5 eggs
1 c (half a pint) of cottage cheese (I use Knudsen low fat)
1/4 c flour (I use rice flour – makes it gluten free and I think a more moist texture)
1/4 t. sugar
1/2 t. baking powder
½ stick melted butter
½ lb shredded cheese (I use Costco’s Mexican blend. Just make sure it has jack cheese and cheddar)

Beat the first 5 ingredients (do not try to smooth out the cottage cheese kurds). Add melted butter and beat more.

Fold in cheese and extras (see below).

Pour into a well-Pam’d 8x8 cassarole or deep pie pan. Bake 350 for about 40 minutes – until lightly golden on top. (If the middle is not fully cooked and the top golden, I’lll tent it with silver foil and add 5 min.)

Note: this will fit a 8” pie pan well. The recipe doubles fine and freezes well.

Extras:

• Saute ½ thin sliced onion and a shredded or julienned carrot in 1 – 2 T. of the butter from the recipe. Add to puff mixture with a 1/2c of crumbled bacon (or without for a vegetarian version.  Or, add a good handful of fresh cut corn off the cob (I keep a bag in our freezer), or use canned, though not as good.

• Saute ½ thin sliced onion and ½ each red and orange pepper, julienned, in 1 – 2 T. of the butter from the recipe. Can add chopped cooked sausage, such as chicken/apple sausage, toward the end of the sauteing – to get it slightly carmelized. Or add 1/2c of crumbled bacon to egg mixture.

• Add a little less than one small (4-oz) can of Ortega diced green chilies – drained VERY well.

• Put 1/2 mixture in cassarole dish, dot with medium salsa – some chunky version...not too watery – and then cover with remaining mixture.

• A Lorraine variation – use a good swiss cheese instead of the cheddar/jack blend and put in 1/2c crumbled bacon.

• Put in a little less than a can of WELL-drained and chopped artichoke hearts, with a couple of tablespoons of finely chopped sundried tomatoes (drained well of oil). This is nice with a light dusting of parmesian on top before serving.