Trying to get more protein in your day? This viral Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Bowl recipe is the tastiest way to do it! Savory taco-seasoned ground beef, roasted sweet potatoes, cottage cheese, hot honey, and avocado make for a surprising but super delicious combination that’s ultra satisfying.
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we'll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
The protein-packed meal bowl that’s taken the internet by storm.
I’ve been trying out a lot of viral high protein recipes lately, from Protein Ice Cream to Cottage Cheese Eggs. But these ground beef cottage cheese bowls are the one I make most!
- With 46 grams of protein per serving, healthy fats from avocado, and fiber from the sweet potatoes, this ground beef bowl recipe is hearty and packed with the GOOD stuff.
- The avocado and cottage cheese add a fantastic creaminess to these bowls, and the drizzle of hot honey makes it delectable! (The cottage cheese, hot honey, and avocado combo has made its way into my regular snack rotation. To save money, I use my own Hot Honey Recipe!)
- The ground beef is tender and juicy, with tomato paste, onion, and Tex-Mex spices to make it taste a little bit like Ground Beef Tacos and Ground Beef Quesadillas.
- The sweet potatoes are caramelized and crispy on the edges, with a more concentrated sweet, earthy flavor.
Put it all together and you have a scrumptious, protein-packed meal!
Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Bowls for Meal Prep
Ground beef bowls are a great meal prep lunch or dinner, and I’ve been enjoying them that way for a few weeks now. Here’s how I prep and pack them:
- Make the Sweet Potatoes. You can make Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes or Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
- Make the Ground Beef. Brown it in oil with the onion, tomato paste, and seasonings.
- Pack Your Heated Portion. Divide the sweet potatoes and ground beef into a container with the sweet potatoes on one side and the ground beef on the other.
- Prep Your Avocado. Brush the avocado slices with lime juice or olive oil to slow the oxidation process OR just slice it right before serving—it’s up to you.
- Pack Your Cold Portion. The cottage cheese and avocado go in a separate container. You can either drizzle the hot honey and sprinkle red pepper flakes JUST on the cottage cheese or add it to both containers.
- ENJOY. Heat the ground beef and sweet potatoes, then push them to one side of the container and scoop in the cottage cheese and avocado. Eat your ground beef cottage cheese bowl with gusto!
Recipe Variations
- Try Another Veggie. Roasted Butternut Squash is a good swap for sweet potatoes if you’re looking for something similar in flavor with lower carbs. But so many vegetables would be good—Roasted Red Peppers, Air Fryer Potatoes, Sauteed Spinach.
- Make It a Salad. Instead of sweet potatoes, serve the ground beef with crisp romaine or tender spinach.
- Do a Grain Bowl. Add cooked quinoa instead of (or in addition to) the sweet potatoes for extra protein, or try brown rice.
- Sauce It Up. Swap the cottage cheese for Cottage Cheese Queso, or if you’re just not a cottage cheese fan, try it with Homemade BBQ Sauce or Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.
More Meal Bowls
- These Greek Bowls are vibrant, fresh, and veggie-packed!
- For another beef-y meal bowl recipe, try these Tex-Mex inspired Steak Bowls.
- Give ground beef a different spin with this Burger Bowl recipe.
Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Bowl
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Ground beef cottage cheese bowls are loaded with protein and great for meal prep. Hot honey, avocado and sweet potatoes make them DELISH!
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we’ll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Beef:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 red onion diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For Serving:
- ¾ cup Cottage cheese
- Hot Honey
- Avocado
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Roast or air fry the sweet potatoes: If roasting in the oven, preheat to 400°F (if using an air fryer, no need to preheat). In a medium bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to the air fryer basket, or spread onto a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer. Air fry at 400°F for 12 minutes, shaking the basket a few times throughout, until the potatoes are tender and darkening at the edges (or roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway through).
- Brown the beef: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the beef, onion, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook, using a sturdy wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to break up the beef. Continue browning until the beef is cooked through, about 7 minutes.
- Assemble the bowls: Make a bed of sweet potatoes on your plate. Top with a scoop of the beef, a generous scoop of cottage cheese, sliced avocado, a big drizzle of hot honey, and sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate the ground beef and sweet potatoes in one container and the rest of the components in a separate container. The beef and potatoes will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- TO REHEAT: Warm the ground beef and sweet potatoes in a nonstick skillet or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl with 1/3 cup of cottage cheeseCalories: 559kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 46gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 97mgPotassium: 1407mgFiber: 8gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 27727IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 144mgIron: 6mg
Just made this for dinner and it was honestly really solid. Super easy to throw together and really filling. I was worried it might be dry, but the hot honey and avocado helped balance everything out.
So glad to hear, thank you Maggie!
I wasn’t totally sure about the cottage cheese at first, but wow it actually works so well with the beef and sweet potatoes. The combo of creamy, spicy, and sweet was kind of addicting. Definitely saving this one. Thank you!
Yay! Thank you Antonette!
This turned out better than I expected! Everything cooked up easily, and it made a really cozy and satisfying dinner. I might add a fried egg on top next time just for fun, but it’s honestly great as is.
So glad to hear, Debbie! Thank you!
We absolutely loved it! Will definitely be making this again.
Yay! Thank you Val!
Hi! This recipe sounds (and looks!) fabulous but unfortunately cottage cheese is a no-go. Any suggestions for an alternative??
Thanks!
Hi Ruby, I haven’t tried these but you could try ricotta cheese, greek yogurt, tofu or maybe goat cheese. This will change the nutritional information some but they might work well! Let us know if you decide to experiment!
We absolutely loved it!
So glad to hear, Christa! Thank you!
We absolutely loved it!
So glad to hear, Andrea! Thank you!
Hi Erin. I want to make this but had a question. What is hot honey and where can I find it? Or can I make it?
Thank you
Hi Heather! It’s a sweet and spicy honey. Here is our homemade recipe: https://www.wellplated.com/hot-honey-recipe/ Also check your local grocery store to see if they carry it! Enjoy!
Do you peel the sweet potatoes?
I don’t for this recipe. Enjoy!
Just made this today. I was a little unsure if I’d like it just based on the combination of ground beef (I used Impossible beef) and cottage cheese. It’s so delicious and satisfying. I will definitely be adding this to my lunch prep repertoire. Thank you ❤️
Question: How much ground beef and sweet potato for each serving?
Hi Heather! So glad you enjoyed it! This recipe makes 3 servings. We didn’t measure out the servings.
Followed measurements and it ended up being closer to 800 calories.
For each recipe, I estimate to the best of my ability based on the information available in the calculators themselves. These numbers are meant to be a guide, not a statement of fact. Many elements can cause the dish I make at home to vary nutritionally from the iteration you create, including brands of ingredients, measuring styles, and final serving size. Further, the accuracy is limited by the information available in the My Fitness Pal and WordPress Recipe Maker databases. I am not a registered dietician and am providing this information as a service only.
Has anybody tried using sweet potato fries to make this bowl?
I haven’t but I think it would be equally delicious, Duane!