The Protein-Packed Ingredient You Need To Elevate Your Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are an undeniable classic — sweet and salty, simple to make, and always full of nostalgic comfort. Whether you toast, grill, or air fry your PB&J sandwich, it never disappoints. But if you want to make it a little more nutritious and flavorful, there's a really simple addition that can make all the difference: cottage cheese.

You might feel like cottage cheese is popping up in every recipe, but it's the perfect addition to your PBJ sandwich for more than one reason. This popular cheese is packed with 14 grams of protein per half cup serving, which helps you feel fuller for longer and boosts your snack's nutrition content. Its tangy and subtle taste mellows out the richness from the peanut butter and sweetness of the jelly, giving you the perfect balance of flavors in every bite. Cottage cheese's creamy texture also makes your sandwich feel more indulgent, and the added moisture will stop your sandwich from being dry and overly sticky.

When making your cottage cheese PB&J, pick thick slices of sturdy bread, which you can toast before spreading on your fillings — this will ensure that your bread doesn't fall apart from the added moisture. You can then spread on your preferred amount of cottage cheese before adding your peanut butter and jelly as usual. Serve this combination as a classic sandwich or open-faced for a more elevated look.

To make store-bought cottage cheese creamy and more spreadable, you can blend it in a food processor before spreading it on the bread. This will also give it a mousse-like consistency. If you want a fresher taste in your sandwich, you can even make three-ingredient homemade cottage cheese using milk, vinegar, and salt. Additions like fresh fruit, toasted nuts, a drizzle of honey, or another type of nut or seed butter are also really nice.

It's best to eat this sandwich immediately after assembling, since the bread will get soggy if it sits for too long. If you need to make it ahead of time, you can drain your cottage cheese through a sieve to remove excess moisture — just keep in mind this will also remove some of the protein. So the next time you're making a PB&J, add in some cottage cheese — it might just become your favorite upgrade.