In our house, we’re always looking for a good snack. I mean, who doesn’t always want a good snack?! However, this is why I rarely buy snacky foods – WE WILL EAT THEM ALLLLL! HA! For starters, “healthy” snack options are usually pretty expensive.
Mind you, nuts aren’t the cheapest, but they’re a good option for healthy fats and can curb that hunger craving in between meals or when you don’t have time to sit down and eat. Flavored nuts are some of my favorite snacks, but they’re even more expensive. Try making them yourself next time – it couldn’t be easier!
They’re such a good option for when you need a snack on the go, and you can pack them with so much flavor.
These BBQ ones are my new favorite. They have smokey flavor, a pinch of sweetness and tang, and a touch of heat – which is totally optional! They’re perfect when you’re craving a salty, crunchy bite to eat midday!
Print Recipe
BBQ Snack Almonds
Prep Time
5minutes
Cook Time
20minutes
Servings
cups
Ingredients
14ozRaw almondsabout 2 1/2 cups, sub cashews or a mix of your favorite nuts
Comfort food, comfort food, comfort food. That’s what I’m all about. It doesn’t matter if you’re following a paleo, keto, or whole30 diet, comfort food is still something very do-able!
Growing up, one of mine and my little brother’s favorite meals was salisbury steak. I’m talking about that over-processed, frozen entree dinner that you can find at numerous grocery stores.
Yea, THAT STUFF.
This Hamburger Steak with Onion Gravy is reminiscent to that meal – just way better for you! Plus, you can control the seasonings with this too!
Sometimes, those meals can just be SO salty.
It’s dairy, gluten, and grain free, and super easy to mix together. Caramelizing the onions takes that extra few minutes, but it’s so worth it for that rich onion flavor in the gravy! I could eat the gravy like soup…because I have an obsession with all things gravy.
But seriously, it’s gooooood and the epitome of comfort food!
Print Recipe
Hamburger Steak with Onion Gravy {Paleo, Keto, & Whole30}
In a large saute pan, caramelize onions for 10 minutes in 1 tbsp of avocado oil and 1/2 tsp salt.
While the onions are caramelizing, combine gently (don't overwork the meat): ground beef, 1 1/2 tsp salt, thyme leaves, 1 tsp black pepper, garlic powder, 2 tsp onion powder, 2 tbsp coconut aminos, 2 tbsp minced onions, almond flour, and 3 tbsp nutpods.
Once the onions have started to caramelize and brown around the edges, move them to the sides of the pan.
Add in 1 tbsp of oil to the center and increase the heat to medium high.
Divide the ground beef mixture into four patties.
Evenly place the four patties in the center of the pan and cook for 3 1/2 minutes.
Flip the patties, reduce the heat to med low and cook for another 3 minutes.
Remove the patties from the pan, place on a plate or tray and tightly cover with foil.
To the pan with the onions, add in beef broth and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Make sure to stir to pick up all of the pan drippings and browned meat that might have been left behind. That's all good flavor that will make the best gravy!
In a mixing bowl, whisk to combine: 4 tbsp of nutpods, 2 tbsp coconut aminos, 1 tsp onion powder, fresh cracked peppers, and arrowroot powder.
To the broth, whisk in the cream mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
Add the hamburger steaks back into the gravy, cover each steak with a spoonful of gravy, and cook for 5 minutes on med low.
Once the gravy is thickened completely, serve immediately over cauliflower rice or mashed potatoes!
As I pondered what to call this cauliflower rice, I struggled. Rough life, I know. “My Go-To Cauliflower Rice,” “So-Not-Boring Cauliflower Rice,” and “Everyday Cauliflower Rice” were all contenders, but they just didn’t fully explain this rice. I wanted the name to emphasize that this isn’t like most cauliflower rice recipes. It’s not some pretty white grain look-alike that you put under some chicken and veggies.
It’s honestly…pretty ugly.
But ya know what? Some of my favorite foods are ugly, sloppy, and totally not pretty or “blog worthy”!
Trust me when I say, this cauliflower rice isn’t anything crazy, nor does it have a secret ingredient.
Honestly, the “secret” is simply…time and heat.
So, if cauliflower rice isn’t typically your thing, give this Not Your Momma’s Cauliflower Rice a try just one time. Maybe it will make you a believer.
It’s something I make almost every other day for my husband and I. It’s my go-to side dish for almost any entree I make. It’s easy and cheap, yet healthy and flavorful!
Print Recipe
Not Your Momma's Cauliflower Rice {Paleo, Keto, Whole30}
In a pan over medium heat, saute diced onions, 1 tbsp of oil, and 1/2 tsp of salt for 10 minutes. Stirring every couple of minutes.
Once the onions are slightly caramelized and browned around the edges (some will look burnt), add cauliflower rice, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and oregano or thyme (if desired).
Cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.
After the 10 minutes, stir the rice and add the remaining tbsp of oil. The edges of the rice should be starting to brown at this point.
Cover once again and cook for another 10 minutes.
Add the butter or ghee and 1-1 1/2 tsp of salt.
Stir and cook for just 1-2 minutes longer until the butter is melted and incorporated. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Let me preface this by saying, this recipe is NOT Paleo or Whole30 compliant. It contains chickpeas – well, technically, just the liquid from the can. Personally, chickpeas work for us, and since my husband is intolerant of soy and eggs, this mayo has been a lifesaver!!
Make sure to follow the directions and don’t make this like normal homemade mayo. It can liquefy if you do the steps too quickly. Have patience. It will pay off!
In a deep jar (wide enough to fit an immersion blender), add chickpea liquid, garlic, vinegar, salt, and mustard.
Blend for 45 seconds, ensuring that everything is blended up very smooth, slightly thickened, and emulsified. It will still be fairly runny at this point.
To the jar, drizzle in avocado oil - SO SLOW. You don't want to add more than 1-2 tsp at a time. Stop drizzling and blend for 20 seconds after every 2 tsp.
After 1/4 cup of the oil has been added, begin to add in 1-2 tbsp each time and blend for 20 seconds after each addition.
Repeat step 4 until all of the 1 cup of oil has been added. After 1/2-3/4 cup of oil has been added, you should start to see the consistency of mayo. If you don't, stop adding the oil and blend until it's thickened. (I like to stir the immersion blender around while it's blending. )
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Keeps for up to 7 days. It's even better the second day once the garlic has really had a chance to infuse the mayo!
This chicken salad was inspired by that oh-so-wonderfully versatile white packet of soup mix that many of us love to use in recipes!
It takes a little extra lovin’ to caramelize the onions, but it’s so worth it! The flavor that slowly caramelized onions give to almost any dish is so comforting! You won’t miss that little packet at all – except for maybe how convenient it is. Haha – I just can’t compare on that level.
However, to me, knowing exactly what foods (clean, unprocessed foods – at that!) I’m putting into my body is more beneficial than convenience -generally! I know, life can get the best of each of us and sometimes, convenient, crappy foods win! It happens!
BUT, if you got the time, make this French Onion Chicken Salad and double the recipe. It’s great inside a lettuce wrap, a tortilla shell or on top of some crackers. You could even top a bed of greens with this and call it a day!
Pin this recipe to your Pinterest board!
Print Recipe
French Onion Chicken Salad {Paleo, Whole30, & Keto Friendly}
In a pan over medium high heat, saute diced onions, oil, coconut aminos, vinegar, and salt for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 20-25 minutes until completely caramelized, browned, and reduced in size by half. (Stirring every 5-10 minutes) Set aside to cool.
Once the onions are cooled, in a large mixing bowl, mix them together with the shredded chicken, mayo, green onions, onion powder, pepper, and salt. I like to add 1 tsp of salt to start, taste, and then add more, if needed.
If the chicken salad is too thick, add a couple tbsp of milk until desired consistency is reached. This is totally optional - if you like your chicken salad thick, feel free to completely omit this ingredient!
Serve in a wrap or on a salad!
Recipe Notes
TIP: I always use my Instant pot when I want shredded chicken! I add 1 cup of water to the chicken and cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes. Shreds super easy! If the chicken breasts are HUGE, I cut them in half to reduce cooking time.
Stuffing has got to be one of my ALL-TIME favorite side dishes. However, I don’t need an excuse like Thanksgiving to partake in that deliciousness. It’s not always the prettiest to look at – I mean it IS called “stuffing,” but the flavors involved in this dish are total comfort food for me. I could eat this dish all by itself and be happy!
My husband and I don’t usually keep bread on hand in the house, nor do I bake things all that often. We just seem to eat all of that stuff too fast, and it’s just not something we like to keep around and easily accessible. We feel better keeping things pretty low carb, so this stuffing was perfect when we wanted that fix – minus the bread and extra carbs.
Growing up, we ALWAYS put sausage in our stuffing. If it didn’t have meat, it just wasn’t right! It’s not completely necessary in this recipe – but HIGHLY suggested!
The other day when I that stuffing craving set in, I realized that I was without sausage (I always use sage or breakfast sausage) or any ground pork substitute. Low and behold, I DID have Chomps meat sticks – specifically, I had the Crankin’ Cranberry beef stick variety which seemed perfect for this dish! Cranberry and Thanksgiving-inspired dishes go hand-in-hand!
The Chomps meat sticks added a perfect little bit of protein that I needed in the stuffing. So glad I had these on hand! Not only are they a great Whole30 snack, but they’re super versatile for recipes. You just gotta get creative!
This Low-Carb Butternut Squash Stuffing is perfect, not only this time of year, but whenever you need a guilt-free comfort food! It’s quick and SO simple to throw together! It makes great leftovers and is perfect for meal prep throughout the week!
Make sure your butternut squash is chopped bite-sized. The onions and celery should be chopped a bit smaller.
In a large mixing bowl, toss butternut squash, onions, celery, meat sticks, seasonings, and oil until well coated.
Transfer to a lined, wide baking dish. The larger the dish, the quicker it's going to cook and the more it's going to "roast" - because the veggies will be spread out.
There isn't a wrong way to cook this. In a smaller, deeper pan, the stuffing will "steam" because the veggies will be touching more. Either way, it's going to be delicious!
Bake for 20 minutes.
Turn the oven up to 500 degrees and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the topped has crisped up slightly.
When fall rolls around, I’m definitely guilty of going all out on the pumpkin! However, I don’t usually stop when the season is over.
Anyone else?
These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars have been requested by my husband ever since I first made them. I’ve found that I’m hesitant to make them too often, as he will most likely eat them all within two days and then yell at me for listening to his requests. haha! I take it as a compliment though – He’s my number one fan and almost always willing to be my taste tester.
Seriously though, these are delicious and no one would guess that they’re free of dairy, gluten, and grains and refined sugars. These bars are filled with ingredients that your body will know what to do with! They keep well in the fridge, so you could definitely make ahead of time for thanksgiving festivities later on during the week!
And THAT CRUST! It’s like a pecan shortbread, and it’s the perfect compliment to the pumpkin cheesecake flavor. If you’re not a fan of pecan, you could just substitute more almond flour or a unflavored protein powder of your liking!
You could use the “cheesecake” part and the crust are a base for another bar. Drizzle caramel or a fruit compote or jam on top – the possibilities are endless! Get creative!
If you make these or any of my recipes, be sure to tag @ButterAddictGonePaleo and #butteraddictgonepaleo on Instagram and Facebook! I love to see all of your guys’ remakes of recipes!
That’s how I like to be able to describe most of my meals. For starters, DISHES SUCK. I love cooking, but dishes are just the worst. Somehow, it can go from one mixing bowl and spoon to two sinkfuls of dirty dishes. HOW?! JUST HOW?!
During this season of mine and my husband’s life, I find that I don’t have as much time to spend over a stove. I’m super busy with my full-time job, sharing recipes with you guys, AND helping get our non-profit organization off the ground! Man, did we have no idea just how much work it is! It’s been a labor of love the past few months, but it’s finally really coming together and we couldn’t be more excited!
My bookkeeping and website building skills have been tested SO much over the past two months, but I know it’ll be worth it! To check out exactly what I’m talking about, head over to www.RepsForRescues.org!
^^^^ Check out that adorable guy’s little face! ^^^^
Big things are coming!
In the meantime, lunches and dinners are usually these types of meals – one pan and something that I don’t have to keep too much of an eye on, i.e. I can go and do something else while it cooks without taking a risk of something burning and being COMPLETELY INEDIBLE.
I make bigger dinners so there are plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. That is key for us! We want to stay on track with eating clean, and meal prep is so important for us – particularly, with us being so busy every day.
Give this Cheesy Italian Sausage and Rice Skillet a try when you’re pinched for time, but want a tasty home cooked meal. It’s so simple and doesn’t take too much effort other than stirring the pan every once and awhile.
In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onions and peppers in oil for 5 minutes or until softened.
To the onions and peppers, add in the sausage. Break it up and let it brown. This should take about 5-8 minutes.
Once the sausage has browned, add in the cauliflower rice and seasonings, and stir.
Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 8-10 minutes until the cauliflower rice is cooked through and soft.
Add in the nutritional yeast and creamer and stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the creamer has thickened.
Enjoy immediately! ...or save for meals throughout the week!
Recipe Notes
*If you can tolerate dairy, you can substitute quality, grass-fed cheese - like parmesan or mozzarella! You can also use whatever "heavy cream" substitute you'd like.
Is there anyone who ISN’T a fan of quick meals? I know sheet pan meals and one-pot meals are some of my favorites! They’re fairly foolproof, clean-up is way easier, and they free up your time to do other things…like play with your dogs! My two beagles definitely appreciate when I’m available to play or give extra cuddles!
This Chinese Chicken & Broccoli Sheet Pan Meal is perfect for any night of the week or a great meal-prep dish to make for your daily lunches. You can use chicken tenderloins like the recipe calls for or just slice up a few chicken breasts – whatever you have on hand works just fine!
The recipe does call for honey, which isn’t whole30 or keto. However, you could totally leave it out or substitute date paste or pineapple puree for that added sweetness that’s typical of a teriyaki sauce. UP TO YOU!
My favorite part about sheet pan meals, besides the eating, is how easy clean up is! I always line my pan with parchment paper so all I have to do is simply throw it away and my pan is clean. It doesn’t get any better than that!
If you’ve never invested in parchment paper, do yourself a favor and go get some!
Add this easy sheet pan to your next day of meal prep. It’s flavorful and makes it super easy to stay on track with any health goal or lifestyle that you may be following right now!
Print Recipe
Chinese Chicken & Broccoli Sheet Pan Meal {Whole30, Paleo, and Keto}
In a large bowl mix together aminos, sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, honey, salt, pepper, ginger and crushed red pepper.
Add the chicken tenders to the bowl with the marinade and toss. Let sit for 20-30 minutes (or more), if desired.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Trim off all of the florets from the broccoli bunches and cut into bite sized pieces. Tip: save the stalks to "rice" up for another meal. I like to add the riced broccoli stalks to cauliflower rice and serve this chicken and broccoli on top.
On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spread broccoli around the outside edges and drizzle with avocado oil. If desired, add extra salt and pepper to the broccoli florets.
Lay the marinated chicken tenders along the opening middle section of the sheet pan.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through the center.
While the meal is cooking, pour remaining marinade in a small sauce pan and cook over medium-low heat for 5-8 minutes while whisking continuously. You want to bring this to a simmer (almost boil) to cook out any raw chicken drippings that remain.
If sauce isn't thick enough after cooking, whisk together water and arrowroot to create a slurry. Add this to your sauce and stir over the heat until the sauce has thickened.
When the chicken is finished cooking, remove from the oven.
Optional step: To crisp up the broccoli and slightly brown the chicken, cook the sheet pan under the broiler on high for 3-4 minutes. Keep a watch on it - you do not want to forget about it!
Pour the thickened sauce over the chicken tenders. Top with more crushed red peppers and sesame seeds, if desired.
Serve alone or on top of steamed cauliflower rice or cauliflower fried rice.
Skillets like this one are my favorites to meal prep for the week. They are so simple to cook up, you can use just about whatever ingredients that you have on hand, you can have them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, AND they’re delicious!
I’m a big fan of spices and flavor! There is no skimping in that department in my kitchen. This Tex-Mex Breakfast Skillet is packed with flavors of cumin, chili peppers, and charred veggies. You just can’t go wrong!
It’s the best when you have this meal prepped and all you have to do in the morning is reheat it. It’s so much better than other convenient, quick breakfasts out there. Plus, this one is good for you and will fuel you throughout your day!
If you want to take it to the next level, top this skillet with a fried egg! YUM!
In a large pan over medium heat, saute onions in avocado oil for 2-3 minutes until they've started to soften.
This step is totally optional!
While the onion cooks, char the bell pepper under the broiler for extra flavor. Slice the pepper in half, longways, remove the seeds and place on a sheet pan under the broiler for a few minutes or until desired charred amount of skin.
Chop the bell pepper (charred or not) and add to the softened onions.
Add in sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Stir together and cook for 5 minutes.
Add in the breakfast sausage and break it up as it begins to brown.
Add in all of the seasonings, as well as the nutritional yeast, if desired.
Continue to stir the veggies and break up the sausage until it's almost completely browned.
Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the squash and sweet potatoes are soft.
If desired, stir in a handful of chopped cilantro and 5-6 green onions.
Enjoy immediately, as is, or top with a fried egg!
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for quick breakfasts throughout the week!
Recipe Notes
* If you're sticking to keto and want to eliminate extra carbs, you can substitute 10 more oz of butternut squash for the sweet potatoes.
