Waffle Fry BBQ Bites

Ingredients

For Waffle Fry Bites

12 (about 4 1/2 ounces) sweet potato waffle fries (preferably natural)

12 tablespoons BBQ Beef (see below), reheated if necessary

1 1/2 tablespoons barbecue sauce (look for one that’s relatively low in sugar)

For BBQ Beef

1 tablespoon whole grain oat flour

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1 pound trimmed top round roast or steak, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

Olive oil spray (propellant free)

3/4 cup low sodium beef broth

2 tablespoons liquid smoke (preferably natural)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, divided (look for one that’s relatively low in sugar)

Instructions

For Waffle Fry Bites

Cook the fries according to package directions.

Transfer the cooked fries, evenly spaced, onto a serving platter in a single layer. Mound the beef evenly among them (about 1 tablespoon on each fry). Drizzle the sauce evenly over them.

For BBQ Beef

In a medium plastic resealable bag, combine the flour, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add the beef and shake the bag until the beef is evenly coated with the flour mixture. Let the beef rest for 15 minutes, unrefrigerated (though not longer for food safety reasons).

Preheat a medium nonstick soup pot over medium high heat. When it’s hot, lightly mist the pan with spray then add the beef. Brown the beef on all sides, about 1 minute per side, then turn the heat to medium and add the broth and liquid smoke. When the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low (the liquid should still be boiling slightly). Cover and cook the beef, stirring occasionally, for 1–1 1/2 hours or until it’s very tender (the pieces should easily fall apart when smashed with a fork).

Using a slotted spoon, drain the beef of any excess liquid and transfer it to a medium bowl. Using a fork, separate the pieces so the beef is somewhat shredded then mix in 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 120 calories, 4 g fat, 0.9 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 200 mg sodium,200 mg potassium, 11 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 10 g protein, 75 mg phosphorus

Cook’s Notes

Ideally, you’ll have 12 relatively uniform pieces of fries for this recipe. If you don’t and you’re entertaining with them, cut 12 pieces to a uniform weight of about 1/3 ounce each before you bake them. If you are not entertaining, measure out 4 1/2 ounces of fries, divide the beef proportionally among the fries, and eat one fourth of the fries, beef, and the sauce per serving. Want to save even more fat and calories? Consider making the fries yourself. Visit me at www.devinalexander.com/diabetes and I’ll show you how! Plus, I’ll share tons of chef secrets, tips, and tricks.

Try to find a barbecue sauce that has no more than 6–8 g of sugar per 2 tablespoon serving. A professional would use a squirt bottle to make the drizzle of barbecue sauce look perfect on this dish. If you don’t have one, don’t worry! You can add the sauce to a resealable plastic bag (toward one of the sealed corners). Cut the very tip of that corner off, and voilá—you, too, can create a perfect drizzle. Note that this technique is a bit easier if you use a bag that is a bit thicker, like a freezer bag; really thin bags are a bit tougher to wrangle.