Hi there! Welcome to Flawed yet Functional! If this is your first time here, you should know up front that I am passionate about using food to heal your body. I am using the Autoimmune Protocol to manage my Type 1 Diabetes without insulin (Read more here!) Holidays and special events can leave feelings of being left out in our minds if we let the thoughts of what we can’t have take over. Today I’d like to share a dairy-free appetizer: Paleo ham and green onion roll-ups. It’s a spin on a classic summer appetizer that I recently altered to fit my diet. Don’t show up to your next holiday party without this tasty appetizer!
A quick note to point out that this recipe is intended to be a special occasion appetizer. Meaning it should be eaten in small amounts and infrequently.
Why?
Paleo-friendly cream cheese is still a processed food with many additives in it. Depending on your sensitivities, you may be able to enjoy this treat every once in a while, and it is possible you cannot. With that in mind, let me show you how I made these Paleo Ham and Green Onion Roll-ups!
Paleo Cream Cheese
Take a look through your local grocery store’s cream cheese section. There should be some options for vegan or dairy-free cream cheese. My local store carries both a coconut based version and an almond based version. I used the coconut based version, but I’m sure both would work fine.
Now, dairy-free cream cheese is kind of flat and bland. So don’t skip the lemon juice and spices! They are needed to enhance the flavor! Give them a quick mix with the dairy-free cream cheese and you are ready to assemble your roll-ups!
Nitrate-Free Ham
As a general rule, I try to avoid purchasing meats with nitrates in them. Our bodies are exposed to so many chemicals, I avoid them where I can.
Our local butcher has a nitrate-free ham. Woot! It uses celery salt to cure the ham, which is much more acceptable to me. Read the labels, you can likely find nitrate-free ham close to you!
Wrapping Notes
Ham can be slippery so pat it with a paper towel to dry if you are having trouble getting the cream cheese to stick.
Smear the cream cheese down the middle of the ham, where you lay the green onion, but also put a dab at the top of the ham slice. This serves as the “glue” to keep the wrap from unrolling!
Roll it up and serve as a long roll or slice into small sections with a toothpick for easy grabbing.
Modifying your favorite foods is one way to make diet change easier for your family. These easy, tasty Ham & Green Onion Roll-ups are a delicious addition to your next special event!
Paleo Ham & Green Onion Roll-ups
The saltiness of ham and the tangy crunch of green onion make these roll-ups the perfect appetizer for your next special event. Although traditionally made with dairy cream cheese, this recipe has been altered to use coconut-based cream cheese making it completely dairy-free!
Ingredients
- 8 oz. dairy-free cream cheese
- 1 tsp. dill
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 pound sliced, nitrate-free deli ham
- 12 stalks green onion
Instructions
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Allow dairy-free cream cheese to soften and come to room temperature on the counter for an hour or two before making the roll-ups.
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In a small mixing bowl, mix the dairy-free cream cheese, dill, onion powder, sea salt, and lemon juice.
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Lay one slice of ham on a flat surface and smear about a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture across the middle of the ham. Smear a small amount at the top of the slice of ham too.
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Lay one green onion across the middle of the ham slice. Fold the bottom of the ham slice up and over the green onion. Roll tightly up to the top of the ham slice, using the small smear of cream cheese at the top to hold the roll together.
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Repeat with rest of the ham and green onions. Refrigerate until time to serve. Serve whole or cut into smaller rolls, secured with toothpicks.
Recipe Notes
**Two rolls contains 8 net carbs.**
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