Name: Dirty Martini Cottage Cheese Toast
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 slices sourdough; 10 pitted Castelvetrano olives; 1 Tbsp olive brine; ½ cup cottage cheese; ½ tsp lemon zest (from ½ of a lemon); 1 Tbsp lemon juice (from ½ of a lemon); 2 Tbsp shredded sharp cheddar

This post contains affiliate links.

This dirty martini cottage cheese toast is briny, lemony, and creamy, with smashed olives stirred into cottage cheese and broiled on sourdough until the cheddar on top is golden and bubbling. It’s ready in ten minutes and tastes like a cocktail hour snack and a protein-packed lunch at the same time.

Toasted bread topped with melted cheese, green olives, and ricotta on a wooden board, with a small bowl of green olives in the background.

Hot take: The dirty martini concept translates so well onto toast. Castelvetrano olives are buttery and mild rather than sharp, and when smashed roughly and combined with olive brine, lemon, and creamy cottage cheese, they produce a spread that’s savory and complex without requiring any cooking.

If the jalapeño popper version got you here, my jalapeño popper cottage cheese toast follows the same format with a completely different flavor direction.

Shaking (Not stirring) up your lunch Routine

Ready in ten minutes with no special equipment beyond a broiler
Cottage cheese adds protein and creaminess without any of the heaviness of cream cheese
Works as a lunch, a snack, or an impressive appetizer for a crowd

Two slices of toasted bread topped with melted cheese, ricotta, and green olives, served on a wooden board with a lemon wedge and green olives nearby. — This dirty martini cottage cheese toast is vegetarian and high in protein, with briny Castelvetrano olives and bubbling cheddar on sourdough.

Key ingredients

Castelvetrano olives: The variety matters here. Castelvetrano olives are buttery and mild, which allows them to blend into the cottage cheese base without overpowering it. Look for them pitted in the olive bar or jarred in the condiment aisle.
Cottage cheese: Full-fat produces the creamiest base. Low-fat versions release more liquid during broiling which can make the toast slightly wet.
Lemon zest and juice: Don’t skip either one. The zest adds lemon flavor and the juice adds the acidity, which keeps the whole thing from tasting too rich rich.
Sharp cheddar: The sharpness balances the briny olive base.
Sourdough: Its slight tang complements the olive brine and lemon, and its structure holds up under the broiler without turning tough.

Ingredients on a table: lemon, two slices of toast, grated sharp cheddar, cottage cheese, Castelvetrano olives, and a small bowl of olive brine.

Plays well with

This works as a standalone lunch alongside a simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette that echoes the lemon in the toast.

For a full dirty martini dinner, serve it as a starter before my dirty martini spaghetti. And if the Castelvetrano olive obsession is real, my dirty martini chickpeas are the next recipe to try!

Toasted bread slices topped with melted cheese and green olives on a wooden cutting board, with a lemon half and green olives nearby.

rate pin print remove ads