BBQ Chicken & Sweet Potato Casserole (Paleo, AIP)

Casseroles are by far the best and easiest dinners to whip up. Plus, you can make a massive one, enjoy the leftovers for lunch the next day and basically meal prep like a BOSS! This BBQ Chicken and Sweet Potato Casserole will definitely win your heart over, and your family too! 

Nothing says fall like sweet potato and although I’m not quite ready to let go of the hot summer weather, I don’t have a choice. I live in Canada and the coldness is approaching – UGH! (I swear I was born in the wrong Country). 

But with fall comes delicious soups and stews, casseroles and all things pumpkin. Like these Pumpkin Almond Butter Bars. They are my favourite and I can’t wait to bake them up again. 

So back to casseroles…

This casserole is quite versatile. Instead of sweet potato, you could use mashed cauliflower, regular white potato, mashed parsnips and carrots, or even cauliflower rice. And to keep this recipe AIP friendly, use an AIP approved BBQ sauce, like this one here. 

You guys might think this dish looks super fancy and time consuming, but trust me it’s not. And when it comes to cooking, I prefer taking the quick and easy route. If I have the time, I’ll make something a little more fancy, but trust me guys – most of the meals that I cook might ‘look’ gourmet but ANYBODY can make them. 

A few notes about this recipe:

  1. I cooked my sweet potato in the instant pot. I placed the rack on the bottom of the instant pot, added in 1 cup of water, then placed 2 large sweet potatoes on top of the rack. I set the timer for manual – 15 minutes and viola. Mashed sweet potato in NO TIME! You can use this method, or boil your sweet potato or roast in the oven. Your call.
  2. The chicken – we bought an organic whole roasted chicken and shredded it up. We used this for lettuce tacos, this recipe of course and for breakfast scrambles. It’s a time saver, but you can roast your own chicken if you prefer.

P.S. If you’re looking for more delicious and easy recipes, come join me inside my Healthy Hormones Recipe Club! Are you confused with all the information out there about how to balance your hormones, lose weight + support your immunity? Can’t keep up with all the different diets; Paleo, Keto, Intermittent Fasting, or which one is even right for you Get a monthly meal plan + shopping list + recipes that will help you to support your body, balance your hormones, detoxify and shed some inches in the process! Each month has a different theme (scroll below to read what I’ll be sharing over the next few months!) This Recipe Club is available for a super affordable price, so you can easily say YES to putting yourself first, without breaking the bank. Delicious food & zero deprivation, I promise!

Ok, let’s get cooking. I hope you enjoy this deliciousness as much as we did! Be sure to leave your comments below and let us know how you liked it. We love to hear from you. 

BBQ Chicken & Sweet Potato Casserole
Serves 4
A Paleo and AIP friendly casserole dish that is loaded with beta-carotene, healthy fiber and satiating protein.
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
45 min
Ingredients
  1. 5-6 lbs sweet potato, roughly 2-3 large sweet potatoes, mashed (see notes above)
  2. 1/4 cup coconut oil or butter or other choice of fat
  3. Sea salt and pepper (omit pepper for AIP)
  4. 4-6lbs shredded chicken (thigh or breast)
  5. 1 cup BBQ sauce (choose AIP BBQ sauce - see notes above)
  6. 1/3 cup green onion, chopped, plus more for garnish
  7. Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a lage casserole dish.
  2. Mixed mashed sweet potato with coconut oil, salt and pepper.
  3. Spread evenly into large greased casserole dish.
  4. In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, BBQ sauce and green onion. Spread on top of sweet potato layer.
  5. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Serve topped with green onion and fresh parsley. Serve alongside a large green salad.
Notes
  1. See notes above for tips on cooking sweet potato and preparing chicken.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Pistachio Crusted Salmon – The Perfect Week Night Meal

I’m hoping you were able to try the Gluten Free Pumpkin Almond Butter Bars recipe I posted last week. They are ahhh-mazing and totally hit the spot when you want a warm, fall flavored treat.  Guilt free, of course! 

If you got around to making them, you’ll know pistachios and almonds are the main ingredients for the crumbly topping.  

I went a little overboard when grinding the nuts and had a ton left over.  Not wanting to be wasteful or just stash them in the cupboard, I knew I had to be creative and find a use for them.  

Just so happens we were having salmon for dinner and Odette, my assistant, gave me a great idea..use the ground nuts as a crust.  She’s genius! And she also happens to be an amazing cook, so watch out for more amazing recipes from her coming your way!

Anyhow, the salmon turned out perfect! It was moist and flavorful and the pistachio crust gave it a great crunch.  

Did you know pistachios are one of the oldest nuts on record?  They’ve been around forever!

And best part,  they have less calories per serving in comparison to other nuts and have more protein.  Plus, they give you healthy fats, fiber, and a whole host of vitamins and minerals.  That’s a lot of goodness in one little nut.  

When buying pistachios, remember to get them unshelled and make sure they don’t have any added salt, sweetener or color (the shells should be beige, not red or green!).  They are delicious as they are and the best for you in their most natural state.

Hope you enjoy this delicious recipe. It’s perfect for a quick week-night meal and loaded with slots of heart healthy goodness.

Pistachio Crusted Salmon
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 tbsp olive oil
  2. ½ tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
  3. ½ cup almond meal (aka. almond flour)
  4. ¼ cup ground pistachios
  5. ¼ fresh parmesan (parmigiano reggiano is the best!)
  6. ½ tsp grated lemon zest
  7. ¼ tsp each sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  8. 2 fresh salmon fillets, roughly 1 inch thick
  9. 2 tsp ghee, melted
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a shallow pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl mix together olive oil, Dijon, almond meal, ground pistachios, Parmesan, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir gently with a fork until it is moist. (You can also place whole almonds and pistachios into a blender or food processor and gently grind until nicely ground, leaving some chucks for crunch).
  3. Place salmon on pan. Press half of mixture onto each fillet. Drizzle melted ghee on top.
  4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until fully cooked through.
  5. Turn on broiler and broil for 1 minute. Make sure you watch this part! The broiler works quickly and you want your crust to be golden brown not burnt.
  6. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
  1. You can use other fish, just be sure it is 1 inch thick.
  2. Try sprinkling fresh, chopped parsley over cooked fish for a little burst of freshness
  3. Enjoy with steamed veggies drizzled with a little ghee. Asparagus, broccoli, roasted tomatoes, green beans and bok choy all go well with it. Get creative!
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Cauliflower Fried Rice

Don’t you ever have those times when you just want to dive into a huge bowl of carbs?

You know, a bowl of pasta or just eat 3 extra servings of rice and not give a damn! Well, this cauliflower fried rice feels like you’re diving into a huge bowl of carbs, minus the guilt!

This is the perfect veggie filled dish – EVER!

I’m a little obsessed with this recipe for a few reasons:
1. It’s incredibly easy to make
2. I feel like I’m actually eating Chinese fried rice
3. It’s loaded with veggies 
4. You can eat a lot of it (because it’s veggies) and feel amazing!

IMG_6721

I’ve been getting my Organics Live delivery box every week, which is amaze balls by the way! Every week I get organic produce delivered straight to my door and often times, there’s cauliflower. I’ve been trying to come up with creative ways to use it, cause let’s face it, steamed cauliflower is freakin’ boring! 

You can click here to get your own Organics Live delivery every week (if you are in the local GTA area). Trust me, it’s worth it!

I made cauliflower tater tots the other night (will share the recipe soon) and this amazing fried rice. Oh! and my Creamy Cauliflower Soup is a serious favourite. Click here for that recipe. 

It’s safe to say that I am becoming a cauliflower master! And it’s becoming a veggie that I adore more and more, which is a good thing since Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B6. It also contains biotin, which helps to strengthen hair (and been known to help with hair growth!). 

Cauliflower is also an incredible detoxification veggie. Certain compounds found in cauliflower, such as sulforaphane, glucobrassicin, glucoraphanin, and gluconasturtiian, are very useful for helping the body to detox due to how they support liver function.

And as a HUGE bonus, if you support the health of your liver, you in turn support the health of your skin, keeping the wrinkles at bay and that youthful radiant glow. 

So let’s get to this delicious, nutrient dense, detox friendly, skin loving recipe. 

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Fried Rice
Serves 4
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Total Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 large head cauliflower
  2. 2 large eggs, beaten
  3. 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  4. 3 cloves garlic, minced
  5. 2 medium carrots, diced
  6. 1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen
  7. Half a onion, chopped
  8. 4 green onions, thinly sliced
  9. 1/4 cup cashews, optional
  10. 3 tablespoons coconut aminos/marinade (or tamari)
  11. 1 tsp chilli flakes
  12. Sea salt and pepper
  13. Coconut oil, for sautéing
Instructions
  1. Cut the cauliflower into florets, discarding the tough inner core. Working in batches, pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it breaks down into rice-sized pieces.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and drizzle in coconut oil. Add onion and carrots and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add in ginger and garlic and stir together.
  3. Slide veggie mixture to one side of the skillet and add in the beaten eggs, scrambling until cooked through and then incorporate with the veggies.
  4. Stir in cauliflower "rice" and peas and mix everything together well. Add in coconut aminos. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until cauliflower is soft and tender. Add in chilli flakes, sea salt and pepper.
  5. Top with green onions and cashews and serve and enjoy!
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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