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Happy New Year friends! Hope you guys are off to an outstanding 2018! I'm starting my year out with a round of Whole30 (read about my results here). I started last year with tracking macros and I decided to switch things up a bit this year. I've never completed a round before so I'm trying it out to see what it's all about and hopefully learn more about my relationship with food in the process. One of the recipes I love to make when I meal prep is my spicy taco polenta bake. Polenta is a no-go for Whole30 so I wanted to think of another quick and easy casserole kind of dish I could substitute it with. After some thought, I decided to throw this taco casserole together and OMG I am so glad I did.
Ingredients
This recipe is simple to make and you can add in any other ingredients you like (assuming they're Whole30 compliant if you're doing a round). When I first made it I only used the cauliflower, potatoes, ground beef and eggs and it was delicious. I decided to add a few more ingredients to give it some oomph (and a little color) but if you're a minimalist you can just stick to the basics.
Here's what you need:
- riced cauliflower
- ground beef (feel free to experiment with shredded chicken or ground turkey if you prefer)
- diced green chiles
- shredded potatoes (I used frozen hash browns. Make sure to check your labels as many packaged hash browns contain sugar. I get mine from Sprouts.)
- taco seasoning
- bell peppers (I used red and green)
- eggs (to bind everything together)
- toppings of your choice. I like shredded lettuce, fresh chopped tomatoes, cilantro, black olives and avocado. Also just FYI, the Jalapeño Pepper Hot Sauce from Trader Joe's is Whole30 compliant and it's amazing on top of this taco casserole.
This recipe held up well for meal prep for about 3 days. I used it as a main dish, a breakfast with a fried egg on top and as a post workout meal. All 3 times the husband commented, "damn, this is good!" There ya go, hubby approved!
Taco Casserole: Paleo & Whole 30
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dishes, Casseroles
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This spicy taco casserole recipe is easy and delicious! This meal is paleo friendly and Whole30 compliant. It's the perfect make ahead meal that the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (I used 90/10)
- 3 cups riced cauliflower
- 12 oz hash browns
- 1 4 oz can diced green chilis
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- I red pepper, diced
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup diced white onion
- 3 tbs taco seasoning (I like Primal Palate)
- 2 tbsp Avocado oil (I use Primal Kitchen Foods)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Toppings: black olives, diced tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, shredded lettuce, hot sauce
Instructions
- To prepare, preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9x11 casserole dish with cooking spray. Whisk eggs in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat riced cauliflower according to package directions or place riced cauliflower and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 3-5 minutes. Remove from microwave and spread out in the casserole dish to cool.
- Add hash browns and salt and pepper to casserole dish and mix with the riced cauliflower
- Warm a large pan on medium heat and then add in oil, garlic and onions, sautéing until onions are translucent (1-2 minutes)
- Add in ground beef and taco seasoning. Cook for 3-4 minutes breaking into crumbles.
- Add in diced bell pepper and continue to cook until ground beef is cooked through and veggies begin to soften (about 3-4 more minutes)
- Remove pan from heat, add in diced green chiles and mix. Add your ground beef mixture on top of your cauliflower and hash brown layer in casserole dish
- Once the mixture has cooled, add in eggs and use a fork to distribute the eggs throughout the casserole dish
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until eggs are set
- Divide casserole into 4 servings and add your favorite toppings
Notes
*nutrition facts calculated without toppings
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ of recipe
- Calories: 283
- Fat: 12.8
- Carbohydrates: 17.7
- Fiber: 4.3
- Protein: 23.4
Jess says
WHen I mix do I mix it in with the cailiflower?
Jen says
You add the cauliflower to the casserole pan as soon as you heat it and then everything else goes on top of the cauliflower 🙂
Ashly Satterfield says
Do I cook the hashbrowns before I add it to the cauliflower rice
Jen Lopez says
I do not cook them beforehand
Lyric Perry says
I don’t own a microwave because of personal preferences, is the first step something I can skip or do a different way?
Jen says
Yes! You can simply cook it in the skillet a little longer with everything else, or cook it first and then set aside to cool.