The ultimate keto comfort food.
Comfort food. The very words bring a smile to my face. While decadent desserts and fancy flavor laden treats definitly fall into that category. I am specifically refering to the warm-your-tummy, kiss-your-mummy, down-home, feel-good delectable dinner stuffs that typical southern cooking is famous for.
Alas, it has been many moons since I was able to enjoy such culinary nostalgia with impunity. Food allergies and sensitivies have firmly placed most of the basic ingredients to found in southern cooks pantry in the off- limits category.
Can keto comfort food really be allergen free?
So what is a hungry, determined and allergic country chef to do? Improvise! Keto-fy it! The ground rules for any tasty casserole is for there to be the perfect balance of taste and texture. Enough flavor to keep your taste buds excited, enough texture otherwise it would just be flavorful soup. Which isn’t a bad thing if that’s what you are going for, but we want a dish that you can eat with a fork here so we need substance.
I am allergic to dairy so that means subbing the cheese out for a vegan alternative. I have tried a few different brands with this recipe and most do a passable job, but I keep coming back to Violife Just Like mozzarella shreds. It melts, it stretches, and it really does taste “just like” mozzarella.
If you happen to be one of those poor souls allergic to eggs, my suggestion for possible substitutions are, vegan mayo, vegan plain yogurt maybe along with some xanthan gum to help bind it together. Pre-made egg substitute such as Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer might work as well. I haven’t experimented with these options though.
Which bear-I mean pan, is best?
I opted to use my cast iron pan all the way through this recipe, from browning to baking. One pan to cook in, one pan to clean. Simplicity is beautiful. That being said, if you don’t happen to be the proud owner of one of these beauties, a glass casserole dish will do fine for the baking portion.
Just an aside here, if you don’t own a cast iron pan, consider investing in one. Yes, they are a bit more maintenance than your average stainless steel variety, but they will take your culinary game to the next level. They can do almost anything and as long as you take good care of it, you will have it for life.
So back to the recipe attempt at hand. Will it work?! Can it succeed?! Will it…comfort? There’s only one way to find out.
And the comfort food of the year award goes to…
Spoiler alert: It turned out amazing. It was thick, cheesy, meaty, tangy and salty. It hit the spot. Since making it the first time my hubby has declared it his all time favorite and has requested it be added to our regular dinner rotation, and since it is easy peasy as pie to make I happily oblige!
If you are in need of some comfort food that also fits your dietary needs then I hope this ticks all your boxes. Happy cooking!
Psst…if you need ideas for allergen free comfort food desserts check out our review here to find out the best gluten free Oreo style cookies or this recipe here for dairy free, gluten free cream cheese cookies.
Beef Sauerkraut Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 16 oz Sauerkraut Using raw fresh sauerkraut will make a big difference in taste and flavor in the final product.
- 1 Green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 Yellow onion, chopped
- 16 oz Vegan shredded mozzarella
- 2 eggs
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix eggs and sauerkraut in a medium size mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400º
- Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat until warmed
- Chop onion and green bell pepper
- Cook onion and bell pepper until beginning to brown and turn translucent
- Add ground beef to cast iron pan and brown while shredding into small pieces
- Once the meat is cooked through turn off the stove and with a spoon, throughly mix together the ground beef, peppers and onions. Spreading them out in a layer covering the entire bottom of the pan.
- Pour the egg and sauerkraut mixture into the pan and spread evenly over the top of the meat
- Top with shredded vegan mozzarella cheese
- Place cast iron in 400º oven and bake for 40 minutes
Notes
If you’d like more recipes for these same specific dietary issues, head to these pages for all our gluten free recipes, dairy free recipes, soy free recipes, nut free recipes, low carb recipes, and shellfish free recipes. For our full list of recipes, please visit our complete recipe list. For our full list of reviews of allergen free food and related products, please visit our review page.
