Category: Uncategorized

🥘 Sweet & Savory Power Hash + Creamy Jalapeño Sauce (DF, GF, High-Protein)

Leave a comment

Comfort food that hits different — cleaned up, packed with protein, and layered with flavor. This dish is my go-to weeknight meal and favorite meal prep recipe, featuring roasted potatoes, veggies, chicken sausage, and runny eggs. The best part? It’s finished with a creamy, spicy jalapeño sauce — totally dairy-free and addictive.

Why You’ll Love It

✅ Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free
✅ High in Protein
✅ Lower Carb — More Veggies, Less Starch
✅ Meal Prep–Friendly
✅ Big Flavor, Simple Ingredients

I make this hash at least once a week — it’s colorful, comforting, and reheats like a dream. It’s exactly the kind of food I crave that also fuels my body. Great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Leftovers? Makes for the perfect quick reheat meal!

🍽️ The Hash Recipe

Serves 4

🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4)

  • 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
  • 2 Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
  • 1 yellow onion, dice or julienne
  • 3 bell peppers (red, yellow, or orange), dice or julienne
  • 1 pack chicken sausage (4-6 links), halved and sliced
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Olive oil or avocado oil

🧑‍🍳 Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Toss diced potatoes in olive oil, half of the paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
  3. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet or lightly greased baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
  4. While potatoes cook, dice (into larger squares) or julienne (into medium thick strips) onions and peppers (they shrink while roasting), slice sausage, and toss in olive oil with a other half of seasoning.
  5. After 20 minutes, stir in sausage, onions, and peppers with the potatoes. Roast for another 10-15 minutes.
  6. While the hash finishes, heat a skillet with 1 tbsp oil or butter. Fry eggs to your liking (I go over-medium).
  7. Spoon hash into bowls, top with eggs and a drizzle of creamy jalapeño salsa (see recipe below).

🌶 Creamy Jalapeño Salsa

The Inspiration Behind the Sauce
Pictured, you’ll see my go-to inspiration: the creamy jalapeño salsa from Tio Fun in Nashville, TN. Anytime I stop in for lunch or dinner, I always order an extra side of their signature green salsa—especially for leftover hash. It’s tangy, spicy, and ridiculously good. I’ve recreated my own version at home many times, and the flavor pairs perfectly with this hash, every single time.

🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4)

  • 6–8 jalapeños
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • ½ cup avocado oil or neutral oil
  • Salt to taste
  • ¼ cup cilantro (optional for brightness)
  • 1–2 tbsp lime juice (optional for tang)
  • Slowly add tsps of water to thin if needed

🔪 Instructions

  1. Roast the peppers & garlic
    • Preheat oven to 425°F.
    • Toss whole jalapeños with a little oil and salt. Place on a parchment‑lined baking sheet.
    • Roast 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway, until blistered and softened.
    • Add garlic cloves to the sheet for the last 4–5 minutes until fragrant and lightly browned.
  2. Steam & peel (optional)
    • Place roasted peppers in a bowl and cover briefly to steam — this helps loosen the skin for easier peeling.
    • Remove skins and adjust seeds depending on your heat preference.
  3. Blend into creamy sauce
    • Add roasted peppers, garlic, cilantro (if using), lime juice (optional), and a generous pinch of salt blend with an immersion blender or in a blender.
    • Add the oil and blend until smooth and creamy.
    • If it’s too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water until you reach your desired pourable consistency.
  4. Taste & adjust
    • Add more salt, lime, or even a dash of smoked paprika for extra depth.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

  • Spoon over your Sweet & Savory Power Hash
  • Drizzle on tacos, salads, or grain bowls
  • Use as a vibrant dip for veggies
  • Mix into Greek or Southwest slaws

🧠 Storage

  • Keeps up to a week in a sealed container in the fridge.

🔄 Sausage Flavor Guide

Mix it up based on your mood:

  • 🌶 Savory Kick: Jalapeño or Garlic Chicken Sausage from Trader Joe’s
  • 🍳 Breakfast Vibes: Country-style breakfast chicken sausage (I find these at Aldi & Kroger)
  • 🍁 Slightly Sweet: Maple or Apple Chicken Sausage for a cozy twist

💡 Tips & Tricks

  • ⏱ Short on time? Use the air fryer for potatoes at 400°F for 12–15 minutes, while sausage, onions, and peppers roast in the oven. Everything’s done in about 20 minutes.
    • Make the creamy jalapeno sauce ahead of time for speed and conveneince!
  • Leftovers? Only make the eggs you’ll eat now. Reheat the hash in the air fryer at 360°F for 5–7 minutes, and top with freshly cooked eggs.
  • Meal prep it: This recipe doubles or triples beautifully. Store extra in an airtight container and reheat as needed.
  • Looking for more volume? Double up on the peppers and onions, add a cup or two of chopped Kale for the last 5 minutes of roasting.

🛒 My Kitchen Favorites

These are the tools I use every time I make this meal — affiliate links below help support my blog!

🧅 Mandoline Slicer – perfect for quick pepper and onion slicing, this one is SHARP but stainless steal, my prior model was gentler but required the food to touch the plastic

🔪 Non-toxic Cutting Boards – makes chopping veggies a breeze

🍳 Stainless Steel Pan Set – for crispy edges and perfect eggs

🥣 Mixing Bowl Set – keeps prep organized and stress-free

🍯 Immersion Blender – my go-to for creamy sauces and jalapeño salsa without the mess of a blender

Greek Inspired Chicken Bowls

Leave a comment

A healthy and fresh meal perfect for busy weeks! Once you have all the ingredients ready, great meal prep for lunch or quick assembly for dinner!

🥗 Ingredients (Serves 4)

For the Bowl Base:

  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 potatoes, chopped (about 2 medium-large potatoes) – idea to “Hold the Chips” (see below)
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced
  • 4 cups shredded romaine or butter lettuce
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1 cucumber, sliced
  • Olive Oil
  • Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Oregano

Toppings:

  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (per bowl)
  • 2 tbsp hummus of your choice (per bowl)
  • 2 – 3 tbsp homemade tzatziki (per bowl, see below)

Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup cucumber, finely grated
  • 1 clove garlic, minced – can use 1/2 tsp jarred minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped – can use 2 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions:

  1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Chill for at least 15 minutes before serving.

🍽️ Directions

  1. Cut and Prep
    To make assembly easy, prep all veggies first. Cube potatoes, slice peppers and onions (I like to use a mandoline to my slicing fast and slices even!), these can all go into one large bowl for step 2. Prep your veggies for your sauce and bowl toppings, dice tomato, slice cucumber, and shred cucumber. I like to use this mixing bowl with a shredder lid.
  2. Roast the Veggies & Potatoes
    Toss potatoes, peppers, and onions with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and oregano.
    Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 25–30 minutes until golden and tender.
    • Option to Air Fry at 400°F for 15 – 20 minutes, flipping/stirring half way through, until golden and tender
  3. Cook the Chicken
    Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes.
    Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and oregano.
    Grill or pan-sear over medium heat for 6–7 minutes per side.
  4. Assemble the Bowls
    In each bowl, add:
    • A cup of lettuce
    • A half cup roasted potatoes and veggies
    • 3-4 ounces of chicken
    • Fresh cucumbers and tomatoes
  5. Top it Off
    • Crumbled feta
    • Add a generous dollop of tzatziki
    • Spoon in hummus on the side

💡 Hold the Chips Tip

Swap roasted potatoes for roasted cauliflower or sub one cup of potatoes for one cup of cauliflower, roasted together with the same seasonings for delicious flavor and lower carbs!

Creamy Red Curry Chicken Soup

Leave a comment

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, High Protein, and FULL of flavor!

Ingredients:
– Cooked and Shredded Chicken (about 1.5 pounds before cooking)
– Green Onions (the greens of 5 – 6) Thinly Sliced
– 3 Cloves of Garlic (using minced garlic here)
– 2 TSP of Ginger (can grate fresh ginger or use frozen cubes)
– 1 Yellow Onion Diced
– 2 Bell Peppers Thinly Sliced
– 1 Container of Mushrooms (white or baby bellas) Thinly Sliced
– ¼ Cup of Chopped Cilantro (can use dried flakes in a pinch!)
– 3 TBSP Red Curry Paste
– About ½ TSP Black Pepper
– About ⅓ TSP Red Pepper Flakes (I subbed diced dried Arbol chiles and loved the extra heat!)
– Chicken Stock or Chicken Bone Broth (4 – 6 cups, 4 cups for soup, 6 cups if making rice)
– ⅓ Cup Coconut Aminos (can use soy sauce, not gluten free)
– 3 TBSP Arrowroot Flour (or other thickening flour)
– ½ Can of Coconut Milk
– 1 cup of rice (optional, will need less broth if not making rice)

Directions:
1. Cook and shred chicken, slice and dice all vegetables.
2. Add one cup of rice and two cups of liquid (water, chicken broth, or chicken bone broth for extra protein and flavor) to a pot or rice cooker until cooked. This is optional!
3. In a large pot, saute cooking oil, garlic, yellow onion, and ginger until fragrant (about 5 to 10 minutes).
4. Add red curry paste, black pepper, and red pepper, saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add mushrooms and bell peppers, sauteing for about 5 minutes for more al dente vegetables, longer if you like them softer (up to 10 minutes).
6. Add 4 cups of chicken broth or chicken bone broth (for extra protein and flavor), I liked to do two cups of each, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low, allow to cook for about 15 minutes.
7. Mix 3 TBSP of arrowroot flour and enough water to bring fill line to ½ cup in a liquid measuring cup to create a thickener for your soup.
8. Add in coconut milk and arrowroot mixture to thicken. Stir until combined, about 3 – 5 minutes.
9. Stir in chicken, two-thirds of sliced green onions, and lime juice.
Scoop between one-third and one-half cup of rice into a mound in the middle of a bowl, add soup around the rice mound, then top with sliced green onions and chopped cilantro.

Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili

Leave a comment

This is one of those goto, easy recipes, you will come back to over and over again. Especially in the colder months.

Ingredients:
– Frozen Chicken Breasts (I buy the 3 pound bag from Kroger)
– 2 cans of corn
– 1 can of black beans ( I prefer no salt added)
– 1 can of light kidney beans
– 2 cans rotel
– 1 cup chicken stock
– 2 containers (8 oz) cream cheese
– Chili Powder
– Paprika
– Cumin
– Salt
– Garlic

Directions:

  1. In a large crockpot/slow cooker, combine chicken, beans, corn, rotel, and chicken broth.
  2. Cover the top with 1 tbsp garlic, 2 tbsp chili powder, 2 tbsp paprika, 2 tbsp cum, 1 tbsp salt.
  3. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
  4. Add two containers of cream cheese and continue to heat for 30 minutes to an hour, stir two to three times, before serving.

Serve with chips or over rice or as is.

Creamy Salsa Chicken, & Corn, Beans Skillet

Leave a comment

This one pot meal is both delicious and efficient! Also, if Mexican food is one of your faves, this will feel like winter comfort food. My husband and I could eat Mexican food 6 or 7 days a week, so it is definitely a new staple in our house.

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 large chicken breasts
  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 bag of frozen corn (12 oz)
  • 2 jars of salsa (I like to do one jar medium, one jar fire roasted)
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro (you won’t use all of it, but that’s the cheapest way to buy)
  • 1/2 Cup Chicken broth
  • 2/3 Cup Sour cream or substitute (I have made this with cashew milk before, when we are avoiding dairy)
  • Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese
  • Cumin (2 tsp)
  • Chili Powder (1 tsp)
  • Paprika (1 tsp)
  • Salt (1/2 tsp)

The Chicken

Take 3 to 4 large raw chicken breasts with rib meat, butterfly or filet them in half so the slices are thin. If you like your chicken really thin, you can use a mallet and a piece of plastic wrap to flatten it out. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, mix seasonings together, then sprinkle on both sides of the chicken breast. In a large cast iron (any skillet will do, but this will work best) heat 2 tbs high heat oil (I swear by grape-seed) on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, place chicken pieces face down for about 5 minutes then flip and cook on the other side fo 5 minutes. While the chicken is cooking chop a handful of cilantro stems and crumbled 1/4 cup or more of the cheese. Depending on the size of your chicken breast you may need to adjust time, make sure it is cooked through, then remove from heat and place on a cutting board to rest.

The Skillet

Into the same cast iron skillet pour both jars of salsa. Scrap any chicken bits off the bottom of the pan into the salsa. Continue to stir until warmed. Add 1 can of rinsed black beans and bag of frozen corn to skillet and stir. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Once corn and black beans are heated through, put 2/3 cup sour cream in a bowl, to avoid the cream curdling take one spoonful of the salsa mixture at a time and add it to the sour cream then stir. This will help bring the cream up to temperature, I normally do 3 – 5 spoonfuls before adding the sour cream mixture into the skillet. Turn the skillet off and add the sour cream mixture, stirring until thoroughly combined. Slice chicken and top over skillet. Sprinkle crumbled cheese and chopped cilantro over the skillet.

Serving

This is delicious in a bowl by itself. For my husband who needs more substance than me, I set my rice cooker up right before I start cooking and then serve his over about 2/3 cup rice.