This post may contain affiliate links.
These Sweet Potato Cottage Cheese Bowls are a great way to meal-prep for the week ahead. Warm spiced ground beef is a great combination with roasted sweet potatoes, creamy Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and other Mediterranean garnishes. These are protein packed and make a great meal or even a quick snack after sports!
Today’s post is sponsored by the American Dairy Association Mideast.
When I meal-prep I love to prepare these Sweet Potato Cottage Cheese Bowls with ground beef. It is so easy to prepare the ingredients ahead of time and have them portioned in the fridge for when you are craving a bowl. You might have seen the viral sweet potato cottage cheese beef bowls trend on TikTok recently. Cottage cheese has really been having a moment!
Cottage cheese is a versatile food that you can enjoy on its own, or in sweet and savory recipes. Cottage cheese is not only delicious, but it is also a great way to add protein to your diet. These sweet potato cottage cheese bowls are popular for good reason. They are packed with protein making this one bowl meal very satisfying. For more cottage cheese recipes try this Whipped Cottage Cheese, Cottage Cheese Baked Eggs or this Cottage Cheese Queso (with ground beef). The sweet roasted sweet potatoes pair so nicely with the warm spiced ground beef and then is complimented nicely with the rich cottage cheese and creamy Greek yogurt. Sweet and savory all in one meal! If you like bowls try this Mediterranean Salmon Bowl, Sweet Potato Bowl, Mediterranean Buddha Bowl, Easy Mediterranean Hummus Bowl or this Greek Quinoa Bowl Recipe.
Why We Love this Sweet Potato Beef Bowl
The sweet potatoes, Mediterranean spiced beef, cottage cheese and creamy yogurt are such a great combination! Here are some other reasons we love these bowls:
• Packed with Protein: This bowl is high protein! It uses protein rich ground beef, cottage cheese and yogurt. It would be a great meal or even a quick snack after a workout or sport practice if you are looking for high protein meals.
• Simple to Vary: I love bowls like this one because you can vary the ingredients with what you have on hand in your pantry and fridge. I like to use whatever veggies I need to use up along with things like chickpeas, olives or artichokes that I have had sitting in my pantry. I also love adding hot sauce, Tahini Sauce or Creamy Dill Sauce. It is a great pantry-clean-out meal!
• Great for Meal-Prepping: These sweet potato cottage cheese bowls are my favorite way to meal-prep for the week ahead. I love that you can prepare the ingredients ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Recipe Ingredients
See full list of simple ingredients below in recipe card with exact measurements.
- beef: this recipe uses lean ground beef that is spiced with warm mediterranean spices like cinnamon, cumin, paprika, cloves and allspice. If you prefer taco-seasoned beef use my homemade taco seasoning to spice the beef. You can sub the beef for other ground meat options like ground turkey or ground turkey.
- sweet potatoes: the sweet potatoes are roasted to bring out the sweetness. They complement and beef and the creamy cottage cheese and Greek yogurt well. Make sure to dice the sweet potatoes in similar size so they roast evenly.
- cottage cheese: I like to use a whole-milk cottage cheese for a rich, creamy option but any cottage cheese will work. You can add a sprinkling of za’atar or sumac for a little tangy flavor in the cottage cheese.
- greek yogurt: creamy plain Greek yogurt is also added to this bowl. My favorite to use is Fage 2% but you can use your favorite variety.
- garnishes: the other garnishes are very customizable but I like to add a scoop of this hummus, fresh veggies, creamy crumbled feta cheese and fresh herbs.
Recipe Variations
- vegetables: this bowl is the perfect chance to add more veggies like cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, creamy avocado, diced bell peppers or radishes. I also like to use leftover Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables.
- spices: spices can add a lot of flavor to this bowl. Some options are Greek seasoning, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, za’atar or sumac.
- beans: chickpeas, black beans or white beans are a great addition to this bowl. Make sure to drain and rinse before adding them in.
- greens: another nice way to get your daily intake of greens in is by adding a handful to your bowl. Try spinach or kale!
- sauce: try adding other sauces like this Tahini Sauce or this Creamy Dill Sauce.
- pickled vegetables: adding pickled veggies is a great compliment to this bow. Try these Quick Pickled Vegetables or these Quick Pickled Red Onions.
- other ingredients: there are a lot of other ingredients you can add to this bowl. Some I like are these Lemon Marinated Olives, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes or capers.
Recipe Additions I love! I love adding crunch to my bowls. You can a top your bowl with pepitas, tortilla chips, Roasted Chickpeas or Air Fryer Pita Chips.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: For the Beef: In a large skillet heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the ground beef, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, cloves and allspice and sauté until the beef is cooked through. Drain the fat (do not put into the drain) and then set aside the beef.
Step 2: For the Sweet Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl add the sweet potato chunks, add the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss until the sweet potato is coated. Spread onto a bakings sheet and put in the oven to roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft, flipping the sweet potatoes half way through cooking. Set aside.
Step 3: For the Bowl: In four bowls divide the cottage cheese, hummus, Greek yogurt, ground beef, sweet potatoes and divide and top with the feta cheese, red onion, tomatoes, green onion and parsley. Sprinkle za’atar over the bowl (optional). Serve with pita or pita chips.
Recipe Tip: I highly suggest roasting the sweet potatoes if you want. It really brings out the sweetness of them and helps to add a ton of flavor to the bowl!
Storage Instructions
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- If you want to prep the ingredients ahead of time you can store them individually in serrate containers for up to 4 days and then assemble the bowls when you are ready.
Recipe FAQ
Yes! This is a great meal-prep option. You can cook the beef, roast the sweet potatoes and portion out the other ingredients, like the cottage cheese, and store in container in the fridge. Once you are ready to eat a bowl you can assemble with the prepped ingredients.
Yes, you can. Try roasted potatoes, quinoa, brown rice or white rice.
To ensure the bowl isn’t watery you can drain the cottage cheese of excess liquid before adding it to the bowl, or use a thicker style cottage cheese which is sometimes labeled as strained or whipped.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Tried this recipe? Leave a star rating and comment below! Subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest for the latest.
Sweet Potato Cottage Cheese Bowls (with ground beef)
Video
Ingredients
For the ground beef:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 sweet onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the sweet potato bowl:
- 1 – 16 ounce container of cottage cheese , divided
- 1 cup hummus, divided
- 1 cup Greek yogurt , divided
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6 green onions, white and green parts chopped
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
For the Ground Beef:
- In a large skillet heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the ground beef, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, cloves and allspice and sauté until the beef is cooked through. Drain the fat (do not put into the drain) and then set aside the beef.
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl add the sweet potato chunks, add the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss until the sweet potato is coated.
- Spread onto a bakings sheet and put in the oven to roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the sweet potato is soft, flipping the sweet potatoes half way through cooking. Set aside.
For the Sweet Potato Bowl:
- In four bowls divide the cottage cheese, hummus, Greek yogurt, ground beef, sweet potatoes and then divide and top with the feta cheese, red onion, tomatoes, green onion and parsley. Sprinkle za'atar over the bowl (optional). Serve with pita or pita chips.
Notes
- If you prefer more of a Mexican style bowl you can spice the beef with taco seasoning instead of the Mediterranean spices.
- You can modify this bowl to your liking. Feel free to add more vegetables like pickled red onions, jalapeños or roasted broccoli.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a cheesy, comforting dip, perfect for game-day!