This crepe casserole with a cottage cheese filling and fragrant berries turns out tender, juicy, and wonderfully homestyle. Layers of thin crepes soak up a creamy curd mixture and bake into a lightly golden top. Serve it for a family breakfast, a picnic, or as a light dessert with tea.
Ingredients
- For the crepes
- Milk — 400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
- Water — 200 ml (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp)
- Eggs — 3
- All-purpose flour — 250 g (2 cups)
- Sugar — 2 tbsp
- Salt — 0.25 tsp
- Butter, melted — 40 g (3 tbsp)
- Vegetable oil for frying — 1 tbsp
- For the filling and assembly
- Cottage cheese, 5% — 500 g (17.6 oz)
- Sour cream — 150 g (about 2/3 cup) (100 g for the filling + 50 g for the top)
- Egg — 1
- Sugar — 3 tbsp (for the filling) + 1 tbsp (for the top)
- Vanilla sugar — 1 tsp
- Lemon zest, finely grated — 1 tsp (optional)
- Fresh or frozen berries — 200 g (7 oz)
- Cornstarch — 1 tbsp
- Butter for the pan — 10 g (2 tsp)
- Powdered sugar for serving — 1 tbsp
How to make it
- Make the crepe batter: in a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the milk and water, sift in the flour, and stir until smooth and lump-free. Mix in the melted butter and let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
- Cook thin crepes in a hot nonstick skillet lightly brushed with vegetable oil. Cook for 30–45 seconds on each side, until just lightly browned. You should have 12–14 crepes; let them cool completely.
- Prepare the filling: mash the cottage cheese with 100 g of the sour cream, then add the egg, sugar, vanilla sugar, and lemon zest. Mix until creamy.
- Toss the berries with the cornstarch, then gently fold them into the cottage cheese mixture. If using frozen berries, do not thaw them first.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Grease a 22–24 cm round baking dish with butter.
- Assemble the casserole: place one crepe in the bottom of the dish, spread over 3–4 tbsp of filling, and continue layering until all the ingredients are used, finishing with a crepe.
- Spread the remaining 50 g of sour cream over the top and sprinkle with 1 tbsp of sugar.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the top is golden and the filling is set around the edges. Let stand for 10 minutes, then slice and serve, dusted with powdered sugar and topped with fresh berries if you like.
Nutritional value
| Serving | 1 slice (1/8 of the pan) |
| Calories | 360 kcal |
| Protein | 17 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 39 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sodium | 260 mg |
📹 Watch the video recipe on our Telegram channel: @alwaysyummy
Tips and variations
- For a lighter version, replace part of the sour cream in the filling with thick yogurt and reduce the sugar, adding a little stevia if needed.
- Any berries work well: blueberries, pitted cherries, raspberries, or small strawberries. Balance tart berries with an extra 1 tsp of sugar.
- To keep the crepes from tearing, let the batter rest and cook them on a properly heated skillet, flipping with a wide spatula.
- Flavor the filling with a pinch of cinnamon or add raisins softened in hot water.
- Serve the finished casserole with vanilla sauce, honey, or maple syrup.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make it without eggs?
It is best not to leave out the eggs in the crepes, but in the filling you can replace them with 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp sour cream: the texture will still hold together nicely.
What can I use instead of cottage cheese?
Ricotta or a delicate dry curd cottage cheese, pressed through a sieve, will work well. You can also mix cream cheese with yogurt in a 2:1 ratio.
How do I keep the casserole fresh?
Once cooled, store the casserole in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat portions for 5–7 minutes at 150°C (302°F) or for 30–40 seconds in the microwave.