Happy 2025 friends! Is it just me or did the holidays fly by this year? Perhaps it’s having a newborn in the house for the first time or perhaps that simply comes with age. By the time we gear up for the holidays (gift buying, cooking baking, decorating), the actual days of celebrating go quickly. OR it’s the damn time change that continues to set the sun at 4:30. By 5:30pm the day is over, what can I say. 

Anyway, I may be in a sugar coma and in dire need of a healthy new year reset but I also hate the pressure we put on ourselves every year to completely change our lifestyles just because it’s January. As I grapple with the changes in my body as a new mom and my inability to work out daily like I am used to, I decided that instead of a complete overhaul, I am going to try to work on resetting my relationship with wellness. Do I need to fill my Apple rings every day if I still prioritize movement and mindfulness? Do I need to go on a diet to lose the baby weight if I prioritize nutrient-packed meals? 

Interestingly enough, I subscribed to ex-Peloton instructor Kendall Toole’s newsletter at the end of the year and she has inspired me to get creative in the kitchen by making simple protein-forward swaps in my favorite comfort meals. Which feels in line with this attempt to shift my thinking this month. 

Instead of saying no to carbs, cook your rice in bone broth – easily adding 30+ grams of protein to a dish. Make pasta sauces with blended nuts and vegetables. (Which reminds me of my favorite Pozole recipe that hides bowls full of greens into the broth btw!) Anyway, I am ranting now. And I wouldn’t even call this recipe healthy in sense of the word. But I did make healthy swaps to the most comforting of comfort foods. Think chicken sausage instead of pork, bone broth instead of chicken stock, half and half rather than heavy cream. 

This is the perfect way to enter the new year. Still enjoying the comforts of warm winter meals but easing ourselves back into healthier alternatives. It’s satisfying, heart warming, and reminiscent of the thick buttery versions we love to indulge in at restaurants, but much better for you! (Even better if you omit the bacon… and admittedly still tastes the same!) 

Welcome back to a new year and can’t wait to share all my healthified, gluten free, comfort meals this year!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. spicy ground chicken sausage

1 bag or 2 bunches kale

6 slices bacon

1 yellow onion

4 cloves garlic

4 cups golden potatoes (about 1/2 lb.)

2 tbsp. arrowroot starch (can sub potato starch)

1 cup half and half

32 oz. chicken bone broth

Salt & pepper

Serving Size: 8

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cook bacon until crispy, set aside. 
• In a soup pot, cook ground sausage with a little bit of oil until browned. Remove from pot and set aside.
• Dice onion and garlic. Add to soup pot, cook on medium heat until translucent (approx 3-4 minutes).
• Stir arrowroot starch into onions and garlic until coated.
• Dice potatoes and add into the pot. 
• Pour in chicken broth and bring to a soft boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for another 20-30 minutes until potatoes are soft (will depend on potato chunk size). 
• Add cooked sausage, bacon, and roughly chopped kale into pot. 
• Stir and cook for another 10 minutes. 
• Salt and pepper to taste. 
• Enjoy!