🍠🥑🍯 Viral Sweet Potato Beef Bowl with Cottage Cheese, Hot Honey, and Avocado is taking social media by storm! If you’re looking to ride the high protein + high fiber train, get on board with this QUICK and EASY beef bowl recipe! Featuring taco-seasoned ground beef, roasted sweet potatoes, savory-seasoned cottage cheese and topped with optional avocado, jalapenos, hot honey, and red pepper flakes! Skeptical? I promise, it works and it’s so good!
Viral Sweet Potato Ground Beef Bowl and Cottage Recipe
- If you spend any time at all on Instagram, chances are you may come across one of these viral sweet potato and beef bowls with cottage cheese. I’ve been told by my teenage daughter they’re also all over Tiktok.
- Also, in case you haven’t heard, cottage cheese is the new It Food. It’s definitely having a glow-up, especially for anyone trying to amp up their protein but do so in a low-fat way. If you’re not a cottage cheese person, just omit it.
- I love bowls like this because there are so many textures and flavors all in one.
- There’s juicy ground beef that tastes like taco meat with warm roasted sweet potatoes that are seasoned with chili powder and cumin for a south-of-the-border flavor profile. The cottage cheese is tangy and cooling, and for the finishing touches I love adding avocado for more creamy goodness , jalapeno for crunch and heat, and hot honey for spicy sweetness.
- As long as you multi-task, these viral beef and cottage cheese bowls are ready in 30 minutes and easy to make!
Ingredients in Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Bowls with Cottage Cheese
- Sweet Potatoes: Drizzle with olive oil, and seasoned with chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and then roasted.
- Ground Beef: I use a packet of taco seasoning and cook lean ground beef (90 to 93% lean is what I use) according to the packet directions. I use normal heat but mild or spicy is great too. See the recipe card Notes section for my homemade taco seasoning recipe if you want to make your own (recommended if you want to keep this recipe gluten-free since the taco seasoning is the only thing with gluten in it). Tip: I have a Beefed Up Taco Meat recipe that would also work amazing here!
- Want to use ground turkey or ground chicken instead? Go for it. Add a bit of olive oil to your skillet so the lean protein doesn’t stick.
- Seasoned Cottage Cheese: Garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, and fresh parsley help jazz up cottage cheese. Although, if you’re a huge cottage cheese fan and don’t want or need to alter the flavor of it, you can omit seasoning it. Good Culture Cottage Cheese is a cult fave. I like 2% but 4% is great for ultra richness. I also like Trader Joe’s Lowfat Cottage Cheese (1.5%) in a white container with aqua letters. Daisy gets good marks by many. Not a cottage cheese person but still want extra protein? Omit the cottage cheese and instead use Greek yogurt (I would season it) or ricotta cheese, or even sour cream.
- Toppings: All optional, and to taste. Avocado for healthy fats and fiber, jalapeños, red pepper flakes, hot honey. Tip – Trader Joe’s hot honey is tasty and inexpensive. Other veggies such as bell peppers, tomatoes, or cucumbers are great, too. If you have fresh cilantro, basil, or other fresh herbs, you can garnish with those.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Sweet Potato, Beef, and Viral Cottage Cheese Bowls
- Sweet Potatoes: I prefer to peel them but you can keep the skins on. Place cubed sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, season them, and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until done. Tip – Make sure to keep the cubes fairly small, about 1/2-inch, so they roast quickly in the oven and they don’t hold things up!
- Beef: Brown the ground beef, add a packet of taco seasoning and water, simmer and cook for 5-7 mins to form and thicken the sauce. Tip – If you want to add a can of drained black beans to the beef, you can for extra protein + fiber.
- Cottage Cheese: You don’t have to season it, but it’s a nice touch. Stir the seasonings and parsley into the cottage cheese.
- Combine: When the sweet potatoes are ready, add them to a bowl along with the ground meat and creamy cottage cheese.
- Toppings: Add your choice of diced or sliced creamy avocado, jalapenos, red pepper flakes, drizzle of hot honey, and serve your dish!
How to Store Leftovers + Meal Prep
In the Refrigerator: This recipe will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Store the sweet potatoes and beef together, and keep the cottage cheese and toppings separate.
In the Freezer: The sweet potatoes and ground beef will keep airtight for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: I use my microwave for quickness and ease and reheat the sweet potatoes and beef for about 30 seconds on high, or as needed.
Meal Prep: You can divide the beef and sweet potatoes between 4 airtight containers. If you plan to reheat it (this is fine at room temp for me personally), don’t add the cottage cheese and keep that separate. Avocado will oxidize as time passes, although the honey seems to reduce it a bit.
Sweet Potato Beef Bowl with Cottage Cheese
🍠🥑🍯 Viral Sweet Potato Beef Bowl with Cottage Cheese, Hot Honey, and Avocado is a social media sensation! Ride the high protein + high fiber train with this QUICK and EASY beef bowl recipe! Featuring taco-seasoned ground beef, roasted sweet potatoes, savory-seasoned cottage cheese and topped with optional avocado, jalapeños, hot honey, and red pepper flakes!
Equipment
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 4 small or 2 large, you can leave the skin on if preferred)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Beef
- 1 pound lean ground beef, (I recommend between 90 to 93% lean; ground turkey or ground chicken may be substituted – add olive oil if using so it doesn't stick)
- 1 packet taco seasoning, (usually packets are 1 ounce; see Notes below for homemade seasoning)
- ¼ cup water, or as indicated on the seasoning packet
Seasoned Cottage Cheese
- 1½ to 2 cups cottage cheese, (I use lowfat small curd cottage cheese; most containers are sold as 16-ounces which is 2 cups. Omit if you don't like it or sub with Greek yogurt or ricotta cheese)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, optional and to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Toppings
- Avocado, diced or sliced (see Note below)
- Jalapeños, sliced
- Hot honey
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Sweet Potatoes – Preheat oven to 425F, line a baking sheet with foil if desired for easier cleanup. Place the sweet potato cubes on the baking sheet, evenly drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and toss with your hands to coat evenly. Roast for about 20-25 minutes, or until tender and soft; flip or toss once midway through cooking. Tip – Make sure to keep the sweet potatoes in 1/2-inch pieces and not bigger so that they cook in the suggested timeframe and don't hold things up. When they're done, divide the sweet potatoes amongst 4 bowls (or meal prep containers).
- Ground Beef – While the sweet potatoes are roasting, to a large skillet, add the ground beef and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes to brown it; crumble and break it up as it cooks. If necessary, drain off any grease but I don't find this to be necessary when using lean ground beef as recommended.Sprinkle the taco seasoning over the beef, add the water (if using homemade taco seasoning, consider using less water), and stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Divide the beef between 4 bowls (or meal prep containers).
- Cottage Cheese – I add the seasonings and parsley to a 16 ounce container of cottage cheese, stir, and divide amongst each of the 4 bowls.
- Garnishing: Divide evenly and top with avocado, jalapeño, drizzle with hot honey, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. You can also add additional fresh parsley, other herbs such as cilantro or basic; or add extra veggies such as bell peppers, cucumbers, or tomatoes. Serve immediately.
Notes
Note Regarding Nutrition Stats: An avocado contains about 250-300 calories and 22 grams fat so if you omit it, the calories for the bowl are about 350 per serving and 13 grams fat, while still retaining about 31 grams protein.
Homemade Taco Seasoning: To a small bowl, add and stir together 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste. You may not need/want to add water (or use less) if you’re using homemade taco seasoning because it doesn’t have the same ingredients in it that the packets do which when, combined with water, create a saucy consistency.
Storage: This recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Store the sweet potatoes and beef together, and keep the cottage cheese and toppings separate. I use my microwave for quickness and ease to reheat the sweet potatoes and beef for about 30 seconds on high, or as needed. In the freezer, sweet potatoes and ground beef will keep airtight for up to 3 months. Do not freeze cottage cheese or the toppings.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl, Calories: 522cal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 79mg, Sodium: 1127mg, Potassium: 1503mg, Fiber: 11g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 32673IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 141mg, Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this tonight and it was a big hit!! I used persian cucumbers, orange bell peppers and tri colored cherry tomatoes and avocado for my veggies. Made the meat and potatoes as directed, used plain cottage cheese and the hot honey. I loved the combination of cool and warm, crunchy and smooth textures, sweet and savory. Sooo satisfying and easy! Will be making this regularly now!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Pamela, and I’m so glad to hear you’ll be making this regularly! This recipe was a little out of my wheelhouse but I am so glad I posted it and that it was a winner for you!
A new fave! Tried it a few days ago and headed back to the store for double batch ingredients- made it again tonight! The flavors all meld, the sweet/savory sweet potatoes, the slightly salty cottage cheese, the fresh crunchiness of the bell and jalapeno peppers, the spiciness of the taco meat + jalapeños + red pepper flakes + hot honey YUMMMMMY!!! I added slivered almonds for more protein and texture.
Thank you so much, Christine, for the 5 star review and I am so glad that not only did you make this once, you loved it and went to the store to pick up enough ingredients for a double batch!! Truly I love hearing this, especially on this recipe, because it’s a little out of my typical wheelhouse of things I post but so far people have been loving it! Thank you! 🙏🏻
Love this type of recipes, simple, delicious and healthy😋
Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for writing this comment! You have no idea! I debating about posting this because it’s not something I would “normally” post, and I wondered if people would like this or not, so I truly appreciate your comment and that you love this type of recipe! I plan to do more of this in the future! Thank you for your support 🙏🏻