“Primal” Breakfast Casserole

Delicious for breakfast or dinner!

After Thanksgiving dinner, my fellow primal family members (my sister and my Aunt Grace) and I were discussing trying new ingredients. My aunt asked if we had ever tried turnips. Not sure that I ever had, I was instantly curious. What showed up the very next day on Mark’s Daily Apple? A “Primal” Breakfast Casserole made with turnips instead of potatoes! I had to try it!
I often use recipes as starting points for meals and then add my own touches. I can’t help it – we love flavor and I never pass up an opportunity to add more to a dish! I kicked up the flavor of this dish with spicy italian sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, and italian herb blend. We do not avoid cheese, so I added a cheesy layer to the top of the casserole. This recipe is like a blank slate – make it your own. Change up the meat or herbs, add different vegetables, and experiment with new cheeses!
According to FitDay, 100 grams of russet potato contains 21.4 grams of carbohydrates. Turnips are a great lower carb option, weighing in at 5.1 grams of carbs in a 100 gram serving. Alex said he couldn’t tell that he was eating turnips, he thought they tasted a lot like potatoes!
Here’s my version – enjoy for breakfast or dinner!

“Primal” Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 pound spicy Italian pork sausage, casings removed, broken into bite size pieces and cooked
• 4 small to medium turnips, peeled and grated (I used a food processor)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 8 ounces baby Portabella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon raw milk butter or ghee
• 1 Tablespoon Italian herb blend, plus additional for sprinkling on top
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• I large vine ripened tomato, sliced
• 1 cup organic mozzarella, shredded

What to do:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a saute pan, melt the butter and cook the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic to the saute pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Allow the onion and mushroom to cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the onion and mushrooms with the sausage, turnips, eggs, 1 Tablespoon herbs, and salt and pepper. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Arrange the tomato slices on top of the turnip mixture.
Bake for 40 minutes and then cover the pan, returning it to the oven for 20 minutes more. Uncover the casserole and sprinkle with cheese and additional Italian herbs. Place back into the oven for 5 minutes more to melt the cheese.