Cheeseburger Casserole From SkinnyTaste – Tried It Out Tuesday

I recently came across a Cheeseburger Casserole recipe from SkinnyTaste and I was intrigued so by it, I just had to give it a whirl! I would have never even thought of enjoying a cheeseburger in casserole form until I saw this brilliant recipe of hers. My family really enjoys their cheeseburgers and we love our pasta too so this seemed like a winner winner cheeseburger dinner!

If you are not familiar with SkinnyTaste be sure to check out her website for some brilliant recipes that will help keep you on track with a healthy lifestyle. I made a gluten-free version of her Cheeseburger Casserole and my family enjoyed this recipe. I will be whipping up this dish again in the near future. Keep reading to hear more about this unique casserole dish.

Cheeseburger Casserole is a simple & easy recipe

What I really loved about this recipe from SkinnyTaste was the simplicity of creating it. The recipe was easy to follow and the ingredients were very simple to prepare. I started out by boiling the pasta and browning the beef. There was very little prep involved. I used two shallots in this recipe and had to slice those, easy peasy! The recipe calls for garlic as well and I just use my trusty Spice World squeeze bottle. I love simple recipes… who doesn’t?? They are wonderful on busy weeknights or when you are feeling too lazy to cook.

 

Ingredients I used for the SkinnyTaste Cheeseburger Casserole
Ingredients I used for the SkinnyTaste Cheeseburger Casserole

Gotta have my grass-fed beef in my Cheeseburer Casserole!

I recently made the switch to grass-fed beef. Grass-fed beef is not only more beneficial to your health but I believe it tastes better than regular beef. The grass-fed beef that I purchase at Kroger is also organic. That means that the cows graze on pesticide-free grass. Grass-fed cows also mean that the meat is free from added hormones that are typically given to cows. Sometimes I think of my body as an automobile. Your body needs good to fuel to run. You don’t want to put crappy fuel into your car so why would you want to put bad fuel into your body? Grass-fed beef costs a bit more than regular beef but I believe that the added benefits are worth the extra cost.

A few modifications to the Cheeseburger Casserole recipe

I made a few modifications to her recipe for my family. Instead of using an onion I used two sliced shallots. I discovered shallots earlier this year and prefer their taste and often swap onions for shallots now. I also incorporated some onion powder to the meat while browning it. I love the added flavor that onion powder lends to ground beef. Also, instead of using Dijon mustard I went with my favorite mustard by Boar’s Head. The mustard is a Delicatessen style and it gave the dish a wonderful flavor.

Browning the grass-fed beef
Browning the grass-fed beef
Grass-fed beef, tomatoes, shallots, and minced garlic
Grass-fed beef, tomatoes, shallots, and minced garlic

 

Gluten-free eating

Another swap that I did with this dish was that I used gluten-free noodles. I use Kroger’s ClickList and wanted some rotini pasta but they were out of stock and they gave me penne pasta instead. That was fine with me but I do think that rotini would have been best. I used Ronzoni brand and I believe that they do make a very tasty gluten-free noodle. I don’t think they taste much different than regular pasta. This dish would have been great with Banza’s chickpea pasta as well. They are another one of my go-to brands for gluten-free pasta.

Getting cheesy

A great cheeseburger has to have great cheese. I love Tillamook’s shredded cheese and I ended up pouring the entire bag of cheese all over this Cheeseburger Casserole. The recipe calls for 2 cups of cheddar and the one bag of cheese was equivalent to two cups. I used a sharp cheddar and this was a great choice for the casserole. Tillamook creates some damn good cheese. It is my go-to brand for shredded cheese. I also use their mozzarella on my homemade pizzas. They take great pride in creating their cheese and I can always rely on Tillamook to deliver a quality product.

Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese
SkinnyTaste Cheeseburger Casserole before going in the oven
SkinnyTaste Cheeseburger Casserole before going in the oven

Pickles on a casserole?

Who would have thought that pickles would be an acceptable topping on a casserole dish? I’m telling you guys, this works and the pickles actually turned out to be my favorite part! Any type of pickles will work well with this casserole. I ended up going with bread and butter pickles. Dill pickles would we splendid on this as well!

Giving it a whirl

I was so excited when my oven beeped and my casserole was ready to dig into. Check out that ooey, gooey melted cheddar, OMG! I love anything with melted cheese on it and this recipe did not disappoint. When the casserole came out of the oven I topped it with some bread and butter pickles. This dish was love at first bite. The cheeseburger really translated well into a casserole dish. I was amazed! This is a dish that I would gladly make for my family again since we all enjoyed it.

Cheeseburger Casserole from SkinnyTaste
Cheeseburger Casserole from SkinnyTaste

 

Kid-friendly meal

My daughter, Chloe, really enjoyed this recipe and she really got a kick out of those pickles that we topped the casserole with. Pickles are an ingredient that you wouldn’t normally use in a typical casserole. For us, the pickles were actually our favorite part of this dish! The more the merrier! The next time I whip up this recipe I will definitely be adding an abundance of pickles on top!

Who is SkinnyTaste?

SkinnyTaste was created by Gina Homolka. She is an author, recipe creator, and a photographer. She is a pro when it comes to the recipe world. SkinnyTaste began in 2008 and now has 3 million monthly viewers on her website… can you say goals?? I would love to someday achieve greatness like her. Her philosophy of eating is to eat seasonal, whole foods and to maintain portion control while eating. Her website has a wide variety of recipes for several different diets. I am sharing this with you today because her recipes are top-notch. Yes, I am a food blogger and yes she is a food blogger. I don’t see her as competition. When I fall in love with something I feel the need to share it with the world. I am sharing her recipe website because I believe in her philosophy and I like to encourage people to eat the right way.

Does this look like a recipe that your family would enjoy? What other SkinnyTaste meals sound great to you? Leave me a comment and fill me in!

You can see all of the recipes at SkinnyTaste on her website. The Cheeseburger Casserole recipe can be found HERE.

 

 

Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Soup (Almost Paleo) & Lemon Turmeric Chicken – How I Created This Lunch & Dinner

I had two super healthy meals yesterday and when that happens in the kitchen I feel quite accomplished! For lunch, we had a gluten-free chicken pot pie soup (the soup would have been paleo is you take away the peas) and for dinner, we had a grilled lemon turmeric chicken breast with fried sweet potatoes in ghee, and roasted broccoli. I used my trusty Primal Kitchen marinade for the chicken. I am trying to get back on the healthy train because I feel like I have somewhat fallen off of it with all of the naughty baking I have been doing. I am making an effort to get back on track and I feel good about my meal choices yesterday. Keep reading to find out how I created this delicious and healthy lunch and dinner for my daughter and I.

How I created our gluten-free chicken pot pie soup

This is not a recipe post but I am trying my best to relay the information to you on how I made these wonderful, nutritious dishes. They are both gluten-free and dairy-free. I am attempting to eliminate gluten completely from my diet so if you are following along expect to see a lot more gluten-free meals from me. Gluten is just not compatible with my brain and my gut. I have tested this out several times now and came to the conclusion that gluten triggers a negative mood response for me the next day and a worn down physical feeling. I get depressed and fatigued the day after consuming gluten. I am honestly fed up with feeling that way and I will do whatever it takes to change that.

I have been listening to an audiobook called Grain Brain and it is very enlightening and informative. Whether you believe it or not, gluten is affecting your mind and body. There are negative side effects of eating wheat. The book was written by David Perlmutter and he addresses the impact that gluten has on the brain. I don’t want to come off as preachy but I do highly suggest reading or listening to this book. It is a real eye-opener!

Lemon Turmeric Chicken w/ Primal Kitchen, fried sweet potatoes in ghee, and roasted broccoli
Lemon Turmeric Chicken w/ Primal Kitchen, fried sweet potatoes in ghee, and roasted broccoli
Paleo-ish Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Paleo-ish Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Soup

We will start with the soup! Everything about this meal was paleo except for the addition of peas. I just have to have my peas in my pot pie. No worries if that does not make it completely paleo. My happiness is what is important to me and peas really do bring me happiness. They actually are my favorite vegetable!

To start this off I used my Staub Dutch Oven to saute some garlic and shallots. The Staub sure is a blessing to have around. That thing is the absolute best for making soup, even if you are just making a small batch like I did.

Once the garlic and shallots were translucent I added in some low sodium chicken broth (32oz). I added a gigantic organic chicken breast to the broth and let it simmer until completely cooked.

While the chicken was simmering I added in a bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme. Then came the veggies. I added in some thinly sliced carrots (2) and also two nice ribs of celery.

When the chicken was completely cooked throughout I shred it with a fork and added it back into the soup along with one can of full-fat coconut milk. I also added in a a cup of frozen peas and brought this soup back up to a very light boil and then allowed it to thicken further by simmering.

In the past, I have used other non-dairy milk for my pot pie and found that full-fat coconut milk actually works best. In case you are wondering there was not a hint of coconut flavor in that soup. If you ever need a dairy-free option for your cooking, coconut milk can be your friend.

My daughter and I really enjoyed this soup yesterday. The temp in Michigan was a lot cooler yesterday and felt more like fall than summer. I will be making a lot more soups with the upcoming fall season so be ready! I love a warm bowl of soup on a chilly day. I can not eat soup in the summer (with the exception of getting it a restaurant). I just refuse to cook it when the temperatures outside are hot. In the spring and summer that is when I transitioned more to salads.

Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Soup (Take Away The PEAS & It Is Paleo!!)
Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Soup (Take Away The PEAS & It Is Paleo!!)

How I created our lemon turmeric chicken dinner with Primal Kitchen marinade

Then before you knew it, dinner time came rolling around. I already had a plan in place. I had two organic chicken breasts marinating in Primal Kitchen Lemon Turmeric Dressing/Marinade. I have not come across a Primal Kitchen product that I didn’t like… love them all! You can pick up a single bottle on Amazon but your best bet is to use my coupon GIVEITAWHIRL10 on their website and save some money and get the best deal.

I marinated the chicken in the early morning and started cooking dinner around 4pm. That gave my chicken plenty of time to get infused with flavor. I oiled up my Lodge Cast Iron Grill Pan with some avocado oil and placed my chicken breast on the grill pan once it was hot. Love hearing that initial sizzle of meat on the grill!

While the chicken was cooking I had diced sweet potatoes on the stove frying up in some ghee with some salt and pepper. I usually roast my veggies but since I was also roasting some broccoli I figured I could fry the potatoes. My daughter, Chloe’s favorite veggie at the moment is broccoli so I wanted to make sure I had that for her. I didn’t do anything special with that. I simply drizzled and tossed in olive oil and seasoned with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

This chicken ended up coming out sooooooo juicy from the marinade…. oh my gosh it was just fantastic. Lemon and turmeric flavor was infused throughout without being too overpowering.

Lemon Turmeric Chicken w/ Primal Kitchen, fried sweet potatoes in ghee, and roasted broccoli
Lemon Turmeric Chicken w/ Primal Kitchen, fried sweet potatoes in ghee, and roasted broccoli

Final thoughts

I felt so wonderful about my meal choices throughout the day. My lunch was almost paleo and my dinner was actually a Whole 30 compliant meal. That’s when you know you are eating healthy! The major advantage of these meals, of course, was the taste. They were healthy meals but that does not need to mean boring, bland meals. The flavor of both meals was perfection. Nowadays there are so many recipes and foods out there that can be pleasurable eating while trying your best to eat healthy. If you want a great place to start Primal Kitchen is your best bet. They offer a variety of healthy foods that can help get you on the right track.

I would love to make this gluten-free chicken pot pie soup again soon. Pot pies have always been comfort food to me. I am also head over heels in love with that lemon turmeric marinade. Primal Kitchen is my go-to brand for marinades!

 

What is one of your favorite healthy meals that you enjoy cooking at home? Leave me a comment and let me know.

 

Primal Kitchen coupon code GIVEITAWHIRL10

Primal Kitchen Coupon GIVEITAWHIRL10 - Save on dressings, marinades, condiments, cooking oils, and more!

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Gluten-Free Chicken Pot Pie Soup - How I Created It (Almost Paleo!) by Give It A Whirl Girl

Other posts at Give It A Whirl Girl that you might enjoy

Paleo Vegetable Beef Soup RECIPE by Give IT A Whirl Girl - Slow-Cooker, Gluten-Free

How To Get A Tender and Juicy Steak With Herbed Ghee and Cast Iron Pan by Give It A Whirl Girl

How To Make Primal Kitchen Lemon Turmeric Chicken and a Primal Kitchen Coupon by Give It A Whirl Girl

 


Lemon Turmeric Chicken With Primal Kitchen Foods – Simple, Easy, and Delicious & A Primal Kitchen Coupon!

Dinner does not get much easier than this folks! Last night I served up a chicken breast marinated in Primal Kitchen Foods Lemon & Turmeric Dressing/Marinade. This was my second marinade by Primal Kitchen that I tried. I just recently tried the Italian (click here to read more) on a chicken dish a couple nights ago and it was fab! Their dressing/marinades give your food an amazing infusion of flavor. We were big fans of the Primal Kitchen Lemon Turmeric. Keep on reading to learn more about this wonderful Lemon Turmeric marinade and how you can save with my special Primal Kitchen coupon code!

Simple, Easy, and Delicious Lemon Turmeric Chicken With Primal Kitchen Foods served with roasted fingerling potatoes
Simple, Easy, and Delicious Lemon Turmeric Chicken With Primal Kitchen Foods served with roasted fingerling potatoes
Primal Kitchen California Extra Virgin Avocado Oil and petite fingerling potatoes
Primal Kitchen California Extra Virgin Avocado Oil and petite fingerling potatoes
Primal Kitchen Foods Lemon Turmeric Dressing/Marinade with chicken breast
Primal Kitchen Foods Lemon Turmeric Dressing/Marinade with chicken breast

And you want to know the best part? It is REAL FOOD. No weird ingredients, just straight up REAL FOOD. With Primal Kitchen Foods you are getting a quality product. Many dressings are Whole 30, paleo, and keto friendly as well. This particular dressing is suitable for all of those diets. This dressing/marinade is free of gluten, soy, sugar, dairy, sugar, canola, sunflower & safflower oils, and this dressing is also Non-GMO-Project Verified and will fit in perfectly to your primal eating lifestyle.

Organic apple cider vinegar, revitalizing organic turmeric, and organic herbs give this dressing a deliciously diverse flavor profile.

Once the chicken had marinated in the Primal Kitchen Lemon Turmeric marinade for a few hours it was time to get funky in the kitchen. I grabbed my saute pan, splashed a bit of avocado oil in there, and then placed my chicken in there with some minced garlic and chopped shallots. Easy peasy!

While my chicken was cooking I had some purple and gold petite fingerling potatoes roasting away in the over. It was 90 degrees today so turning on a hot oven is no fun but so worth it. The potatoes were simple to prepare. I placed them in a bowl, drizzled some Primal Kitchen California Extra Virgin Avocado Oil on there, a good shake of garlic powder, a dash of salt & pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon. The potatoes were delish and I have no regrets but they, unfortunately, are not paleo friendly. The chicken, however, is paleo.


Simple, Easy, and Delicious Lemon Turmeric Chicken With Primal Kitchen Foods served with roasted fingerling potatoes
Simple, Easy, and Delicious Lemon Turmeric Chicken With Primal Kitchen Foods served with roasted fingerling potatoes

This was a pretty effortless dinner with quite an astonishing result. The flavor of the lemon turmeric chicken was impeccable and the potatoes were roasted to perfection. Ahhhhh even a novice cook could construct this healthy, wholesome dish. No excuses for boring, lame dinners when you have Primal Kitchen Foods marinades on hand.

 

Question Time!

Check out all of the dressings/ marinades at Primal Kitchen and leave me a comment telling me which one you will try first and what you will create with it.

Primal Kitchen haul of healthy foods
Primal Kitchen haul of healthy foods

 

Check out these other posts at Give It A Whirl Girl!

Primal Kitchen Greek Strip Steaks, Applegate Sunday Bacon Wrapped Rainbow Carrots, and Paleo Butternut Squash Soup - How I Created This Sunday Dinner

Paleo Vegetable Beef Soup RECIPE by Give IT A Whirl Girl - Slow-Cooker, Gluten-Free

 

Click HERE to shop at Primal Kitchen.

Save 10% OFF at Primal Kitchen Foods with my Primal Kitchen coupon code: GIVEITAWHIRL10

 

Primal Kitchen Coupon GIVEITAWHIRL10 - Save on dressings, marinades, condiments, cooking oils, and more!

Want to learn more about the benefits of turmeric?
Read more about turmeric benefits HERE.

 

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Lemon Turmeric Primal Kitchen Chicken and a Primal Kitchen Coupon With Give It A Whirl Girl
Lemon Turmeric Primal Kitchen Chicken and a Primal Kitchen Coupon With Give It A Whirl Girl

 


 


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