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Cottage Cheese Casserole with Bananas in the Oven
Instructions
Crack two whole eggs into a deep mixing bowl with the cottage cheese and stir to combine thoroughly. Cottage cheese of any fat content works in this recipe, though the slightly richer 9 percent variety produces the most tender luxurious finished casserole.
Add 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar to the cottage cheese mixture and stir again until the sugar is evenly distributed throughout. Adjust the sweetness to personal taste preference, with somewhere between 2 and 4 tablespoons suiting most palates.
Add four tablespoons of fine semolina to the bowl. Semolina acts as the binder for the casserole and gives the finished dessert its characteristic tender custardy texture without making the mixture dense or heavy.
Gradually pour in 100 grams of milk while stirring constantly to incorporate evenly. Adding the milk slowly rather than all at once prevents the semolina from forming lumps and produces a smoother more uniform finished casserole batter.
Add a quarter teaspoon of vanillin and stir thoroughly to distribute evenly through the mixture. Vanillin contributes the warm fragrant note that complements the dairy and the fruit beautifully in the finished bake.
Cut the banana into small even pieces. Use a properly ripe banana with brown speckles on the skin for maximum natural sweetness, since underripe green-tinged bananas taste starchy and bland in the finished casserole.
Add the chopped banana and the pieces of dried apricot to the bowl with the cottage cheese mixture. The dried apricot is optional but adds a beautiful tangy chewy contrast to the gentle banana and tender cottage cheese.
Grate a little fresh lemon zest into the mixture and stir all the ingredients together thoroughly until completely uniform. The zest adds a bright citrus note that lifts the gentle dairy character beautifully without making the casserole noticeably lemony.
Grease a medium-sized oven-safe baking dish thoroughly with vegetable oil. Pay particular attention to the corners and the edges of the dish where the casserole tends to stick most stubbornly during baking and cooling.
Spread the prepared cottage cheese mixture evenly into the greased baking dish and level the top with a small offset spatula. Even thickness across the entire surface ensures the casserole bakes uniformly without any over-cooked patches or under-set centres.
Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 to 40 minutes total. Watch carefully toward the end of the cooking time and pull the casserole out of the oven when the top has turned a beautiful golden brown all over.
Take the casserole out of the oven and check for proper doneness. Pierce the centre with a wooden toothpick. If the tip comes out clean and dry, the dish is fully cooked. Wait for the casserole to cool slightly in the dish before unmoulding. Cottage cheese casserole with bananas in the oven is now ready. Cut into pieces and serve with cherry jam or sour cream. Bon appetit!
Tips
- 1
Use properly drained cottage cheese for the best results, since excess whey would make the casserole batter too wet and prevent it from setting firmly during baking. If your cottage cheese seems particularly wet, drain it briefly in a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth for an hour before using. The drained whey can be saved for use in homemade bread or pancake batter and never goes to waste in a thrifty kitchen.
- 2
Soak the dried apricots briefly in warm water before adding to the casserole for plumper softer fruit in the finished bake. To pair this gentle homemade dessert with another beautifully simple cottage-cheese-based bake, try our classic cottage cheese cookies roses with meringue as a contrasting tea-time treat alongside the casserole.
- 3
Choose properly ripe bananas with brown speckles on the skin for the deepest most pronounced banana flavour in the finished casserole. Underripe bananas taste starchy and bland and contribute very little to the dish beyond their texture. Overripe bananas mash effortlessly into the batter and produce the most flavourful result, so do not be afraid to use the spotty ones from the back of the fruit bowl that nobody else wants to eat fresh.
- 4
Serve the casserole warm from the oven for the most comforting tender experience, or thoroughly chilled from the refrigerator for a firmer more sliceable dessert. For another beautifully simple cottage-cheese-based dessert to add to your weekly rotation, try our richly indulgent custard curd Easter cake as a more elaborate celebration alternative.
FAQ
Can I make this casserole without semolina? +
Yes, but the texture will differ noticeably from the original recipe. Replace the semolina with the same quantity of cornflour, fine plain flour, oat flour or even ground almonds for a gluten-free version. Each substitute produces a slightly different result: cornflour gives a softer custardier texture, plain flour produces a firmer cake-like result, oat flour adds a wholesome nutty character, and ground almonds contribute a richer marzipan-like quality. All four work well as substitutes.
What can I add to vary the flavour? +
Of course. Chopped chocolate chips, fresh or frozen berries, chopped fresh apple, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, grated orange zest, chopped pecans or walnuts, sweetened coconut flakes, even a tablespoon of cocoa powder all work brilliantly as additions to vary the basic recipe. Each addition brings its own character to the finished casserole. Avoid adding too many different flavours at once, since this can produce a muddled finished dish that lacks any clear flavour identity.
How long does this casserole keep? +
Store the cooled casserole covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to four full days for best results. The flavours actually improve significantly on the second day as the cottage cheese, banana and dried apricot continue to merge into a beautifully harmonious whole. Avoid freezing the assembled casserole, since the texture of the cottage cheese suffers significantly during defrosting and the whole carefully constructed dessert turns into an unappetising watery mess in the container.
Can I make this casserole in individual portions? +
Absolutely. Divide the prepared mixture among individual ramekins or muffin tins lined with paper cases. Reduce the baking time to about 20 to 25 minutes for individual portions, watching carefully toward the end since smaller portions cook faster than a large casserole. Individual portions look elegant on the dessert plate, eliminate the awkward serving step, and pack neatly into lunchboxes for a healthy school snack the next morning.
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