THE SPLIT PLATE / RECIPE

Creamy Cowboy Butter

Thick like softened compound butter. Cottage cheese, real butter and Parmesan; about 50 cal and 4g protein per 2 tbsp, estimated.

YIELD6 servings
TOTAL TIME5 min
COOK METHODSee method
EST. / SERVING~50 cal | ~4g protein

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 100 g 2% cottage cheese (MULU used)
  • 1 tbsp butter, softened
  • 2 tbsp whole ultra-filtered milk (Nurri used), plus a little more only as needed
  • ½ oz (about 14 g) Parmesan, finely grated
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp Dijon OR whole-grain mustard (½ tsp total)

Ingredients — continued

  • ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp Italian seasoning
  • ½ tsp SPG (salt, pepper and garlic seasoning blend)
  • Chili flakes, optional, to taste

Allergens: dairy. Worcestershire may contain anchovies (fish); check the bottle.

You want a thick, creamy steak-night spread with a cottage-cheese base and a little real butter. Blend it smooth and keep it spreadable like softened compound butter; add milk gradually only if needed.

Method

  1. 1.BUILD THE BASE. Add 100g cottage cheese, 1 tbsp softened butter, 2 tbsp whole ultra-filtered milk and ½ oz finely grated Parmesan to a small blender or food processor.
  2. 2.ADD THE SEASONINGS. Add ½ tsp each garlic powder, Dijon OR whole-grain mustard, Worcestershire, paprika, lemon juice, Italian seasoning and SPG. Add chili flakes only if you want heat.
  3. 3.BLEND SMOOTH. Blend, stopping to scrape the cup as needed, until the cottage-cheese curds are smooth.
  4. 4.CHECK THE TEXTURE. Aim for thick and creamy, like softened compound butter. If it is too stiff to blend or spread, add milk a teaspoon at a time; stop before it becomes a thin pouring sauce.
  5. 5.SPREAD + SERVE. Spread over cooked steak or serve on the side. Serving size is 2 tbsp; the amount pictured on steak was not measured. Steak and sides have separate nutrition.

If something fails

Too thick to blend or spread: Scrape the cup and add milk a teaspoon at a time. Keep the finished sauce thick, like softened compound butter.

Still grainy: Finely grate the Parmesan, use softened butter and blend longer, scraping the cup between short runs.

Too salty: SPG already contains salt and garlic, and Parmesan is salty. Start lighter on SPG if needed, then taste before adding more.

Which mustard?: Dijon or whole-grain mustard both work. Use ½ tsp total of whichever you have.

Storage and reheating

Store: Keep covered and refrigerated; use a clean spoon.

Reheat: Serve as a spread. If chilled and too firm, stir in a small splash of milk rather than boiling it.

Lasts: Best freshly blended. Follow the shortest use-by guidance on your dairy ingredients.

Estimated nutrition

~50 cal | ~4g protein per 2 tbsp · yield estimated.

Estimated whole batch: about 280 calories, 24g protein, 18g fat and 7g carbs. Per 2 tbsp: about 50 calories, 4g protein, 3g fat and 1g carbs, assuming roughly ¾ cup finished yield (six servings). Yield was not measured. Calculated from 100g MULU 2% cottage cheese (100 cal/18g protein per 113g), 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp Nurri whole ultra-filtered milk, ½ oz Parmesan and a small seasoning allowance. Exact butter/Parmesan labels and SPG ratios vary. One extra tbsp Nurri milk adds about 11 calories to the whole batch and changes yield; ordinary 2% cottage cheese may lower protein. Steak, potatoes and vegetables pictured are excluded. Butter-only benchmark: 2 tbsp butter ≈200 calories, 0g protein and 22g fat before flavor additions; prepared cowboy butter recipes vary. This is the creator’s updated cottage-cheese spread, replacing the former Laughing Cow/broth formula.

thesplitplate.com/cookbook/cowboy-butter

Creamy Cowboy Butter
Sauce

Creamy Cowboy Butter

By Tushar Sharma

Thick like softened compound butter. Cottage cheese, real butter and Parmesan; about 50 cal and 4g protein per 2 tbsp, estimated.

Make this when

You want a thick, creamy steak-night spread with a cottage-cheese base and a little real butter. Blend it smooth and keep it spreadable like softened compound butter; add milk gradually only if needed.

Total time
5 min
Yield
6 servings
Protein / serving
~4g
Cal / serving
~50
Serving size
2 tbsp · yield estimated
Allergens and safety

Contains: dairy

  • Worcestershire may contain anchovies (fish); check the bottle.

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

Flavor target

Thick and creamy, like softened compound butter. It should spread with a spoon rather than run like a thin sauce. Use Dijon or whole-grain mustard—whichever you have.

Ingredients

Batch cookYields 6 servings — quantities below are the full batch.

Ingredients

Method

  1. 1
    BUILD THE BASE

    Add 100g cottage cheese, 1 tbsp softened butter, 2 tbsp whole ultra-filtered milk and ½ oz finely grated Parmesan to a small blender or food processor.

  2. 2
    ADD THE SEASONINGS

    Add ½ tsp each garlic powder, Dijon OR whole-grain mustard, Worcestershire, paprika, lemon juice, Italian seasoning and SPG. Add chili flakes only if you want heat.

  3. 3
    BLEND SMOOTH

    Blend, stopping to scrape the cup as needed, until the cottage-cheese curds are smooth.

  4. 4
    CHECK THE TEXTURE

    Aim for thick and creamy, like softened compound butter. If it is too stiff to blend or spread, add milk a teaspoon at a time; stop before it becomes a thin pouring sauce.

  5. 5
    SPREAD + SERVE

    Spread over cooked steak or serve on the side. Serving size is 2 tbsp; the amount pictured on steak was not measured. Steak and sides have separate nutrition.

Go deeper

Storage and nutrition

Storage: Keep covered and refrigerated; use a clean spoon.

Reheat: Serve as a spread. If chilled and too firm, stir in a small splash of milk rather than boiling it.

Lasts: Best freshly blended. Follow the shortest use-by guidance on your dairy ingredients.

Watch the full cook

Brands I use

MULU
MULU
2% Lowfat High Protein Cottage Cheese
The filmed tub supplies 18g protein per ½ cup (113g); the recipe uses 100g. Another 2% cottage cheese works, with different protein.
#Spreading over cooked steak#Serving with cooked chicken#Roasted vegetables#A thick dip alongside potatoes