THE SPLIT PLATE / RECIPE

High-Protein Chipotle Cheddar Sauce

70 cal / 8g protein per 1/4 batch. Cottage cheese + cheddar powder + nutritional yeast, blended smooth. Adds Smoky Chipotle Crema for heat.

YIELD4 servings
TOTAL TIME5 min (blender only)
COOK METHODSee method
EST. / SERVING~70 cal | ~8g protein
KEY TO SUCCESS: 150 g 2% cottage cheese, not fat-free. The 2% version blends into a smoother, more cheese-like texture than fat-free.

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 150 g 2% cottage cheese
  • 6 tbsp fat-free ultra-filtered milk
  • 1 tbsp cheddar cheese powder
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 tbsp Smoky Chipotle Crema (optional — for the adult / heat version)

Allergens: dairy. Packaged labels vary — verify current cottage cheese, ultra filtered milk, and cheddar powder labels before publishing allergen claims.

You want a high-protein cheese sauce that actually pours and tastes like cheddar. Cottage cheese carries body + protein; cheddar powder and nutritional yeast do the flavor. Smoky Chipotle Crema turns it into the adult version — omit it for the mild base.

Method

  1. 1.LOAD THE BLENDER. Cottage cheese + nutritional yeast + cheddar powder + ultra-filtered milk into a small blender or food processor.
  2. 2.ADD THE MILK. 6 tbsp fat-free ultra-filtered milk. Fairlife is shown; any fat-free ultra-filtered milk works.
  3. 3.ADD CHEDDAR POWDER + NUTRITIONAL YEAST. 1 tbsp each. Both carry the cheese flavor — nutritional yeast adds savory depth, cheddar powder adds color and cheddar identity.
  4. 4.BLEND SMOOTH. Blend until completely smooth, stopping once to scrape the sides if needed.
  5. 5.ADD THE HEAT (ADULT VERSION). Blend in 2 tbsp Smoky Chipotle Crema. Omit for the mild base.
  6. 6.TRANSFER + ADJUST. Move to a jar. For a thinner drizzle, blend in ultra-filtered milk one teaspoon at a time — added milk shifts yield and macros slightly.
  7. 7.SERVE OR WARM GENTLY. Use at room temperature, or warm in short 15-second microwave intervals stirring between each. Do not boil — high heat breaks the emulsion.

Keys to success

  • Fat-free ULTRA-FILTERED milk, not regular skim. The extra protein in ultra-filtered milk stacks the sauce's macro without changing texture.
  • Blend until completely smooth. A few pockets of cottage cheese curd left un-blended will read as grainy on the plate.

If something fails

Grainy texture: Didn't blend long enough. Return to the blender for another 20-30 seconds. Small blenders occasionally need a scrape-down at the halfway point.

Too thick to pour: Add fat-free ultra-filtered milk one teaspoon at a time and re-blend. Do not use water.

Split or oily after warming: Warmed too fast. Reheat in 15-second intervals stirring between each — do not boil. A splash of milk and a whisk usually re-emulsifies.

Not cheesy enough: Cheddar powders vary by brand. Add another 1/2 tsp cheddar powder + 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast and re-blend. Some sharper cheddar powders punch harder than others.

Too spicy for a kid: Blend the base without the Smoky Chipotle Crema; portion the young-kid share first, then blend the crema into the remaining half for the adult version.

Storage and reheating

Store: Tightly covered container in the fridge, up to 4 days.

Reheat: Warm gently in 15-second microwave intervals, stirring between each. Do not boil — the cottage cheese emulsion splits above simmer.

Lasts: 4 days fridge. Add a teaspoon of milk and re-whisk if the sauce thickens between uses.

Estimated nutrition

~70 cal | ~8g protein per 1/4 batch, approximately 1/4 cup.

~70 cal / 8g protein per 1/4 batch (creator-supplied). Component estimate: 150g Good Culture 2% cottage cheese (~130 cal / 22g protein per batch) + 6 tbsp Fairlife fat-free ultra-filtered milk (~30 cal / 8g protein per batch) + 1 tbsp cheddar powder (~40 cal / 2g protein) + 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (~20 cal / 3g protein) + 2 tbsp Smoky Chipotle Crema (~80 cal / 5g protein — 2 servings from the linked cookbook entry) ≈ 300 cal / 40g protein per batch ≈ 75 cal / 10g protein per 1/4 serving. The delta to 70 / 8 is within brand-label variance for the cottage cheese and cheddar powder. Verify current labels before publishing as label-verified.

thesplitplate.com/cookbook/high-protein-chipotle-cheddar-sauce

High-Protein Chipotle Cheddar Sauce
Sauce

High-Protein Chipotle Cheddar Sauce

70 cal / 8g protein per 1/4 batch. Cottage cheese + cheddar powder + nutritional yeast, blended smooth. Adds Smoky Chipotle Crema for heat.

Make this when

You want a high-protein cheese sauce that actually pours and tastes like cheddar. Cottage cheese carries body + protein; cheddar powder and nutritional yeast do the flavor. Smoky Chipotle Crema turns it into the adult version — omit it for the mild base.

Total time
5 min (blender only)
Yield
4 servings
Protein / serving
~8g
Cal / serving
~70
Serving size
1/4 batch, approximately 1/4 cup
Allergens and safety

Contains: dairy

  • Packaged labels vary — verify current cottage cheese, ultra filtered milk, and cheddar powder labels before publishing allergen claims.

Packaged ingredients change formulas — check the label on what's actually in your kitchen.

Flavor target

First taste: smooth cheddar. Mid: cottage cheese body with a chipotle warmth (with the crema) or a clean cheese-forward finish (without). Finish: pourable, holds on a spoon. Ecosystem sauce — batch once, use across the week.

Ingredients

Batch cookYields 4 servings — quantities below are the full batch.

Ingredients

Method

  1. 1
    LOAD THE BLENDER

    Cottage cheese + nutritional yeast + cheddar powder + ultra-filtered milk into a small blender or food processor.

  2. 2
    ADD THE MILK

    6 tbsp fat-free ultra-filtered milk. Fairlife is shown; any fat-free ultra-filtered milk works.

  3. 3

    ADD CHEDDAR POWDER + NUTRITIONAL YEAST: 1 tbsp each. Both carry the cheese flavor — nutritional yeast adds savory depth, cheddar powder adds color and cheddar identity.

  4. 4
    BLEND SMOOTH

    Blend until completely smooth, stopping once to scrape the sides if needed.

  5. 5
    ADD THE HEAT (ADULT VERSION)

    Blend in 2 tbsp Smoky Chipotle Crema. Omit for the mild base.

  6. 6
    TRANSFER + ADJUST

    Move to a jar. For a thinner drizzle, blend in ultra-filtered milk one teaspoon at a time — added milk shifts yield and macros slightly.

  7. 7
    SERVE OR WARM GENTLY

    Use at room temperature, or warm in short 15-second microwave intervals stirring between each. Do not boil — high heat breaks the emulsion.

Three keys to success

  1. 1150 g 2% cottage cheese, not fat-free. The 2% version blends into a smoother, more cheese-like texture than fat-free.
  2. 2Fat-free ULTRA-FILTERED milk, not regular skim. The extra protein in ultra-filtered milk stacks the sauce's macro without changing texture.
  3. 3Blend until completely smooth. A few pockets of cottage cheese curd left un-blended will read as grainy on the plate.

Go deeper

Storage and nutrition

Storage: Tightly covered container in the fridge, up to 4 days.

Reheat: Warm gently in 15-second microwave intervals, stirring between each. Do not boil — the cottage cheese emulsion splits above simmer.

Lasts: 4 days fridge. Add a teaspoon of milk and re-whisk if the sauce thickens between uses.

Watch the full cook

Brands I use

Fairlife
Fat-Free Ultra-Filtered Milk
The extra protein in ultra-filtered milk keeps the sauce macro-friendly without changing texture. Fairlife is the standard; any fat-free ultra-filtered milk works.
The Split Plate
Smoky Chipotle Crema (cookbook cross-link)
The heat carrier for the adult version. Batch this once (12 servings, 5-7 day fridge life) and it drops into this sauce, wings, tacos, bowls, and steak — ecosystem sauce.
The Split Plate
Beef & Potato Slop Bowl (cross-link)
The recipe this sauce was built for. The Slop Bowl uses 2 of the 4 servings; the other 2 hold in the fridge for pasta or vegetables the rest of the week.
Bragg
Nutritional Yeast
Umami + savory backbone. Any nutritional yeast works — Bragg is common and consistent. Recalculate macros if the sub is significantly different.
#Beef and potato bowls#Mac and cheese#Pasta sauce base#Chicken#Roasted vegetables#Fries or potato wedges