Before I talk about the recipe, I want to point out the FAQ section on the left side bar. Although I created this blog to share recipes, meal prepping is really what I do and recommend for others to try and do as well. I answer a lot of questions regarding meal prep in the FAQ section, but if there are any additional questions you have, feel free to ask me! After doing meal prep for so long, I forget to mention some of the details I needed to figure out when I started. 

So this recipe is the bomb. A friend recently shared this one with me and it reminded me about how awesome the PaleOMG blog is. Check it out if you never have before. Anyways, this is a super easy and simple crockpot meal. The original recipe recommends topping with avocado, but I decided to pair it with my usual roasted sweet potato fries. Seriously the best meal ever. Go buy plantains now so they are brown enough by your next meal prep.

Easy Shredded Pork over Caramelized Mashed Plantains
Ingredients:
For the crockpot pork:

• 1-2lb pork loin (I used 2lbs)
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 2 cups beef broth (no sugar added) - add 3 cups if you go with a 2lb pork loin
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

For the plantain mash:

• 4 brown plantains, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 3-4 tablespoons canned coconut milk

Directions:

1. Add all your pork ingredients to a crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
2. Once your pork is done cooking, use two forks and shed it to pieces.
3. Now place a large skillet under medium heat, add your coconut oil and once your pan is nice and hot, add your sliced plantains into the oil.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon and salt.
5. Cook on both sides for 4-5 minutes or until soft.
6. Add your plantains to your food processor and puree. While the food processor is still running, pour in your coconut milk until you get a smooth plantain puree.
7. Add a dollop of plantain mash to your plate and top with pork. 
8. Original recipe suggests topping with avocado. I decided to pair the recipe with roasted brussels.

​Original recipe found here


My Homemade Sweet Potato Fries
(Basically just roasted sweet potatoes)
Ingredients:

• 4-6 Sweet Potatoes (Depending on how much you want to make. 5 medium sized sweet potatoes usually gets me 6 oz of sweet potato fries for 6 meals. I think my idea of medium sized is bigger than most though.)
• Olive oil spray
• Sea salt (I actually use Garlic Sea Salt on everything I cook)
• Optional: Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Skin and cut the sweet potatoes into whatever shape you want. I either do fries, wedges or circles.
3. Spray baking pan with olive oil. Lay down sweet potato fries flat (please do not just dump a pile on the pan).
4. I fill my Misto with olive oil and lightly spray the fries, then add some sea salt (sometimes cinnamon too).
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Take out of the oven and move them around or flip them over. Bake for another 15-20 minutes.
6. Keep an eye on them, if they are thin bake for less time, and vice versa. Key is to move them around or flip them over half way through baking them. I usually make mine thicker, so I bake them for at least a total of 40 minutes. 

Winter Storm Jonas delivered an awesome 30 inches of snow to my area, so my usual meal prep Sunday did not happen. I was able to get to the grocery store Monday afternoon and prepped this meal in under an hour. The original recipe calls for 4lb of chicken drumsticks, which I did not opt for. I used 2lbs of chicken breasts and kept the other ingredients the same. I paired it with a really simple Cauliflower Mash recipe that I formed over the years and it was a yummy meal!

Sun-dried Tomato Chicken over Cauliflower Mash
Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. chicken breasts, with or without the skin (original recipe called for 4lbs of chicken drumsticks if you would rather use that)
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (I didn't have green onions, so I just used 1/4 of a yellow onion) 
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (make sure the ingredients only has olive oil and herbs!)
• 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
2. In a bowl, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, oregano, garlic, olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Arrange the drumsticks in a single layer in a cooking dish, and pour the tomato mixture on top.
4. Sprinkle the green onions over everything in the dish, and bake for 30 (45 if you are doing the 4lbs of drumsticks) minutes, or until the chicken is well cooked.

Original recipe found here

Cauliflower Mash 
Ingredients:

• 2 heads of cauliflower
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (I use the thick part at the top of the can, then slowly add a little bit more of the liquid part if needed)
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder (this is an estimate, I sprinkled in a little at a time until it was to my liking)
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Cut the cauliflower into florets. Place in the boiling water and cook for anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender. Check this by poking it with a fork.
3. Strain the cauliflower from the water and place into your food processor. Add the coconut milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth in texture. Taste the mash and adjust the spices to your liking if needed!

​Not sure where I found this recipe, but it's one of my favorites! I would definitely recommend adjusting the seasoning on the brussels while cooking so it's to your liking. I also like to add in some bacon fat or bacon pieces to give some more flavor. Try this recipe if you are ever in the mood for steak!

Crusted Strip Steak over Warm Shaved Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp ghee, lard or coconut oil (I use coconut oil)
• 2 lb strip steak (I used flank steak)
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 tsp coarsely cracked black pepper
• 4 cups shaved Brussels sprouts
• 3/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp pistachios, chopped
• 3 tbsp Balsamic reduction

Directions: 

1. Allow your steak to dry uncovered in fridge overnight, or pat it really dry with paper towels
2. cover generously with salt and pepper on both sides
3. Melt cooking fat of your choice in a heavy skillet (cast iron strongly recommended) over VERY HIGH HEAT
4. When your pan is really sorching hot, drop your steak right in and do not move it for at least 1 minute, until a nice golden crust forms.
5. While your steak is cooking, baste it with the hot fat. This will help cook it more gently but more importantly, it will cook it from both sides simultaneously, so you can have a beautiful crust on the exterior and cooked meat on the interior.
6. Flip steak and cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on desired doneness.
7. Remove steak to a plate with kitchen tongs (do not pierce it with a fork!) and tent with aluminum foil or a dome shaped bowl or glass lid.
8. While steak is resting, place your skillet back over medium heat and add red onion. Immediately throw in shaved Brussels sprouts.
9. Cook stirring, for about 1 minute or until just softened. Adjust seasoning if needed.
10. Mound in the center of a plate; Slice your steak on a diagonal and arrange it right over the shaved Brussels sprouts
11. Sprinkle with chopped pistachio and drizzle a little bit of Balsamic reduction.
12. Serve immediately.

I'm not a spicy food fan, so this was not a normal pick for me. I cut down on the jalapenos and on some of the spices, so my burgers did come out a little plain. Overall though it is still a good recipe. I ended up cooking them on the stove top because it was too cold outside to grill, so next time I make these I will have to use the grill. Paired this with my usual roasted sweet potatoes (recipe below) and broccoli. 

Paleo Jalapeno Chicken Burgers 
Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds Ground Chicken
• ⅔ cups dice Onion, White
• ¼ cups chop Cilantro, Fresh
• 2 teaspoons mince Garlic, Cloves
• 2 teaspoons seed and dice Jalapeño
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:

1. Mix together ground chicken, onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, ground cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. 
2. Divide mixture and form into indicated number of patties. 
3. Grill over medium-high heat and flip when bottom side of burger no longer sticks to the grill grates. (I was not going out in the cold, so I cooked them on the stove top)
4. Continue cooking until cooked through.

Original recipe found here


Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:

• 4-6 Sweet Potatoes (Depending on how much you want to make. 5 medium sized sweet potatoes usually gets me 6 oz of sweet potato fries for 6 meals. I think my idea of medium sized is bigger than most though.)
• Olive oil spray
• Sea salt (I actually use Garlic Sea Salt on everything I cook)
• Optional: Cinnamon

Directions:
1.      Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2.      Skin and cut the sweet potatoes into whatever shape you want. I either do fries, wedges or circles.
3.      Spray baking pan with olive oil. Lay down sweet potato fries flat (please do not just dump a pile on the pan).
4.      I fill my Misto with olive oil and lightly spray the fries, then add some sea salt (sometimes cinnamon too).
5.      Bake for 15-20 minutes. Take out of the oven and move them around or flip them over. Bake for another 15-20 minutes.
Keep an eye on them, if they are thin bake for less time, and vice versa. Key is to move them around or flip them over half way through baking them. I usually make mine thicker, so I bake them for at least a total of 40 minutes.

An awesome fall recipe or comfort meal. I paired this with roasted shaved brussels and it pretty much tasted like a Thanksgiving meal. I always roast brussels with bacon fat and/or actually add bacon to it. But I have made this recipe a lot, it's an easy crockpot chicken meal if you are ever running short on time to cook.

Crockpot Chicken with Butternut Squash, Pears, and Cranberries
Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash (1.5 lbs.), cubed
• 1 sweet onion, sliced
• 1 bosc pear, sliced
• 1 cup raw cranberries
• 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into halves or quarters)
• 1 cup veggie or chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp Sea salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Layer squash cubes at the bottom of the crockpot.
2. Put half of the onions, pears, and cranberries on top.
3. Add 1 bay leaf and some spices.
4. Arrange a layer of chicken on top of the spices.
5. Add another layer of spices and the second bay leaf on top of the chicken.
6. Add the remaining onion, pear, and cranberries.
7. Pour the broth over the mixture.
8. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Original recipe found here

Changed the original recipe (link below) up a little bit and added cauliflower to sneak some more veggies into it. I did not use peas this time, but have in the past and it was good both ways. Also, a friend once shared with me that the trick to shred chicken is throwing the cooled, cooked chicken in a stand mixer... and it was life changing. Before that, I was shredding chicken with two forks and killing my forearms. Anyways, don't forget to top this with bacon, everything is better topped with bacon. 

“Cheesy” Chicken Casserole Topped with Bacon
Ingredients:

• 1.5-2lbs shredded cooked chicken 
• 1lb cubed butternut squash 
• 1lb cauliflower
• 1/2 cup coconut cream (skimmed off of the top of a can of coconut milk)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil 
• 1.25 c green peas (if using frozen, thaw prior to adding to recipe)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 6 slices cooked bacon

Instructions:

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees and bake chicken for about 10-15 minutes. Take out of the oven and let cool for about 30 minutes.
2. Cook 6 slices of bacon and set aside.
3. Soften cubed and peeled butternut squash in a large pot of boiling water for approximately 20 minutes (or until soft). Remove butternut squash from pot using a strainer and place in food processor.
4. Steam cauliflower for approximately 10-12 minutes (or until soft). Remove cauliflower and place in food processor with the butternut squash and pulse until the squash and cauliflower are mashed together.
5. Add apple cider vinegar, sea salt, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, thyme and onion powder to the mashed butternut squash and cauliflower and stir to combine.
6. Add coconut creme and oil, stirring to combine.
7. Once the chicken is cooled, throw in stand food mixer on a low speed until you have pulled chicken.
8. Stir in coconut oil, coconut creme, shredded chicken and green peas.
9. Place mixture in a large skillet and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes on medium heat.
10. Put everything in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the peas are warmed through and everything is melty and creamy. 
11. Top with bacon!

Original recipe found here 

Starting to realize I am writing every meal is so good and a must-try, but I really liked this one too. I omitted the rice vinegar and sesame seeds from the cauli-rice, but that is just my personal preference. Also, I have made this beef with and without arrowroot flour and both are equally good...so if you have that ingredient go for it, but if not, don't let that be a game changer for whether you make this or not. 

Mongolian Beef over Cauliflower Rice 
Ingredients:
Cauli-Rice:

• 1 small head cauliflower, grated
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (I did not use)
• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar (I did not use)
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Mongolian Beef:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• ½ medium yellow onion, diced
• ½ cup (120 ml) coconut aminos (I use Bragg Liquid Aminos)
• ¼ cup (60 ml) raw honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• pinch of Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder 
• 1 pound (455 grams) flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
• 1 green onion, sliced, for garnish

Instructions:

1. First, make the cauliflower rice: Cut the cauliflower into small florets and place in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few quick times (about 10 to 15) until it resembles the texture of rice
2. Add the coconut oil to a large skillet set over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic, sesame seeds, salt and pepper until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
3. Add riced cauliflower, rice vinegar and sesame oil and continue cooking for an additional 5-8 minutes, until cauliflower is cooked but remains a tad crunchy.
4. Kill the heat and set aside.
5. While the rice cooks, make the Mongolian beef: Heat the coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, add the coconut aminos, honey, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper to a glass measuring cup and mix with a flat whisk until well combined.
7. Pour that mixture in the pan with the onions and let it come to a boil. Add the arrowroot powder to the pan while continuously whisking until the mixture is thickened, about 2 minutes.
8. Place the steak slices in the pan with the sauce, distributing them throughout the pan so as not to overcrowd them. Simmer the meat in the sauce for 4-5 minutes, or until no red meat is apparent.
9. Once the meat has cooked through, place over cauliflower rice and top with chopped green onion.

Original recipe found here

Absolutely love this recipe and have made it a lot over the past few months. I always serve it over roasted sweet potatoes (recipe at the end of this post) or sweet potato hash. Also, I had planned to make this for some friends one time, but my butternut squash spoiled!  So I improvised and swapped out the butternut squash for sweet potato and it was equally delicious. I'm just a big fan of all things sweet potato.

Bacon Butternut Squash Quiche
Ingredients:

• 8 slices of cooked bacon
• 1 small butternut squash (or buy 1lb already cubed)
• 2 cups spinach
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup canned whole fat coconut milk (I usually only use the thick part)
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. coconut oil, melted

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare a pie dish or tart pan by coating with melted coconut oil.
3. Chop up half the cooked bacon and cut the other four strips in half.
4. Peel and de-seed butternut squash then thinly slice into 1/4 inch disks.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk and seasonings.
6. Line the bottom of the prepared dish with one layer of butternut squash.
7. Sprinkle chopped bacon over the top.
8. Layer the spinach over the butternut squash and bacon.
9. Place another layer of butternut squash over the spinach followed by the remaining slices of bacon.
10. Pour egg mixture over the top evenly.
11. Bake for 35-40.

Original recipe found here

My Homemade Sweet Potato Fries
(Basically just roasted sweet potatoes)
Ingredients:

• 4-6 Sweet Potatoes (Depending on how much you want to make. 5 medium sized sweet potatoes usually gets me 6 oz of sweet potato fries for 6 meals. I think my idea of medium sized is bigger than most though.)
• Olive oil spray
• Sea salt (I actually use Garlic Sea Salt on everything I cook)
• Optional: Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Skin and cut the sweet potatoes into whatever shape you want. I either do fries, wedges or circles.
3. Spray baking pan with olive oil. Lay down sweet potato fries flat (please do not just dump a pile on the pan).
4. I fill my Misto with olive oil and lightly spray the fries, then add some sea salt (sometimes cinnamon too).
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Take out of the oven and move them around or flip them over. Bake for another 15-20 minutes.
6. Keep an eye on them, if they are thin bake for less time, and vice versa. Key is to move them around or flip them over half way through baking them. I usually make mine thicker, so I bake them for at least a total of 40 minutes. 

I changed up the original recipe to come up with this Southwest version. Turned out pretty awesome and the beef was much more flavorful. I use McCormick's Southwest Seasoning on a lot of my beef recipes including this one; it's the first Southwest seasoning I have found without sugar in it. Anyways, the original recipe is a four layer beef and bacon casserole, which I have also made and really like, and that recipe can be found in the link at the end of this post.

​Southwest Shepherds Pie
Ingredients:
For the sweet potato mash:

• 3 to 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes (1¼ pounds/560 grams)
• ¼ cup (60 mL) coconut milk 
• ½ teaspoon dried sage
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the cauliflower mash:

• 1 head cauliflower (1½ pounds/750 grams), chopped into florets
• ¼ cup (60 mL) coconut milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the ground beef mixture:

• 2 pounds (910 grams) ground beef
• 1 green pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 tbsp Southwest seasoning (I use McCormick's Southwest Seasoning)
• coconut oil, for greasing the baking dish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Poke holes in sweet potato with a fork. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are soft and easily pieced through with a knife. The time may range depending on the thickness of the sweet potatoes. 
2. While the potatoes are baking, steam the cauliflower. Once cauliflower is fork tender, place it in a food processor or blender and puree until cauliflower becomes soft and resembles mashed potatoes. Then add the coconut milk and salt and pepper and continue to blend until you have a smooth consistency. Remove from the blender and set aside. Clean out the blender for the sweet potato mash. 
3. When sweet potatoes are soft, remove their skins and place in the food processor or blender. Blend until the sweet potato breaks down, then add the coconut milk, sage, and salt and pepper and puree until smooth. Set aside for later.
4. Lastly, cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 minutes or until browned; drain and set aside. Melt oil in skillet; add garlic, onion and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until onion and peppers are tender. Return beef to skillet and stir in Southwest seasoning and cook another 5 or so minutes, then remove pan from heat.
5. Create the layers: Use a slotted spoon to remove half of the meat mixture from the excess liquid in the pan and place in the prepared baking dish in one layer. Then pour the cauliflower mash mixture on top of the meat and spread out. Then, using the slotted spoon, add the other half of the meat on top of the cauliflower mash. Lastly, pour the sweet potato mash on top and spread it out on top of the meat.
6. Turn oven down to 350°F (175°C) degrees. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the casserole begins to bubble. Then turn on the broiler to high and cook for 5 minutes to brown the top of the casserole. Let rest to thicken and garnish with the bacon before serving.

​Original recipe found here

Pretty easy meal. Throw the chicken in the crockpot and come back later to take care of the veggies. I paired this with cauliflower rice, which is one of my go-to's because it's super easy to whip up. Also, I rarely cook with arrowroot flour. It is used to thicken sauces, so if you want to thicken up the sauce, use it. 

Teriyaki Chicken and Veggies
Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs. chicken breasts
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 cup coconut aminos (I use Bragg Liquid Aminos)
• 1/2 cup raw honey
• 1/4 cup juice from fresh oranges
• 2 tbs rice vinegar
• 1 tbs arrowroot flour (I omitted this)
• 1 tbs fresh grated ginger
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves - pressed or minced
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Optional Garnish: Chopped green onions and sesame seeds
• Broccoli or other veggie to pair with meat

Instructions:

1. Set slow-cooker/crock pot to LOW
2. Add all ingredients above – except the chicken – to the slow cooker
3. Season raw chicken breasts with salt and pepper then place in slow cooker
4. Cook 4 - 6 hours until chicken is cooked through and tender
5. Remove just the chicken from the crockpot, shred it, and place it right back in the slow cooker with all the juices
6. Turn the slow cooker off, and allow the shredded chicken to absorb the liquid and flavors in the pot for about 20 minutes
7. Remove chicken and carrots from slow cooker
8. Throw your veggies (I used broccoli and more carrots) in a stir fry pan and pour some of the liquid from the crockpot into the pan. Put a lid on top of and stir every 5 or so minutes. Once the veggies were soft to touch I set aside.
9. Serve with cauliflower rice, green onions and sesame seeds if desired

Original recipe found here