Somehow there are still those paleo-subscribers who believe that being paleo means never having a gooey, cheesy, rich, delicious casserole ever again. This is just not the case. Through cheese from grass-fed cows (as long as your body tolerates it), or aged cheese (aging helps remove the lactose), or a dairy-free cheese alternative, plus some help from our friends the vegetable family, you can make a warm, rich 'casserole' which is also nutritionally in line with what your body needs and can use.
If you're hungry for winter to be over and at the same time want a rich winter dish, get cracking on this recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
4-8 slices bacon, cut into small pieces about 1/2 inch square
1 large spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)
3 cloves of garlic, sliced and smashed
1 small yellow onion or 1/2 one large yellow onion
1-2 poblano peppers, if you want, to add additional nutritional content (I'd avoid bell peppers because that will combine with the ham for a sweeter flavor that could be odd to the palette)
1/4 cup chicken broth (bone broth is great nutrition-wise, but whatever you have around)
3 eggs
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups grass fed cheese (like Kerrygold brand), aged parmesan, or dairy-free cheese alternative (check the ingredients label, some of these products are so chemical-laden that you're better off with moo-based cheese)
1 1/4 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika (smoky for preference)
If you're hungry for winter to be over and at the same time want a rich winter dish, get cracking on this recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham
4-8 slices bacon, cut into small pieces about 1/2 inch square
1 large spaghetti squash (about 2 pounds)
3 cloves of garlic, sliced and smashed
1 small yellow onion or 1/2 one large yellow onion
1-2 poblano peppers, if you want, to add additional nutritional content (I'd avoid bell peppers because that will combine with the ham for a sweeter flavor that could be odd to the palette)
1/4 cup chicken broth (bone broth is great nutrition-wise, but whatever you have around)
3 eggs
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups grass fed cheese (like Kerrygold brand), aged parmesan, or dairy-free cheese alternative (check the ingredients label, some of these products are so chemical-laden that you're better off with moo-based cheese)
1 1/4 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika (smoky for preference)
Directions:
1. Cook your squash. Either in the oven if you have about an hour, or in the microwave if you're approaching hangry right now. Either way be sure to cook it until the squash strands are al dente, not beyond that. This means 45 mins in the oven at 400 degrees or 10 minutes in the microwave in a shallow dish with water. Since the squash is being cooked again later, avoid letting it cook to done-ness now or the dish will end up mono-textural. Still delicious, just also a but mushy.
2. Discard the seeds and then, using a fork and a hot pad, scoop the "spaghetti" strands into a greased casserole dish.
3. If you didn't already use the oven, preheat it to 350. Otherwise, let it cool to 350.
4. Cook your bacon and cut it into pieces. To save time you can cut the bacon while it's raw and cook the pieces. You can also do this while the squash is cooking to save even more time.
5. In the same pan or a different one (depending on whether you want to cook in the leftover bacon grease), saute your garlic for 2-3 minutes, then add your onion and any other veggies, along with your chicken broth. Saute together for 3 minutes and then remove from heat.
6. Whisk cheese, eggs, and spices together in a medium dish, then combine with veggies in a large bowl and toss. Be sure to scrape the sides of the medium bowl so that you're not leaving your delicious spices behind.
7. Pour the cheese/egg/veggies/spice mixture into the casserole and combine with squash.
8. Pop it in the oven for 20-25 minutes until it's mostly solid. Let stand 8 minutes before serving.
Feeds 4 athletes. It's that hearty. It's so hearty and yummy in fact, that is was gone before I could snap a photo. I'll take lots of photos next time we make this dish, scout's honor.
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