Sweet Potato Beef Bowl with Cottage Cheese

A wooden bowl containing seasoned ground meat, roasted sweet potatoes, diced avocado, cottage cheese, and sliced jalapeño, arranged in sections.

5 from 4 votes

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!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Course: 30-Minute Meals, Dinner, lunch

Cuisine: American, Beef

Keyword: beef and cottage cheese, beef and sweet potato bowl, sweet potato beef bowl, sweet potato ground beef bowl, viral sweet potato beef bowl

Servings:

Calories: 522cal

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