Cheese/4 recipes

Rice and cheese casserole stirs cooked brown rice with cottage cheese, parmesan, dill, and Dijon for a light, high-protein side that bakes in 20 minutes. Healthy comfort food.

Crepe blintzes filled with sweetened cottage cheese, Neufchatel, lemon zest, and vanilla, then pan-browned in a touch of canola oil. Served warm with non-fat yogurt, fresh berries, and a dusting of powdered sugar. Brunch favorite, lightened up.

Mexi-corn lasagna layered with corn tortillas, seasoned ground beef with corn and picante sauce, and a cottage cheese-Parmesan filling. A Tex-Mex casserole mashup of lasagna and enchiladas.

Tuna stuffed jumbo pasta shells baked in a creamy dill sauce made with cottage cheese, yogurt, and Parmesan. A lighter take on stuffed shells using low-fat cottage cheese instead of ricotta.

A homemade pepper and mushroom pizza on a from-scratch yeast crust, spread with a creamy blended cottage cheese and Parmesan sauce instead of red sauce, then loaded with mozzarella. A lighter, veggie-packed pie.

A layered baked spaghetti casserole with crumbled tofu, cottage cheese, and melty mozzarella in a herb-tomato sauce. The surprise? It's vegetarian and nobody will guess.

Creamy low-fat spread blending apples, dates, cottage cheese, and toasted almonds with cinnamon. Make it in the microwave and food processor for easy entertaining on raisin toast or apple slices.

Healthy&Taste: Dufflet's Light Lemon Cheesecake recipe

From McCall's Great American recipe card collection. A reduced fat and calorie Italian American lasagna.

Lightened-up cheesecake uses cottage cheese and neufchatel for creamy texture with fewer calories, then gets crowned with fresh berries for guilt-free indulgence.

Lighter baked mac and cheese made with pureed cottage cheese, skim milk, and sharp cheddar for creamy comfort with less fat.

Vegetable lasagna layered with zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, and a red wine tomato sauce. Make-ahead and lighter than meat lasagna, with cottage cheese standing in for ricotta.

Lo-cal cheese cake swaps cream cheese for low-fat ricotta and cottage cheese, fruit sugar for white, and folds in beaten egg whites for an airy, lighter cheesecake without the dairy bomb.

Low-calorie eggplant mozzarella casserole layered with cottage cheese instead of ricotta, mushroom-enhanced spaghetti sauce, and melted mozzarella. Light and satisfying.

Layers of corn tortillas, spiced ground beef with corn and tomatoes, and creamy cottage cheese filling bake into this Mexican-inspired lasagna. Melted cheddar and picante sauce finish it.

Light Pennsylvania Dutch cheesecake with low-fat cottage cheese and beaten egg whites for cloudlike texture. Sinks in the middle to cradle fresh berries or peaches.