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A tangy, sweet mixture of broccoli, ham, and pineapple will thrill your taste buds and leave you satisfied. Just a few minutes to make! It can be served over many different options as well! Paleo and AIP friendly.
I absolutely adore dishes that feel like a comfort food indulgence while also getting in some veggies.
This broccoli ham dish is one of those – the sweet and sour taste really feels like you're eating a takeout meal, but you're also eating a serving of broccoli!
It's also kid-friendly, especially when served over some sort of pasta (I used AIP-friendly cassava flour pasta for the pictures). That makes it a win when trying to find a dish to serve to the whole family when you don't want to make several meals at dinnertime!
Table of contents
The ingredients (plus substitutions)
The ingredients for this dish should be easily found, however do check your ham to make sure it's AIP-friendly if you're on the AIP Diet.
You'll need:
• Avocado or Coconut Oil – this is to help the ingredients from sticking to the pan and to add some fat to the dish. You can also use olive oil if you'd prefer, though it sometimes can add some flavor that may not be desired. If you use coconut oil I recommend refined coconut oil as it's a neutral-tasting oil without any flavor.
• Broccoli – You can do fresh or frozen broccoli. To save time, buy it already cut into florets. Fresh broccoli will have a slightly different taste and texture than frozen in this as you don't cook the broccoli all that much. The broccoli is cooked more to a crisp tender, so it'll still have a crispier texture if fresh and a mushier texture if frozen. Do note that if you use frozen you may have a bit of water at the bottom of the pan that you'll want to drain before adding the sauce.
• Cooked Ham – You'll use a ham steak for this rather than sliced ham. As mentioned above, if you're on the AIP diet make sure to check the ingredients to make sure it is AIP-friendly, but don't worry about celery salts, nitrates, or a small amount of sugars as these are all-natural parts of the curing process. You just want to look out for the word “Spices” as who knows what's in that….
If you don't eat pork or just want a change, you can also replace the ham with diced cooked chicken breasts or thighs, or even small pieces of cooked steak.
• Green Onions – also known as Scallions. You'll use both the green and white parts of these, but will cook them so they won't be as pungent as if used raw. They give a certain “spiciness” to this dish to counteract the sweet.
• Pineapple – you can use fresh, frozen and thawed, or canned pineapple
• Pineapple Juice – you can use the juice from the can if you used canned pineapple, or a jarred pineapple juice. This is for the sauce
• Apple Cider Vinegar – the “sour” part to this sweet-and-sour dish! If you cannot have ACV you can replace it with an alternative vinegar like white wine vinegar
• Coconut Sugar – this is my sugar of choice to use to make the sweet flavor, but if you cannot tolerate coconut then use maple sugar. It will change the flavor slightly but still be delicious. You also can try maple syrup or honey but the flavor will be altered for those as well, and the sauce may not thicken as much.
• Arrowroot Powder – this is to help thicken the sauce. If you do not have or cannot tolerate it, you can use tapioca starch (1st choice) or cassava flour (2nd choice).
How to make this dish
This broccoli ham dish is quite simple to make. (See the recipe card below for exact instructions and measurements)
• Prep the ingredients by chopping the broccoli into florets (if you didn't buy them that way), cubing the ham, slicing the green onions, and dicing the pineapple (if you didn't buy it that way).
• Cook the broccoli for a few minutes to start softening it
• Add the ham, green onions, and pineapple and cook for 5 minutes to warm through
• Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and then add to the skillet
• Stir the ingredients in the skillet to mix the in the sauce. This heats and thickens the sauce at the same time
• Serve over your choice of sides!
What to serve with this broccoli ham
You can serve this dish over so many different things, which is great since it then will accommodate many different dietary needs.
The picture shows this served over cassava flour pasta, which is a Paleo and AIP-friendly version by Jovial Foods. (I like to buy mine from ShopAIP)
Some other ideas of what to serve it over:
• cauliflower rice (or real rice if you can tolerate it)
• roasted spaghetti squash
How to make it ahead of time
You can make this dish up to 5 days ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Reheat in a microwave or on the stove over low heat.
If the sauce is a bit too thick when reheating you can loosen it up slightly with some more pineapple juice or a bit of water.
More quick Paleo and AIP dinner ideas
If you want more quick Paleo and AIP dinner ideas, check these out:
Sheet Pan Coconut Chicken (Paleo, Whole30, AIP)
Brussels and Candied Carrots bowl (Paleo, AIP)
More Helpful AIP & Paleo Resources in the Freebie Library
If you find this recipe helpful, you may really enjoy the resources in my Paleo & AIP Freebie Library! There's a “dump” freezer meal plan, a list of AIP-compliant breakfast toppings, and so much more. Plus, you'll get even more ideas sent to your inbox! Get the password here.
Sweet and Sour Broccoli Ham Recipe
If you make this meal, I'd love to hear how it turned out! Either comment below or share a pic on Instagram and tag me @thrivingautoimmune!
Sweet and Sour Broccoli Ham (Paleo, AIP)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Avocado Oil (or Coconut Oil)
- 3 cups Broccoli Florets (fresh or frozen) ((about 1 medium head broccoli))
- 12 oz Cooked Ham (cubed)
- 2 Green Onions (sliced thinly)
- 1 cup Pineapple chunks
- 1 cup Pineapple Juice
- 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Coconut Sugar (or Maple Sugar)
- 1 tbsp Arrowroot Powder
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and melt if necessary. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
- Add the ham, green onions, and pineapple chunks and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 more minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together the pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and arrowroot powder. Add this to the skillet and simmer, stirring frequently, until heated through and the sauce has thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve over your side of choice.
Nutrition
