paleo comfort food – Clean Eating with Katie

Nachos have been my favorite food since I was about 12. They always seemed like a perfect food. Fat, protein, carbohydrates – they have it all. That is until I learned about how bad vegetable oils are. Not sure what I’m talking about? My post on fats should help to clear things up. Anywho, I got real ambitious one day and decided to make plantain nachos from scratch. If you aren’t up for that, there are some “clean” plantain chips available out there. You can also use Siete chips if you want to keep it paleo.

Paleo Plantain Nachos

cleaneatingwithkatie

Nachos are an ultimate comfort food for me, but if I eat them now, I feel very uncomfortable. So having a clean version of Nachos comes in super handy!

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Tex-Mex

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Plantains

2 green plantains
¼ cup cooking fat coconut oil, ghee, or bacon fat
2 tsp sea salt

Guacamole

1 lime, juiced
2 avocados
1 tsp garlic sea salt
½ tsp chili powder

Remaining Nacho Ingredients

1 lb ground meat beef, turkey, chorizo, chicken, or pork
1 tbsp cooking fat
2 tbsp taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 bunch radishes thinly sliced
½ cup cilantro, chiffonade
Cotija cheese optional (not pictured)

Instructions

Plantains

Peel and thinly slice the plantains about one-quarter inch thick.
Add the cooking fat to a large saute pan deep enough to fry the plantains. Heat fat over med-high heat.
Add plantains in a single layer and cook in batches. Cook for 3-5 minutes per side until golden brown. Flip using tongs and brown on the other side.
As you remove the plantains, place them on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with a wee bit of sea salt.

Guacamole

Add avocado flesh to a bowl along with lime juice and spices. Add a couple of pinches of the cilantro that is being used for garnish. Mash until you achieve the desired consistency. Set aside.

Remaining Nacho Directions:

Add the cooking fat to a large skillet and add the meat and begin to brown over med-high heat. Add taco seasoning and continue cooking.
On each plate, layer ¼ of the following ingredients: plantains, meat, cabbage, guacamole, cilantro, and radishes. If using Cotija, crumble on top and serve.

Keyword nachos, paleo, paleo plantain nachos, paleo tex-mex, plantain nachos

Who doesn’t love spaghetti? And casserole? I’m in. When going paleo, grain free, or just avoiding processed foods, sometimes spaghetti and casseroles are off limits, but not this one! There are plenty of options for the base – zoodles (zucchini noodles), sweet potato “noodles”, mashed sweet potatoes, or as the recipe calls for, mashed potatoes. Choose your own adventure here friends!

Paleo Spaghetti Casserole

cleaneatingwithkatie

Spaghetti and Casserole is comfort food times two! We substitute noodles for either sweet potatoes or white potatoes in this recipe.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Course casserole, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

2 lbs grass-fed ground beef or other ground meat
2 large yukon gold potatoes cut into 1-in. half moons
32 oz tomato sauce Rao's or Otamot are my favorite
1½ tbsp Italian spice blend
2 cups fresh spinach
1 med. onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp basil chiffonade
1 tbsp grass-fed butter
2 tbsp cooking fat ghee, butter, etc.
1 tsp sea salt
shaved parmesan cheese optional garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Add the potatoes to a large pot and add enough water to cover the potatoes. Add a pinch of sea salt and bring to a boil. The potatoes are done when easily pierced with a knife, about 15-20 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, add 1 tbsp. of the cooking fat to a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once the fat is hot, add the ground meat. Sprinkle with a small pinch of sea salt and the Italian spice blend. Use a spatula to stir and break up meat while browning.
In a medium skillet, add the remaining 1 tbsp. of cooking fat to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until translucent. Turn the heat down to medium and add the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat.
When the meat is cooked through, add the jar of tomato sauce and mix to combine.
When the potatoes are done, drain and mash with a potato masher. Add a pinch of sea salt and a tbsp. of butter.
In a large casserole pan, layer the mashed potatoes, the spinach/onion/garlic mix, and then meat sauce mixture. Put in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
Before serving, garnish with basil and parmesan cheese and serve.

Keyword casserole, gluten-free, grain-free, main dish, paleo, spaghetti casserole