Alternatives to ricotta?

bekkaL85
bekkaL85 Posts: 133 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So long story short, I'm trying to make mini calzones. I usually use ricotta, and although it is sweet in the fat content department, the calories leave much to be desired. I found two things that people use to substitute, cottage cheese and tofu.

I love cottage cheese, but I only eat it with some black pepper and crackers\chips of some sort. The sites all said to drain first before baking, which I didn't do the last time I tried it.

I have never tried tofu and really have no inclination to try. I admit to not being very educated about it, and thought that it was just a replacement for meat and such.

Do you use anything other than those two?

Has anyone tried these? What happened?

Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Ricotta's great. Just use fat free if you're worried about the calories.
  • trishka48
    trishka48 Posts: 51 Member
    I have tried the tofu, and it was fine for us. We used the silken. Hope that helps!
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,211 Member
    I use light ricotta all the time, the calories are really good!
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    I agree with using lighter ricotta. Nothing else quite captures the texture. But if you must, why not mix it half and half with some silken tofu?
  • reginanna
    reginanna Posts: 4 Member
    I've used cottage cheese instead of ricotta in lasagna and it worked fine.I put the cottage cheese in a food processor first to give it a smooth texture. I didn't drain it but for calzones it might be better if you do.
  • nam985
    nam985 Posts: 140 Member
    I would go with a dry cottage cheese and give it a quick whiz in a food processor or blender to get the curd size smaller and closer to the texture of ricotta.
  • sunburntgalaxy
    sunburntgalaxy Posts: 455 Member
    My mom always used cottage cheese instead of ricotta when she made lasagna because, well, I am not really sure why, my guess is that is what she grew up with because it was cheaper. I thought it was great and didn't notice much of a difference when I started to use ricotta when I grew up. Texture is a bit different so you could put it in the food processor. But they also make a light and a fat free ricotta that could be good options. I am not a fan of tofu but I have only tried the solid stuff and it is a texture thing for me, not the taste.
  • Ke11er
    Ke11er Posts: 147 Member
    My mom always used cottage cheese instead of ricotta when she made lasagna because, well, I am not really sure why, my guess is that is what she grew up with because it was cheaper. I thought it was great and didn't notice much of a difference when I started to use ricotta when I grew up. Texture is a bit different so you could put it in the food processor. But they also make a light and a fat free ricotta that could be good options. I am not a fan of tofu but I have only tried the solid stuff and it is a texture thing for me, not the taste.

    My family does the same. It's a similar texture if you give it a whirl in the food processor, healthy, and cheaper.
  • mary190136
    mary190136 Posts: 44 Member
    Try boiling some cauliflower, and processing it into a powder. Then add a little garlic powder or onion powder to taste.
  • kefryar
    kefryar Posts: 77 Member
    Weirdly enough, tofu with lemon juice is a great sub. There's a great recipe for tofu ricotta on onsheglows.com
    My husband isn't big on cheese subsitutes and he couldn't tell the difference!
  • princessmommy122
    princessmommy122 Posts: 135 Member
    Pumpkin...or half pumpkin/half ricotta.

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