Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

KETO BACON CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground beef
1 large clove of garlic, diced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and diced

1/4 cup diced dill pickles
3 eggs
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2) Brown ground beef with garlic and onion powder.
3) Drain excess grease then spread beef on bottom of 9x13-inch casserole pan.
4) Stir bacon pieces & pickles into cooked beef.
5) In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, tomato paste, heavy cream, salt, and pepper until well combined.
6) Stir 1/2 cup grated cheese into egg mixture.
7) Pour egg mixture over beef and bacon.
8) Top with remaining grated cheese.
9) Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. ENJOY! 

Parmesan Salmon

This was so freakin good I forgot to take a pic... Will update next time I make this 😜

Parmesan Salmon

INGREDIENTS
1 lb salmon fillet
6 tbsp mayonnaise 
1/2 cup shredded parmesan

DIRECTIONS
1) Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
2)  Spread mayonnaise on salmon
3) Sprinkle parmesan on salmon
4) Bake for 30-45 mins or until salmon flakes easily... enjoy! 

Keto Buffalo Cheese Sauce!

Y'all!!!!!  You gotta try this!!!  Put it on your veggies, on your chicken on your EVEEERRRRYYYTHHHINNNGG!!!!!!!!  

KETO BUFFALO CHEESE SAUCE!

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 1 cup of cheddar cheese
- Buffalo hot sauce to taste

Directions
- Heat whipping cream and butter over medium-low heat in a small pot on the stove until butter is melted
- Add in cream cheese and mix until creamy 
- Add in cheddar cheese and mix until melted
- Add hot sauce  to your liking

Cheesy Zoodles

I know most people have this LOVE for Spaghetti.  For a lot of us, it's a comfort food.... One of those meals you think of when someone mentions "home cooked deliciousness"... Well, this is an AMAZING substitute for the high carb spaghetti like your mama used to make! 

Ingredients
- 8 medium zucchini's, shredded into "zoodles".  The Vegetti works amazing for this or a lot of grocery stores sell them already noodle-fied.
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 jar of marinara sauce (ensure there is no sugar added)
- 1/2 cup cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions
1) Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium heat, once almost all browned add in onion and red pepper.  Continue to cook until beef is browned and onion is translucent.
2) Add the marinara sauce
3) Once that is heated through add in the cream cheese and sour cream until melted and creamy.
4) In the meantime, add the zoodles to a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray and cook over high heat, tossing often, for about 3 minutes or until they reach a texture that you prefer.
5) Pour sauce over zoodles and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Crack Chicken

Slow Cooker Crack Chicken is so aptly named it's ridiculous.  It legit is as addictive as crack... not that I've ever tried crack, but I all I know is that a lot of people end up addicted to it so... this is kinda the same... Except for it's NOT bad for you - winner!

Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 8 oz block cream cheese
1/2 packet of dry Ranch Dressing
4 oz cooked and crumbled bacon

Directions
1) Combine chicken, cream cheese and ranch dressing in slow cooker
2) Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours, until chicken shreds easily.
3) Shred the chicken and mix it up until all the ingredients are combined.
4) Add in crumbled bacon and stir to incorporate.

Pizza Stuffed Chicken Breasts!

We were getting super bored with the typical grilled chicken that we usually eat so I was looking for something different to do with chicken breasts and I came across this recipe over at organizeyourselfskinny.com for Pizza Stuffed Chicken and OMG!!!  SOOOO good!!!

This has since become a weekly staple for us!  The kid loves it - it's great for the whole family!!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups pizza sauce, divided
• 30 slices pepperoni, chopped (can use turkey pepperoni to make it healthier and a bit lower cal)
• ¼ cup parm cheese
• 1 cup Mozzarella, divided
• 4 chicken breasts, pounded out into thin cutlets
• 8 slices whole pepperoni (once again can use turkey if you prefer)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In a small bowl mix together onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Set seasoning mixture aside.
3. In a medium bowl mix together 1 cup pizza sauce, chopped pepperoni, parmesan cheese, and ½ cup mozzarella cheese. 
4. Lay out the chicken cutlets, season with half of the seasoning mixture, and spread ¼ of the pizza sauce mixture onto each cutlet almost to the end. Roll up and place in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with the rest of the seasoning then pour the last cup of pizza sauce over chicken breasts. Sprinkle rest of the mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken breasts. Then top each chicken breast with 2 pieces of pepperoni.
5. Bake for 50 minutes or until cooked through. 
6. ENJOY!! 

Weekly Meal Prep - Chicken Burrito Bowls

Here's another simple, yet delicious idea that you could meal prep for lunches!

I got this idea from buzzfeed.com and modified it slightly - it's so simple though it is one of those recipes you read once and then just make off the top of your head!!

INGREDIENTS

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 bell peppers, sliced
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp taco seasoning
Salt and Pepper, to taste.
1 16-ounce jar medium chunky salsa
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can corn, drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees farenheit
2. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray (I also use tinfoil to make cleanup easier!)
3. Place the chicken breasts in the middle of the tray, the sliced peppers on one side and the red onion slices on the other.
4. Drizzle with olive oil
5. Season the chicken breasts with taco seasoning on both sides
6. Season the peppers, onions and chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Mixed up the peppers and onions a bit to ensure they are coated evenly.
7. Spread the salsa evenly on top of the 3 chicken breasts.
8. Bake for 25 mins in your preheated oven (or until chicken is fully cooked)
9. Cut chicken into slices or chunks.

TO ASSEMBLE THE BOWLS
1. Place 1/2 cup brown rice in 4 bowls
2. Top each with 1/4 cup black beans, 1/4 cup corn and 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3. Add the cooked peppers, onions and chicken (split evenly among 4 bowls)
4. Top with a bit more salsa, cilantro and a slice of lime if desired.


Enjoy!

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

UNSTUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

(inspired by "Kalyn's Stuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole" found on http://www.skinnytaste.com)

It was a Saturday night and I was searching for a new recipe to try... I wanted a casserole type dish that would provide leftovers for Sunday night as well, since the weekends is when I tend to fail with planning and making dinners!  I came across this recipe on skinnytaste.com and knew that I had to try it!!  I love cabbage rolls - but to not have to worry about actually "rolling" them up?  bonus! lol!  This was a real hit with my whole family - even my 6 year old daughter LOVED it... Like she was actually excited for leftovers on Sunday!  She's never excited for leftovers lol :) 

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil, divided
• 1 lb. extra lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped fine
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 
• 1 large head green cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) seasoned diced tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups cooked brown rice 
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used the mozza-cheddar)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large glass casserole dish with non-stick spray.
2. Heat a large frying pan on medium heat; add ground beef and cook until it’s browned and cooked through, breaking it apart as it cooks. Remove ground beef and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add 1 tsp olive oil, chopped onion and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and paprika and cook about 2 minutes more. Then add the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and ground beef. Add water to the pan. Simmer until it’s hot and slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes.
4. While it simmers, cut cabbage in half, cut out the core, and remove any wilted outer leaves; chop the cabbage coarsely into 1 inch pieces.
5. Heat remaining olive oil in a large frying pan; add the cabbage and cook over medium-high heat until the cabbage is wilted and about half cooked, turning it over several times so it all wilts and cooks. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
6. When the meat and tomato sauce mixture has cooked and thickened a bit, stir in the 2 cups of cooked rice and gently combine.
7. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray and the layer half the cabbage, half the meat mixture, remaining cabbage, and remaining meat mixture. Cover tightly with foil and bake 40 minutes, or until the mixture is just starting to bubble on the edges.
8. Remove foil and sprinkle on cheese (if using.) Bake uncovered an additional 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to slightly brown. Serve hot.

Freezer friendly if you have leftovers. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then either microwave until hot or heat in the oven in a glass dish covered with foil.

Homemade Energy Bars

Homemade Energy Bars

 

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Want to try your hand at making your own fruit and nut-based snack bar? In just a few minutes, you can create a healthy, customizable snack to help you eat right when you're on the go.

Author: Beachbody

Recipe type: Snack

Serves: 12 servings, 1 bar each

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole pitted dates (or prunes)
• 1 cup dried fruit (like apricots, prunes, figs, raisins, cranberries, blueberries, or cherries)
• 1 cup chopped nuts (or seeds) (like almonds, walnuts, cashews, sesame seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, or sunflower seeds)
• 2 scoops Shakeology, any flavor

Instructions

1. Place dates, fruit, and nuts in a food processor. Pulse for 1 to 2 minutes; scrape sides of bowl.
2. Add Shakeology; process for 2 to 3 minutes, or until mixture becomes tiny crumbs that can come together to form a loose ball.
3. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with cellophane. Press mixture into pan until flat. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Cut into 12 bars. Store in refrigerator.
5. Tip: For additional flair add one or more of the following: ½ tsp. rum extract, ½ tsp. cinnamon, 1 Tbsp. raw honey, ½ tsp. vanilla extract, 1–2 oz dark chocolate chips, or 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger. Adding any of these items may change the nutritional information.

Busy Mom's Turkey Fried Rice

CONFESSION!!!!  I do NOT love to cook! **GASP** shocker, I know! :)  

However, there is ONE dinner dish that I do actually quite enjoy making - maybe it's because it's super simple and fast... maybe it's because it involves bacon.  Not sure why, but I love cooking it and my whole family loves eating it!  This dish is seriously a weekly staple in my household!

Turkey Fried Rice

I call this "Busy Mom's" Turkey Fried Rice cuz it's literally so quick and easy to make!!  

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground turkey
6 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch wide pieces (all natural, nitrate free is best) 
1/2 a medium onion, diced
2 cups cooked brown rice
vegetables of choice (I will use whatever I have in the fridge or a frozen stir fry mix)
frozen green peas
soya sauce

Preparation
- Heat wok on medium heat and add bacon pieces
- cook bacon for about 1-2 mins and then add diced onion
- cook bacon and onion until bacon is brown and crisp and onion is translucent; remove from pan and set aside
- remove excess bacon grease from the pan and then add the ground turkey and cook until turkey is no longer pink; add the bacon and onions back in
- add the vegetables, including peas and cook until vegetables are done
- add your cooked rice to the pan and stir until fully incorporated
- season with soya sauce and serve! 

ENJOY!!