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As a college student, I know that managing your classes, social life, and work all at the same time can be tough. When life gets busy, it is easy for cooking to fall down your list of priorities. The mere thought of entering a grocery store and watching the total rise as you scan each ingredient can feel overwhelming. But here’s the good news: cooking nutritious meals in college does not have to be stressful, nor does it have to break the bank! Sometimes all you need is a quick, affordable recipe to keep in your back pocket for your busiest days. This viral, protein-packed cottage cheese beef bowl by the Balanced Nutritionist is exactly that.
Cost Breakdown
| Ingredient | Amount Needed for Recipe | Unit Cost of Ingredient | Recipe Ingredient Cost |
| Ground Beef | 1lb | $5.78/lb | $5.78 |
| Sweet Potato | 2 medium | $0.98/lb | $0.98 |
| Olive Oil | 1 Tbsp | $5.47/16.9oz | $0.16 |
| Chili Powder (Substituted with Taco Seasoning) | 1 tsp | $1.24/2.6oz | $0.05 |
| Garlic Powder | 1/2 tsp | $1.24/3.12oz | $0.02 |
| Paprika (Substituted with Taco Seasoning) | 1/2tsp | $1.24/2.12oz | $0.03 |
| Salt | 1/2tsp | — | $0.03 |
| Pepper | 1/4tsp | — | $0.03 |
| Cottage Cheese | 1cup | $2.68/16oz | $1.34 |
| Avocado | 1 small | $0.88/oz | $0.88 |
| Cucumber | 1 | $0.68 each | $0.68 |
| Cherry Tomato | 1 cup | $2.48/pint | $1.24 |
| Spinach | 1 cup | $3.24/5oz | $0.65 |
| TOTAL RECIPE COST | $12.09 | ||
| Cost per Serving (4 servings) | $3.02 |
Recipe Making Process
1. We started by preheating the oven to 425 degrees before gathering and prepping our ingredients. This included chopping the sweet potatoes (seen below) into uniform cubes. Taking just five minutes to prepare your ingredients allows for a quick and easy cooking process.
2. Once our sweet potatoes were nicely cut, we combined salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl. This part is fully customizable, as you can use any seasonings of your choice!
3. Combine your spices, sweet potatoes, and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large bowl and toss together until the sweet potatoes are evenly coated.
3. The sweet potatoes are cooked using roasting, a simple yet effective technique where food is cooked by dry heat in an oven. The key to perfectly roasted vegetables is a high temperature (425°F for this recipe), using a small amount of oil to prevent sticking and help with browning, and not overcrowding the pan. Giving them space allows the heat to circulate, which results in those delicious crispy edges you see!
5. While the sweet potatoes are roasting for 25-35 minutes, this is where your knife skills come in handy for preparing the fresh toppings, like the cilantro and avocado. You can also portion the cheese.
6. As the sweet potatoes continue to roast, it is time to move to the stovetop to sauté the ground beef. You will then season to taste with taco seasoning!
7. Drain any excess grease and dispose of it in the trash can. Grease should never be poured down the sink drain!
8. Once the sweet potatoes are roasted (soft on the inside and slightly caramelized on the edges) and the beef is cooked, all that is left to do is assemble the toppings. Don’t forget your cottage cheese for that delicious added protein!
9. When serving this dish, it tastes best when the beef and sweet potatoes are served warm! We like to place the cottage cheese on top of the beef and potatoes, then top it with our avocado slices and chopped cilantro!
I wouldn’t make any major changes to this recipe, because I love that it can be easily customized to your liking. You can swap which meat is being used, make it more/less spicy, and even add more veggies like roasted bell peppers or broccoli!
Sweet Potato Protein Bowl
Description
This meal by the Balanced Nutritionist provides a fantastic source of protein (from the beef and cottage cheese) to keep you full, complex carbohydrates (from the sweet potato) for sustained energy, and healthy fats (from the avocado). It’s a true all-in-one meal perfect for a busy student.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 425
- Prepare the vegetables, chop the sweet potatoes. Slice the avocado and roughly chop the cilantro.
- In a medium bowl, toss the diced sweet potatoes with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp paprika.
- Spread the seasoned sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 25-35 minutes until tender and caramelized.
- While potatoes roast, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and taco seasoning. Sauté until the meat is fully browned and broken apart (7-10 minutes).
- Assemble: Divide the cottage cheese (1/2 cup per bowl), cooked beef, and roasted sweet potatoes into 4 bowls. Top each serving with the sliced avocado and chopped cilantro.
