This meal turned out so delicious and was extremely simple to make! I threw the pork in the slow cooker first thing in the morning, so that it was done by the time I got home later in the day. Since there was not much prep for the pork, it did not take much time at all to get it started in the slow cooker. When I got home later in the day, I took the pork out to shred and brought the remaining sauce to a boil on the stove top (or put on the saute function if you used an Instant Pot), then let it simmer until it thickened up some and poured it back onto the pork. While that was going on I started the Chipotle Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Mash. I originally wanted to make a Pumpkin Sweet Potato mash, but since pumpkin is not in season I couldn't find any at the store. I guess I could have went for the canned pumpkin, but instead I swapped it out for butternut squash. This combination still turned out tasting amazing and it was a good change up from my normal plain Jane sweet potato mash. The chipolte chili powder spice also gave it a little kick and it paired great with the Apple Cider Pulled Pork. This is a meal I really look forward to eating all week!

Apple Cider Pulled Pork ​
Ingredients:

• ​4 - 5 lbs boneless pork butt
• 1 large sweet onion; peeled and sliced
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened apple cider

Sweet Spice Rub:

• 1 Tbsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. COMBINE all of the spice rub ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle the rub evenly along the sides and top of the pork roast.
2. ADD the onion slices to the bottom of a six-quart slow cooker. Place the seasoned pork roast on top of the onions. Then, add the apple cider. (If the roast is too large, you may wish to cut it in half and place the halves side by side in the slow cooker.)
3. COVER and cook on high 7-8 hours, or on low for 8-10 hours, until the meat is tender enough to be easily shredded with a fork.
4. TURN OFF slow cooker once the roast is done. Carefully transfer the pork to a large platter and allow it to rest a few minutes.
5. POUR the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Place one cup of the liquid back into the slow cooker; discard the remaining liquid and onion.
6. SHRED the pork using two forks. Then, return it to the slow cooker. Toss well with the reserved cooking liquid. Season to taste with additional sea salt and pepper, if desired.
7. SERVE the pork with your favorite Whole30-compliant coleslaw and a side of mashed sweet potatoes. (Plus, save the leftover pulled pork to make even more tasty meals, as noted below.) Enjoy!

Original recipe found here

Super Fast Instant Pot Sweet Potato Mash - Chipotle Butternut Squash version
Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes*
• 1 pound Butternut Squash, cubed
• 1/4 tsp Chipotle chili powder
• 1 cup of water
• 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil or ghee (to your tasting)
• salt and seasonings to taste

Directions:

1. Peel your sweet potatoes and cut them into 1″ cubes.
2. Add sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and water to the instant pot. Close pot and set to sealing.
3. Cook on manual, high pressure, for 10 minutes.
4. Immediately quick release the pressure as soon as the 10 minute cooking cycle has completed.
5. Use oven mitts to carefully remove the inner pot from the Instant pot, carrying it to a colander in your sink to drain the potatoes and squash.
6. Quickly wash out the inner pot and dry it with a kitchen towel.
7. Immediately place the clean inner pot back into the instant pot, add the coconut oil/ghee and press the sauté button.
8. Once the coconut oil starts to sizzle, add your potatoes and squash back to the pot along with any seasonings you desire (add the chipolte chili powder). Use a wooden spoon to stir and turn your sweet potatoes, cooking until a desired consistency is reached. This step should only take a few minutes before you are ready to serve your sweet potato mash! Enjoy!

Notes
*I used closer to 7.5 lbs of sweet potato and 3 lbs of butternut squash for this recipe, so I put them in the pressure cooker separately. I put the sweet potato in the Instant Pot for 20 minutes, then let the sweet potatoes drain while the butternut squash was in the Instant Pot for 10 minutes. 

It's been a while since I made some egg muffins for my mom's breakfast prep, so I came up with this one to change things up. The egg muffin is an extremely simple on-the-go breakfast option to prep and you can make it to your liking. This time I went real simple (or lazy) and got some already riced veggies, onions, and some Applegate ham, but you can choose whatever fillings you like in your eggs. Not only were these super easy to whip together, but they turned out smelling and looking amazing too! I am pretty confident my mom will enjoy eating these for breakfast all week.

Egg Muffins with Ham, and Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Rice
Ingredients:

• 6 slices of ham, sliced into bits (I used Applegate ​brand)
• 2 cups Riced Veggies Cauliflower & Sweet Potato
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ onion, diced
• 8 eggs
• 1-2 tsp coconut oil for sauteing, plus extra for greasing muffin cups

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin well with coconut oil to prevent sticking.
2. Heat a medium or large skillet over medium heat and add 1-2 tsp coconut oil to the skillet. Add the onion, cauliflower and sweet potato rice, and a dash of salt. Cook and stir for about 2-4 minutes (cook rice until soft), then remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, garlic powder, and ham bits. Then, pour the entire ham mixture into the eggs and combine.
4. Fill muffin cups with onion and rice mixture on the bottom, then top with egg mixture until ¾ of the muffin cup is full. 
5. Bake in the preheated oven about 15 minutes, or until the eggs are set and the muffins just begin to brown.
6. Remove from oven and let cool a few minutes before serving. If making ahead, you can refrigerated them in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

I had this one saved for a while and decided it was finally time to give it a try. Not sure if that is a meal prep hack or not, but I'll make it a point just in case it helps anyone out... Whenever you come across a recipe you think you'd enjoy, save the link! Soon enough you will have a list to go through for those times you can't figure out what to cook or need an idea quickly. Although you can also just visit my blog and search through there too haha. Anyways, I absolutely love the cashew chicken meal and this recipe was a winner since it didn't include a bunch of sugar and other unnecessary ingredients. This meal also turned out SO amazing! I doubled the chicken, used 3 peppers, and 5 oz of cashews, then increased the sauce ingredients slightly, but I definitely wish I doubled that part. Everything was made in one pan and I heated up the cauliflower rice on the side while the chicken was cooking. Simple as that! This recipe will no doubt be my go-to cashew chicken recipe in the future. 

Paleo Cashew Chicken 
Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 1/3 cups raw whole cashews
• 1 large bunch scallions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons arrow root powder (instead of 1 tablespoon cornstarch)
• 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

For the Sauce:

• 1/3 cup coconut aminos 
• 1/4 cup coconut vinegar (instead of rice vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons of raw honey (instead of sugar)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat a large deep skillet to medium high. Add the coconut oil and once melted, add the red bell pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes to softened. Then scoop out the bell pepper.
2. Sprinkle the arrow root powder and salt over the cut chicken pieces and toss to coat. Add the chicken to the skillet. Stir and saute for 5-8 minutes until the chicken is mostly cooked through and seared on the outside.
3. Meanwhile, whisk all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Once the chicken is mostly cooked, add the sauce to the skillet and stir. Add the red bell peppers and cashew to the skillet. Once the sauce starts to simmer, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer another 3-5 minutes to thicken.
4. If the sauce tightens up too much, add a little water to loosen it. Turn the heat off and add the chopped scallions. Serve warm with Cauliflower Rice or regular rice.

Original recipe found here

This meal definitely came out tasting like a Chinese Chicken and Broccoli dish! I loved this meal and it was all done in the Instant Pot, which made for an easy meal prep. I basically tripled this recipe below to get more meals prepped for the week, but I only doubled the chicken broth, coconut aminos, and fish sauce. I also did not use any arrowroot flour, but instead removed the chicken and left the sauce in the pot on the saute mode until it thickened up some (while stirring every so often). Oh and I totally forgot to add in the apple cider vinegar at the end, which I was really bummed about because I feel like that would have only made this meal even tastier. Anyways, if you think you would enjoy this meal then you will and you should definitely give it a try! If you don't have fish sauce or can't deal with the smell then I recommend just leaving that ingredient out because it does have a very distinct fish smell. I decided to pair this with my go-to super fast Instant Pot sweet potato mash, but this can easily be paired with rice too! 

Chinese Chicken and Broccoli 
Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (I used Red Boat fish sauce, found at Whole Foods)
• 1 1-inch knob ginger, crushed 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Optional: red pepper flakes, as desired
• 1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 10-12 ounces of broccoli florets, about 5-6 cups
• Sesame seeds, for garnish

Slurry:

• 2 tablespoons arrowroot or tapioca flour 
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. Place chicken in the insert of your Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot.
2. Add in broth and sauce ingredients. 
3. Cook on manual, high pressure for 8 minutes.
4. Turn the knob to quick release.
5. Add in the slurry and mix to combine.
6. Press off, then turn on the sauté function. Add in the broccoli on saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often, or until broccoli has softened and sauce has reduced slightly and thickened. Add apple cider vinegar and mix (this won’t add any vinegar taste, just brings out the flavor in the sauce).
7. Garnish and enjoy. Serve with cauliflower rice or white rice!

​
​Original recipe found here

Super Fast Instant Pot Sweet Potato Mash
Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes*
• 1 cup of water
• 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil or ghee (to your tasting)
• salt and seasonings to taste

Directions:

1. Peel your sweet potatoes and cut them into 1″ cubes.
2. Add sweet potatoes and water to the instant pot. Close pot and set to sealing.
3. Cook on manual, high pressure, for 4 minutes.
4. Immediately quick release the pressure as soon as the 4 minute cooking cycle has completed.
5. Use oven mitts to carefully remove the inner pot from the Instant pot, carrying it to a colander in your sink to drain the potatoes.
6. Quickly wash out the inner pot and dry it with a kitchen towel.
7. Immediately place the clean inner pot back into the instant pot, add the coconut oil/ghee and press the sauté button.
8. Once the coconut oil starts to sizzle, add your potatoes back to the pot along with any seasonings you desire. Use a wooden spoon to stir and turn your sweet potatoes, cooking until a desired consistency is reached. This step should only take a few minutes before you are ready to serve your sweet potato mash! Enjoy!

Notes
*I always use at least 6 lbs of sweet potatoes, 2 cups of water, and cook it for 10-15 minutes.

Original recipe found here

I seriously love when friends pass along recipes for me to try! This one turned out just as amazing as my friend said it was and it was really simple to make since there is not much prep involved. I ended up doubling this entire recipe and made the meatballs on the larger side. A hack I recently discovered for a cleaner way to form meatballs is to wet your hands with water while forming the meatballs. This is especially helpful when dealing with ground turkey or chicken since those meats tend to really stick to your fingers. Anyways, I ended up throwing all the meatballs on a baking sheet and baking in the oven to brown instead of on the skillet. This was just a lot easier since I doubled the recipe and had a lot of meatballs. After that, I followed the directions as is and cooked the meatballs in the slow cooker. While that was cooking I heated up four packages of Riced Veggies Cauliflower & Sweet Potato, only adding some salt, garlic powder, and a couple Tbsp of Coconut Aminos. I divided the rice out into all of my food containers, added the meatballs once they were done cooking, and topped each with a couple spoonfuls of the remaining sauce. Super easy meal to make and it was seriously so delicious! I definitely recommend giving this one a try.

Slow Cooker Turkey Teriyaki Meatballs
Ingredients:
For the Meatballs

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1 inch ginger, peeled and grated
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 bunch green onion, thinly sliced, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon white sesame seeds

For the Sauce

• 1/2 cup coconut aminos
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fish sauce (I used Red Boat fish sauce, found at Whole Foods)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine turkey, ginger, garlic, half of the green onions, salt, and pepper. 
2. Form the ground turkey mixture into 2-inch balls.
3. In a large skillet or saute pan (or the base of your stovetop-friendly slow cooker), melt the ghee. Fry the meatballs for 2-3 minutes per side until browned, then transfer to slow cooker. 
4. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all ingredients for sauce. Pour onto the meatballs.
5. Set slow cooker to high heat and let cook for two hours. 
6. Garnish with sesame seeds and the remaining green onion.
7. Serve alongside cauliflower rice or simple white rice. 

Original recipe found here

If you remember my recent Paleo Banana Bread Muffins post then this one will look familiar. I bought my mom banana and blueberry muffin mixes from the Paleo Baking Company for Christmas and I decided it was finally time to give this blueberry one a try. Now she really loved the banana muffins using this mix, so I anticipated her also really enjoying this blueberry version too. Both require a lot of extra coconut oil, honey, and eggs, so make sure to factor those big ingredients in when checking out the nutrition facts on the package. I typically make my mom this Paleo Blueberry Pancake Muffins recipe instead, which is a lot more simple to throw together and lower in overall calories, fat, and carbs. Just throwing that out there as another blueberry muffin option though! Since I bought this mix for my mom as a gift and treat, she gets to enjoy them for breakfast this week. I always add a scoop of protein into these kind of recipes to sneak more protein in them, but you can leave that ingredient out if you wish. These type of baking mixes are a little more expensive, but if you are looking for a delicious tasting muffin or pancake that is dairy-free and gluten-free and easy to whip together then these mixes are worth trying!

Paleo Blueberry Muffins
​Ingredients:

• ​Paleo Baking Company Paleo Blueberry Muffin Mix 
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup Coconut Oil
• 1 cup Honey
• 1/2 cup Water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
• 3/4 cup fresh or dried blueberries (I used a full Cup)
• 1 scoop Protein Powder (I used this Paleo Protein) (optional)
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt coconut oil in a microwavable dish until liquid (about 60-90 seconds on high). Allow 1 cup liquid coconut oil to cool.
2. Beat eggs on medium speed for 30 seconds, then slowly add cooled liquid coconut oil, honey and water, mixing until combined. Do not overbeat wet mixture.
3. Add Paleo Blueberry Muffin Mix to wet ingredients. Mix on medium speed until batter is smooth, then stir in blueberries until combined.
4. For muffins fill standard muffin pan cups with paper liners. Fill paper liners to full (batter will not rise).
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Do not over-bake or muffins will be dry. Allow muffins to cool completely before removing from pan. Store for up to 5 days in refrigerator or 30 days in the freezer. Baking times may vary.

Recipe from ​Paleo Baking Company Paleo Blueberry Muffin Mix package