Five Paleo Dinners To Cook Next Week #116

I usually try to use an underlying theme when I select the recipes for my Five Paleo Dinners To Cook Next Week posts. But sometimes, like today, the theme is simply Recipes That I Really Like. The West African Stew is based on a traditional African peanut-butter-based recipe, and it’s one of my husband David’s favorites. The Merguez Meatballs are a shortcut to merguez sausage—just trying to save you the time and money of flying to Paris or Morocco. The Bacon-Potato Salad is a shout-out to my mom who makes some of the best potato salad in the world, and the Egg Foo Yong has a soft spot in my heart because when I was a teenager, I thought it was really weird. Finally, the Cincinnati Chili is a gift to David; he grew up in Cincinnati, and we’ve shared many a plate of Skyline Chili when we visit his family there.

I hope these are some of your favorites, too!

Feel free to pop into comments and tell me your favorite recipes and what they mean to you. Wishing you lots of fun in the kitchen and nourishing food with the people you love.

Dinner Ideas (Whole30 compliant)

West African Chicken Stew

Cookup Tips: This tastes great straight off the stove and after a few days in the fridge, so you can make it up to 5 days in advance. It also freezes pretty well, so think about a double batch. It tastes really great on a bed of Cauliflower Rice; you can turn the head of cauli into rice in advance, then store it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it.

Recommended Sides: Cauliflower Rice! And maybe a sprinkle of crushed Savory Granola.

Merguez Meatballs

Cookup Tips: Meatball “dough” can be made one day in advance and cooked the next day; cooked meatballs are good for about a week in the fridge, and they freeze well, so a double batch is a great idea!

Recommended Sides: These are nice served on a bed of Oven-Roasted Cauliflower Rice (and both can be baked at the same time, same temp!) and drizzled with Moroccan Dipping Sauce. You can grate the raw cauliflower into rice and store it covered in the fridge to cook just before eating. Moroccan Dipping Sauce tastes fresh for about 4-5 days.

Bacon-Potato Salad

Cookup Tips: This tastes best after a day or two in the fridge, so you can make it during your Cookup and enjoy it later in the week.

Recommended Sides: To make this a complete meal, add Roasted or Grilled Chicken Thighs to your plate; bonus points if you throw together this quick Super Simple Spring Salad.

Egg Foo Yong

Cookup Tips: This recipe is pretty much made from leftovers, so if you cook chicken, beef, or pork during your Cookup, you can toss it into an Egg Foo Yong patty with whatever leftover veggies you have on hand.

Recommended Sides: You can stick with the Asian theme and cook up a batch of Cauliflower Rice, or do a diner-style mash-up and make some Home Fries or Sweet Potato Fries instead. You can do prep on all the veggies for sides during a Cookup, then finish them at dinner time.

Cincinnati Chili

Cookup Tips: Chili tastes even better on day 2 or 3, so let this simmer on the back of the stove during your Cookup and enjoy it later in the week. (This is pretty great for breakfast with a fried egg on top.)

Recommended Sides: You’ll want make a bunch of zucchini noodles or roast a spaghetti squash to use as a bed for the chili. (And here’s a how-to video so you can cut the squash without mishap.)

Condiment (Whole30 compliant)

Caramel-Apple Applesauce

Cookup Tips: This can just simmer away on the back of the stove while you go about your business, and then you’ll have a big jar of happiness to add to meals that need extra cheer. (And don’t forget about these Gingerbread-Spiced Pecans!)

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