty about having a TM is that you get to invent all kinds of new recipes just by experimentation and using whatever you have in your pantry or fridge. Worst case scenario, if you don't think the end result is a good enough consistency for a dip etc, you might use it, for instance as a salad dressing, or a sauce for baked potatoes etc. Recycle!!! Best of luck and let us know the end result!!
PS have you tried Judydawn's French onion dip with sauteed brown onions and using the vegetable stock concentrate?. The recipe is on this forum and I ditched the whole French onion packet soup/ cream cheese combo thing ages ago when I discovered this particular recipe- the upside is that you'll blow all your friends away with how awesome it tastes.

[faffa_70]

I would definitely give it a try. The soup may help soak up any extra moisture in it anyway and the TMX would smooth it out and make it creamy - can't wait to hear how you go

[berringamababe]

Perfect for dips ALL Annette Sim Dip Recipes (book #4) She has used low fat Cottage Cheese.
You can just put all ing together and process until smooth or process cottage cheese first until smooth.
I have never made these as I always make my dips using my home made yogurt and strain the whey off.  I use the whey in my KFC in place of buttermilk, I just freeze it.

here are a few, hope you enjoy them however just substitute CC in your favourite dip and eat extra knowing it is lower in fat.:

Savoury Tuna Di p(106kj)
250g low fat Cottage Cheese
2  100g Tuna tempters onion and tomato

French onion
250g low fat Cottage Cheese
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbl french onion soup ( I use MY own stock)

Hommus (53kj)
best made a few hours ahead
garlic clove (mince first)
1 400g chick peas - add after garlic and puree
then add 
1 tbls lemon juice
1 tbl low fat mayo
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp stock con
salt and pepper

Smoked salmon dip (81kj)
75g smoked salmon
250g cottage Cheese

1 tsp lemon juice
1 gherkin

[judydawn]

Well there you go Merrilyn - plenty of great ideas for you and your tubs of cottage cheese. Thanks for the recipes berringamababe, I keep forgetting I have that series of books    I particularly like to use cottage cheese as the base (instead of butter) on my whole baked potatoes with lots of toppings.

[cookie1]

Thanks. The perfect season to have lots of new dip recipes.

[Merrilyn]

It's delicious.  Thankyou ladies.

I processed the cottage cheese to a smooth paste first, then gently blended in the french onion soup to make a wonderful creamy dip.

Made the next one using a can of salmon and some chopped gherkin - delicious.

We're off to our neighbours for a little get together tonight, so I'll tell the ladies they can indulge without guilt 

I love this forum./

[berringamababe]

That is great!  I love Annette Sym Recipes,  very simple, tasty low fat food.  You won't buy philly again, knowing that the dips are not only yummy but lower in fat too.

[andiesenji]

Cottage cheese is simply cheese curds that have been drained, washed gently in water and then have cream added.

If the cream is not added and the curds are firmly pressed to squeeze them together, in the fridge, for 48 hours, you have cream cheese.

If you just process the cottage cheese as is, it will be runny, drain it first in a muslin bag and squeeze it firmly.
If you have time, put it in a stainless steel or plastic colander and put a plate on top with a heavy weight.  I use bricks wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap and let it drain for a few hours.  Then use as you would cream cheese.

[judydawn]

Andie, your wealth of knowledge is a valuable asset to this forum and I thank you for your input.  Would be interested to see if using cottage cheese in place of philly is more cost effective too. Will have to stand in front of the dairy cabinet and do the sums.
If it is healthier and cheaper, what a great option.

[andiesenji]

Back in the days prior to universal refrigeration, there was no "creamed" cottage cheese in stores.

You bought the "dry" cottage cheese, also known as "farmers" or "hoop" cheese, depending on the locality - at least in the U.S. - and had to break up the curds and add cream to it to get the product we know today as fresh cottage cheese - the cartons always used to say "creamed" cottage cheese but not all do so today.

I lived in Wisconsin for a couple of years in the mid '50s and graduated high school there.  It being the "dairy" state, we had a lot of information in certain classes about dairy products (and free milk every day, mid-morning, lunch and mid-afternoon).

Up until 1963 you could not buy colored margarine in Wisconsin because of laws protecting the dairy industry. 
The only margarine sold was white, in a plastic bag with a bead of dye that had to be broken and the bag massaged to distribute the color throughout.  Or, people would drive across state lines to Illinois or Minnesota to buy colored margarine in sticks like butter.

Odd dairy information.  The state fair always had a cow sculpted from butter on display. 

[faffa_70]

Andie, I just love all your information and stories, thank you for taking the time to always share with us 

[andiesenji]

I'm more than happy to pass along the information I have accumulated during my lifetime.  My interest in food began very early and even though I must have been a pest, I was always given answers to my questions.  I was very fortunate.

I'm so glad that I was interested enough when I was young to inquire about so much of this stuff from my elders.  I meet so many people my age who have only vague ideas of how their parents coped during the Great Depression and even later.   They were more interested in other things and now are sad that they don't have those memories.