My husband Ryan has eaten the same go-to breakfast for years: a crispy hash brown patty, topped with a couple of eggs and usually a hefty dose of sriracha.
He swears he'll never get tired of it, and it keeps him full until the afternoon.
He's also a major fan of cottage cheese, and it got me wondering if I could turn cottage cheese into hollandaise for a zushed up version of his hash brown benny.
All it took was blending up a handful of things I had on hand and adding in some sliced turkey to literally blow his mind.
For the official record, this is now his favorite recipe on the site.The hollandaise holds in the fridge for five days, so once you've made it once, the rest of the week's breakfast is mostly assembly. Let's get into it.
Quick Look: Healthy Eggs Benedict with Cottage Cheese Hollandaise
Restaurant style brunch made easy at home (and with a protein bonus!)
⏱️ Hollandaise prep (one-time): 5 minutes
🔥 Per-benedict assembly: 10-12 minutes (stovetop poach adds 2-3 min)
🍽️ Servings: Hollandaise makes 4 servings; benedict assembled per person
💪 Protein per serving: 29g
🍳 Cook Method: Air fryer / toaster + egg cooker + blender
✓ Hollandaise holds 5 days in the fridge
✓ No stovetop sauce, no whisking
✓ Weekday-friendly
Are Eggs Benedict Healthy?
Such a loaded question that requires nuance! Traditional eggs benedict isn't necessarily built to keep you steady. The English muffin and the hollandaise are mostly refined carbs and fat, though they're somewhat offset by the Canadian bacon and poached egg.
I saw an opportunity to make it a little more balanced, easier AND tastier.
My version includes a crispy hash brown (honestly easier to eat with a fork compared to an English muffin) and protein and fat from the poached egg, smoked deli turkey (again, easier to get a fork through), and a cottage cheese hollandaise that brings added protein into the sauce itself for a fully balanced meal. Twenty-seven grams of protein per serving!
The short answer: traditional eggs benedict is a treat. This version is a complete breakfast you can eat any day of the week.
Why Cottage Cheese in Hollandaise?
Aside from the added protein of using cottage cheese in my hollandaise recipe, it also significantly simplifies the process of getting a rich and creamy sauce to spread on your hash brown benny.
No need for a temperamental method on the stovetop. Just pop the cottage cheese in a blender with milk for that smooth texture and add the dijon and lemon for the signature pop of tangy flavor in traditional hollandaise. The butter then adds velvety richness and turmeric is optional, but does add that pretty yellow golden glow.
Other Ways to Use The Hollandaise
Once you have a jar of this in the fridge, there's lots of other ways to use!
- Drizzled over roasted asparagus
- On top of grilled or baked salmon
- Tossed into a steak salad as the dressing
- As a dip for roasted potatoes or sweet potato fries
- Spooned over steamed broccoli or cauliflower
About the Hash Brown Patty
A lot of folks think potatoes are an instant concern for blood sugar and look for seemingly lower-carb options. I got curious and did a comparison with my Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) of a regular potato-based patty with an egg versus a cauliflower patty also with an egg.
Check out these stats!
Walmart store-brand potato patty + 1 egg: stable response, peak of 107 mg/dL, no time above target.
Strong Roots cauliflower patty + 1 egg: a 44-point spike, peak of 142 mg/dL, 30 minutes above target.
When manufacturers strip out the potato, they have to rebuild the texture and structure with something else. Often that means more refined starches, modified food starch, or rice flour to hold the patty together. The "healthier" version ends up being more processed and more starch-dense than what it's replacing.
I used Wal-Mart brand frozen hash brown patties for this recipe, but any frozen potato hash brown patty that crisps up well will work.
How to Make It (Step by Step)
Step 1: Make the cottage cheese hollandaise.
Add cottage cheese, milk, dijon, lemon juice, and turmeric to a blender. Start blending on medium, and with the blender running, slowly drizzle in the melted butter. Keep going until silky and fully emulsified, about 30 seconds.
The cold-blend method is key. Adding hot butter to cold cottage cheese, slowly and with the motor already running, is what gives you a creamy, foolproof hollandaise without any risk of splitting.
Transfer to a sealed jar and refrigerate. The hollandaise holds for 5 days. It will thicken slightly as it sits, which is normal.
Step 2: Crisp the hash brown.
Air fryer or toaster, whichever is easier. Cook until golden and crisp on both sides. A crispy base is what makes this feel like real eggs benedict and not a soggy breakfast plate.
Step 3: Cook the egg.
I use a Hamilton Beach egg cooker on the poached setting, which gives me a perfect runny yolk. A traditional poach in simmering water works too (about 3 to 4 minutes), or even a quickly fried egg if you don't want runny.
Step 4: Warm the hollandaise.
Microwave the amount of hollandaise you want to serve for about 10 seconds, then give it a stir. The hollandaise blends up pourable straight from the blender, so warming is just to take the chill off. If it's ever too thick, whether straight from the blender or after a few days in the fridge, thin it with a splash of milk.
Step 5: Assemble.
Crispy hash brown, smoked turkey, poached egg, warm hollandaise on top. A grind of black pepper or a sprinkle of chives if you're feeling fancy. Sriracha if you're Ryan.
Joanie's Balanced Bites
This benedict is built to keep energy steady with plenty of fiber, fat and protein. Of course your mileage will vary when it comes to blood sugar, so be sure to listen to your own body.
The one thing that this dish could benefit from is some additional fiber. A side of berries, a piece of fresh fruit, or a small green salad alongside makes this a complete plate.
Browse ➡️ Blood Sugar-Friendly Recipes
More Cottage Cheese Recipes to Try Next
➡️ Cottage Cheese Recipes Hub — can you tell we're obsessed with cottage cheese around here?
➡️ Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough — for a sweet treat fix!
➡️ Breakfast Quesadillas — another 10-minute, high-protein, weekday-friendly breakfast
Healthy Eggs Benedict (Cottage Cheese Hollandaise + Hash Brown)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 1 benedict (hollandaise makes 4+ servings)
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: blender
- Cuisine: American
Description
A healthy eggs benedict built on a crispy hash brown, topped with smoked turkey and a make-ahead cottage cheese hollandaise. Restaurant brunch on a Tuesday, no whisking, no broken sauce, no fuss.
Ingredients
For the cottage cheese hollandaise (makes about 1¼ cups, enough for 4+ servings):
- ¾ cup full-fat cottage cheese (170g)
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon whole milk (95g)
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (15g)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (15g)
- 3 tablespoons melted butter (42g)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric (optional, for color)
For each benedict (per serving):
- 1 frozen hash brown patty
- 1 large egg
- 2 ounces sliced deli turkey (Boar's Head smoked turkey is a favorite)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cottage cheese hollandaise
- Optional: black pepper, fresh chives, sriracha
Instructions
- Make the hollandaise. Add cottage cheese, milk, dijon, lemon juice, and turmeric to a blender. Start blending on medium. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the melted butter. Continue blending until silky and fully emulsified, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate. Holds for 5 days.
- Crisp the hash brown. Cook the hash brown patty in an air fryer or toaster until golden and crisp on both sides.
- Cook the egg. Use an egg cooker on the poached setting, or poach in simmering water for 3 to 4 minutes. Sunny side up or over-easy is another easier option.
- Warm the hollandaise. Microwave the amount you want to use for about 10 seconds and stir. If it's too thick, thin with a splash of milk.
- Assemble. Place the crispy hash brown on a plate. Top with smoked turkey, then the poached egg, then 2 to 3 tablespoons of warm hollandaise. Finish with black pepper, chives, or sriracha if you like.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 benedict
- Calories: 455
- Sugar: 3.4 g
- Sodium: 911.2 mg
- Fat: 19.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 41.3 g
- Fiber: 3.2 g
- Protein: 29.3 g
- Cholesterol: 244.7 mg
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!