USAI added black beans to this bowl because without them it felt unfinished. Something about taco meat and sweet potato without beans feels like incomplete Tex-Mex. The beans are what turns a collection of ingredients into a dish with a real identity.
Add the tomato paste to the meat 2 minutes before the end and let it fry briefly. That one step doubles the depth of flavour in the meat.
Tex-Mex Cottage Cheese Bowl
By Sergei Martynov
Taco-seasoned ground beef or turkey, roasted sweet potato, black beans, cottage cheese, avocado, salsa, and hot honey. The black beans are not decoration — they add serious fibre and protein while absorbing the taco-spiced meat juices. This bowl keeps you full longer than most.
What you'll need
Ingredients
- 500 g
See recipes with lean ground beef or turkeylean ground beef or turkey
i - 500 g
See recipes with sweet potatoessweet potatoes
i - 400 g
See recipes with canned black beanscanned black beans
i - 200 g
See recipes with cottage cheesecottage cheese
i - 2 piece
See recipes with avocadosavocados
i - 150 g
See recipes with chunky salsachunky salsa
i - 2 tbsp
See recipes with hot honeyhot honey
i - 2 tbsp
See recipes with olive oilolive oil
i - 1.5 tbsp
See recipes with taco seasoningtaco seasoning
i - 1 tbsp
See recipes with tomato pastetomato paste
i - 1 tsp
See recipes with smoked paprikasmoked paprika
i - 0.5 tsp
See recipes with garlic powdergarlic powder
i - 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
See recipes with lime juicelime juice
i - 2 tbsp
See recipes with fresh cilantrofresh cilantro
i
How to make it
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Peel and dice the sweet potatoes into 2 cm cubes. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and half a teaspoon of salt. Spread in a single layer. Roast 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once.
- 2
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and break it apart. Cook 5 to 6 minutes until browned.
- 3
Add the taco seasoning and tomato paste. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes — the tomato paste should darken slightly. Add 3 tablespoons of water and stir again.
- 4
Drain and rinse the black beans. Add them to the skillet and stir into the meat. Cook together for 2 more minutes until the beans are warmed and coated.
- 5
Season the cottage cheese: stir in the lime juice and a pinch of taco seasoning. Leave for a few minutes.
- 6
Assemble: divide the sweet potatoes between four bowls. Add meat-and-bean mixture alongside. Add cottage cheese, half an avocado, sliced, and a spoonful of salsa. Drizzle hot honey over everything. Scatter fresh cilantro on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tex-Mex cottage cheese bowl — what makes it different and why add black beans?
Black beans add around 8 to 10 grams of fibre and 7 to 8 grams of protein per half cup. The bowl becomes genuinely filling: where a basic hot honey bowl keeps you satisfied for 3 to 4 hours, this one with beans easily runs to 5 or 6.
What salsa to use — store-bought or homemade?
Any salsa works. Store-bought chunky salsa is better than smooth here — it adds texture. Homemade pico de gallo is better in flavour and freshness.
Can you use ground beef instead of turkey?
Both work. Beef gives a richer Tex-Mex flavour. Turkey is lighter and better if tracking calories. For beef, use 90 to 93% lean.
How to assemble without everything turning into mush?
Keep the components in separate zones. Sweet potato as base, meat and beans alongside, cottage cheese as a separate scoop, avocado on the side, salsa over the cottage cheese. Hot honey goes on last.
How much protein and fibre does it have?
One serving provides about 42 to 46 grams of protein and 10 to 12 grams of fibre at around 490 to 550 kcal.
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