I’m currently on day 17 of my second round of the Whole30! It’s been fun to compare what my experience was like the first time around to now. I’m so glad I decided to do it again because it’s shown me how much I have learned and made progress on in the year in between.  More to come later on that.  After my first round, I kept a lot of the compliant meals in my regular rotation and had still been using them up until the time I started my second round. Things like eating broccoli for breakfast, tomato basil soup with meatballs and orange chicken have continued to be staples for me. But, that also meant that my go-to meals quickly started to get old pretty quick during this round because the excitement of trying something new was no longer a part of the equation. 

Now, I certainly didn’t make thirty new dinners or lunches this round, but I did recreate a few dishes, like the one I’m sharing here in addition to trying some brand new recipes. Not trying to pat myself on the back here, but I also realized how much of a better cook I am now than I was last year at this time. Not just knowing recipes off the top of my head, but knowing how to make them (the right order and timing of individual steps that will yield the most perfect end result), knowing exactly what seasonings to use for the flavor I’m looking to taste, etc. has made all the difference in the food I’ve been eating this round. I’m so glad I’ve grown to love preparing good food that’s also good for me. I didn’t wake up one day knowing how to do all of this and I know I have much more to learn, but I’m happy with the noteable progress I’ve made! 

Last round there were two dishes I particularly enjoyed for some carbs at breakfast time: pumpkin bake and mashed sweet potatoes with pecans and ghee (clarified butter) on top. Both are served warm, but taste almost as delicious cold, straight from the fridge.  And they both have this comforting sensation that only comes with food you prepare during the colder months. The sweet and savory combination of flavors that come with fall seasonings and the creamy stick to your ribs feeling you get after eating your mom’s mashed potatoes. So needless to say when I went to prepare one of these dishes at the start of this round, I had a hard time deciding which one to make, because they’re both SO good. So I decided to combine my favorite parts of the two. 

I knew I for sure wanted to include the pecans and ghee topping that I used for the mashed sweet potatoes, and I also wanted to include the pumpkin and the cinnamony goodness of the pumpkin bake. Traditionally, I know it’s common to boil potatoes prior to mashing them. But it’s so easy to peel a few potatoes and pop them in the oven while I’m doing other things around the house so that’s turned into my favorite method of getting potatoes soft enough to mash. 

I peeled three sweet potatoes, wrapped them in foil and baked them at 450 for a little over an hour.  Once they had cooled enough to touch, I put them in a large mixing bowl with 1 can of pumpkin puree and mixed the two together. I then continued to add almond milk until they were silky smooth and creamy, but not runny. Somewhere between 1/2 and 1 cup. I added 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of nutmeg a couple twists of sea salt. 

In the food processor I combined roughly 1 cup of pecans and ground them to my preferred size. I melted 4 T of ghee in a small bowl, added the pecans and tossed them with a couple twists of sea salt. I oiled a large glass baking dish, added the sweet potato and pumpkin mixture and spread it out. Finally, I used a spoon to sprinkle on the pecan and ghee topping. I baked this dish at 350 for roughly 30 minutes, until the pecans started to brown on top.

I ate this for a whole week of breakfasts, and alongside some lunches and dinners as a quick go to carb option. It lasted for-ev-er and I loved every delicous bite of it!

Now the next time someone asks if you prefer pumpkin or sweet potato, tell them thanks to this recipe, you no longer have to choose! Let me know if you make this and love it by commenting or tagging me on Instagram @wellwithlb.

Happy cooking!

Lauren