L’Auberge Chez François Herbed Cottage Cheese Spread
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This blend of cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic and fresh herbs makes an irresistible spread.
(Photo by Alexandra Grablewski, Chronicle Books 2018)
My first job out of culinary school was as an apprentice at the acclaimed L’Auberge Chez François, a romantic French restaurant right outside of Washington, DC. If you’re from the area, you’ve likely spent a special occasion there. If not, just imagine an Old World style cottage in the rolling hills of Virginia, dining rooms appointed with cozy fireplaces and traditional Alsatian decor, an old-school French menu featuring the likes of escargots, foie gras, and Chateaubriand, and a whole lotta charm. It’s a very special place.
However, I found out pretty quickly that working there wasn’t quite as romantic as dining there. The restaurant has a large, European-style brigade kitchen with the chef at the helm and all the cooks “manning” their stations. Not only was I the only woman, at five feet two inches tall, I was also hopelessly undersized for the massive equipment that surrounded us. I had to get lifts on my shoes just to reach the plates over the stove—and don’t even ask about those fifty-pound sacks of potatoes! If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to cook in a restaurant kitchen, just imagine trying to juggle multiple orders in your head, cooking on four different burners with food in the oven at the same time, flames, sharp knives, hot pans, and the incessant stream of orders coming in and going out. It was terrifying!
I did eventually get the hang of it, and though I never once forgot what a privilege it was to work there, I have to admit that I’m much happier to be a guest at Chez François now. One of the nicest parts about dining there is all the unexpected treats that show up at your table throughout the meal, like decadent chocolate truffles after dessert, sorbets garnished with candied violets in-between courses, or my personal favorite, the Herbed Cottage Cheese Spread that comes with a basket of toasted garlic bread while you peruse the menu. It’s a blend of cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic, scallions, and fresh herbs that’s irresistible—the perfect beginning to an always perfect meal.
“This was beyond delicious. I served it for a girls cocktail night and then couldn’t stop eating the leftovers the next day…Three friends asked for the link to the recipe that evening!”
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L'Auberge Chez François Herbed Cottage Cheese Spread
This blend of cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic and fresh herbs makes an irresistible spread.
Ingredients
- 1 pound 4% small-curd, cream-style cottage cheese
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
- 1 tablespoon finely minced green onions or chives
- 1 tablespoon finely minced parsley, plus more for garnish
- Garlic bread or crackers, for serving
Instructions
- Combine the cottage cheese and sour cream in a medium bowl and blend well. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly and adjust seasonings. Cover and chill well before serving. Serve with toasted garlic bread or crackers and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: About 1/3 cup
- Calories: 95
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Sugar: 2g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 7g
- Sodium: 368mg
- Cholesterol: 20mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi Jenn, I made this recipe tonight. It was fabulous! I hope you won’t be insulted, but I wanted to try this as an alternative to the heavy blue cheese and ranch dip for buffalo wings. I went against your advice and used 2% cottage cheese but used full fat sour cream. We grill our wings and this was THE perfect sauce. I will make this over and over, Thank you.
I made this as an appetizer for Thanksgiving and it was wildly popular! Thanks so much for this recipe! I can’t wait to get your cookbook- I pre-ordered on Amazon!
Glad it was a hit, Michele! And thank you so much for pre-ordering the book!
Thanks for the L’Auberge herbed cottage cheese recipe. We went after a long hiatus recently and the cottage cheese spread was a highlight and made me realize how I never eat cottage cheese anymore.
So, before I found your recipe, I made a similar version, as a first go at it – just fresh garlic, onion salt, parsley . Next time, will definitely use the green onion for a savory breakfast version.
For an appetizer, I’ll also add the sour cream…
Beyond simple. And Yummy. Thanks….
This sounds really good. I’ll have to try it.
It’s different than my family’s concoction of black olives (California type) and chopped pepperocini mixed in which we eat with potato chips usually.
Your experience sounds like a nightmare and makes me realize I am lucky to just have the multiple pots on the stove with two orders going (my husband and I seldom eat the same meal). At least I don’t have to juggle orders coming in! Even getting two done at the same time is hard enough!
When you say to blend the cottage cheese and sour cream, is that by stirring or with a mixer?
Hi Kelly, you can just blend it by hand- no mixer necessary!
Love this quick and easy dip. Only got to the restaurant once but relish telling my guests where the recipe comes from. Its a winner and so easy to make. Many friends have asked for the recipe and so enjoy referring them to this site. The recipe comes out perfect as is.
I made up a recipe like this. I wanted a dip for crudities that had a fair amount of protein. I combine a 16 oz carton of 4% Cottage cheese and 8 oz sour cream and being lazy, I add a pkg of ranch dressing. I zap all this in a blender. If it is too thick, I thin it with some milk. Many times when it is hot, I have this dip and crudities for dinner. You can use any kind of salad dressing mix. There is a spicy ranch dressing called Fiesta Ranch that has a nice flavor. Not high brow, but it hit the spot. I thought I was being original. Oh, well. 🙂
My husband and I are totally addicted to the Roasted Broccoli with Chipotle Honey Butter. I have made it 4 times in the past two weeks. If George H. W. Bush could taste this, I’m sure he would change his opinion about broccoli.
I love all of your recipes. Please keep them coming!
I have a question re the tablespoon of green onion: I was cooking with a woman at a large gathering and when I saw her prepping the green onions and throwing out the bulb … I was suitably horrified! She told me she never uses that part of the onion! Jenn, seeing as this recipe only calls for a tablespoon of onion may I assume you use all bulb?
Louise, don’t be horrified but I never use the bulb either! (I think the onion taste is a little too strong in the bulb.) For this recipe, and when cooking with green onions in general, I use the dark and light green parts. Hope that helps!
The bulbs are wonderful, sauted and used in omelets, frittatas and quiche!
Can you substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream to cut down on the fat?
Lorraine, for the best results, I’d stick with sour cream.