Sweet Potato Bowl

Meal prep kings and queens, we have got a winning meal for you! Our sweet potato bowl is the twist on a burrito bowl you didn’t know you needed. Rice and beans are replaced with tender cubes of roasted sweet potato: a high-fiber, antioxidant-rich slow-burning carb. They’re piled high in a bowl with ground meat loaded in flavor, thanks to fresh garlic and onion and chile powder. Next comes a crunchy veg topping. And to finish it all off, you can add plenty of cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and fresh lettuce. The nutritional info is great for those of us counting our macros. This recipe is so straightforward to meal prep; check out the meal prep section below for all our tips and tricks.

What stands out

This new spin on a burrito bowl packs in protein, fiber, and a rainbow of veggies. It satisfies our Chipotle craving and leaves us feeling fueled. We like to keep things interesting, substituting rice and beans with tender cubes of roasted sweet potato. They add an amount of nutrition to the dish, and keep us fuller longer. We are obsessed with our food chopper which makes quick work of preparing a medley of perfectly-chopped veggies. There are so many ways to customize this dish based on your favorite seasoning, vegetables, and protein of choice. You can even make this recipe vegan!

How to Prepare

Make the sweet potatoes. Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can also air-fry them at 390F (200C) for 17 minutes making sure to toss them halfway through.

Add the peeled, cubed sweet potato to a bowl and toss with the oil. Next, season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Place on the baking sheet and bake until fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the potatoes over halfway through cooking.

Meanwhile, cook the ground meat.

Add the ground meat. Using a wooden spoon, break it into small chunks as it browns. Cook the meat for about 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has fully evaporated.

Once the meat has browned, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili powder, if using. Cook for a few more minutes, until the onions have softened.

Prepare the chopped veg. Using a food chopper pass the tomato, cucumber, onion, and jalapeño through one at a time. Season with salt and stir.

Assemble the bowls. Divide the sweet potatoes, ground meat, chopped veg, and grated cheese equally among four bowls.

If you want to make a light sour cream or yogurt sauce, you can add 1/3 cup of yogurt (or sour cream) to a bowl, add salt (to taste), fresh chopped dill, and a clove of minced garlic. If using sour cream, you can add a touch of water to thin it out. We like to mix it and add to a squeeze bottle.

Finally, feel free to top with guacamole, and sliced lettuce. Enjoy!

Kitchen tip

You can cut down on prep time by purchasing pre-cut sweet potatoes from the store or using defrosted, frozen sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Bowl Variations and Substitutions

1. Feel free to use any ground meat you love: beef, chicken, pork, lamb, or even a vegan ground meat substitute.
2. You can cut down on prep time by purchasing pre-cut sweet potatoes from the store or using defrosted, frozen sweet potatoes.
3. Instead of sour cream, try a drizzle of homemade spicy mayo.
4. Measure seasonings with your heart! You can also substitute or add more spices. Some spices that complement this dish include ground chipotle chile, onion powder, coriander, and cumin.

Serve it with

• Obviously you’re going to want a big dollop of homemade guacamole on top
• We love a seasonal salsa! Try mixing it up with our mango salsa or peach salsa.
• Pickled red onions are so straightforward to make and add a burst of tartness.
• These bowls are garnished with fresh or pickled jalapeños, fresh herbs (such as cilantro or scallions), sliced black olives, and lime wedges.

How to Make This Ahead for Meal Prep

This is a recipe for meal prep because the components can easily be doubled or tripled and they store and reheat well. Decide how many servings you want (the recipe makes 4 servings). In the recipe card, on the upper right corner, you can increase the recipe by selecting “2x” or “3x”. Following the recipe instructions, prepare the sweet potatoes, ground meat, and chopped veg separately. Store all three components of the dish separately, in airtight containers in the fridge. The veg will last 1 to 2 days before it wilts the potatoes and meat will last for 4 days in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, portion out the potatoes and meat and microwave until warm. Then add the veg and toppings and enjoy!

Questions

strong Can this be made dairy-free?

Certainly, you can omit the cheese or replace it with your favorite shredded vegan cheese. Sour cream is always optional.

strong What if i don’t have a veggie chopper?

If you don’t have a mark veggie chopper mark, all you need is a mark sharp knife and some patience to cut the veggies into small, equal-sized pieces.

strong Can this be made vegan?

Yes, you can make this vegan by using your favorite vegan ground meat alternative in place of the beef.

strong How should i reheat this recipe?

The potatoes and beef can be reheated in a microwave-safe container or bowl in about 1 to 2 minutes. Then add the toppings.

strong Is this a good recipe for meal prep?

Yes, this is a wonderful meal prep recipe. You can assemble the bowls with the sweet potatoes, meat, and cheese and store in the fridge for about 3 days. Add the fresh ingredients just as you are about to enjoy.

Ingredients

Makes 4 bowls

Sweet Potatoes

• 1 pound sweet potato, peeled and cubed (about 4 small sweet potatoes)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt, to taste
• 1 pinch pepper
• 1 pinch paprika, or oregano
• 1 pinch garlic powder

Ground Meat

• 1 pound lean ground beef, or turkey
• ½ yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt, to taste
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon chili powder, or paprika

Chopped Veg

• 1 tomato, sliced
• ¼ cucumber, cut in half
• 1 slice onion, one ring
• 1 jalapeño, seeded
• salt, to taste

Extra Toppings

• ¼ cup cheddar cheese, grated (or any cheese of choice)
• guacamole, for serving (optional)
• sour cream or spicy mayo, for serving (optional)
• Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced

Equipment

• Cutting Board
• Chefs Knife
• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Peeler
• Mixing Bowls
• Frying Pan
• vegetable chopper
• Measuring Cups + Spoons

Method

Sweet Potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add the peeled, cubed sweet potato to a bowl and toss with the oil. Season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Place the seasoned potato onto the baking sheet, spreading everything evenly so each piece has space.
3. Bake until fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the potatoes over halfway through cooking. Set aside.
4. You can also air-fry them at 390F (200C) for 17 minutes making sure to toss them halfway through.

Ground Meat

1. Add the ground meat. Using a wooden spoon, break it into small chunks as it browns. Cook the meat for about 10 minutes, or until all the liquid has fully evaporated.
2. Note: When browning ground meat you will notice a lot of water release. You want to cook the meat way past this point until the water has FULLY evaporated and the meat begins to brown and caramelize. You will hear the meat "pop" as it browns. If using ground turkey, it won't have much fat so you won’t see much browning.
3. Once the meat has browned, reduce the heat to medium-low and add in the onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and chili powder, if using. Cook for a few more minutes or until the onions have softened. Set aside.

Chopped Veg

1. Using a food chopper, pass the tomato, cucumber, onion, and jalapeño through, one at a time, until you have a fine dice. Season with salt and stir.
2. Note: make sure to prep the veggies into smaller pieces so they can easily pass through the food chopper. If you don't own a chopper, you can also take your time and cut everything into small cubes with a knife.

Assembly

1. Divide everything equally among four bowls: 1/4 of the sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup ground meat (75 grams after its cooked), 1/8 cup grated cheese (35 grams), and the chopped veg.
2. Feel free to top with guacamole, sour cream, and lettuce. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Sauce

1. If you want to make a light sour cream or yogurt sauce, you can add 1/3 cup of yogurt (or sour cream) to a bowl, add salt (to taste), fresh chopped dill, and a clove of minced garlic. If using sour cream, you can add a touch of water to thin it out. We like to mix it and add to a squeeze bottle.

Kitchen notes

Calculating Nutrition:

The nutrition values shown below are for one bowl, aka one serving, and does not include optional toppings, like guacamole, sour cream, and lettuce. In the recipe method, we include the exact portions to include from each element of the dish to create the nutrition values below.