Category: Low-Carb

Keto Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole

Happy 2021! It’s a new year and I know we are all so thankful for that. I didn’t publish any blog posts in 2020. It’s kind of hard to believe, but honestly I was just trying to survive a very trying year as many of us were and not feeling overly inspired to write. I am feeling so much more positive about the new year and with that comes some much needed inspiration! I’m getting back into the swing of things with content creation and I’m excited to share my first recipe of 2021!

My husband and I really fell off the healthy eating train in 2020. I think a lot of us did. We were home more, had more time on our hands and I used that extra time to bake lots of goodies! In the last couple months, we’ve been getting into a much healthier routine. I’ve been working out every day, eating healthier and my husband actually started doing the Keto diet. I personally am not a huge fan of Keto, but I know it works for a lot of people including my husband. So when he started his new diet, I was forced to get really creative in the kitchen and come up with some Keto inspired dishes.

We both love Buffalo chicken and luckily most Buffalo sauce is low in carbs. I’ve also been on a cauliflower kick in the new year. Cauliflower, cauliflower rice, cauliflower mash, the cauliflower list goes on and on and I just can’t get enough cauliflower. So in my head I dreamt up this amazing Keto Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole. I honestly wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out, but it was GOOD! My husband went back for seconds, so that’s how I know it was a hit. Spicy buffalo chicken combined with a creamy cheese mixture, mixed with cauliflower is my new guilty pleasure that isn’t really all that guilty because it’s relatively healthy. Also, to make things super easy you can use your slow cooker to do a majority of the work and then just throw the mixture into a casserole dish and bake right before serving. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

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 Keto Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Casserole
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 8 hours
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 8 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. In your slow cooker, add 2 large boneless chicken breasts and pour 1 cup of Buffalo sauce over top of the chicken. Cook on low for 8 hours.
  2. Once cooked, shred chicken in the slow cooker. Add 8 oz of cream cheese, ½ cup of sour cream, 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and blue cheese crumbles to taste to the chicken and combine until creamy. It should look like Buffalo chicken dip when you are all done mixing.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 casserole dish.
  4. Steam cauliflower and drain out any liquid. Add cauliflower to creamy Buffalo chicken mixture and combine.
  5. Pour Buffalo chicken cauliflower mixture into the greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered at 350 degrees F.
  6. Remove casserole from oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve up with a side salad or veggie.

Low-Carb White Cheddar Cauliflower “Mac” and Cheese

I have 52 days until I need to squeeze into my wedding dress, which means it’s time to detox from all the Easter candy and treats I’ve been indulging in over the last week. I also had my cake tasting last weekend at Sandra’s Cake Studio, which was AMAZING! If you live near Bowie, MD, I highly recommend her cakes for all your special occasions. That being said, I’m taking a break from sugar and embracing veggies.

I like to eat low-carb whenever I can, but I also love macaroni and cheese. Quite problematic, I know. Solution? Substitute the “Mac” with cauliflower. Genius! Cauliflower is a great veggie to substitute for starches like pasta and rice. It has a mild flavor that pairs well with a variety of ingredients. One of my favorite versions of macaroni and cheese is Panera’s white mac and cheese. It’s super creamy, decadent and a must try. That was my inspiration for this dish. Ooey-gooey white cheddar cheese, perfectly melted with cauliflower and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Talk about a dream. I also like to sprinkle on a little Old Bay Seasoning at the end for extra flavor. For my readers who are non-Marylanders, this seasoning is a staple in Maryland.

This dish also reheats really well in the microwave, so it’s perfect to meal prep on the weekend to eat throughout the week. This cauliflower mac and cheese may cut back on the carbs, but it definitely does not cut back on flavor!

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 Low-Carb White Cheddar Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
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servings
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Votes: 0
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Instructions
  1. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a microwave save bowl. Drizzle the melted butter into an 8x8 baking dish, greasing the bottom and sides of the dish.
  2. Shred the white cheddar cheese and add it into a large bowl. Reserve some for sprinkling on top of the cauliflower. If you buy bagged shredded cheese you can skip this step. Don’t worry, I won’t judge you. I’m all about convenience.
  3. In a microwave safe bowl, soften 4 oz of cream cheese. Add the softened cream cheese, ¼ cup of sour cream, ½ tsp of salt and ½ tsp of ground black pepper to the shredded cheese mixture.
  4. Steam 24 oz of frozen cauliflower, approximately 4 cups. I just microwave 2 of the cauliflower steam bags.
  5. Dump the cooked cauliflower into the bowl with the cheese mixture and gently mix with a spoon, evenly coating the cauliflower with all of the cheesy goodness.
  6. Transfer the cauliflower mixture into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded white cheddar cheese on top. Lastly, sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese on top to taste.
  7. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning if you are feeling adventurous. Lastly, indulge in the cheesy goodness of a low-carb “Mac” and cheese.

Low-Carb Italian Zucchini Boats

I have a really busy week ahead of me. Between work and prepping for finals, this week is sure to be a doozy. Lucky for me, I have these delicious Low-carb Italian Zucchini Boats prepped and sitting in the fridge, so I can just easily pop them in the microwave to reheat.

I have to admit; historically I have never liked zucchini. Over the past year, when I was on my hard-core low-carb diet, I started experimenting with zucchini and it grew on me. Zucchini has several nutritional benefits. Not only is it low in carbs, but also it’s packed with antioxidants, vitamins and is great for your heart and digestive health.

This is probably one of my favorite zucchini recipes because it has all the same great flavors of lasagna, minus the pasta. It’s a healthier alternative that is sure to please your taste buds. These zucchinis are stuffed with ricotta cheese, Italian sausage, and marinara sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese and drizzled with alfredo sauce. This recipe can also be easily converted into a vegetarian dish by simply omitting the sausage. I recommend trying this recipe on a weekend. It’s very easy to prepare, but does involve multiple steps, so it does take a little bit of time.

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 Low-Carb Italian Zucchini Boats
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Course Main Dish
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
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servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dish
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Spray a 9x13-baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Rinse and pat dry 4 zucchinis. Cut off the ends of the zucchinis and then slice them down the center lengthwise. Slightly score the inside of the zucchinis and then scoop out the centers using a spoon. Lay the zucchinis in the baking dish, skin side down so that the scooped area is exposed. Lightly sprinkle with salt and bake for 15 minutes in a 400 degree F oven.
  3. While the zucchinis are baking, prepare the meat sauce. First, chop 1 sweet yellow onion. Drizzle a skillet with 1 tsp of olive oil and brown 1 lb of Italian sausage with the onion on medium-high heat. Once sausage is browned and completely cooked, add 1 tsp of Italian seasoning, ½ tsp of oregano, a dash of crushed red pepper and 1 clove of minced garlic. Let the garlic sweat. Lastly, mix in one 24 oz jar of marinara sauce into the sausage and spice mixture.
  4. After baking for 15 minutes, remove the zucchinis from the oven. Stuff the zucchinis with ricotta cheese and then pour the meat sauce over top of the zucchinis. Sprinkle with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and then drizzle the zucchinis with half a jar, approximately 8 oz of alfredo sauce. Return the zucchinis to a 400 degree F oven and bake for 20 minutes uncovered. Remove and let cool before serving.

Low-Carb Coconut Flour Sausage Cheese Balls

I hope that everyone had a terrific Thanksgiving! I sure did! Derek and I spent the day with our families and dined on some scrumptious holiday foods. Although everything was delicious, I definitely over indulged. I am carbed out! Between the corn bread dressing, corn casserole, rolls, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and apple pie, I most definitely had my fair share of carbs.

Derek and I on Thanksgiving

I’m ready to detox this week. Lot’s of veggies and protein in my future! I have some low-carb recipes planned for this week, one of them being this recipe for Coconut Flour Sausage Cheese Balls. In the last year, I have been working on leading a healthier lifestyle. I’ve been exercising a couple times a week, cut back on junk food and as a result, I lost 25 lbs.

It’s so easy to feel like eating healthy is impossible, especially when you are juggling so many different things. The key to success is to plan ahead and meal prep as much as possible. These sausage cheese balls are perfect to meal prep on the weekend and stick in the freezer, so that you have an easy breakfast you can eat on the go during the week.

There are several variations of this recipe online. After trying other recipes, I found that many recipes call for too much coconut flour, which dries out the sausage cheese ball. I’ve decreased the amount of coconut flour in this recipe, leaving you with an extra meaty, cheesy and savory sausage cheese ball.

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 Low-Carb Coconut Flour Sausage Cheese Balls
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Cuisine Low-carb
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings
sausage cheese balls
Ingredients
Cuisine Low-carb
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings
sausage cheese balls
Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Soften butter and 4 oz of cream cheese (not low fat) in a microwave safe bowl.
  3. In a large mixing bowl (I use my stand mixer), combine 1 lb of breakfast sausage, 8 oz of shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 2 large eggs, 4 oz of softened cream cheese (not low fat), 2 tbsp of butter, ¼ cup of coconut flour, 2 tsp of baking powder, ¼ tsp of salt and a ¼ tsp of black pepper.
  4. Roll the mixture into small balls, approximately 2 inches in size. Place sausage cheese balls on baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree F oven for 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let them cool. Store in the fridge or freezer in an air tight container. To reheat, pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds or until warm.