Description
This Cottage Cheese Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Bowls recipe combines tender, spiced ground beef with roasted sweet potatoes, creamy cottage cheese, fresh avocado, and jalapeños for a flavorful, nutritious meal. Perfect for a quick dinner or meal prep, the dish offers a comforting balance of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs with a smoky, mildly spicy kick.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Vegetables
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 1 to 2 fresh jalapeños, thinly sliced
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 lime, cut into wedges (optional)
Spices and Seasonings
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (divided)
- 1 tsp ground cumin (divided)
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (divided)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (divided)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (divided)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste (divided)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (divided)
Other Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup low sodium beef broth or water
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prepare for roasting the sweet potatoes.
- Season sweet potatoes: Toss the cubed sweet potatoes with olive oil, smoked paprika, ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper until they are evenly coated.
- Roast sweet potatoes: Spread the seasoned sweet potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast them for 20 to 25 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until they are tender inside and caramelized at the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Cook ground beef: While the potatoes roast, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a spatula, until it is browned and no longer pink.
- Season beef: Drain any excess fat, then sprinkle the beef with remaining smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir well to coat the beef evenly with the spices.
- Simmer beef: Pour in the low sodium beef broth or water and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced, allowing the beef to become glossy and saucy but not watery. Remove from heat.
- Prepare toppings: Slice the avocado, jalapeños, and green onions. Give the cottage cheese a good stir to make it creamy and ready to serve.
- Assemble the bowls: Divide the roasted sweet potatoes evenly among 4 bowls. Top each with a portion of the seasoned ground beef and add a generous scoop of creamy cottage cheese on the side.
- Add fresh toppings: Fan avocado slices over each bowl, sprinkle with sliced green onions and jalapeños, and optionally finish with a squeeze of fresh lime juice for brightness.
- Serve: Serve the bowls immediately while the beef and potatoes are warm, or cool and pack the components separately for convenient meal prep bowls.
Notes
- You can adjust the spice levels by adding more or fewer jalapeños to suit your heat preference.
- For a lower-fat option, use extra-lean ground beef or substitute with ground turkey.
- Feel free to swap cottage cheese with Greek yogurt if you prefer a tangier texture.
- These bowls keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days; reheat meat and sweet potatoes before serving, and add fresh toppings after warming.
- If lime is unavailable, a splash of vinegar can add similar acidity.
