Loaded Sweet Potato Fries (AIP & Paleo)

I’m not really a big Super Bowl (or football) person, though I do love a good Super Bowl party, mainly for the food, time with friends, and the commercials. This year, things will be much different, since we’ve moved to the middle of New England Patriots territory & they happen to be playing in the 2017 Super Bowl. Let me tell you…. people around here take their NFL football *very* seriously.

While I might feel more inclined to cheer for a particular team this year, I’m still most excited about the food! Specifically, I’m excited about making some AIP/Paleo options to share with our new friends. Last year, I made plantain chip chicken in nugget form, cutting chicken breasts into pieces before coating them in the plantain chip crust & baking them on a rack. I also made the red sangria mocktail from The Healing Kitchen, and some amazing paleo brownies from Joshua Weissman/Slim Palate (the brownies require an egg & chocolate reintro; I also subbed coconut oil for the butter). All super delicious. (haha, pun intended!)

I’m still debating exactly what I’ll take to this year’s party, but these loaded sweet potato fries are a serious contender. I first made them on a whim last summer for one of our burger nights & they were such a fun twist on normal sweet potato fries. Plus the arugula pesto they’re topped with adds some extra veggie power.

If you’re looking for some other party food ideas, whether for yourself or to share with others, here are a few more options:

• Paloma Mocktail/Cocktail (AIP) or Cocktail (Paleo)  
• Red Sangria (AIP)  
• Chicken Liver Pate (AIP)  
• Marinated Flank Steak (AIP)  
• Bacon & Prosciutto Wrapped Dates (AIP)  
• Plantain Chip Chicken (AIP)  
• Blood Orange Gummies (AIP)  
• Simple Guac (AIP)  
• Coconut Macaroons (AIP) 

Loaded Sweet Potato Fries (AIP & Paleo) 
Yields 2 generous servings; batch can be easily doubled or tripled for a larger group 

For the Fries:
1 pound white sweet potatoes (I prefer Hannah)
28 g (2 tablespoons) duck fat, melted
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. 
2. Wash and cut the sweet potato into thin fry-shaped pieces, 1/4 to 1/2 inch in width. 
3. Pour the melted duck fat into a bowl, add the sweet potato fries, and toss to coat. 
4. Arrange the fries on an un-lined rimmed baking sheet (I used a quarter sheet), making sure there is a little space between each fry. Dust the fries with sea salt & garlic powder.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and carefully flip the fries over. Roast for an additional 10 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. While the fries are roasting, prepare the toppings (see below). 

To Assemble: 
1 batch of sweet potato fries (see above)
2 tablespoons arugula pesto, plus additional for dipping, if desired
3 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion
1 to 2 teaspoons cilantro leaves
sprinkling of smoked Maldon sea salt

1. Just before serving, drizzle the roasted sweet potato fries with the arugula pesto. Top with the crumbled bacon, sliced scallion, and cilantro leaves. Sprinkle with smoked Maldon to taste. Serve with additional arugula pesto for dipping, if desired. 

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Bacon & Prosciutto Wrapped Dates (AIP)

Medjool dates are an absolute staple in our house. Not because I love them so much but because my husband is such a big fan. He’ll eat multiple dates most days & every grocery run I make includes a couple packages of dates from the produce department. While I do think dates can be quite tasty & a great more natural sweetener, I’m not the biggest fan of just eating one outright the way husband does. I’d rather put them in things or pair them with other ingredients. 

Because we don’t go out to eat much these days, I make a more special meal/dessert/appetizer every so often, which is how I started making these wrapped dates. We’ve enjoyed them on multiple occasions as an appetizer accompanied by a glass of kombucha tea (or maybe a glass of wine for him) and a rented movie. The perfect date night in. (Ha! So punny!)

Bacon on the left side of the dish/prosciutto on the right

But now we’re in a bit of a conundrum: Husband prefers the dates wrapped in bacon, then baked & I prefer prosciutto. Luckily, both are quite easy to make & it’s not difficult at all to wrap some dates with bacon for him and some with prosciutto for me.  Really, both options have their merits: the bacon gets a little more chewy & greasy, while the prosciutto gets a little more crispy & salty. Both options soften the date nicely & the sweet pairs deliciously with the savory. 

So, which do you prefer? Bacon or Prosciutto? And it won’t hurt my feelings one bit if you side with my husband and choose bacon ;)

Wrapped Dates
yields 8 pieces 

I’ve written this formula into an actual recipe format, but you just need to remember this concept: half a piece of bacon or prosciutto per date. And you can make as many as you want! Make just a couple for an individual snack or a whole tray for a larger group.  

8 Medjool Dates, pitted
4 slices of bacon or prosciutto (or 2 of each) NOTE: make sure they do not contain nightshades or other non-AIP ingredients!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
2. Use a knife to carefully pit the dates, just cutting into one side to remove the pit. 
3. Cut the bacon and/or prosciutto in half (see photo above) 
4. Roll the bacon/prosciutto around the date & place into a small baking dish or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add toothpicks, if desired. 
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the bacon/prosciutto is golden & crispy. Cool a few minutes & serve immediately. 

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