This lower histamine ranch bake is a lightly-spiced Mexican-style baked casserole to satisfy your craving for warming comfort food.
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Table of Contents
Ingredient notes for lower histamine ranch bake
This recipe can also be made with leftover diced turkey meat if you freeze the turkey meat to arrest histamine production after roasting, using a cup of lower histamine vegetable broth.
According to the Fig App, cumin may be high in histamine or serve as a histamine liberator for some people. Every person has unique dietary triggers so your reaction to cumin may be different than someone else’s. One way to figure it out is to test your individual tolerance to ingredients by logging symptoms, and then keep track of them with the Fig app. Coriander is considered low in histamine.
What is MCAS?
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a chronic condition that affects all organ systems. MCAS is serious and disabling and people with MCAS experience often significant and debilitating symptoms daily, including anaphylaxis, which can be fatal.
MCAS is often found in combination with other chronic conditions such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
Frequently healthcare providers do not know about MCAS, and the tests for MCAS are problematic because they are not uniformly reliable. MCAS can be difficult to manage. Treatments include blocking mast cell mediators with anti-histamines and mast cell stabilizers, as well as avoiding triggers.
Check out this post on how to manage MCAS.
Why this recipe?
This recipe is low in carbs, higher in fat, protein, and fiber, while still being lower in histamine and histamine-releasing foods, lower in oxalates, and free of nightshades, grains, and gluten. Eating a diet lower in carbs and inflammatory foods can help to control histamine intolerance. To learn more about the lower histamine diet click here!
The bucket theory
The bucket theory offers a helpful analogy for understanding symptom reactions with MCAS.
Think of your body as an empty bucket that you want to keep from overflowing. Different foods and activities fill your histamine bucket at different speeds but they combine to form the total level of histamine in your body (how full your bucket is). A fuller bucket means you have more histamine symptoms. When you manage triggers, reduce exposure to known triggers, and take medications and supplements to reduce histamine, you can manage the level of your bucket.
Know your typical symptom progression
Knowing your symptom progression in a symptom flare is the key to developing your own rescue plan. In this post, I discuss how to determine your own symptom progression. Once you know what typically happens in your symptom progression you can design a rescue plan to address those symptoms.
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Accompaniments for this lower histamine ranch bake
This dish is great on its own, but can also be garnished in a few ways:
- Drizzle with garlic-infused olive oil.
- Top with chopped fresh herbs like dill, basil, parsley, or chopped green onions.
What to serve along with this lower histamine ranch bake
- A green salad is always lovely with this dish.
- Choose sides based on your other dietary needs.
Leftovers and reheating
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, but if you have histamine intolerance or MCAS you will want to freeze leftovers right away.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes, depending on your microwave’s power. Or, place in a saucepan, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until piping hot.
Here’s the recipe for lower histamine ranch bake
Lower Histamine Ranch Bake
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast diced into ¾ inch cubes
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup zucchini diced
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ medium red onion diced small
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place chicken in Instant Pot with 1 c. water. Press the "Meat" button, and wait until the cycle completes. Release the pressure manually. Carefully remove the lid and shred the chicken reserving the cooking liquid. Alternatively, poach the diced chicken in a saute pan with a lid for about 15 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the diced onion and zucchini, sweating until tender. Add the garlic and stir well, cooking until fragrant.
- Add the spices and sea salt. Add the reserved cooking liquid and stir well to combine and bring to a simmer for a few minutes to heat through.
- Spoon half of the vegetable mixture into an oven-proof casserole dish. Shred half the chicken over the top of the vegetable layer. Top the chicken with half of the grated cheese.
- Repeat the process with another layer of vegetable mixture, the remaining chicken (shredded) and a final layer of cheese.
- Transfer the pan to the oven to bake for 18-20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling, the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted and golden.
- Serve immediately or portion into glass containers for freezing.
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