Tag: low-carb

KETO No-Peek Chicken and “Rice” Casserole (Recipe)

I recently converted another one of my favorite comfort food recipes to a Keto-friendly version! There are more than a few different recipes for No-Peek Chicken and Rice in the oven, that have been floating around social media (and our Grandmother’s recipe books) for quite some time. Most of these call for rice and cans of cream of something soups. I do have to admit that I used to love a good chicken casserole, but any of these options would be a No-Go on Keto.

I knew I would make this recipe with some version of cauliflower rice. I also decided to pulse some broccoli in my food processor as well, to add color (mimicking the wild rice) and another depth of flavor.

Being totally honest, this recipe does require just a little more work than the carb-laden versions – we’re not going to be dumping cans of anything into a pan, here. But we are going to seriously shave off some carbs. One serving of my recipe has only 6 grams Carbohydrates, TOTAL, whereas one of the recipes I found online using wild rice had almost 70 grams of carbs per serving! Keto or not, that just doesn’t sound like a good idea to me anymore, for myself or my family members. And while this one does require a little more prep, it’s definitely not a hard recipe to make and it is totally worth it. I wouldn’t have made it myself, otherwise. I did decide to sear my chicken in my cast iron pan before adding it to the casserole, but I really believe this step was completely necessary, for juicy, flavorful chicken. For this reason, I’m going to call this one a weekend meal.

I chose to use chicken thighs for this recipe because of the higher fat content. However, any cut of chicken you prefer will work, but may require more cooking time.

Another little note before I get into the recipe: I am not including in-depth instructions on how to make cauliflower rice or broccoli rice. That’s been done, many times and you may also choose to just purchase ready-made cauliflower and broccoli rice in the freezer section of your grocery store. If you would like to make your own, the short of it is, you’re basically going to run some roughly chopped cauliflower through your food processor, with the shred blade on. If you don’t have a food processor, you can get one by clicking here: Hamilton Beach Food Processor & Vegetable Chopper

Of course, you can also just grate your vegetables by hand with any grater. This method does require the most work. It’s important to understand that these types of rice are nothing more than finely chopped vegetables. You do want to chop or shred your “rice” a little more coarsely for this recipe, so that they will hold up during the cooking time and not turn to mush. I also squeeze as much liquid as I can out of mine, using a paper towel, before incorporating it into recipes. My ingredient amounts below are listed in grams because it takes the guesswork out of the Carb content. I really believe in using a food scale on the Ketogenic diet to get your measurements exact. If you don’t have a food scale, you can get a good one here: Digital Food Scale Digital Weight, Grams and Ounces by Greater Goods

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. However, I would never link a product here that I did not like or use.)

KETO No-Peek Chicken and “Rice” Casserole

Servings: 8

Ingredients

8 Chicken Thighs, I use bone-in, skin-ON
350 g Cauliflower, Riced
350 g Broccoli florets, Riced
2 slices Bacon, chopped
25 g Onion, finely chopped
¾ cup Mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Chicken Broth
2 tsp Minced Garlic, you know I like Spice World, ORGANIC GARLIC
2 tbsp Salted Butter
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
½ cup Shredded Cheddar cheese
Seasoned Salt
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a casserole dish with butter or spray with Olive Oil cooking spray. Mix both types of veggie rice together, season with salt and pepper and add to the greased casserole dish. In a cast iron skillet, or your favorite pan, cook the bacon until crispy and then remove with a slotted spoon. Set bacon aside. Season chicken breasts with the Seasoned salt and pepper, then place as many as you can, in the pan, without overcrowding. Cook the chicken in the bacon fat for 3-4 minutes per side, or until browned. Remove chicken and set aside. Pour off most of the grease that is in the pan at this point. Add the 2 tbsp of butter to the pan, turn heat to low-medium. Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan and cook until the onions are just beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan, still on low-medium. Cook for 1 minute. De-glaze the pan by adding the chicken broth and scraping any bits from the bottom. Add in the heavy whipping cream, stir. Cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add in the cheese and stir to melt and combine. Pour half of this sauce over the veggie rice, and stir a little to coat the “rice.” Arrange the chicken thighs over the rice and pour the rest of the sauce over the whole dish. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Remember, NO Peeking! (Or at least not before it has cooked at least 45 minutes) Sprinkle the cooked bacon pieces over the chicken, just before serving.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and your family loves it as much as mine!


This recipe is approximately 524 calories per serving, 6.2g carbs, 41g fat, and 29.6g protein. 

**The nutritional facts mentioned in this article are approximate, and were based on the most accurate information I could find online and may vary. Always double-check your own ingredients.

Cheesy KETO Enchiladas with Beef and Pork (Recipe)

Today I decided to experiment with my usual recipe for Enchiladas at home, and as usual, make it as Keto-friendly as possible. Keeping our meals affordable is an important thing for us, too. If you’ve been following, I don’t think its been hard to figure out that I like CHEAP and EASY recipes. But, cheap can definitely still be delicious.

The good thing about most recipes for Beef Enchiladas, is that the filling is pretty Keto as is. I decided to use hamburger, as well as pork sausage for added flavor. Seasonings, lots of cheese and just a little more than a splash of Enchilada sauce made this filling so delicious! Look at all that gooey cheese!

Obviously, using regular tortillas would not be an option. Searching online, I found that there were many low-carb options to use as wraps for my enchiladas. Really, there was no shortage of different ideas. It did seem that a lot of those options were a little on the pricey side and would be expensive to purchase enough to feed the whole family (And have leftovers, which I like to have). Another problem was that most of them were “low-carb,” and since I desperately wanted to use a tomato-based sauce, I wanted to figure out a NO carb option for mine. The idea of using sliced Roast Beef came to mind (Zero Carbs!) and off I went to the deli to grab some!

This is a pretty large recipe. I believe that it would freeze well for a microwaveable lunch later, but feel free to cut everything in half to make only 4 servings. My kids loved this so much, they’re asking to take it to school in a hot thermos, so we’ll definitely be eating this as leftovers.

Once you add your sauce to the enchiladas, don’t worry if it doesn’t seem like enough. These really don’t need to be smothered. You will have more cooking liquid after it’s baked, and they will be juicy!


 If you are totally against the idea of using a red, tomato based sauce, feel free to experiment with making a White Chicken Enchiladas version of this. There’s lots of good recipes online. I may even post my own, tweaked version of that at some point, too. (I can tell you now, that I would definitely try using some deli-sliced chicken breast as the “wrap” for those.) I hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know in the comments if you try it!

(My usual disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. However, I would never link a product here that I did not like or use.)

Keto Enchiladas with Beef and Pork

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Beef (I use 73%)
½ lb Bulk Breakfast Sausage
16 oz Deli Sliced Roast Beef
1 tsp Minced Garlic, I like Spice World, ORGANIC GARLIC
Seasoned Salt and Pepper (to taste)
Goya Adobo All Purpose Seasoning (to taste)
1 ½ cup Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
10 oz Mild Enchilada Sauce
8 oz Rotel (Not the full can!)

Instructions

Begin by browning the ground beef and sausage together in a frying pan. Once done, pour off most of the liquid that cooked out of the meat, retaining a tbsp or 2. Add in the minced garlic, Seasoned Salt, Pepper, and Adobo Seasoning. Cook for another 5 minutes to incorporate all of the flavors and spices. Add to the same pan, 1/3 of the Enchilada sauce (reserving the rest) and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Remove from heat and stir to combine and melt the cheese. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the enchilada sauce and the Rotel. Set aside. Using the roast beef in place of tortillas, add one tablespoon of the meat mixture to one slice of the roast beef and roll up, overlapping the edges. Lay edge-side down in your baking dish(es). Pour the prepared sauce over the enchiladas, distributing evenly among your pans. Sprinkle the remaining half cup of shredded cheese evenly over all. Bake for 20 mins or until bubbly and the cheese has melted. Do not overcook or the roast beef may become tough.

I like to have my enchiladas alone, or with a simple side salad of usually just lettuce, cheese and Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing. A dollup of sour cream is delicious on this, as well!
ENJOY!


This recipe is approximately 419 calories per serving, 3.8g carbs, 32.9g fat, and 25.9g protein. 

**The nutritional facts mentioned in this article are approximate, and were based on the most accurate information I could find online and may vary. Always double-check your own ingredients.

KETO “Fried” Chicken (Recipe)

Happy Monday! I’m not going to force you to read or scroll through a long post before you get to the recipe (this time), but doesn’t that chicken look GREAT? I’m here to tell you, that it absolutely was! I’m sure you already know that breading chicken with crushed pork skins is definitely not a new idea. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if it sounded so great, but once I found myself thinking about “regular” fried chicken, I knew I had to give it a try. I’m not much of a recipe follower, and there are so many different ways to cook this. For me, cooking chicken in coconut oil on my electric griddle is the easiest way to go for guaranteed delicious, juicy chicken. So why not just do that with this?

I also really love boneless, skinless chicken. But on the ketogenic diet, we know it would be better if I preferred bone-in chicken with the skin on, so I would be getting in those healthy fats. Using the coconut oil to “fry” my chicken allows me to continue using the same chicken that I’ve always loved AND stick to my macros, while also adding that faint-but-delicious coconut flavor. Rolling the chicken around in crushed Pork Skins is just the icing on the Keto CAKE. (That cake is made with almond flour, I’m sure).

I said I wouldn’t jabber too much on this one, so let’s get to the recipe.

KETO “Fried” Chicken

Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1-1/2 oz Pork Skins
2 Eggs, beaten
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
2 tbsp Coconut Oil

Instructions

Pre-heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 325-350 degrees. With your knife, begin by removing the tenders from the chicken breasts. Save these for another recipe. Slice the chicken breasts in half, making cutlets. Season the chicken cutlets with the seasoned salt and black pepper. Crush the pork skins to use as “breader.” There are many ways to do this, the easiest way I’ve found is to just crush them in the bag. (Make sure to let some air out first.) Transfer the crushed skins to a dish. Heat 1 tbsp of the coconut oil on your electric griddle. As soon as the griddle is sizzling, begin prepping the chicken. Start by dipping the seasoned chicken breast into the beaten egg, then laying the cutlet in the pork skins, turning once to coat both sides. Place on the hot, oiled griddle. Do this until all of the chicken cutlets are on the griddle. Cook 5-7 minutes, then flip. Add the other tbsp of coconut oil to the griddle, and cook this side another 5-7 minutes, or longer, depending on the size of your chicken breasts. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate, or a rack, and let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

This recipe is approximately 256 calories per serving, <1g carbs, 14.9g fat, and 30.7g protein. 

**The nutritional facts mentioned in this article are approximate, and were based on the most accurate information I could find online and may vary. Always double-check your own ingredients.

Keto Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf with BACON (Recipe)

Today I’m going to share a recipe that some friends have asked for. But before I jump into the prep and ingredients, let me tell you a little about how this recipe came to be. Meatloaf has been one of my favorite foods as long as I can remember. To me, it’s the ultimate comfort food because I can associate so many happy memories with it. I grew up eating my Nana’s meatloaf, (my sweet Nana passed in 2010) and her recipe was unlike any other I would try as an adult for one reason – She did not top it with a sauce or ketchup mixture, at all. She only mixed in tomato JUICE for the flavor and let the meatloaf stand alone, as delicious as it was without any glaze needed. Her recipe was basically fatty hamburger, green peppers and onions, a handful of crushed cornflakes, all mixed together with a liberal amount of tomato juice and formed by hand into a loaf. She didn’t even use a typical loaf pan or a meatloaf pan. She baked hers in it’s own cooking juices (yummy fats for us KETO folks) in a casserole dish. This recipe of hers is so good, and so nostalgic for me, that I’ve lived my whole life not wanting any other kind, especially not a ketchup-y one. For that reason, I never ordered meatloaf in restaurants. I just made her version, at home.

That being said, when I thought about making a Keto-friendly meatloaf, one pretty cool thing occurred to me. My Nana’s meatloaf was pretty “Keto” as it was, once you took away the cornflakes. (And maybe used a little less tomato juice.) So, I decided to do a little experiment to see if those cornflakes were even necessary at all and also do what I could to make this recipe as low-carb as possible. Another thing I decided to do was omit the onions. For one reason, the carbohydrate content of onions tends to be a little higher than other vegetables.  Also, now, don’t hate me here – but as delicious as I once thought they were – I seem to be losing my taste for them, or at the very least not missing them when I omit them from dishes.

However, since I did decide to skip a few of her original ingredients, I wanted to think of things I could add that would keep it Keto but lend some new flavors. A quick google search had me deciding pretty quick to, (DRUMROLL HERE) stuff my meatloaf with CHEESE and wrap the whole thing in BACON!

Quite a few of the recipes I found online recommended using BabyBel cheeses for this and luckily, I had some that I had purchased because I was able to get a great rebate from IBotta. If you don’t know what IBotta is, it’s a fantastic app that gives you a list of certain items you can purchase at your favorite grocery store and receive cash-back rewards through Venmo or PayPal. (You can also choose to receive gift cards to your favorite retailers and restaurants.) Let the grocery shopping you’re already doing, make you MONEY! I use it every time I shop! If you sign up through my referral code, you can get up to a $20 Welcome bonus. Sign up at https://ibotta.com/r/ovasbor  . If you’d prefer to just download the app from the AppStore or PlayStore, you can still use my referral code for the bonus, just copy and paste it in. My code is –

ovasbor

Keep in mind that this recipe is one you’ll really be able to adjust to your liking. Experiment with other vegetables mixed in or even other bases if you’d prefer not to use the tomato juice. If you’d like, you could probably even top it near the end of the cooking time with some no-sugar-added ketchup. That’s just not for me. (My Nana would cringe and we can’t have that.)

Keto Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf


Servings: 4

Ingredients

16 oz ground beef (I use 73%)
¼ cup green bell pepper, finely diced
1 cup tomato juice (no sugar added)
Salt & Pepper
3 strips bacon, your favorite
3 Babybel cheeses

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a clear, glass casserole dish with Olive oil cooking spray. Begin the prep by mixing the ground beef, peppers, tomato juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Once it was all combined well, I formed a loaf-shape and placed it in my glass casserole dish. Then, I made an indentation in the center, running the length of the meatloaf. (This is the valley for the CHEESE!) I sliced 3 Babybel cheeses in half and places those in the center indentation. (See the pics above) Once the cheese is in place, close the meatloaf up, re-forming your loaf shape and completely surrounding the cheese. Basically, just smoosh it all together, covering the cheese while taking care not to push the cheese through to the bottom of the pan. You want it to stay inside the meatloaf during the baking process! The good thing about using a clear, glass baking dish for this is you can peek under the bottom to make sure you didn’t do that. 😊 Last, but definitely not least, cut each of your three bacon strips in half and lay them over your meatloaf horizontally, slightly overlapping and going down the sides. Bake the meatloaf for 40 mins to an hour. The done-ness of your hamburger should be to your own liking. I prefer any ground beef to be pretty well done (a steak is a different story). Once mine is done, I remove it from the dish and place it on a platter for slicing. ENJOY!!!

If you’d like my super SIMPLE recipe for the roasted Radishes pictured as the side dish on my plate above, click here –
https://livingthejoneslife.com/2019/02/22/radishes-a-keto-replacement-for-potatoes-recipe/

This recipe (the meatloaf alone) is approximately 421 calories per serving, 2.9g carbs, 35.5g fat, and 22g protein.  

**The nutritional facts mentioned in this article are approximate, and were based on the most accurate information I could find online and may vary. Always double-check your own ingredients.

Guess what day it is! (And a day of food)

Just a quick check-in today and a day of food. It’s been a crazy week with the baby girl sick and missing two days of school. Who’s ready for Spring??? I know I am! I’m working on getting together MY recipe for the Cheese-stuffed Meatloaf you see here for dinner. It was surprisingly good with hardly any carbs at all. Keep checking back for that but until then, HAPPY HUMP DAY!


**I do have to tell you that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, I would never link a product here that I did not like or use.

2 Eggs Over Easy with Sausage (A pretty regular breakfast for me)
Super Simple Spinach Salad with Bacon, a touch of Mayo and Everything Bagel seasoning. for lunch
You know by now that I love Trader Joe’s Everything but The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend
Cheese Stuffed KETO Meatloaf with some of those yummy Radishes. for dinner
Click here for my recipe for the radishes: https://livingthejoneslife.com/2019/02/22/radishes-a-keto-replacement-for-potatoes-recipe/

Creamy Keto Parmesan Sausage and Kale Soup (Recipe)

Rain, Rain, Rain!

It’s been a SOGGY week here in southern VA and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to let up any time soon. I turned on the news earlier in the week and my weather forecast had just one piece of advice for the days ahead –

I don’t know about you but when it does nothing but rain for days, especially this time of year, all I want to do is read good books, wear my fuzzy socks and eat comfort food! If you’re interested, I’m currently reading  Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and it is fantastic so far!

There is one plus side to all of this liquid sunshine. It’s been a great opportunity for me to practice converting some of my old (pre-keto), warm and comforting recipes to make them more Keto-friendly. And it wasn’t hard at all! Cut out the flour and any breading, change over the oils to healthier fats like Extra Virgin Olive Oil and butter and bam! Most things become “keto.” Like a lot of people, one of my favorite rainy-day foods is soup. I love all kinds of soup, but a lot of recipes include things like potatoes or pasta, neither of which are part of MY keto lifestyle. So what do I do? The simplest thing imaginable. I just omit them! I don’t try to replace them with anything and I definitely do NOT miss them. There’s no need for something as basic as soup to become some complex, culinary creation. And really, what is better than a great meal, made with just a few ingredients?

In my pre-keto days, I would have made this recipe with cheese tortellini. Now, I incorporate those same flavors with the addition of parmesan cheese and this recipe is now much lower in carbs, (so MUCH lower) but still so satisfying. That being said, let me jump into my little recipe for Creamy KETO Parmesan, Sausage and Kale Soup that has just a handful of ingredients. This is also an easy clean-up meal because it leaves you with only a couple dishes to wash.

(My usual disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, I would never link a product here that I did not like or use.)

Creamy Keto Sausage and Kale Soup

Servings: 6 (approximately)

Ingredients

½ lb. Bulk Breakfast Sausage
4 cups Chicken Broth
1 cup Water
Salt and Pepper
6 oz. Frozen, chopped Kale (half a package for me)
4 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese
1 Tsp Minced Garlic, I like Spice World, ORGANIC GARLIC – LARGE Container – 32 OZ
2 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream

Instructions

Using your hands, roll sausage into little balls, I like mine around the size of a gum ball. Add the sausage balls to a pre-heated frying pan, careful not to turn or move too soon. They really need to sear just a bit before messing with them too much or they may lose their shape or fall apart. Allow to cook until they are done, approximately 6 minutes. I did mine in two batches, so that I wouldn’t overcrowd my pan. Remove sausage using a slotted spoon and add to your soup pot. To the same pot, add in the chicken broth, water and salt and pepper. Heat on medium heat until it comes to a low boil. Add in the frozen kale and heat through. As soon as the soup returns to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer. Cook for approximately 15 mins, or until the kale is tender. At this point, you can add in the Parmesan, garlic and cream. Allow to simmer for another 5 minutes. That’s it! You’re done and dinner (or lunch) is ready!

In my bowl, I like to add just a pinch of shredded cheddar cheese for some garnish and another depth of flavor. Experiment with your own and enjoy!

My serving size for this recipe is just a little over a cup, but that may vary. For me, this is basically a guilt-free recipe so I did have 2 servings.

This recipe is approximately 200 calories per serving, 1.4g carbs, 13.1g fat, and 12g protein.

**The nutritional facts mentioned in this article are approximate, and were based on the most accurate information I could find online and may vary. Always double-check your own ingredients.

Radishes, a Keto replacement for potatoes? (Recipe)

Radishes. Those pretty, little, reddish-pink, round things you slice up and put in a salad. You know those? Well, who knew you can also cook them? (Maybe you knew, but I didn’t know) Are you thinking, why on earth would I want to cook a bitter-tasting radish? If you are, I’m so excited to tell you that once you cook them, that tangy, peppery taste is left behind and a sweet, new flavor that is really hard to compare to any other vegetable emerges.  I’m learning that these little guys are so versatile and can be used as a potato replacement for those of us living low-carb or keto lifestyles. I’m sure there’s so many other ways to cook them but I thought I’d share my way and favorite so far. Here’s some general nutritional info on radishes. (raw)

One cup (a little over 100 grams) of radishes, sliced, has about

  • 19 calories.
  • 4 g carbohydrates
  • 0.8 g protein
  • 0.1 g fat
  • 1.9 g fiber

So what else do we already know about radishes aside from them being Peter Rabbit’s favorite food? We know that they are a root vegetable, and that root vegetables are typically left out of a Ketogenic diet. I did not know how high they are in Vitamin C, which has oh-so-many health benefits including reducing high blood pressure. (I think most of us can use some of that!) They are also a good source of fiber which can be hard to come by on a Keto menu. They also have calcium and B vitamins, along with many other electrolytes. And we all know how important electrolytes are on Keto, especially in the early days when we may be depleted. For all these many benefits, I’ve decided to make radishes a regular part of MY Keto journey. Here’s how I prepare them.  

**As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, I would never link a product here that I did not like or use.

Oven-Roasted Radishes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Wash radishes and remove the tops. Slice off the very tip-top and bottom end of the radishes and cut in half. In a baking dish, toss radishes with the melted butter, garlic, and salt and pepper or other seasonings of your choice.  Bake for 20 minutes or until soft. Voila! An easy side dish that makes very little mess in your kitchen. I like to dip mine in full-fat Ranch dressing.

This recipe as-is has approximately 134 calories per serving, 5.8g carbs, 11g fat, 1.4g protein.

**The nutritional facts mentioned in this article are approximate, and were based on the most accurate information I could find online and may vary. Always double-check your own ingredients.

9 Pounds Down! (and a day of food)

On my 10th day of Keto, my low-carb diet took from me…

9 POUNDS, guys!!

I’m a little late getting around to posting this and I have not weighed since, so it might actually be more. And maybe I should’ve waited until I got to a nice, round number, like say, 10, before I posted at all.

We all also know that pounds aren’t everything. But, I know that NINE pounds ain’t just nothin’ either! (Or just “water”) I started this new way of eating on February 9th, and I am FLOORED that I’m responding so quickly. So, I’m celebrating now.

That’s me, celebrating. She can jump higher than I can.

So with that being said, Here’s another day of meals. I’d like to be able to post one every day, but that would get boring, fast. I’m going to be honest with you, there’s a lot of broccoli going down over here right now. And we all know what broccoli looks like. It should be said that I could definitely NOT be eating so much broccoli – there are tons of veggie choices on Keto, but I just happen to really like broccoli.

**I do have to tell you that as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. However, I would never link a product here that I did not like or use.

3 Egg Omelet with Cheddar Cheese and Spinach
Spinach Salad with Bacon, Egg and Mayo for lunch
For flavor and extra crunch, I like to use
Trader Joe’s Everything but The Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend (Pack of 2)

Liver and just-a-few Onions with Bacon and Pan-fried Eggplant for dinner
I know this one isn’t going to be for everybody, but liver is full of important nutrients and while it does have carbs, they were easily worked in to my day’s allotment.