This hodgepodge of ingredients creates a really good dinner in a dish that's also loaded with nutrition. The bake--or casserole, if you prefer that term--starts with planks of sweet potato that are topped with a mixture of cottage cheese, chopped ham, and coleslaw. Thick-cut shredded cheddar adds extra flavor as well as helping to bind everything together. I cook the bake in the air fryer in about 20 minutes. You also can bake the casserole in a regular oven at 400 degrees for about the same amount of time. The inexpensive to make dish is loaded with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and it's great if you're on a diabetic diet or want to "eat healthy." Leftovers reheat well in the microwave. Enjoy!
Cottage Cheese, Ham, Coleslaw, and Sweet Potato Bake -- Serves 4+
1 large sweet potato (about 6 inches long and 4-5 inches round)
1- 1 1/2 cups of chopped ham
2 1/2 cups of coleslaw mix, preferably the kind with carrots in it (1/2 a 14-ounce bag)
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese
1 tablespoon of milled flax seeds
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, preferably the thick-cut kind, plus a little extra
cheese to sprinkle on top, if you'd like
Spritz an 8-inch square pan or baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or line the pan with aluminum foil and spritz the foil (for easier cleanup). Scrub the sweet potato, pierce it with a knife in several places, wrap it in a paper towel, and microwave the potato for 5-6 minutes until mostly cooked (it doesn't have to be completely cooked, as it will cook a bit more later). Let the potato cool, wrapped in the paper towel, then when it's cool enough to handle, remove the peel (it should slip off fairly easily with a knife). Cut the pointy ends off the potato and set them aside. Then cut 4-6 "planks" from the sweet potato, cutting the potato lengthwise and making each plank about 1/4-1/2-inch wide. If you have extra potato, that's fine, just set it aside with the pointy ends. In a large microwave-safe bowl mix together the coleslaw and chopped onion with 2-3 teaspoon of water. Microwave them for several minutes until they begin to soften. Add the ham to the bowl, mix it in, and microwave the mixture for another minute. Add the pepper, garlic powder, dried parsley, and left over sweet potato pieces to the mixture and stir them in well. Add the cottage cheese, milled flax seeds, and cheddar cheese to the mixture and stir them in until incorporated. Divide the mixture evenly among the sweet potato planks and spread it out to evenly cover each of the planks. Air fry the casserole at 360 degrees for about 20 minutes, then top with a little more cheese and air fry it a minute or so longer to melt the cheese. Alternatively, preheat a regular oven to 400 degrees and bake the casserole for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle on a little more cheese and bake the casserole a minute or two longer to melt the cheese. Let the casserole cool a few minutes before serving it, giving each person one of the topped sweet potato planks.
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