Green Chile Casserole (Keto)

I found this Green Chile Casserole and modified it (of course).  It was a winner around here, and I will be making it again.  The original recipe called to put it in a 7x11 pan, so I doubled most of the ingredients.  The container of cottage cheese was 24oz so I added 1 cup of sour cream instead of 32oz of cottage cheese.  Nobody in my family likes cottage cheese alone except for me unless it's in a lasagna or dish like this so if you're not a cottage cheese lover, don't write this one off yet.  Leftover chicken works great for this.

Ingredients
3 lbs chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
9 Tbsp taco seasoning or 3 packages (I used my homemade)
1 1/2 cups green salsa (chunky preferably)
7oz can green chilies, drained
24oz cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
8oz shredded Mexican blend cheese
green onions, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine chicken, taco seasoning, salsa, green chilies, cottage cheese, and sour cream together until well mixed.  Pour into a sprayed 9x13 casserole dish.  Top with shredded cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving with sour cream and green onions if you desire.

Taco Pie (Keto)

This is not my recipe, but it is worth reposting.  This Taco Pie is delicious and easy!  My whole family enjoyed it, and I've already made it 3 times.  It's super easy.  On the website, it says 1 cup heavy cream, but she has a video and in the comments below she says to use 1/2 cup heavy cream.  When I made this for my entire family, I doubled it and put it in a 9x13 pan and have to bake it for 45 minutes.

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey or beef (I used turkey)

3 Tbsp taco seasoning (I use my homemade)

6 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup Mexican blend cheese (or you can use cheddar or another blend if you want)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown ground meat and drain.  Mix in taco seasoning and spread evenly but loosely in the bottom of a sprayed pie plate.  Mix together eggs, cream, garlic, salt, and pepper and pour over top of meat.  Sprinkle cheese evenly over egg and meat mixture.  Bake 30-35 minutes until golden and puffed.  Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.  Top with sour cream, salsa, olives, avocado, or whatever toppings you would like.

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Casserole (Keto)

I took the sauce from my Cauliflower Cheese "Potatoes" and mixed it with chicken and broccoli and it came out delicious!  Leftover chicken would be perfect in this dish.  Also, if you prefer to make this a vegetarian side dish, leave out the chicken and use an extra bag of broccoli.

Ingredients
1 lb chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 - 12oz bags of frozen broccoli, cooked and drained
1 yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup butter
16oz sour cream
3 cups shredded cheddar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions
After I cooked the broccoli, I roughly chopped up the larger pieces.  Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Saute onion until soft.  Add 2 cups cheese and let melt, stirring.  Blend in sour cream, salt, and pepper. Fold sauce in with broccoli and chicken.  Spray 9x13 casserole dish and add mixture.  Top with remaining 1 cup cheese.  Bake 350 for 30 minutes or more.

Keto Chicken Enchiladas

Enchiladas are a favorite in my household.  I finally decided to try them recently and make them Keto friendly for me by using chicken lunch meat as the tortillas.  It came out super yummy.  I made these like my usual for my family with flour tortillas.  You can use whatever brand of enchilada sauce you like, just watch for the carb count.  I like to get the green one and mix it with the red one, and if I'm buying name brand, I prefer Old El Paso, but Aldi now carries their own brand and we enjoy it.

Ingredients
1 lb chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
8oz Mexican blend cheese
2 10oz cans enchilada sauce (see note above)
16oz thin-sliced deli chicken breast lunch meat (I like to get nitrate-free)

Directions
Mix shredded chicken breasts, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, and 1/2 the enchilada sauce.  Use a small amount of the mixture to roll inside each piece of deli lunch meat and and place in a sprayed 9x13 pan.  Use up all the chicken and cheese mixture to fill up the rest of your deli lunch meat "tortillas."  Pour the rest of the sauce over the top and sprinkle the remaining cheese over top.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  Let sit 5-10 to cool.

Serve with sour cream if you like.

Cucumber Salad (Keto)

So yummy!  I got this recipe off of Wholesome Yum.  I brought this to a church potluck, and a lot of people said they really liked it and a few asked for the recipe.  Don't put the dressing on until you are ready to serve because over time it makes the salad watery.  Even making the dressing on the side as a dip for cucumbers or other vegetables would be yummy!

Ingredients
6 cups cucumbers, chopped (I used mini cucumbers)
1 small red onion, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tsp dried dill (or 2 Tbsp fresh - I used dried because it's what I had)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions
Cut up cucumbers and onions.  Mix rest of the ingredients for the dressing and add right before serving.

Taco Salad (Keto)

We eat taco salad almost every Tuesday in my house.  It's a very simple recipe, but we love it around here.  We cut up all the toppings and everyone can personalize their bowl.  Before I went Keto, I ate it over corn chips (like Fritos), and my kids still eat it this way.  I make 3-4 pounds of meat for my family of 6.  This recipe includes my homemade taco seasoning.  I make large amounts and use 3 Tbsp per pound of meat.

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

Optional toppings:
lettuce
cheese
salsa
tomatoes
avocado
sour cream
guacamole
cucumber
black olives
corn chips (if you're not doing low-carb or keto)

Directions
Brown ground meat, drain, and return to pan.  Add all the seasonings and the water and bring to a boil but then reduce and simmer for 5 minutes.  Top with whatever taco toppings you choose.

Protein Noodle Lasagna (Keto)

So I know this isn't the prettiest picture, but it's so delicious!  I have brought it to church potluck's and received many compliments.  It's Maria Emmerich's Protein Noodle Lasagna.  I made a few changes but just personal preferences.

Ingredients
1 lb ground sausage
3/4-1 lb ground turkey or beef
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
24oz jar low sugar marinara
16oz full fat cottage cheese (or Ricotta)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 lb shredded mozzarella
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
16oz thinly sliced deli chicken breast lunch meat (I like to get nitrate-free)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cook sausage, ground meat, onion, and garlic until browned.  Drain and stir in marinara sauce.  In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg, and salt.  Spread meat sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan.  Arrange chicken slices over sauce.  Spread with cottage cheese mixture and top with mozzarella and Parmesan.  Repeat layers until everything is used up.  Cover with foil.  Bake 25 minutes, remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes.  Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Crockpot Keto Taco Soup

If you look up Keto Taco Soup online, you will find this recipe in multiple places.  I tweeked this to make it my own.  You can do this in the Instant Pot or in the Crock Pot.  If you really don't like spicy, you can use 1 can of Rotel and 1 can of regular diced tomatoes.  You can also serve with pasta if you don't care about carbs.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground sausage

2 8oz packages of cream cheese

2 10oz cans diced tomatoes and green chilies (like Rotel)

2 Tbsp taco seasoning

4 cups beef broth

8oz bag fresh spinach

Directions

Brown ground sausage, drain and add to crockpot.  Add rest of ingredients to crockpot.  Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.  

If you want to use your Instant Pot instead, cook on high pressure for 20 minutes and allow to release naturally. 

Serve with cheese and sour cream.

Cauliflower Chicken Fried "Rice" (Keto)

This is delicious and easy cauliflower chicken fried rice.  I chose to use low-carb vegetables instead of the traditional starchy peas and carrots. You could always leave out the chicken and make this vegetarian if you like.

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken, cooked and chopped

2 frozen bags cauliflower rice, cooked (I used my microwave)

1 stick butter

4 eggs, scrambled and cooked but still wet (I used my microwave again)

1 red bell pepper, chopped

6 stalks celery, chopped

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

2 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 bag frozen broccoli, cooked and roughly chopped

1/2 cup liquid aminos or soy sauce

2 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

Directions

Melt 1/2 stick of butter in saute pan.  Saute bell pepper & celery for a couple of minutes.  Add cauliflower rice, green onions, garlic, and the other half of the butter.  Cook 3-4 minutes or until celery and pepper are soft.  Add in cooked eggs, cooked chicken, liquid aminos, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.  Mix well and remove from heat and serve.

Zucchini (or eggplant) Lasagna (Keto)

I made eggplant and zucchini lasagna to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday.  I loved them both.  Most preferred the zucchini, but I think it was because some people just don't prefer eggplant.  I did take a lot of time to grill the vegetables, but I am wondering how they would turn out if you just put salt on them and let them "sweat."  I chose to make these vegetarian because I have family members who are vegetarian, but you could always add meat if you wanted.  I didn't miss the meat at all.

Ingredients
Sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
32oz crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
5oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Lasagna
4-5 zucchini thinly sliced long ways (or 2 medium eggplants)
salt
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan
3-4 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions
Lightly salt and grill your zucchini or eggplant.  Next time I want to try just salting them and let them sit 10-20 minutes and then blot all the excess moisture off.  Or even try baking them 10 minutes.

Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil.  Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and cook 5-10 minutes until the spinach is wilted.

Mix cottage cheese, eggs, and Parmesan in a small bowl.  Layer sauce, zucchini, cottage cheese, sauce, mozzarella, more zucchini, cottage cheese, sauce, mozzarella, and repeat until all ingredients are used.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, uncovered.  Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving.

Asian Lettuce Wraps (Keto)

So I usually do 3x-4x this recipe for my family of 6.  It also goes well over rice or mixed with rice if you want to stretch it and aren't concerned about carbs.  If you want to add a little sweetness to it, I use one packet of Truvia when I triple to quadruple the recipe.

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 yellow onion, diced 

8 oz canned water chestnuts, drained and finely diced

2 green onions, chopped (optional)

2-3 garlic cloves

3-4 Tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)

1 tsp dried ginger

1 tsp sriracha

1 Tbsp natural peanut butter 

1 tsp sugar (optional)

1 tsp sesame oil

salt & pepper to taste

butter or hydro lettuce (for wraps)

Directions

Brown ground turkey and onions together.  Drain and return to pan.  Add water chestnuts, garlic, and green onions to pan and saute while you make sauce.  Whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, sriracha, peanut butter, sugar, sesame oil, and salt/pepper.  Pour over top of meat mixture and combine thoroughly.  Serve inside lettuce.

Crockpot White Chicken Chili (Keto)

Made this delicious white chicken chili.  My family complained I didn't make enough.  I put cheddar on mine.  It is beanless since it's Keto/low-carb.  You can always add white beans and eliminate the Xantham gum if you aren't concerned about carbs.  You could also use beans and leave out the chicken if you want it vegetarian.  My kids ate theirs with pasta.

Ingredients
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 multi-colored bell peppers, chopped
2 lbs chicken breasts, boneless skinless
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
7oz can green chilies
3 cups chicken broth
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp salt
1 tsp Xantham gum (optional)
10oz bag spinach, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups sour cream

Directions
Throw all the ingredients in the crockpot except the sour cream.  Cook 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 on low.  Shred chicken and mix in sour cream. 

Cheddar Biscuits (Keto/Low carb)

I made these Keto Cheddar Muffins tonight, and they were delicious!  I got the original recipe from the I Breathe I'm Hungry website.  I changed the recipe a little bit, and they were delicious!  I will definitely be making these again!  They are similar to a muffin in texture than a biscuit.

Ingredients

6 Tbsp butter, melted

1 cup superfine blanched almond flour

3 Tbsp coconut flour (or you can use more almond flour)

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp xantham gum

2 eggs

1/3 unsweetened coconut milk (or almond milk)

1/2-3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease or line a standard muffin pan with 8 muffin cups.  Mix all ingredients together and mix well with a whisk or a fork.  Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups, about 2/3 full.  Bake 22 minutes.

Net carbs: 2 grams

Broccoli Cheddar Soup (Keto)

I made this Broccoli Cheddar Soup tonight, and it was so delicious and comforting.  I made it in my Instant Pot, but I know you could make it on the stovetop or your crockpot.

Ingredients
1 small yellow onion, diced
36oz frozen broccoli florets (can use fresh if you prefer)
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tsp salt
8oz cream cheese
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
Put onion, broccoli, chicken broth, and cream cheese into Instant Pot.  Put on high pressure for 15 minutes.  Quick release.  Turn Instant Pot onto saute for about 10 minutes.  Stir in heavy cream, salt, and cheddar, sprinkling a handful at a time and stirring it in good.  I used my whisk and then finished it off with the immersion blender but that's optional. 

Keto Chili

I made this yummy low carb/Keto chili in my Instant Pot.  You could also make this in your crockpot or on the stove top if you prefer.

Ingredients
2 lbs ground turkey
2 lbs ground sausage
1 yellow onion, diced
3 multi color peppers, cut up bite size pieces
2 cans Rotel
1 large can crushed tomatoes
4 cups beef broth
2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 cup cumin
1 Tbsp salt
1/4 cup chili powder
8oz bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Directions
Brown the ground turkey and sausage with the onion until no longer pink.  Drain and add to your Instant Pot or crockpot.  Add all your other ingredients and put your Instant Pot on high pressure for 30 minutes and allow to release naturally.  If you cook in the crockpot, set on high for 4 hours or low 8 hours.  Serve with cheese and sour cream if you like.

Cauliflower Cheese "Potatoes"

These are my Nana's amazing cheese potatoes recipe but made with cauliflower instead of potatoes!  They are so yummy and great for those on low carb or gluten free diet!  Great as a side or a main dish!

Ingredients
3 frozen frozen cauliflower, cooked and drained well

3 cups shredded cheddar

1/4 cup butter
16oz sour cream
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions
Add cauliflower, one bag at a time, to your food processor and pulse until no big chunks remain. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.  Saute onion until soft.  Add 2 cups cheese and let melt, stirring.  Blend in sour cream, salt, and pepper. Fold sauce into cauliflower.  Spray 9x13 casserole dish and add mixture.  Top with remaining 1 cup cheese.  Bake 350 for 30 minutes or more.

Cauliflower "mac" & cheese

Ok, this is soooooo yummy!  I love mac and cheese but this makes it low carb, gets your veggies in, and is so creamy and delicious!!!  It's also gluten/wheat free.

Ingredients
1 bag frozen cauliflower, cooked and drained well

8oz shredded cheddar cheese
12 oz cottage cheese
8oz sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix together cauliflower, half the cheddar, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper.  Pour into sprayed 9x13 casserole dish and top with remaining cheddar.  Bake 350 for 30 minutes.  Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

You can also add cooked onion, onion powder, or onion flakes to the mixture as well if you like.  So yummy!

Green Chili Chicken Casserole

So I made this for dinner and I loved it, hubby liked it, and kids didn't like it.  Now wait before you write it off.  I shared some with a friend of mine down the street who absolutely loved it and shared it with another mutual friend who loved it as well as a bunch of teen girls at our church who all rant and raved and loved it.  You could use reduced fat ingredients if you like.  I got the original recipe here.

Ingredients
2-3 lbs chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise (I also cut mine into 2-3 pieces each breast)
garlic powder, to taste
salt, to taste
onion powder, to taste
8oz sour cream
8oz shredded cheddar cheese
7oz can green chilies, drained

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray or grease 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt to taste.  In a large bowl, mix together sour cream, cheese, and chilies.  Spread mixture evenly over chicken.  Bake 30-45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Delicious Broccoli Cheese Soup

So I've been playing around with my Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup, and I modified it a little bit to come up with this recipe, and it is absolutely delicious!  Best of all, it is only 1 Weight Watcher Point per cup and it doesn't taste like diet food.  My friend and her mom absolutely loved this soup and wanted the recipe.

Ingredients
6 cups chicken broth
2 lb frozen bags of broccoli florets or about 10 cups
cooking spray
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
8oz reduced fat velvetta cheese, cubed
1/4 cup cornstarch (leave out for low carb)
6 Tbsp light sour cream
1 cup water

Directions
Spray large stock pot with cooking spray.  Sautee onion on medium heat until tender.  Add chicken broth, broccoli, garlic powder, and salt to pot.  Bring a boil and then cook on medium, covered, 15-20 minutes. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, 1 cup water, and sour cream until completely blended. Add corn starch and sour cream mix and cubed cheese to soup. Bring to a low boil and then reduce immediately to a simmer. Stir constantly until all cheese is melted and soup thickens.  Makes about 12-14 cups.

Weight Watcher Points: 1 point per cup or about 99 calories

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

I got the original recipe off skinnytaste, but I did modify it some.  I think it's an obsession.  I can't leave a recipe alone.  Maybe I feel I have to make it my own.  Either way, I had this on a Sunday afternoon for lunch, and it was yummy.  Put it all in the crockpot before church and it was done when we got home.  I love crockpot meals on Sunday.  I had my in laws over, and we all enjoyed it.  I did use chicken breasts instead of thighs since I don't like dark meat.  She suggests skin removed and bone in, but I didn't feel like going through the whole removing skin, and I couldn't find any breasts with bone in, skin removed.

Ingredients
2 lbs chicken breasts or thighs
26oz jar traditional spaghetti sauce, watch for allergens
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese to put on top, optional

Directions
Dump everything into the crockpot, give a quick stir, and set on low for 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.  Remove lid for last hour and keep on high.  Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta or rice and top with parmesan cheese if desired.  She includes another method that requires browning the chicken beforehand, so go to the link above if you want to see that.