Paleo Spaghetti Pie

Paleo Spaghetti Pie
Found on PalOMG
Makes 4 Servings

1 spaghetti squash (600 – 800 grams)
1 pound hot Italian sausage (5 links)
½ yellow onion, diced
1 cup sugarfree pizza sauce
1 tsp dried basil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
3 eggs, whisked

Preheat oven to 400. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Place it cut side down on a baking sheet; bake for 25 minutes until skin gives when you press on it. Remove from oven and decrease heat to 350. While squash bakes, grease square baking dish with olive oil and cook sausage and onion together over medium heat in a large pan. Add pizza sauce, basil and red pepper flakes. Once squash has cooled, remove squash threads into dish. Pour cooked/hot sausage mixture over squash threads. Pour whisked eggs on top and gently mix into dish until you no longer see eggs. Bake for 1 hour until crust appears on top.

Review: This recipe is seriously amazing. We have made it 3 or 4 times now and just love it. I have considered trying to do half ground beef as it's very spicy but honestly, we love the spice and I would never, ever know that pasta wasn't in this - true story. This is a major favorite! It even tastes like it has cheese on it with that crust!

What the whole dish looks like:

Paleo Two-Meat Chili

Paleo Two Meat Chili
Recipe from my friend Monica; adapted from Everyday Paleo

2 tbsp olive oil
3 celery stalks, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 pounds of grass fed ground beef
½ pound spicy italian pork sausage
1 pinches sea salt
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
½ tbsp cumin
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 large can of diced tomatoes w/ juice
16 ounces chicken broth
Optional topping: avocado slices or chunks

Add olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Add celery, onion and garlic and sauté for a minute. Add meat and brown.  Season with spices; stir. Add tomatoes and broth and simmer for 35 minutes (or longer if desired). Taste and add more seasoning if desired.

Recipe: This has become another staple here. I make at least one chili a week and we eat off of it all week. This one is great and I have made it for non-paleo friends and they love it, too. You just don't miss the beans. It tastes GREAT topped with avocado! I often puree the celery and onion - I'm just not a big fan of bites of this but love the flavor it brings.

Paleo Zoodles & Meatballs

Paleo Zoodles & Meatballs
Makes 4 Servings
Idea from my friend Josie; Adapted from Nom Nom Paleo

6 Zucchini
8 oz. ground beef
8 oz. Hot Italian Sausage
1 egg
1 cup diced fresh basil, divided
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
2 cups organic/gluten-free spaghetti sauce

In a large mixing bowl, add beef, sausage, egg and half of the basil. Mix together, then roll into meatballs 1” in diameter. Heat large pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and garlic, then meatballs. Brown, turning often until all are browned and cooked through, 7 – 8 minutes. Top with spaghetti sauce and put lid on for 10 minutes over simmer. While simmering, use julienne peeler to make “zoodles.” Add all to a large, microwave-safe bowl and cover with wet paper towels. Microwave for two minutes and set aside. Remove meatballs from heat and add remaining fresh basil on top. Serve over zoodles.

Review: Love. We have made this for non-paleo guests too and you truly don't miss the pasta. Honestly! The meat has so much flavor and the zucchini is a great sub. Winning recipe and a weekly staple that helps us stay on the whole foods, gluten-free track around here!

Breakfast Casserole with Biscuit Crust

Breakfast Casserole with Biscuit Crust
Found on Food.com
Makes 8 Servings

1 can biscuit dough
1 pound reduced fat sausage
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
6 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a medium-sized pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add to medium heat, and cook sausage for 7 – 8 minutes until no longer pink. In the meantime, spray a rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Press biscuits into bottom of dish, sealing areas to make a crust. Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. Sprinkle now-cooked sausage on top, then cheese. Pour egg mixture over the meat and cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until firmly set in center.

Nutritional Information: 344 calories, 26 carbs, 19 fat grams and 16 protein grams.

Review: Fab - easy, peasy, 8 filling servings, not a lot of work - YES, a keeper. And bonus, it looks pretty and puffy and reheated well. Done and done and quickly to the top of our always-in-rotation dishes!

Eggs & Sweet Potato Hash

Eggs & Sweet Potato Hash
Recipe inspired by Paleo Plan
Makes 4 Servings

2 tbsp coconut oil
12 oz. sweet potato, diced into 1/2" cubes
1 cup yellow onion, diced
2 links Jenie-O Sweet Italian turkey sausages, sliced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
4 eggs
Dash of pepper
Optional side: mushrooms

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp coconut oil. Add onions and sweet potatoes, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the sausages and continue to cook until sausages are browned and sweet potatoes are slightly softened. Add bell peppers and 1 tbsp of water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are completely soft; stir frequently to ensure it doesn't stick. Meanwhile, cook eggs in remaining coconut oil. Season eggs with black pepper and serve on the side of sweet potato hash.

Nutritional information (per serving): 301 calories, 23 carbs, 17 fat grams and 15 protein grams.

Review: Amazing! Seriously - my first time using coconut oil and I will absolutely be using it again. It goes so well with sweet potatoes, and gave the hash an amazing, almost sweet, flavor. This reheated well, too - I just heated it for 1 minute on medium heat, then 30 seconds on high heat. I also had a steamed mushroom on the side, just for fun. :) Austins's mom gave me a steamer a while back, and i've been using it left and right for potatoes, veggies and more - good stuff.

Mini Paleo Muffins

Mini Paleo Muffins
Makes 6 Servings

12 eggs
2 tbsp minced garlic
3 Jennie-O Sweet Italian Sausage links, cooked and crumbled
¼ cup Red bell pepper, diced
¼ cup Mushrooms, diced
2 tbsp Sundried tomato, diced
2 tbsp Scallion, diced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tbsp water
Optional toppings: 2 avocados, divided into 4; salsa

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 6 ramekins with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add garlic, sausage, vegetables, salt, pepper and water; stir to combine. Carefully pour into ramekins. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean.

Nutritional information (per serving; without toppings): 250 calories, 5 carbs, 16 fat grams and 22 protein grams. (per serving; with toppings): 325 calories, 10 carbs, 23 fat grams and 23 protein grams.

Review: Fabulous! I served each of mine with 1/4 of an avocado and dipped it in salsa - yum! It was very filling and had a good kick from the spicy sausage. I liked how easy these were, too, and that you can easily make more (assuming you have the ramekins) or less. They reheated well, and were a great 'work' breakfast, too. I just brought one (wrapped in foil) to work (along with a bag of toppings!) and it was great. And note: It may be easier to put sausage and vegetables into the ramekins first, then pour egg over it.

Italian Egg Bake

Italian Egg Bake
Makes 6 Servings
Inspired by a Pillsbury recipe

1 pound reduced fat sausage
4 cups frozen hash-brown potatoes, thawed
4 oz. (1 cup) Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
6 tbsp diced sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
6 large eggs
¾ cup fat-free milk
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup Progressso Panko Italian bread crumbs
4 tsp (10 grams) shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
¼ fresh basil, diced
Red pepper flakes, garlic powder, Italian Seasoning to taste

Heat oven to 450. Spray rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In large nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until browned, stirring occasionally. In medium bowl, combine potatoes and 2.5 oz. cheese. In baking dish, layer potato mixture, sausage, tomatoes and half of the basil. In medium bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, salt and pepper; beat well. Add optional seasonings to taste (red pepper flakes, garlic powder, Italian seasoning). Pour evenly over potato mixture. Top with bread crumbs. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1.5 oz. Cabot cheese and Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for an additional 3 minutes until cheese melts.

Nutritional Information: 353 calories, 24 carbs, 17 fat grams and 24 protein grams.

Review: Winner! Tasted great and was very filling - didn't take long either which is always nice. I'd pre-cooked the sausage, so it was already in a box cooked and ready, and the cheese was already grated too - this helped! I loved the addition of the fresh basil, it definitely made the recipe along with the sundried tomatoes. I also liked the add of the Italian bread crumbs - the crunchy topping was nice with the softer, fluffy egg/potato layer. I will absolutely make this again, and of course it's great that it makes 6 servings AND reheats well. And I've added it to my new favorite breakfast - move over brunch pizza squares- there's a new casserole in town! (forgive my cheesy lameness) :)

Breakfast Sausage & Gravy Pizza

Breakfast Sausage and Gravy Pizza
Recipe adapted from Real Mom Kitchen
Makes 4 Servings

1 package Trader Joe’s pizza dough
2.5 servings Jimmy Dean reduced fat crumbles
1 envelope country gravy mix, prepared (takes 4 minutes, 1 pot and 1 cup water)
4 eggs
1 tbsp fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 oz. 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese (Cabot)
2 green onions, diced

Preheat oven to 500. Remove pizza dough from refrigerator, open bag and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.Coat pizza pan lightly with cooking spray. Spread dough on pan. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. In a large skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat, add egg mixture; cook and stir until just solid, not set. Spread prepared gravy mixture over dough. Top with sausage, eggs and cheese. Bake for 6 minutes, until eggs are set and cheese is melted. If needed, bake in additional 1 minute increments but watch carefully. When complete, into sprinkle with green onion. Wait 5 minutes before serving (the heat from the pizza will 'cook' the onions).

Nutritional Information: 466 calories, 56 carbs, 15 fat grams and 19 protein grams.

Review: A-mazing. This is one of my higher calorie breakfasts but well worth it. It was SO filling with the eggs, gravy and sausage, and I loved how it all meshed together with cheese on top. The green onions added a nice crunch, but if you're not a big green onion fan I wouldn't worry - it would be great without them! This was my first time cooking with gravy and won't be my last - it added a nice country kick and made the breakfast recipe more traditional. If you wanted to lower the calories on this, I think you could take the cheese down by an ounce, and sub 1 of the eggs for egg substitute! This reheated well and will be made again for SURE.

Biscuit Soufflé Breakfast

Biscuit Soufflé Breakfast
Recipe inspired by Cooking with My Kid
Makes 6 Servings

6 ready to bake biscuits (reserve other 2 for breakfast sandwiches)
4 large eggs

1 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
½ cup Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
3 servings Jimmy Dean crumbles

1/2 tsp creole seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the dish with unbaked biscuits. Mix eggs, egg whites, milk, creole seasoning and cheese together and then pour it over the biscuits. Sprinkle with crumbled sausage (and salt and pepper to taste) and bake for 45 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown and egg is set.

Nutritional Information: 328 calories, 30 carbs, 14 fat grams and 17 protein grams.

Review: Good stuff! I love how the biscuits bake into the egg/sausage/cheese mixture - it really tasted great and was very filling. A nice twist on breakfast, and probably one of the easiest recipes to put together (didn't even have to cook any meat - nice!). We'll definitely be having this again soon. (and FYI - I just cooked the extra two biscuits in the oven with the casserole, and we just froze them for later breakfast sandwiches!)

Sausage Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Sausage Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Makes 6 Servings
Recipe inspired by My Bizzy Kitchen

1 pound reduced fat Jimmy Dean sausage
160 grams Italian French bread, day old, broken into 1” cubes
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
8 eggs
2.5 cups fat-free milk
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
¼ tsp black pepper

Heat large skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add sausage. Heat until no longer pink, breaking up with a spoon, about 7 minutes. In the meantime, place bread in a rectangular baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine eggs, milk, dry mustard, salt, onion powder and pepper. Pour evenly over bread and cheese. Sprinkle sausage and tomatoes on top. At this stage you can cover and chill overnight, if you want to prepare ahead. If not, let sit for 10 minutes before putting in the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake uncovered for about one hour. Tent with foil if top begins to brown too quickly.

Nutritional Information: 340 calories, 19 carbs, 18 fat grams and 25 protein grams.

Review: WOW. No longer will a loaf of bread in our house go stale, or better yet, when it does it will be put into this. Fantastic! I had to do a bit of tweaking to make it healthified, but at the end of the day, it still tasted great! Next time, I plan to toss in some tomatoes and/or spinach - maybe mushrooms! Yes, it takes an hour to bake, but this is great to reheat if you want to bake ahead, or would be good for a weekend if you're not the kind of person to wake up starving!

Sausage and Potato Bake

Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Sausage and Potato Bake

Makes 6 Servings

1 package Jimmy Dean Reduced Fat Sausage
3 ½ cup frozen hash browns, cubed (447 grams)
3 oz. 75% cabot cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup of fat-free milk
6 large beaten eggs
1 teaspoon dried mustard
¼ teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook sausage over medium heat until browned, about 7 minutes. Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into dish. Bake 50 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 299 calories, 17 carbs, 16 fat grams and 22 protein grams.

Review: We LOVED this. We think it has great flavor and love using the potatoes too – a little goes a long way. It was super filling and flavorful – definitely seemed like it was “bad” for you but really had good stats for a filling breakfast. I’ve already made this twice now – it’s going to be a regular!

Sausage and Egg Casserole

Adapted from Cooking Light

Sausage and Egg Casserole

Makes 6 Servings

1 pound reduced fat Jimmy Dean sausage
6 slices Nature’s Own white-wheat bread, ripped into bits
2 cups fat-free milk
6 eggs
1 oz. fat-free cheddar cheese
1 oz. 75% fat-free cabot cheese
1 tsp dry mustard
½ tsp salt
Tony’s Creole seasoning to taste

Preheat the oven to 350. Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until brown, stirring to crumble. Combine sausage and next five ingredients in a 13x9-inch baking dish coated in cooking spray. Stir well. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Nutritional Information: 292 calories, 16 carbs, 16 fat grams and 23 protein grams.

Review: We really liked this one – tasted like a strata and had a great consistency. It didn’t have as much flavor as I would have liked, so above I added the salt and tony’s creole – I think this will make the difference. I will definitely make this again!

Brunch Pizza Squares

Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Brunch Pizza Squares

Makes 6 Servings

10 oz. Jimmy Dean Light Sausage
1 tube (8 oz.) reduced fat refrigerated crescent rolls
4 eggs
2 tbsp fat-free milk
2 oz. cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Unroll crescent dough into a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. Press dough ½ inch up the sides and seal the seams between triangles by pressing down. Sprinkle with sausage. In a bowl, beat the eggs and milk. Add salt and pepper and pour over sausage. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, covered, at 400 for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted (may need to cook for another 3-5 minutes).

Nutritional Information: 310 calories, 18 carbs, 19 fat grams and 17 protein grams. So yes, pretty high in fat, but having it on days when I have lower-fat meals planned for lunch and dinner will balance it out.

Review: We both REALLY liked it - great size serving and very filling. Also - YUMMY! And inexpensive - the crescents were $1 and the sausage was $2.20 - throw in eggs and some cheese and you're looking at like $.75 a serving - love it! This has really become a family favorite and quick, easy standby.

Cream of Mushroom Breakfast Bake

Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen

Cream of Mushroom Breakfast Bake

Makes 6 Servings

1 package Jimmy Dean Reduced Fat Sausage
1/3 cup chopped onion
½ cup fat-free grated cheddar cheese
½ cup 75% fat free cabot cheese
10 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp milk
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) fat-free condensed cream of mushroom soup
Tony’s creole seasoning to taste

In a large skillet, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine eggs and soup; pour over cheese. Sprinkle with tony’s creole seasoning. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Nutritional Information: 312 calories, 8 carbs, 19 fat grams and 25 carbs.

Review: Super good and flavorful! I liked how it was eggy, but also creamy due to the soup. I couldn’t taste the cheese very much but think I would have noticed if it wasn’t there. Next time I may add a bit more creole seasoning (and to the eggs rather than on top) – but that’s it – this is a keeper!

Baked Swiss and Sausage Omelet

Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen
Baked Swiss and Sausage Omelet
Makes 6 Servings

1 tsp olive oil
½ cup onion, diced
10 ounces Jimmy Dean reduced fat breakfast sausage
8 large eggs
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ cup red bell pepper, diced
70 grams Kraft natural swiss/parmesan cheese blend
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for topping)
For side: 3 English muffins and 2 tbsp fat-free cream cheese or hummus

Preheat oven to 425. Spray an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add red pepper and onion. Cook until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove onion and pepper and set aside. In the same pan add sausage and cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Set the pan aside to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Add bell pepper and onions, sausage, 1/3 of cheese and 1/4 cup of parsley to egg bowl. Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake covered for 10 minutes. Remove foil, then bake for another 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut the baked omelet into six rectangles and sprinkle with remaining parsley before serving. Serve with ½ English muffin smeared in 2 tsp fat-free cream cheese or hummus per serving.

Nutritional Information: 339 calories, 17 carbs, 20 fat grams and 22 protein grams.

Review: LOVED IT! So excited to have another new breakfast recipe – thanks Real Mom Kitchen! I really like the addition of parsley - it has such a strong flavor in this dish and really gives it a nice, different flavor.

Breakfast Breaded Casserole

Adapted from My Once a Month Cooking

Breakfast Breaded Casserole

4 servings

6 eggs
1 package Jimmy Dean Reduced fat sausage, browned and drained
1.5 cups fat-free milk
1 cup fat-free shredded cheddar
1 tsp dry mustard
8 slices Nature’s Own whole wheat bread

Brown sausage. Mix with eggs, milk and mustard. Stir well. Place in slow cooker. Rip up bread and stir into egg mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top. Cover and cook on high 2 hours, then low 1 hour. Divide and serve.

Nutritional Information: 464 calories, 29 carbs, 23 fat grams and 41 protein grams.

Review: This was REALLY good and makes lots of food - really large servings. It definitely has that dry/strata bread taste. The wheat bread taste is strong so if you're not a huge fan definitely try white wheat or a bread you love.