Savory cottage cheese pancakes are protein-packed and ready in minutes

The word “pancakes” may trigger thoughts of sweet, fruity breakfasts for most, but there is a whole world of savory dinner pancakes beckoning more attention, and I am personally smitten with them.

My first bites of okonomiyaki from a street vendor in Tokyo, when I was in my teens, were eye-opening and still live vividly in my mind, as do the ham-and-cheese-filled buckwheat crepes I had in France years later. Then there are the potato latkes I grew up eating, the recipe for which, my dad tells me, is my inheritance. The idea of using an eggy batter to bind a selection of vegetables and proteins, then cooking them quickly in a skillet, gets my mind reeling with ideas.

These pancakes are a product of such reeling. They would be right at home in a trendy TikTok video, since they are made with cottage cheese — the high-protein ingredient du jour. But they actually remind me of my grandfather, who ate cottage cheese nearly daily, as a snack mixed with sour cream and sliced banana, or mounded on top of a chopped salad and seasoned with lots of black pepper. Cottage cheese has always been “in” in my family — it was only a matter of time before I worked it into savory pancake form.

In this recipe, cottage cheese is mixed with beaten eggs and a little whole-wheat flour, forming a base to bind heaps of sautéed onion and cabbage, which is flavored with fresh dill and generously seasoned with freshly ground black pepper (my grandfather would approve).

Dropped in rounds onto a hot skillet, these vegetable-packed pancakes have just enough binding to hold the deeply browned onion and softened, yet still slightly crunchy, cabbage together in fritter form.

After just a couple of minutes in the skillet, the pancakes come out golden brown, with crisped edges, ready for a dollop of creamy yogurt and a sprinkle of dill. They make for a quick, satisfying, protein-rich meal any time of day, and are an invitation to give savory pancakes their turn in the sun.

4 servings (makes 12 pancakes)

Total time: 20 mins

These savory cottage cheese pancakes with sautèed cabbage put a new spin on breakfast for dinner. Enhanced with browned onion, fragrant with fresh dill, and topped with creamy yogurt, they make a quick, satisfying, and protein-rich meal any time of day.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days; the pancakes may lose their crispness, but will still be delicious.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large yellow onion (12 ounces), halved and thinly sliced

1/2 head green cabbage (1 pound), thinly sliced (about 6 cups)

1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups plain whole-milk or low-fat cottage cheese

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1 cup plain regular or Greek yogurt (whole-milk or low-fat)

Steps

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 200 degrees. Have a large sheet pan nearby.

In a large (12-inch or wider) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and the edges brown slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cabbage, salt, and pepper, and cook until the cabbage softens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the dill, then transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs until well combined, then stir in the cottage cheese. Stir in the flour just to combine, then stir in the cooled cabbage mixture.

Wipe out the skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon of the oil and return to medium-high heat. To test whether the oil is hot enough, add a small drop of the batter to the skillet, and if it immediately sizzles and begins to brown on the bottom, the pan is ready.

Use a 1/3-cup measure to scoop 3 to 4 mounds of the batter into the skillet, depending on its size. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the pancakes brown on the bottom and begin to dry around the edges, about 2 minutes. Flip, and cook until the other side browns and the pancake is cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Adjust the heat as needed if the pancakes are browning too quickly. Transfer the pancakes to the prepared sheet pan and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and batter.

Divide the pancakes among individual plates, top each portion with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of dill, and serve warm.

Substitutions: Egg-free? Use your favorite egg replacer. Gluten-free? Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend. Whole-wheat flour >> all-purpose flour. Green cabbage >> Savoy or napa cabbage. Dill >> parsley. Yellow onions >> white onion or shallot.

Nutrition per serving (3 pancakes and 1/4 cup yogurt): 401 calories, 35g carbohydrates, 194mg cholesterol, 18g fat, 7g fiber, 28g protein, 4g saturated fat, 546mg sodium, 12g sugar

Ellie Krieger is a registered dietitian nutritionist and cookbook author who hosts public television’s “Ellie’s Real Good Food.” Learn more at www.elliekrieger.com.