Can I make the beef protein bowls ahead of time?

Yes, you can! These are fabulous for meal prep and make a wonderful, filling lunch. I recommend storing the ground beef and roasted sweet potatoes together (so you can easily reheat them), and the cottage cheese mix, and whipped avocado separately. The avocado will dull in color a bit the longer it's stored (the lime juice helps it keep its color, but it will fade), but it's still fine to eat. You can enjoy them hot or cold, too.

Can I use my air fryer to cook the sweet potatoes?

Yes! The sweet potatoes will cook faster in the air fryer - just 12 minutes at 400°F/200°C.

What can I use instead of cottage cheese?

If you're not a cottage cheese fan, use thick Greek yogurt, whipped feta, sour cream, or even homemade labneh instead. If, like me, you find the texture of cottage cheese off-putting, try blending it until super smooth (like ricotta) before mixing it with the seasoning. You might find you enjoy it that way.

Viral Beef, Sweet Potato and Cottage Cheese Protein Bowls

Name: Viral Beef, Sweet Potato and Cottage Cheese Protein Bowls
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 3 large sweet potatoes; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 large ripe avocado; 1 lime, juiced; A handful of cilantro, chopped; Salt; Black pepper; 1 cup cottage cheese; A handful of cilantro leaves, chopped; 2 teaspoons ranch seasoning; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; 1 tablespoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1 tablespoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 lb (500g) ground beef; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 can black beans (400g/15 oz can), drained; A handful of spinach leaves; Hot honey sauce; Pickled jalapenos; A handful of cilantro leaves

Description

These viral sweet potato, ground beef, and cottage cheese protein bowls are the perfect quick, easy, genuinely filling meal for any day of the week. Think gorgeously spiced taco beef, charred sweet potatoes, smashed limey avocado, creamy cottage cheese, with a sweet, spicy hot honey drizzle, in less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the sweet potatoes -

3 large sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt

For the whipped avocado -

1 large ripe avocado
1 lime, juiced
A handful of cilantro, chopped
Salt
Black pepper

For the cottage cheese -

1 cup cottage cheese
A handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
2 teaspoons ranch seasoning

For the taco beef -

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 lb (500g) ground beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can black beans (400g/15 oz can), drained
A handful of spinach leaves

To garnish -

Hot honey sauce
Pickled jalapenos
A handful of cilantro leaves

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Instructions

Season the sweet potatoes. If you’re using your oven, heat it to 425°F (220°C fan). Cut your sweet potatoes into bite-sized cubes, then arrange them on a lined sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then scatter with 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and salt. Toss to mix the seasoning through the potatoes.
Cook the sweet potatoes. Oven instructions: Transfer the sweet potatoes to the oven and cook for 20 minutes, until lightly charred on the outside and cooked through (you should easily be able to pierce them with a knife). Air fryer instructions: Arrange the seasoned sweet potatoes into your air fryer basket and air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 12 to 15 minutes.
Make the smashed avocado. Add the ripe avocado flesh to a small mixing bowl, then add the lime juice, a big pinch of salt, a good grind of black pepper, and the chopped cilantro. Use a fork to mash the avocado. Taste and season with a little more salt if needed. Set aside.
Season the cottage cheese. Mix the cottage cheese with the chopped cilantro and the ranch seasoning. Set aside for now. PRO TIP: You can blend the cottage cheese first using a food processor, blender, or stick blender, if you prefer a smoother texture.
Cook the spices. Set a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat, then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the crushed garlic, 1 tablespoon of ground cumin, 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring, for a minute.
Cook the ground beef. Add the ground beef and use a wooden spoon to break it up in the pan. Cook for a few minutes, until browned, and any water has evaporated. Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and stir through the beef for a couple of minutes. Add the black beans and spinach leaves, then stir through the beef so that the spinach wilts and softens. Remove the pan from the heat.
Assemble the bowls. Divide the sweet potatoes between plates, then top with the beef, smashed avocado, and the cottage cheese. Drizzle with hot honey sauce, then scatter with cilantro and a few pickled jalapenos.

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES: This is one of those brilliant blank canvas type recipes where you can really play around, based on what you have on hand. Adding extra veggies works well – think steamed or grilled broccoli, beans, or a quick tomato cucumber salad. Use good quality, full-fat cottage cheese for the best flavor – I’m not a huge cottage cheese fan, which is why I like to season it up a bit in this recipe.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Swap the ground beef for ground turkey, chicken, or a plant-based alternative. You could use Kidney beans, borlotti beans, or white beans instead of black beans if you like. If you really don’t like cottage cheese, use thick Greek yogurt (or labneh), sour cream, or whipped feta. If you have taco seasoning on hand, you could use a couple of tablespoons of that in the beef, rather than the individual spices.

MEAL PREP INSTRUCTIONS: This is a fabulous recipe to make ahead of time – every element keeps well for five days in the fridge – and is great hot or cold. You can store the cooked taco beef and sweet potatoes together for easy reheating, but store the cottage cheese, whipped avocado, and hot honey separately. You’ll notice the avocado will dull in color over time (the lime juice will prolong the color a little, but it will eventually get quite muted and you’ll see brown bits. Don’t worry, though, as it will still taste lovely.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 20
Category: meat
Method: stove top
Cuisine: american

Nutrition

Serving Size: 300g
Calories: 513
Sugar: 12.6g
Sodium: 1042.3mg
Fat: 18.5g
Saturated Fat: 4.5g
Unsaturated Fat: 2.4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 48g
Fiber: 13.2g
Protein: 41.3g
Cholesterol: 81.8mg