PCOS Friendly Christmas Casserole

Does PCOS give you anxiety around food during the holidays?

I asked this question on Instagram and got an overwhelming vote of “YES!” …so you’re not alone.

I’m gonna tell you a little story about Aunt Becky.

Aunt Becky is the person in your family who sits across from you at Christmas dinner. She stares at you judgmentally, thinking “gosh, you’ve gained weight,“ and you can literally read her mind.

Then, she offers some of her casserole and asks you why you haven’t touched it. She insists that you just have to give it a bite… so then you try to explain to her that you’ve been trying to eat gluten and dairy free.

Instead of being respectful, she showers you in guilt by saying that she’s made it specifically for you because she knows you liked her casserole from last Christmas.

Soo what do you do, [name]?

A. Clam up with anxiety and eat it because everyone is staring and you don’t know what other choice you even have at this point because she made you feel like a bad person for breaking her whole heart because of this casserole!

B. Politely and gracefully continue to decline. Tell her it looks absolutely delicious and everyone is going to enjoy it. However, you are really trying to keep your symptoms under control and eating gluten and dairy free has been super helpful.

I’m going with option B.

Not gonna lie, it’s really worked well for me. Try it! Even if Aunty Becky persists, I am soo polite that it’s simply impossible for her to win or make me feel embarassed. In fact, my politeness will turn that embarrassment right around and make her feel embarrassed for creating a scene out of casserole!

Well, I’m not a therapist, but I am a Registered Dietitian. And on that note…here’s a gluten and dairy free casserole recipe from The Cysterhood App that I suggest you bring to Christmas dinner and offer to Aunt Becky!

PCOS Friendly Christmas Casserole

Ingredients

Filling:

3 Tbsp ghee
1 onion, diced
½ leek, sliced
2 cups celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh minced sage leaves
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp nutmeg
3 Tbsp tapioca starch
2 cups chicken bone broth
¾ cup full fat dairy-free cream
1 cup frozen peas
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 heaping cups cubed or shredded chicken
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Crust:
1/2 cups almond flour
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup butter
1 tbsp xylitol
¾ tsp salt
1 large egg

Directions:

Step 1

Start with the crust: In a food processor or large bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca, butter chunks, xylitol and salt. Pulse the mixture until course crumbs form. Then, crack in the chilled egg and pulse or mix until a dough forms.

Step 2

On a piece of parchment beeswax paper, gather the whole dough into a ball, wrap it, then flatten it into a disc shape. If it’s firm enough you can already go ahead and roll it out into a bigger disk. Chill the dough for about 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 3

For the filling, heat a deep oven proof skillet over medium heat and add the butter. If you want to make a skillet pot pie, use a 10.25” cast iron skillet or a 12” skillet.

Step 4

Add in the onions, leek, and celery and cook until translucent, then add in the garlic and fresh herbs, nutmeg and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook another couple of minutes.

Step 5

Stir in the tapioca or cornstarch to coat the veggies, then pour in the broth and dairy-free cream and stir. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for another 3-5 mins.

Step 6

Stir in the peas and carrots and the shredded or chopped chicken and cook for another 2 minutes. Taste, then season as desired with sea salt and black pepper, remove from heat.

Step 7

Preheat your oven to 375° F.

Step 8

If using a casserole dish and not a skillet, transfer filling into the casserole.

Step 9

Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper.Roll the dough into a large circle, slightly larger than the diameter of the top of your skillet, or, if using a casserole dish, the casserole dish. Remove the top sheet of parchment, repair the edges as needed, then carefully flip the crust onto the top of the skillet or casserole. Flute the edges or prick them with a fork and cut 3-4 slits into middle of the dough.

Step 10

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg for the egg wash and brush all over the crust.

Step 11

Place the skillet or casserole on a large baking sheet to catch any leaks and bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 30 – 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is starting to get all bubbly around the sides/

Step 12

Allow the pot pie to sit for about 10 minutes to set a bit before serving. Serve hot.

Want more PCOS friendly recipes like this? Download the The Cysterhood App!