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L’Auberge Chez François Herbed Cottage Cheese Spread

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By Jenn Segal
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This blend of cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic and fresh herbs makes an irresistible spread.

Bread topped with a cottage cheese 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!”

Anna

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L'Auberge Chez François Herbed Cottage Cheese Spread

Adapted from The Chez Francois Cookbook by Jacques E. Haeringer

This blend of cottage cheese, sour cream, garlic and fresh herbs makes an irresistible spread.

Servings: 2⅔ cups
Total Time: 15 Minutes

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

  1. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

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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  • I’ve made this recipe numerous times and love it. However I do find the garlic quite strong after it sits awhile in frig. I’ve cut back and may eliminate altogether next time and stick to only the alliums.
    I usually serve with Ritz or Triscuits.

  • We lived almost around the corner from L’Auberge, as we called it, for 17 years. I have so many memories of eating there, outside on their terrace with no reservations in the summer, driving there in a limo with a bunch of good friends so we could drink the wine with abandon, special dinners with friends now long gone. It sounds like it was quite a kitchen experience right out of cooking school. The owners seemed like nice people though. And you clearly were well trained! I love your recipes and never go wrong when making them. My friend used to wax poetic over the cottage cheese spread, and we always said we were going to reproduce it, but never did.

    • So glad you can relive a little of your experiences at L’Auberge with this spread! 🙂

  • Jenn, love this spread at Chez. I am really picky about my cottage cheese as there are so many textures. (some are way too dry for my taste). Do you have a preferred supermarket brand to share with me? Thanks Val

    • — Valerie Mccormick
    • Reply

    • Hi Val, I like Breakstones. 🙂

      • Beware of Breakstones these days. I purchased it on two different occasions, and it was very soupy and liquidy. It’s just not the Breakstones I have been buying for years. Anyone else having this problem? Maybe a pandemic problem?

  • I think this is my favorite food in the world. Another miracle from Jenn. I served this at Thanksgiving, along with many other delicious Once Upon A Chef treasures, including the Crack Nuts, Butternut Squash/Potato soup, and Brisket! ALL were huge hits. Thank you Jenn!

  • I bought the L’Auberge Chez François cookbook eons ago and this is still the favorite recipe.

  • Dear Jen,
    I have never begun crying upon finding a recipe, but I did when I saw this. Auberge Chez François was mom’s very favorite restaurant, and it was our go-to for the most special of occasions. (We all moved away from D.C. in the early 90s and I still miss Auberge.) My dear mom passed away in December after a long illness. But when I saw the recipe, the first thing that popped into my mind was “Oh! I have to tell mom I found the cheese spread recipe for Auberge!” Of course, that’s when the tears started falling. I am bucking up and making it for a dinner party we are hosting tomorrow night, and I will be toasting my mom with my champagne cocktail in one hand and baguette and cheese spread in the other. I think some of the magic of Auberge Chez François shines through in your recipes – it makes SO much sense to me that you learned there. Thank you, again, Jen for posting this.

    • Laura, I’m so sorry about your mom’s passing and hope you are doing okay. Glad you happened upon this recipe and hope that it brings back happy memories for you. What a lovely (and delicious) way to toast your mom. 💕

  • Would this dip be good with your ciabatta or focaccia recipes?

    • Yes, excellent!

  • I followed this recipe exactly as written and every one loved it. I made garlic bread and slathered it on that, but it was so good that I began going through the pantry to find other things that it would work (it would not have been very lady like for me to have eaten the entire loaf of bread). I highly recommend trying this, impress your family and friends at your next get together, but be sure to make copies of the recipe before hand cuz you will be asked for it.
    Thank you Chef for another great recipe!! I ordered your cook book and its now my favorite one!!!

  • I’ve shared this recipe with my PTA community because I think it’s such a winner. It’s great as an app, but also on roasted potatoes or other roasted veggies. It’s worth the calories of the full fat cheese and sour cream, too. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!

    • — Suzanne Hladky
    • Reply

  • Hi Jenn,
    Can this dip be made the day before serving?

    Thank you.

    Jan

    • Yes, definitely!

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