Once, long ago in a house far away, lived an overweight woman. This poor woman felt grumpy and dowdy. She desperately wanted to feel young and alive again, so she joined Weight Watchers and learned to make yogurt cheese.
Yogurt Cheese
I’m sure you can guess who the overweight woman was, and while yogurt cheese wasn’t the only key to losing 40 pounds, it was certainly one of my favorite replacements for fattening dips, spreads, dressings and desserts. The texture is that of Greek yogurt, and the flavor has a slight tang. The longer you let it sit, the thicker your concoction will be.
Yogurt Cheese in the Colander
How to Make Yogurt Cheese
1. Buy inexpensive cheese cloth, or you can use a very thin kitchen towel (I prefer cheese cloth)
2. Line a colander with your cheese cloth, and set the colander in a bowl.
3. Dump a large carton of low fat yogurt in the colander and cover with the cloth. Don’t be afraid to use the large container of yogurt. Believe me, you’ll use up all that creamy goodness before it goes bad.
4. Place the yogurt in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours to allow the whey to drain off. Test the consistency, and if you like it, remove the cheese to a container.
Creamy Yogurt Cheese
To get your creative juices flowing, here’s a few ideas as to how you can use your low calorie alternative to mayonnaise, cream cheese, and sour cream.
* To make mousse or ice cream, combine the yogurt cheese with your favorite fruit and whip at high speed in your blender or Magic Bullet. The result is a fluffy mousse that you can also freeze into a low calorie ice cream.
* Add fresh herbs, garlic and green onion to make a dip for crackers or crudité.
* Replace the cream cheese in your favorite no bake cheesecake or dessert recipe.
* Spread it on sandwiches in place of mayonnaise, or add it to canned tuna or salmon for a tasty sandwich.
* Don’t let it sit as long and use it as a replacement for expensive Greek yogurt. Top it with fruit, chopped nuts and a drizzle of honey for a delicious breakfast, or snack.
So there you have it – yogurt cheese. Even if weight loss isn’t your goal, give it a try. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Happy eating!
The statements made here are strictly my opinion and are not meant to replace medical advice from your physician. Please see disclaimer for further details. Nutrition information is compiled with MacGourmet. If you find discrepancies, please let me know. It’s important to me that I provide you with accurate information.
Sounds pretty simple! There’s always a good alternative to the fattier unhealthier foods.
Curt recently posted..Grilled Venison Kebobs
There really is, and this one is so cheap and simple to make. Enjoy your Sunday Curt!
This looks fantastic. Weight watchers is a great place to spend time. They know their stuff.
Kim Bee recently posted..A Fun Experiment- Coloured Sugars!!!
They certainly helped me take of the weight. They have a terrific community and keep up on the latest nutrition information. I like that.
So easy and economical. Cheese is through the roof these days. Thanks for sharing this Kristi.
redkathy recently posted..Halloween Game Day – Mummy Dogs and Chili Cheese Potatoes Wedges
Loved the mummy dogs Kathy! How fun!
I bought cheesecloth to do this and promptly lost it. I need to get my kitchen organized!
Connie recently posted..Mediterranean Pot Roast with Roasted Vegetables Recipe
Hi Connie, we moved this past year. That’s the only way I got my kitchen organized. You’d be amazed at what I found lurking in the back of cupboards and drawers!
I have never this before but sure worth the try since both the ingredients are much loved at home.
Nava Krishnan recently posted..Choice of fragrance ‘influenced by our body odour’
You’ll have to let me know what you think, Nava. I’d love to hear how you use it. I’m always looking for new ideas.
Fantastic! I’ve never made yogurt cheese, but I enjoy cooking with greek yogurt!
Ann recently posted..Quick Chili
It’s so easy too. It takes all of 3 minutes to dump everything in the colander.
I love making it, made it a while ago with chopped cherries for a dinner party and it was the first dip that was finished… Got some in the fridge now for the week ahead.
)
What a great idea Tina. I’ll have to give that a try next weekend when I have family coming for dinner. Seems everyone is watching their weight these days. Enjoy your Sunday.
Making your own cheese surely gives you apart from a great home made product a great satisfaction as well.
Katerina recently posted..Oreo Cookies Cheesecake
Cheap too!
I use yogurt cheese as my mayo substitute and it’s awesome!
Sutapa recently posted..Tofu Bell Pepper Curry With Chopped Pistachio
I love that it’s so versatile – sweet or savory!
Great post.
Christine recently posted..Beer Chili
Can you use fat free with the same results???
Hi Terri – thank you for visiting. According to about.com they use fat free yogurt. I’m sure in my Weight Watchers days I used fat free as well to keep the points down. Now I use a low fat organic yogurt. I like the flavor better. Have a good Sunday!
I have made it before. Alton Brown has a recipe where he turns yogurt cheese into a ginger pie filling. This is good eats.
Greg recently posted..Grilled Chicken Marsala
That does sound like good eats. I love Alton Brown. Wouldn’t it be amazing to have him cook for you!
nice this is an awesome recipe and I always wanted to know how to do this! thanks
clauda @Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine recently posted..Ed’s Farewell Cake Memorial with Marble Cake with Buttercream Icing
I love yogurt cheese! I use it for appies all the time — it makes great cheese balls — just roll into balls, roll in your favourite herbs and drizzle with a little olive oil. Yum. Theresa
Island Vittles recently posted..Vegetable Stock – Take Two
This is great! I’m getting all kinds of terrific suggestions for things I’ve never tried. Thank you and enjoy your Sunday!
I like homemade yogurt cheese served with fresh fruit. They are great to add to the meatloaf too.
Angie’s Recipes recently posted..Pommes Duchesse
I love all these ideas everyone has. I’ve never added it to meatloaf. I can see it would make it very moist.
lovely post we make desserts like this
torviewtoronto and createwithmom recently posted..Flower decorated butter cake
sounds great…absolute delicious..;)
Tasty Appetite
Kristin – you’ve taken away my fear of making yogurt. I love the stuff – so now I have no reason not to make my own. Thanks!
Tonya Peele recently posted..Secrets of Eating Well In Hard Times
Glad you like it! It’s certainly easy enough.
Kristin, Great post and the skill:)
We grew eating this in Lebanon. It is centuries old really and is part of the cuisine. We call it Labneh.
Viviane@Taste-Buds recently posted..Apple-Cranberry Fruit Crisp
Wow. That’s great to know. In case anyone else is interested here is a little history from about.com. Thank you Viviane!
Well isn’t this interesting! I’ll have to give it a try.
Wow Kristi, you share some of the best tips.
I’ve been wanting to do this. And 40 lbs lost?.. amazing!
Sandi recently posted..Maven Monday
Thanks Sandi. I’ve managed to keep it off except for a few pounds here and there thanks to this blog. It keeps me on track for sure. Have a good week.
My husband’s family has been making yogurt cheese, called Lebnah for generations. I love all of the suggestions for interesting ways to eat it.
I like hearing new suggestions too. It’s so easy to fall into the same ways of using food. Thanks for visiting Judee!
What a great post. I have contemplated yogurt cheese, but wasn’t sure what to use it for…thanks for the suggestions.
Rachel @ My Naturally Frugal Family recently posted..Vegan Sugar Cookie Apple Pie
Thanks for visiting. You’ll have to let me know if you make it and how your family liked it. Have a good week.
Your yogurt cheese looks really thick and creamy. Best of all, it is easy to make too. I like Greek yogurt but it is expensive. I will have to give this a try.
Biren @ Roti n Rice recently posted..Nyonya Style Pumpkin and Shrimp Curry
i think i’m gonna join WW. you learn so many delicious tricks, like this yogurt cheese. Wonder if it works with soy yogurt too.
Roxana GreenGirl recently posted..Peanut butter and chocolate scones (vegan)
Hi Roxana! According to about.com you can use soy yogurt. I haven’t tried it, but I bet it would work fine. Have a good week.
That’s really cool!
Professor Vegetable recently posted..Breakfast for Dinner
Wow, this is really cool! The yogurt cheese looks so creamy and delicious. And it’s so easy too! Thanks!