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Sometimes it’s nice to have 50 recipes to choose from, but my goal with this post is to really help you by only providing a few great recipes! They’re all AIP, autoimmune protocol, that’s the point! So they’re going to be exciting, rich and delicious, but they’re all free of eggs, dairy, nuts and seeds, and they’re obviously Paleo first, so no grains or refined sugars.
AIP notes
Two of the recipes below have pepper, so just leave it out (I note which ones below).
Happy Holidays, friends!
Top 7 AIP Holiday Side Dishes
Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts — The perfect fun and exciting appetizer! My kids loved these. We all just kept pecking at them until the last one was sadly gone.
Instant Pot Gravy — Omit the pepper (the last ingredient listed). This is a wonderful, rich, sure-to-please recipe!
Mashed Cauliflower with Garlic and Herbs — Lovely! She gives some great tips on how to make this classic successfully. And she adds garlic and herbs, sooo yummy.
AIP Biscuits — One of the most popular recipes on my blog, these AIP Biscuits are traditional, classic, delicious biscuits, sure to delight!
AIP Stuffing! — Yes, with AIP bread!!! This recipe is incredibly delicious, tastes traditional and is super satisfying.
Fermented Cranberry Sauce — This is my favorite cranberry sauce yet. If you haven’t fermented before this is a great and fun recipe to get you started. The recipe shares two tools to help you succeed with ease. You still have plenty of time to make this sauce before Thanksgiving.
Roasted Green Beans — (By the way, this recipe is not elimination-phase compliant; it is re-intro. See *note below.) If you’ve never used fish sauce before (it’s an ingredient in this recipe) just know that it isn’t fishy in recipes. It adds umami, which is a meaty depth that’s delicious. It’s one of my favorite pantry staples, so you can use it in lots of basic cooking to add more flavor and je ne sais quoi. (Find it HERE.) I love this roasted green beans recipe, by the way, a great classic. How to cook a vegetable simply and well is sometimes the most valuable recipe. *If you can’t have green beans yet on AIP, try this Roasted Broccoli Salad or this Carrot Salad instead.
Pumpkin Cake! — Does dessert count as a side dish? I decided it does for this collection of recipes. At our holiday gatherings we always have lots of pies. But the quality of the dessert I choose is the most important thing to me. And because this pumpkin cake is SO good, you’ll be happy to have it as your AIP tempting dessert choice when that moment comes.
New Addition!! Caramel Apple Pie — This decadent dessert is Paleo & AIP, with two crust options. It’s perfect to make this treat the day before your holiday. Serve with Paleo Cinnamon Ice Cream, Paleo Vanilla Ice Cream or on its own. So special and delicious looking.
What about sweet potatoes??!
Here’s what we do:
- Bake them at 375 degrees on a cookie sheet until tender when poked with a knife, about 1 hour or a bit more if they’re big.
- Allow them to cool slightly; then peel, (and discard/compost the peel).
- Place them in a large mixing bowl. Smash with fork or potato masher.
- Add coconut oil or bacon fat, sea salt, and optional spices like cinnamon and ginger. Add coconut sugar and coconut cream if you want them extra indulgent. Taste.
- Pack into a deep greased casserole dish with lid. Return to warm (325 degree Fahrenheit) oven to reheat before serving.
- Serve topped with lots of fresh fried sage.
linda spiker says
I love that you make AIP eating so delicious and celebratory! When people are on restricted diets I think that is so important!
Megan Stevens says
Me too! Thanks, Linda! SO many whole foods are still available on AIP. 🙂
Lindsey Dietz says
Megan! This is going to be life-changing for so many people on AIP who can’t enjoy typical holiday sides! I’m swooning over those bacon-wrapped brussels sprouts!
Megan Stevens says
Yay, I hope so; thanks, Lindsey! 🙂 We LOVED the Brussels sprouts!! Can’t wait to make them again!
Renee Kohley says
This is so freeing for those sticking AIP while healing. I remember when I recieved my initial leaky gut dx when I was 24 so many years ago, and I literally had 50+ food items on my list I couldn’t have – it was 4 weeks before Thanksgiving. I was so proud to stick to my plan and avoid my trouble foods because I felt SO good, but this type of recipe help is so important for those wanting to stick to their guns so to speak during the holidsys – I for one found it so worth it!
Megan Stevens says
Me too, Renee, so true– so worth it!! Thank you for your comment! When we started GAPS ALL those years ago there were NO resources at all, except Dr. Natasha’s cookbook; it’s weird to think back to that now. I’m so thankful that those on GAPS and AIP now have lots of support and recipes that are actually great. We had some pretty funny trial and errors our first year, and it was tough on the kids especially.
Joni Jessica says
Woah all of these look divine!
Megan Stevens says
Thanks, Joni!
Jean says
Thanks for this collection! My mom’s AIP so I’m always scrambling for compliant dishes for her and this is a great resource.
Megan Stevens says
Great, Jean, good to hear. You’re welcome! 🙂
Monique Cormack says
This is such a lovely handy list! A friend of mine has just started AIP so this is great, not too overwhelming 🙂
Megan Stevens says
Great, Monique! Thank you; I like what you said, not too overwhelming- yay!
endofthefork.com says
What a great selection of recipes here! I was particularly interested in your fermented cranberry sauce as I am new to fermenting. I really need to get hold of those tools!
Megan Stevens says
Great, so glad to hear it. I hope you love fermenting!! xo 🙂
Hope says
What a great selection of recipes Megan! I know several people following AIP that find the holidays tricky, so will pass this on to them 🙂
Megan Stevens says
Great, Hope, thank you!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
Oh Megan, this all looks so lovely! I am swooning over your pumpkin cake. It’s just beautiful. I would happily devour it … well maybe not all of it, but at least a few slices 😉 And all of those yummy sides, so perfect for everyone. Thank you for including the Brussels sprouts xo
Megan Stevens says
Yay, thank you!! SO happy to have the beautiful Brussels sprouts recipe included!! xo
Katie Stanley says
It’s hard to decide which I want to make first! They all look so yummy! I’m going to have to pass this on to a friend who’s hubby has to eat AIP right now. Thank you!!
Megan Stevens says
So glad, Katie; I hope the list is helpful!
dailyciabatta says
That pumpkin cake sounds incredible! This list is going to be incredibly helpful for so many families!
Megan Stevens says
Thank you! I hope so. What a special holiday it is, and no one needs to feel deprived!
Callie Goode says
These look so tasty and divine! Thanks for sharing the AIP love!
Megan Stevens says
You’re welcome, Callie; thank you!
Brooke says
Great list, but you don’t specify here that your green bean recipe is for re-intro, so new people might not realize without reading the recipe. This is why my SIL made a meal with green beans that she thought was compliant, but the AIP-ers couldn’t eat. (I expected this to be a list of elimination-phase compliant recipes, rather than having to check each one to see if there are re-intro ingredients..)
Megan says
Thanks for the concern and caution, Brooke. I’ll update the article accordingly.