Paleo Hungry Man Sweet Potato Casserole
We put eggs in the crock pot, for real.
This dish is dedicated to all of you that work hard and play harder. Not everyone who follows a paleo template is looking to lose weight. I know some of you are wicked awesome CrossFitters and weight lifters. You need lots of food, lots of macronutrients, lots of awesome to help keep you progressing. Some of you just really like sweet potatoes, and that is just as noble. The hungry man is just a catchy title, and I fully expect the ladies to make this big batch of goodness as well. This recipe yields a lot of food, all at one time, eat it or freeze it, you know you need it. By the time you read this, I’ve already eaten this for 3 different meals. Catch up! Before you go crazy and start peeling your taters, please take note that this recipe was cooked in a 6 quart slow cooker and filled it up about 3/4 of the way.
What you need:
- 2 pounds of lean ground beef (other ground animals will work too)
- 1/2 pound of bacon
- 8 eggs
- 3 large sweet potatoes (get 4 just in case)
- 1 large white onion
- 1 large red onion
- Spices: Cayenne, paprika, garlic, black pepper, oregano
- 1 large deep rimmed skillet or pan
- Coconut Oil to grease your slow cooker
Food Prep:
- Peel your sweet potatoes and microwave them for 2-3 minutes to soften them slightly
- Slice your sweet potatoes into 1/8″ slices, or thin like in the picture
- Dice your bacon finely and brown it in a pan into crisp pieces
- Remove your bacon from the pan and set it aside for later
- Dice your onions into large chunks and add to your pan along with your ground beef. Make sure you use a deep skillet or pan big enough to brown 2 pounds of beef and 2 onions.
- Season your beef as you wish. I used a generous amount of cayenne, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.
- Make sure your beef is fully browned and onions are translucent.
- Beat your 8 eggs in a bowl, blender, or food processor. I use my trusty magic bullet. Add some cayenne and paprika to your egg mixture if you wish.
Assembly:
- Grease your slow cooker with some coconut oil.
- Line the bottom of your slow cooker with slices of sweet potato. Just enough so that you cover the bottom.
- Spoon in a layer of your seasoned beef onto the sweet potatoes.
- Sprinkle some of your crisped bacon pieces on top of the beef.
- Repeat.
- The goal here is to keep layering evenly until you use up your supplies. If you end up with some extra sweet potatoes, I’m sure you can think of a few ways to eat them later.
- Once you have finished layering, pour your egg mixture over the top. Trust me on this. The eggs will fall into place and make the magic happen.
- Cook on low for 6 hours.
- Allow pot to cool. If your ceramic crock is removable, throw it in the fridge overnight. This will allow the dish to congeal and set nice. You can then slice the casserole into pretty pieces like in the picture.
- Thank me after you WOD faster or lift heavier things after eating this amazing stuff.
If you don’t like sweet potatoes, you’re wrong.
You should cook these too:
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Sites That Link to this Post
- My Whole30: Days 11-15 « Progress Always | July 19, 2012
- 7 Recipes I love for July « | July 30, 2012
- Sweet Potato Slow Cooker Casserole | Food & Fitness | October 29, 2012
Hey! I have this recipe cooking in the crockpot as we speak! I had some leftover sweet potatos so I cooked them in the bacon grease and had more or less fried sweet potato fries. SO good. And if I had any left of the meat mix I would’ve thrown that on top of the fried potatoes.
Hope this helps for those who need some ideas for any of the leftovers…if any!
I made this for my nephews (minus the onions) and we all really enjoyed it. We spiced it up slightly with some Frank’s Red Hot after it was cooked and YUM! Thanks for the recipe!
This looks absolutely amazing! I will be trying this next week.
WOW!!! This recipe is friggin amazing! I am eating it while I type this! And it makes LOTS of leftovers!!!! I think I divided it into 10 servings! Now I don’t have to cook lunch and dinner for the next week! Thank you Paleo Pots!!!
I made this today and it turned out amazing! I used one pound of chicken and one pound of ground sirloin, each with different seasoning, in different layers. It was a long torturous day smelling it cooking in the kitchen – but worth the wait. Thanks for the recipe!
OMG! This looks amazing…it will be on the menu for next week as there’s no ground meat in sight…I’m sure it will be delicious! Your picture looks sooo good!
Made this yesterday – AMAZING. One of the tastiest things I’ve ever made.
Would it be possible to do this in the oven? It looks great and my slow cooker is on the blink.
I do think it would be possible to cook this in the oven, yet I have no idea as to what the correct cooking time and temp would be. Guessing a lower heat for longer, because of the eggs. This is why I love the slow cooker, less thinking.
How long do you cook this?
sorry for that stupid question…I see it plainly now, lol…
Sounds great, will try it next week.
This stuff is awesome!
I only have a small crockpot (and I’m now seeing the error of my ways), so I only used probably two sweet potatoes. The meat and egg amounts, proportion-wise, still worked pretty well–maybe I went a little heavier on the beef per layer–but it still turned out fantastically.
My extra sweet potatoes were turned into hash that I sauteed with the beef and onion drippings, mmm!
Wow thsi recipe looks fantastic, it will make the perfect breakfast whcih I will be able to have for the entire week!
Thanks for the kind words Kait! Your recipe blog looks awesome as well. If you whip up any slow cooker recipes and want help sharing them, just say the word.
Thanks Robin! It’s all about maximizing the yield of your food purchase. Flexible leftovers is the key. I love to throw some of this dish in with my eggs, then cover with chipotle hot sauce!
Any suggestions on replacing the onions, not much of an onion fan.
You could use red, yellow, or orange bell peppers. Even hot peppers would work!
How many servings do you usually get out of this?
Depends on what you want to call a serving. I both work and play hard, and this still lasts me 3-4 days. I would estimate this makes about 8 hearty servings at least.
Could I use olive oil in a crockpot?
You could, yet I would cook with it on low heat. I personally don’t cook with olive oil, only eat it raw. I highly suggest using coconut oil to grease up your slow cooker!
I’m a bit confused. When did potatoes become “paleo?”
Many people in the paleo community consider yams and sweet potatoes as safe starches. If you do not eat them, that is completely understandable. Many athletes seem to perform better when replenishing muscle glycogen with post-workout tubers. What starches do you eat Jamie?
Great recipe! I’m a bit lazy/impatient and don’t love making crock pot dishes where I have to pre-cook mostly everything so I just baked mine in the oven to save time and it was still delish! I used 6 sweet potatoes and 9 eggs and spread everything between two casserole dishes. After slicing the sweet potatoes I split them into three groups and steamed each group in my steamer pot for about 7 minutes while the meat/onions were browning. After layering it all up, I poured the egg on top, and baked in the oven for 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until set. Thank you for the recipe!
Kaitlyn, thanks for the recipe hack! Hope it came out awesome for you. Would you be so kind as to share your oven based version over at our facebook page? I’m sure some people would love to hear it!
Thanks. Was stumped when I read microwave the sweet potatoes. Seriously? Microwave? No thanks. I just might try this now. Glad you thought past that and thought of steaming them.
love this for breakfast! thx for the great recipe!
Wow….my husband and I are really excited about this and will make it this weekend. It looks fantastic for easy work week lunches and really good for the atheletic type of paleo eater trying to refuel in a healthy manner!!! Thanks. Love this site!!
This was amazingly good! The sweet potatoes turned out so tender, that they melted into the rest of the dish… I added cumin to the meat and Mrs. Dash italian blend believe it or not… The result- outstanding. The photo does not do this justice it was so good I think I will make it every week. Thanks!
This looks great, will make this week. But I will still lose weight…I’ll just have a smaller piece with a side salad.
I’ll be making this Hungry Man Sweet Potato Casserole this weekend for my Crossfit son and future daughter-in-law. I’d like to make it on Saturday, in the crockpot, and serve it on Sunday. Is there any way I could completely cook it, refrigerate it overnight (in the crockpot), and then heat it back up in the crockpot on Sunday? If so, for how long, and at what temperature, would you suggest? Can’t wait to try this – it sounds wonderful!
Pauline
I used 1lb of chorizo (Mexican style) and one pound of ground turkey, omitted the bacon. I also added sliced mushrooms while browning my onions. This is super yummy!
We grew around 150lbs of sweet potatoes this year so i am definitely adding this recipe to my list!
Sweet! Did you use raised beds/boxes to grow them by any chance? I have a sweet potato soup coming up in a few days as well (need to get photos done). Roasted red pepper sweet potato soup, watch out for it.
I added mushrooms when I cooked the onions and spinach when I assembled the ingredients in the crook-pot…yummo! Love this, I can prepare everything the night before assemble in morning and come to a home cooked meal! Brillant
Am I understanding that this is to be eaten cold?
No, just let cool so that the casserole sets for easy cutting. You can eat it hot or cold, your pick.
What about adding some greens like spinach or kale? Would that cook ok in the crock pot?
Totally, they work out well. Just keep in mind greens contain water, so a ton of greens will release water into the dish. I toss chard or spinach in sometimes, but just a little bit as a layer.
This recipe looks unbelievable! I was just wondering if you re-heat it after letting it set in the fridge. I imagine it would be good whether it’s cold or hot. Thanks!
Yes, indeed reheat it. Yet I must admit I’ve eaten it cold as well before.
I made this tonight with pastured pork sausage instead of bacon – on the Whole30 and don’t have sugar free bacon. Also added chili powder. YUM! You could also call this the “Hungry Breastfeeding Mama Sweet Potato Cassetole”. Totally hit the spot! Thank you!
Love this recipe.
We added a fair amount of salt at the table, but otherwise perfect.
Also very good cold. My kids enjoyed in brown bag lunches.
THAT is seriously the BEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!! “Bakeries” should SELL THAT! If they did, I would actually go in and support a bakery! LOL! Perhaps the name would be changed to… Meatery?
Thanks! Meateries are better than bakeries anyways.
This sounds a lot like a recipe we Puerto Ricans make called pastelón which is made with sweet plantains instead of sweet potatoes and in my family we include french cut green beans in with the ground beef and onions. Since my kids aren’t big plantain eaters, I’m going to try this out with sweet potatoes and see how it goes over. Either way, I’m pretty sure I’m going to love it and will eat it all myself if I have too.
I was right, this was fantastic! My mom is convinced we should now make pastelón like this as well. Since plantains are paleo, I don’t see why we shouldn’t try it! Everyone, including the kids loved it, and the leftovers will be gone by lunch tomorrow. Thanks again for a great recipe and we will definitely be making this again!
This looks amazing! I have a couple of sweet potatoes, so I might make this for dinner tomorrow night! I think I’ll make it with ground turkey and add some greens or bell beppers.
I used ground turkey and frozen red, yellow, and green peppers in mine and it was great! I hope you enjoy!
Here’s my redux of your recipe…
This dish is a power-packed, nutrient-dense meal that is quite balanced in terms of carbohydrates-to-proteins. Yet this ain’t yo Momma’s sweet potato casserole!
This one has some bite, but not more than will make it a delictable favorite for you. This Paleo template isn’t about loseing weight, it’s about taste, nutrients, and palate pleasure. You may be a wicked awesome CrossFitter or Cross-weight lifter, and because of that, you need lots of food, lots of macronutrients, and lots of awesome flavor to help keep your progression moving.
For those of you who really like sweet potatoes, this recipe is dedicated to you. This recipe yields a lot of food, all at one time, so freeze the leftovers and savor them when you really need them. Please take note that this recipe is designed to be cooked in a 5.5 to 6 quart slow cooker; it can be filled up to within 2″ of the top of the crock.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. of ground sirloin
- 12 oz. of ground Italian sausage, removed from the casings
- 8 oz. of Chorizo sausage, removed from the casings
- 1 pound of bacon
- 1 dozen large eggs
- 5 or 6 large sweet potatoes
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno chile, finely chopped
- 1 serrano chile, finely chopped
- 1 habanero chile, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp. of cayenne powder
- 2 tbsp. of red curry powder
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 herb bundle: 3 to 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary; 3 to 4 sprigs of
fresh thyme; 3 to 4 sprigs of fresh sage leaves. Tie these herb
sprigs together with kitchen string to form a bundle.
- 2 tsp. of Kosher salt
- 1 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups of extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 cups of Parmigiano-Regiano cheese, grated
- coconut oil to grease your slow cooker
Directions:
Grate the cheeses; set aside.
Finely dice the bacon and cook it until the pieces are crispy; set aside.
In a large stock-pot, bring 5 to 6 quarts of aggressively salted water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, just to soften. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool, then peel and slice (lengthwise) into 1/8″ portions; set aside.
While the sweet potatoes are cooking, in a large cast-iron skillet, over medium heat, add the ground meats, chopped onions, chiles, cayenne powder, curry powder, and garlic. Cook the mixture until the meat is fully browned and the onions are transluscent. When the meat mixture is fully cooked, drain the excess grease off.
Beat the eggs in a medium bowl; set aside.
Assembly:
Grease your slow cooker with the coconut oil.
Cover the bottom of your slow cooker with a layer of the sweet potato slices.
Spoon a layer of the seasoned meat onto the sweet potatoes.
Sprinkle a layer of cheddar cheese on top of the meat.
Sprinkle a layer of bacon on top of the cheddar cheese.
Then add another layer of sweet potatoes on top of the bacon.
Add another layer of meat on top of the sweet potaoes.
Sprinkle another layer of cheese on top of the meat, but this time use the Parmigiano-Regiano cheese.
Repeat.
The goal here is to keep layering evenly until you use up your supplies. Once you have finished layering, pour your egg mixture over the top. Trust me on this. The eggs will fall into place and make the magic happen.
Cook on high for 1 hour, then low for an addition 4 to 5 hours.
Take the removable crock out of the slow-cooker and allow to cool for an hour. Place the removable crock in the refrigerator overnight; this will allow the dish to set up and also allow all of these incredible flavors to marry. When ready to serve, slice the casserole and garnish with more grated cheese.
Oh, one last thing…place the herb bundle between the first and second layers of the potatoes-meat-bacon-cheese. You could also make two herb bundles if you desire, one between two layers…
I really want to sink my teeth into that delicious casserole!
Did you make it yet GiGi?
I made this last night while we were sleeping and put it in the fridge during the day. Omg! This recipe came out amazing! I substituted one lb of the ground beef for a lb of venison and it came out so good! This is definitely a keeper in our house! My husband couldn’t stop raving about it and how happy he was there were leftovers:) thanks!!!
Can you tell me how much of the seasonings you used? Thanks
I made this last night and it’s fantastic and makes great leftovers. I wonder, for the lazy ones amongst us, since it’s cooking in the crock pot for so many hours, is it necessary to brown the beef before putting it in the crock? I can understand the bacon since you don’t want all that grease/fat in there, but with lean 90/10 beef, is there reason to brown it, or even soften the onions for that matter? Just curious if anyone has tried it.
The browning is more of a flavor addition. The only way I usually add ground beef to the crock without browning is when doing meatballs or meatloaf, or in stuffed peppers or cabbage. The meat would cook fine, it would just lack some of the flavor that direct browning provides. Hope this helps.
We have made this before and loved it (even though I didn’t have all the ingredients).
This question may have been asked already, but is this freezable?
Right now it’s just me and my kiddo, so I know we won’t be able to get through all of the food. If I can throw it in the freezer, that would be awesome.
Hello, I only have a 3qt crock pot. Can you help me figure out how to adjust the amounts for my smaller pot?
Thanks!
Cut the ingredient amounts in half, and shave at least an hour off the cooking time.