I don’t know about you, but when I see the words “french onion” preceding anything…my mouth instantly starts to water.
I’m a huge fan of sauteed onions and that sweetness that’s released from this precious veggie. Adding it to almost any savory dish or protein makes it so much better than before – maybe that’s just a personal opinion though.
This entree can easily be made in the pressure cooker or the slow cooker. It’s so versatile! You can pair it with rice, mashed potatoes, diced potatoes, top some baked potatoes or noodles, eat it all by itself, or put it on a roll or bun for a handheld sandwich – you name it!
This recipe DOES use a ton of onions. Trust me, they cook way down! You have to use this much if you want anything to be left and enjoyed when the dish is finished.
Note: SAVE THE BROTH and some onions. It is basically French Onion Soup – which is also one of the most amazing soups known to man. Top a bowl of it with some croutons, some shredded provolone or a big ol slice and broil that bad boy up! It’s incredible easy to get two meals out of this recipe!
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French Onion Shredded Beef {Instant Pot & Slow Cooker versions}
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!
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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!
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!
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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.
Casseroles are one of my favorite foods to make! They’re always so cozy and comforting to me…and the possibilities are endless!
Also, frozen hashbrowns are a lifesaver! They make things so simple, because sometimes, the last thing that I feel like doing is chopping another stinkin’ vegetable!
So, let’s get to this recipe. Because honestly…do you all really read all of a blogger’s ramblings up in this section? haha!
(No, but…seriously. Do you?)
Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @butteraddictgonepaleo if you try this out! I’d love to see and share your recreations!
Pin this to your Pinterest board to save for later!
In a large pot or sauce pan over medium heat, saute thawed ground beef and onions for 8-10 minutes until the beef is mostly browned and the onions are slightly translucent and softened. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
In a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, broth, coconut aminos, and arrowroot powder.
Once the onions have softened, add all of the seasonings, nutritional yeast, milk/broth mixture, and hashbrowns to the pot and stir to combine.
Cook for about 5 minutes until the potatoes have just started to soften.
Stir the whisked eggs into the pot.
Immediately, remove from the heat and transfer into a baking dish.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until slightly browned on top and somewhat firm.
Recipe Notes
*I use 5 flax eggs for this recipe, instead of just 3 real eggs. Each flax egg is made by mixing 1 tbsp of ground flax with 2 tbsp of warm water - then set aside to thicken for a few minutes. (So, 5 tbsp ground flax and 10 tbsp of warm water for this recipe.)
Flax eggs will NOT hold the casserole together the same way that real eggs will. I actually prefer the flax eggs for this, as it keeps the casserole creamy and not too "baked egg"-like. However, if you want a very "sliceable" casserole, use real eggs.
** If you can tolerate dairy, mix in that sour cream! If you're following a whole30, make sure you use a compliant almond/coconut yogurt. If you're simple dairy-intolerant or staying away from it, just make sure you're using a plain, UNSWEETENED variety. Check your sugars! Forager plain cashew yogurt is one of my favorites!
...OR simply omit it! You're still going to get that savory beef stroganoff flavor without it.
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!
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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.
In a deep, sauce pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp of ghee/oil and chopped green onions. Saute for 5 minutes or until soft. Set aside to cool.
In the same pan, over medium heat, add all of BBQ sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until sauce has reduced slightly. Reduce the heat to low and cover while you prepare the meatballs.
In a bowl, mix together the remaining meatball ingredients along with the cooled green onions.
To the BBQ sauce, drop 2 tbsp size balls into the mixture until one layer has formed. It's ok if the meatballs are touching slightly, just DO NOT overcrowd the pan or try to stir them around just yet.
Increase heat to medium, cover, cook for 3-5 minutes.
Remove cover and shake the pan slightly. Gently flip each meatball. If you find that you do not have enough liquid in the pan, feel free to add about 3-4 tbsp of water.
On top of the first layer of meatballs, add another layer of the meat mixture, in 2 tbsp size balls. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes - shaking the pan every few minutes to slightly move the meatballs around. Repeat until you have used up all of the meat.
After 10 minutes, uncover the pan and gently flip the meatballs around, moving the ones from the bottom to the top. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until you're ready to serve!
Serve these on top of cauliflower rice or as bite-sized appetizers!
I try to not make every recipe in my Instant Pot – and that’s hard! Not everyone has been converted over just yet! However, after making General Tso’s Chicken in under 15 minutes…I’m pretty sure you will be!
This version is an unbreaded version. I would not suggest trying to make the breaded version in your IP, as it will probably end up soggy and just not very appetizing. This is strictly a quick and clean version of a take-out favorite! Totally guilt free and delicious when paired with my Pork Fried Cauliflower Rice (which happens to be Whole30 compliant as well!) This recipe can be easily converted to Whole30 compliant by replacing the honey with pureed fruit – such as pineapple or peaches! (or omitting the honey altogether. Some find that the coconut aminos are sweet enough) Either alternative would still yield a yummy dish!
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Instant Pot General Tso's Chicken (Paleo with Whole30 option)
Add sesame oil and chicken to the pot and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until most of the chicken has some white on it. It does not that to be anywhere near cooked through! This step helps cut down on cooking time AND for the pot to come to pressure quicker!
After your chicken has cooked for those few minutes, combine your remaining ingredients in a separate bowl (except for the arrowroot powder and water) and pour over your chicken.
Place the lid on your pot, turn the valve to seal, press manual and set the time for 8 minutes.
Once the timer goes off, do a QR (quick release), and open it up! It will be bubbly and on the runny side. Now is the time to thicken!
Combine the arrowroot powder and water to make a slurry. Stir this mixture into your chicken until the sauce has thickened! This should only take a minute or so. If you find that it's not thick enough, you can always add a bit more arrowroot/water mixture until the desired consistency is reached.
Be sure to turn the pot off too! It automatically switches to "Keep Warm" mode after cooking. I have forgotten that a time or two!
ENJOY!!
Does anyone else always want Chinese food on Mondays – the day that every Chinese restaurant is closed? Or is that just me? I just love good Chinese food…which, honestly, is RARE! Good as in tasty AND healthy! This “rice” is all of the above. Jam-packed with protein and veggies, this dish is one you can feel good about eating!
If you can find all of the prepped ingredients in your grocery store’s freezer section and have leftover ham (or have a go-to clean, natural brand of already-cooked pork), this dish comes together in MINUTES, is made in one pan, tastes so similar to take-out, AND is Whole30 approved!
Make it a complete meal by pairing it with my Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken! That can also be Whole30 compliant and, the best part, it’s made in under 15 minutes with the help of that handy pressure cooker!
4-5Green onionschopped - use both the green and white parts!
Instructions
In a large sauce pan, add 1 tbsp cooking fat and chopped onion and sauté over medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until onions become translucent.
Once the onions have softened, add your chopped ham, riced cauliflower, and remaining fat. I like to crank the heat up and get a nice char on the meat and cauliflower - so much flavor! (that's always my favorite rice - the stuff that has some charred bits in it!)
After about 3-4 minutes, add the remaining ingredients (except for the eggs), and cook until the vegetables are fork tender. This should take about 5 minutes. Note: I used all organic, frozen veggies that were already chopped and riced. HUGE TIME SAVER!
Once the vegetables are cooked to your liking, add your beaten eggs. I make a divet in the pan in the middle of my rice and pour the eggs in there. Once they begin to cook, I just keep stirring everything up until they're all the way cooked. This only takes a couple minutes! No need for another pan - in my opinion! We love eggs, so I add 3 to this recipe. Feel free to add more or less!
Taste now and adjust your seasonings and add more salt, coconut amines, or sesame oil. Just a bit though! You can always add more, but you can't take it out! Personally, I tend to go a bit heavier on the coconut aminos and salt. I love that soy sauce flavaaaa!
Finally, stir in your chopped green onions and you're done! I like them crunchy, but feel free to cook your rice a minute or two longer after stirring them in!
ENJOY!
