My family is by no means a vegetarian or gluten free family. That being said, when I find a yummy recipe to feed the family that checks both of these boxes, it makes me stand a little taller with pride! Like, if I wanted to live this lifestyle, I could do this…
Now I will say, this recipe does take a little more time than I have available during weeknights. This is usually a recipe we meal prep on the weekend, and have ready covered in the fridge ready to be pulled out for a quick supper during the week! Here’s some more details on how to make this meal work for your family!
How to make it kid friendly!
For my family, this is a family friendly meal… some of the times! Some nights, my kids dig in and love it! Other nights not so much. Some tricks I’ve found to make the rough nights go smoother:
1) Deconstruct the recipe. Yes, it’s a little more work on your end, but if it gets veggies in your kids bellies… win! We will some times make a “rainbow” plate of colors with peppers in one pile, corn in another, etc.
2) If your kiddo is a Greek yogurt or sour cream fan, use it to your advantage! We’ll place a hefty dollop on the plates so they have something “friendly” and appealing on their plate. Some of the times, they just eat the yogurt and ask for another scoop. We’ll give it, if they‘ll try dipping their veggies in it. Other nights, their plates become a pallet for “sensory play” and they mix it all together. Whatever works!
3) Serve it with chicken nuggets, or whatever your kiddo’s favorite go-to meal is. Again, try to make their plate less intimidating.
4) Throw in the towel and pull out the chicken nugs and whatever other foods they’ll eat! At least you tried!
How to appease the carnivore!
Alright, have a husband or teenage boy who refuses a meal without some type of meat? Cut this recipe in half, and make it a side! Pan fry chicken breasts, grill a steak, whatever gets the job done!
Another idea… brown ground turkey or beef with your favorite taco seasoning. Take the spinach out, and substitue the taco meat instead! Now I will admit, I have NOT tried this so… don’t try to take me down if it fails, but sounds yummy to me! Ultimately, it’s an enchilada stackup with ground meat! You may have to play with the seasonings since you’re veggies are also seasoned. You don’t want it to be too overwhelming, but it sounds delicious!
Roasted Veggie Stackup
Ingredients
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
2-10 oz frozen bags of cauliflower heads (or 1/2 head of cauliflower chopped into chunks)
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups - want to make it quicker? Grab a bag of frozen, cubed sweet potatoes)
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 Tablespoons avocado oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups salsa
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 2 big handfuls)
9-10 small corn tortillas torn into small pieces
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese blend or your favorite cheddar cheese (dairy free- sub in your favorite dairy free cheese!)
Steps
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn kernels onto a large, rimmed baking sheet.
Drizzle oil and sprinkle the cumin and garlic powder over top. Add a pinch or two of salt and black pepper, then use your hands to mix everything together. After everything is coated well, spread the vegetables evenly in the pan.
Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Stir or shake the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting. Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
If you’re a cilantro fan, stir the cilantro into the salsa. Then spread about 1/3 of the salsa into the bottom of the baking pan.
Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to cover the salsa. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, a handful of spinach, and 1/3 of the cheese.
Continue in this fashion, making a total of 3 layers. For the last layer, leave out the spinach.
Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
Let stand for 5 minutes and serve!
Top with your favorite plain Greek yogurt or sour cream!
Enjoy!!
