Cottage Cheese Ground Beef Casserole (Printable)
Ground beef layered with cottage cheese and sweet potatoes, baked until bubbly and golden for a wholesome family dinner.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 pound lean ground beef
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
03 - 1 medium onion, chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 cup baby spinach (optional)
→ Dairy
06 - 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
07 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
08 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Pantry Staples
09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
10 - 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1/2 teaspoon paprika
13 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
02 - Place diced sweet potatoes in a medium pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic, sautéing until softened and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
04 - Add lean ground beef to the skillet. Cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until evenly browned throughout, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat if necessary.
05 - Stir in drained diced tomatoes, dried oregano, paprika, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in baby spinach if using, and cook until just wilted. Remove from heat.
06 - Arrange half of the parboiled sweet potatoes in an even layer across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
07 - Spoon the seasoned ground beef mixture over the sweet potato layer, spreading it into an even covering.
08 - Dollop cottage cheese over the beef layer and spread gently into an even distribution using the back of a spoon or spatula.
09 - Layer the remaining sweet potatoes over the cottage cheese. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan evenly across the top.
10 - Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown on top.
11 - Remove from the oven and let the casserole rest for 5 minutes to set before slicing and serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cottage cheese melts into the beef layer and creates this impossibly creamy texture that nobody can ever identify which makes it your little kitchen trick.
- Sweet potatoes bring a natural sweetness that balances the savory beef so perfectly that even picky eaters stop picking at their plates.
02 -
- Undercooking the sweet potatoes slightly before baking is better than overcooking them because they will soften more in the oven and nobody wants sweet potato paste.
- Draining the canned tomatoes thoroughly and pouring off excess beef fat are the two steps that separate a casserole from a casserole soup.
03 -
- Let the beef mixture cool for a few minutes before assembling because piping hot beef melts the cottage cheese into a puddle instead of a distinct creamy layer.
- Shredding your own mozzarella from a block melts far better than the pre shredded bags which have anti caking agents that leave a grainy texture.