Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole ( with a dairy free option)

Gluten Free Breakfast Casserole

     My family loves breakfast casseroles! Although we mostly eat them for dinner, not breakfast! My four year old and husband can eat about half the pan just the two of them because they love it so much. I often make this casserole when I need to take a breakfast dish someplace, such as my MOPS group at church! It's also a go-to during football season when we have those early 11am Husker parties. Through the years I've tweaked this recipe to get it down to a few ingredients I always have on hand. You can customize it to meet your needs or dietary preferences. One of my favorite additions is sun dried tomatoes! They add a little bit of sweetness to the dish. I sometimes make it half with cheese and half without for those who can't have dairy. This casserole reheats very well in the microwave so you can make it at the beginning of the week and have it on hand for an easy breakfast.

Ingredients
-16 oz. of gluten free hash browns (NOTE: this is half of most bags, I've tried it with a whole bag and it's too many potatoes!)
-12 large eggs
-16 oz of sausage cooked until browned and drained of excess fat ( I use Jimmy Deans All Natural)
-4-8 oz of sharp cheddar cheese (this can be left off to it make dairy free)
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
other options for mix ins-
-sundried tomatoes ( mix them in with the hash browns/eggs or they will burn on top!
-mushrooms
-crumbled goat cheese
-feta cheese

Instructions
1) Pre-heat oven to 350
2) Generously spray the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray (don't skip this or it will stick)
3) Pour the 16 oz of frozen hash browns into the skillet and spread until they are even
4) Brown the sausage in a large skillet and drain
5) Spread the sausage over the hash browns in the baking dish
6) In a large bowl crack all 12 eggs, add the salt and pepper and whisk the eggs until they are well incorporated
7) Pour the egg mixture over the hash browns and sausage and use a fork to make sure the egg reaches the sides of the dish. Since this recipe does not have added milk in the mixture it might look like there aren't enough eggs to cover but if you tilt the baking dish around the eggs will sink down and coat the whole dish.
8) Sprinkle the top with 6-8 oz or as much cheese or other toppings that you want!
9) Bake for 45 minutes and check with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. If the egg bake is not baked through add five more minutes at a time and keep checking until done.

Note: My sister and I always joke about how egg bakes always take different amounts of time to cook and usually take longer than you think they will!  I have made this so many times and tried to time it out and it usually takes between 45-60 minutes but sometimes it takes longer and sometimes it takes less! If you are taking this to an event make sure you give yourself plenty of time for it to cook!

Gluten Free Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Two Ways

   

      Usually my four year old doesn't like chicken nuggets, or chicken tenders, or any type of fried breaded chicken. I think he might be one of the only toddlers I've met that this rings true for. He does however like grilled chicken, sautéed chicken, and now he likes my air fryer chicken tenders!
      I have had a lot of fun experimenting with my new air fryer I bought on amazon prime day. I was hoping to use it to make easy meals for lunch when we didn't have leftovers on hand. I can't make things easy and just make one type of chicken tender at a time so I made two! The first one is more traditional using Trader Joe's new gluten free rice crumbs. The texture of the exterior is so crispy from the ground rice! These were a hit with my husband and son, who if they chose to could eat a normal gluten filled chicken tender.
     The second version features one of my favorite treats, Siete Grain Free Tortilla Chips! These chips are made with Cassava flour and taste very similar to corn based tortilla chips, but without the grain for those who can't have corn. I never know what to do with the end of the bag of these chips when there are little pieces and now I have a fun new chicken tortilla chicken tender I can make!
     Both of these recipes were made in the air fryer and haven't been tested in the oven. From prior experience with making chicken tenders in the oven, I think you could make these in the oven but they will not be as crispy, and probably a little soggy on one side. The picture below is using the Siete  Grain Free Chips!

Ingredients
12 chicken tenders
1  cup of Trader Joe's Rice Crumbs or Siete Tortilla chips crumbled into small pieces
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 eggs beaten

Instructions

1) Pre- heat air fryer for 3 minutes to 400 degrees

2) In a small dish crack the two eggs and beat them with a fork until mixed

3) In another small dish pour your choice of breading, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder

4) Dip each chicken finger in the egg mixture and then the crumb mixture, set each chicken tender on a plate while the air fryer pre-heats

5) Depending on the size of your air fryer (mine is a Ninja and fits six chicken tenders at a time) place the chicken tenders in batches in the air fryer basket. Spray the tenders with olive oil spray and cook at 400 for 5 minutes, flip and spray the other side with olive oil spray, and cook for another 5 minutes at 400 or until chicken reaches a temp of 165.
I usually put my oven on 200 and place the chicken tenders on a sheet pan to keep them warm and crispy while I cook the rest of the chicken.

Serve with ketchup, barbecue sauce, or I even like them with guacamole!

(These are the new rice crumbs from Trader Joe's)

Maple Sea Salt Cashew Bites

Maple Sea Salt Cashew Bites

     I love anything maple flavored. As a child that meant sugary "maple" syrup and maple flavored cookies in the shape of a maple leaf ( have you ever had one? They are SO good!). When I discovered there was a more natural maple extract available I had to experiment and make something that would satisfy my maple craving! I love the combination of a little sea salt mixed with something sweet. I used dates to sweeten these so you are getting the bonus of fiber and all the good things that are packed into dates! These bites are easy to make and grab when you want a quick snack or something sweet!

Maple Sea Salt Cashew Bites

Makes 10 

Ingredients 

-1/2 cup unsalted cashews

-1/2 cup pitted dates ( I use medjool dates)

-1/2 tsp maple flavor ( I use Frontier Co-Op brand)

-1 tsp water

-2 TBSP flax meal ( you can leave this out but need to add more cashews or they will be sticky)

-1/4 tsp sea salt ( plus a little more for sprinkling on top)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes smooth and starts to stick together. The mixture should be sticky but not so sticky you can't roll them into balls. If it is too sticky add a tablespoon more of cashews at a time until it is the right consistency. 

Roll the mixture into 10 equal balls and place in the refrigerator to set.

Sprinkle the top with a few flakes of sea salt if desired.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Paleo 5 Ingredient Chicken Marinade

Paleo 5 Ingredient Chicken Marindade

      We love grilling in our house, and especially love grilling chicken! I always know that grilled chicken tastes better when you take the time to marinate it but I found myself not having the ingredients on hand that most marinades called for. I came up with this marinade based off of flavors I enjoyed from other marinades I had used in the past, but put a paleo twist on it.
     Does anyone know how to take a picture of chicken and make it look pretty?! Ha ha Chicken is just one of those things that doesn't photograph well but trust me, this tastes SO good! I love to grill a few pounds of chicken tenders to have leftovers for lunches during the week. This recipe can be easily adapted to be non-paleo ( and a little less expensive to make) just use the substitutes listed. 

Chicken Marinade

1/2 C coconut aminos ( my favorite brand is from trader joes) ( you can sub soy sauce if you can have  soy)

1/2 C avocado or olive oil 

2 TBSP sesame oil 

2 TBSP coconut sugar ( you can sub brown sugar)

1/2 tsp salt

Pour ingredients over 2-3 lbs of chicken in a large ziplock bag and marinate for at least 4 hours before grilling.

Make sure you rotate the chicken or shake the bag you have the chicken in every few hours to make sure all the pieces are coated.

Paleo Cardamom Zucchini Muffins

Paleo Cardamom Zucchini Muffins

     Have you ever had cardamom? My first time trying this spice was a few years ago when I came across a recipe for cardamom tea cakes during Christmas. I decided to try to make them gluten free. The warming spice of the cardamom in the tea cakes soon became a favorite of mine! Suddenly cardamom was showing up everywhere I looked. In ice cream at Coneflower, pound cake at Goldenrod pastries, and then I realized it was in quite a few middle eastern savory dishes I had recipes for. The gluten free, dairy free cardamom pound cake at Goldenrod Pasteries in Lincoln, NE is one of my favorite treats! If you ever find yourself there you need to try it!  If you don't have cardamom (it can be hard to find) you can sub cinnamon.
   
      Because of the texture these muffins are best at room temperature or heated in the microwave for a few seconds. In my opinion they are also amazing slathered with some wild blueberry jam. Coconut flour is one of my favorite paleo baking flours to use because of its low carb count, and low price point. If you've never had a coconut flour muffin the texture is a little more "eggy" than a regular muffin, or even an almond flour muffin, but very tasty!

Paleo Cardamom Zucchini Muffins

6 eggs at room temperature

3/4 cup coconut flour 

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cloves

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups of shredded zucchini 

Preheat oven to 350 and place cupcake liners in 12 muffin tins

1) Break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk until yolks are combined with the whites

2) Add the coconut flour, maple syrup, cardamom, cloves, and baking soda and stir well to combine

3) Gently stir in the shredded zucchini 

4) Divide the batter among the 12 muffin tins 

5) Check the muffins at 20 minutes, if a toothpick comes out clean they are done. If not add another two minutes at a time and keep checking until done.

Coconut flour muffins are a lot different texture than most gluten free muffins, these will naturally have a softer and "eggy" texture. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to five days.

Recipe adapted from Detoxinista https://detoxinista.com/paleo-coconut-flour-zucchini-bread/

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

 Black Bean and Corn Salsa

      This recipe is one that I have taken to family meals more than any other recipe I make. I originally got this recipe as a newlywed from my mother-in-law who got it from her niece Jennifer. Jennifer got it from her friend who is a missionary in Turkey. She said when she passes the recipe along she asks people to pray for her friends in Turkey, and also the people of Turkey when they make it. I thought that was such a sweet idea, so I'm passing that idea along also.
My mother-in-law asked me to make this salsa for a family dinner one night, and it has become my job the past 7 years to make it. I passed the recipe along to my side of the family and now anytime this salsa goes with a meal we are having I get requests to bring it along. This feeds a crowd and goes great with Mexican food or a BBQ!
   
I have tweaked the recipe a little to fit what my husband likes the best about it, lots of black beans and not as much cilantro. The really funny thing about me posting this recipe right now is that I can't currently eat corn, tomatoes, onions, or lime juice. Hopefully soon I will be able to, and when I am this will be the first thing I make myself!

 Ingredients

Dressing
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove of minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 (15 oz) cans of black beans drained and rinsed
1 can organic sweet corn drained and rinsed
1 avocado cut into chunks
1 pint of cherry tomatoes sliced into quarters
6 thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped

1) Mix dressing in a cup and stir until well mixed

2) In a large bowl combine the rest of the ingredients except for the avocado and cilantro. Pour the dressing over and let sit in the fridge for a few hours for the flavors to develop.

3) Right before serving add the chopped avocado and cilantro.

Serve with tortilla chips for dipping!

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

     These chicken fajitas are on rotation in our house all year round! I have been known to ask my husband to fire up the grill in the midst of snow and sub zero temperatures. He usually obliges me but when it's really too cold to go outside and grill these can be made in a skillet and still taste great!

We really enjoy having family and friends over for dinner, and this is one of our go to recipes! The prep work can be done ahead of time and your guests can chat outside with you while you are grilling the fajitas. I also love that you can put the rub on the chicken right before it cooks and still get a lot of flavor. I usually forget to marinate chicken ahead of time and with this recipe you can get the chicken grill ready in just a few minutes!

The subtle spiciness of the chicken from the rub with the freshness of the grilled veggies is one of my favorite combinations! It's such a fun meal for guests, and everyone can accommodate their dietary needs by choosing different tortillas and toppings. Recently when we had friends over I had regular tortillas, gluten free corn, and grain tortillas free tortillas to choose from. I also splurged and bought some site foods dairy free queso which is not quite the same as regular queso, but it's tasty. I hope your family enjoys this meal as much as we do!

Chicken Fajitas

serves 6-8 people

Ingredients

5 medium sized chicken breasts

red and green bell peppers cut in half and seeds and stems removed

red onion sliced into 1/4 inch intact rings

1 TBSP olive oil

Rub for chicken

Mix all ingredients in small bowl

1/2 TBSP chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried parsley

1) Cut bell peppers in half removing seeds and stem.  Peel onion and cut into 1/4 inch slices keeping rings intact

2) Coat the chicken breasts with the olive oil

3) Sprinkle the chicken with the rub evenly on all sides. 

4) Grill chicken over medium high heat until it reaches an internal temperature of 175, about six minutes each side.

5) Halfway through cooking add peppers and onions to the grill and cook until peppers are soft and a little charred and onions become flexible 

6) Cut peppers, onions, and chicken into strips and serve in tortilla shells

Our favorite way to eat these is with sour cream and a little hot sauce! Other great toppings are cheese, fresh jalapenos, and guacamole.