Gluten Free Beef Biscuit Bake

by Doula Brandi

For the past decade I have eaten wheat free foods. I have a mild wheat allergy and cannot tolerate the non-sprouted grain. Being wheat free was daunting at first but over time I’ve learned to adjust. Now I can take almost any recipe and adapt it to my own use. Sometimes it takes a couple tries to get it right mind you! But seldom anymore does a whole batch go into the compost pile!

Healthy wheat free recipes usually don’t qualify as ‘easy’, meaning that everything must be made from scratch. So I have looked for casserole and crock-pot recipes over the years to simplify the food prep and reduce my time in the kitchen. One of our family’s favorites is called Spinach Beef Bake. This recipe is a spin-off of an old Taste of Home recipe. I have adapted it with a gluten free crust and a simple yet tasty & healthy filling.

Crust, Gluten Free

¼ cup potato starch flour

½ cup tapioca starch flour

¾ cup brown rice flour

2 tsp guar gum (or xanthan gum) [this gives the GF flours some ‘stick-to-it-ness’ that gluten provides in wheat flours]

2 tsp baking powder. Aluminum free preferred.

½ tsp sea salt

Mix together dry ingredients then add:

2 eggs

½ cup almond, rice or dairy milk

1/3 cup oil

Blend together wet and dry ingredients, pour into a 9 X 13 pan and spread out the batter, pushing it up the sides a bit.

Filling

1# ground beef or turkey, brown over medium heat, remove from heat and drain if needed.

Add seasonings such as: salt, pepper, basil, oregano or seasoned salt to taste.

Add 1 package frozen spinach, mix well.

Shred 4 oz cheese, I use Monterrey, cheddar or Colby Jack into a bowl and add

2 eggs, mix well and add to the meat & spinach mixture.

Pour into the batter lined pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until the crust is done and just starting to brown and the eggs are set in the center.

This takes a little bit of prep time, but most of the cooking time is spent in the oven, while I am doing something else. It’s a one dish meal, all that is needed is a tossed salad and dinner is served!

This dish can be made very quick and easy if you are not wheat or gluten free. Simply 2 cans of refrigerated biscuits instead of the scratch biscuits pressing them into your pan, sealing the edges of the biscuits together to form the crust. Continue with the filling and bake as directed above.