Low Carb Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Pie

My friend brought her chicken enchiladas to work the other day. She had been talking up the recipe so, of course, I had to try them. Delish! However, they included a few ingredients that I have not used in quite a while, or in the case of the chicken condensed soup, years. However, the taste was in my mouth and I just knew it was what I was making for dinner.

I've been working hard to get back into my low carb (LC) way of eating. I feel better when I make this my habit and it has tons of health benefits. With this in mind, I knew I had to find a way to make this LC friendly. I also believe when you have something good, you should share it and that brings me to today's recipe!

LC Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Pie

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast, boiled or baked and shredded

2 high fiber tortilla shells (I use Ole)

3/4c lite sour cream

2oz lite cream cheese

1/2c salsa Verde (I used Taco Bell)

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2tsp garlic powder

1/4c + 3/4c pepper jack cheese

Preheat your oven to 375.

In a deep dish pie pan, smooth about 1/8c of salsa verde. Lay one tortilla on top.

In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, cream cheese, cumin, garlic, and 1/4c pepper jack cheese. (I did not pre-shred my chicken. Instead I put the chicken and all ingredients into the mixing bowl of my Kitchen-Aid and let it rip.) Mix all ingredients until well combined.

Smooth the chicken mixture over the tortilla. Lay the remaining tortilla on top.

Evenly spread the remaining salsa verde over the tortilla and then top with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned and bubbly.

Let it cook for about 5 minutes and serve!

Makes 8 servings

5.8 net carbs per serving

Low Carb Mini Sausage Biscuits

Low carb works for me and I have been trying to get it to work for my family as well. This can be challenging since my littles are not always on board. They will try everything I put before them, but they are quick to let me know which way their favor is going to go. I’ve also been learning how to work with almond flour. I definitely prefer it over coconut flour.

I find myself needing a lot more inspiration this time around. Prior to being off the low carb wagon for personal and medical reasons, I was doing great with making low carb meals. As I was making this month’s menu, I realized that I was a little burnt out on some of the dishes I was making and I knew if I was, my family certainly was.

This led me to making a purchase that I will hopefully review later. It has also led me to getting a little more creative in the kitchen. I used to think that a low carb way of life meant that you had to live without the food you love. Not so. Today’s recipe is living proof. I tried the original recipe by Peace Love and Low Carb and really liked it. I enjoyed them so much that I began trying different versions, adapting here and there and my sausage version has become a family favorite.

I love these little cheesy nuggets. Best yet, they are low carb, easy to make, freeze well and are toddler approved!

Ingredients*

4oz low fat cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1 ¼ c shredded, sharp cheddar cheese

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp Italian seasoning

1 ¼ c almond flour

¼ c heaving cream

¼ c water

4oz ground maple or breakfast sausage, browned and drained

 Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

In your mixer, cream the cream cheese until smooth and then add the egg. Blend well. Add the seasoning, spices and cheese. Mix on low or mix by hand with a spoon.

Combine the flour, cream and water with the cheese mixture until it is well incorporated. Gently mix in the sausage.

Scoop generous tablespoons of batter into a well-greased mini muffin tin. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden and no longer spongy to the touch.

Serve warm or cool and then freeze. If freezing, simply thaw and warm in the microwave until it reaches your desired temperature.

My kids are “dippers” and these pair well with ketchup or syrup.

Makes approximately 10 servings (3 muffins).

Nutrition (according to MyFitness Pal): Calories 339, Fat 28.8g, Sodium 475mg, Net Carbs 3.8g

* The fat content, as well as all other nutritional values will change depending upon the types of ingredients you choose to use. For example, full fat vs low fat cream cheese.

The add-ins are endless!

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole (Low Carb)

Low carb is becoming my way of eating. I approach meals very differently now and I'm always looking for recipes that my whole family will enjoy. I'm not one to make separate meals for everyone. It's more of a take it or leave it kind of thing. Fortunately,  this recipe has been toddler and husband approved. I must also add that I believe the leftovers are just as good...if there are any.

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole 

Ingredients:

1lb of ground venison, beef or chicken, browned and grease drained

3 slices of low sodium bacon, cooked until crisp and roughly chopped

6 eggs

1/2c light cream

1/2c tomato sauce 

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp black pepper 

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with nonstick spray. Evenly spread the meat on the bottom. 

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Mix in the cream, tomato sauce, seasonings and 1/4 c of cheese.

Pour over the meat and gently toss the meat so that all ingredients are mixed. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and bacon on top.

Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the casserole is firm.

Enjoy!

Linking up for Mommy Moments

Low Carb 3 Minute Mini Omelets

Our mornings are usually pretty rushed no matter how much prepping I do the night before. Now that I'm enjoying (yes, enjoying) the benefits of low carb eating, I am constantly trying to find family pleasing meals. Breakfast bars are ok, but I'd much rather send my kids off with a warm, protein packed breakfast. Enter in the Mini Omelet.

These omelets are so easy and quick...not to mention very versatile. I like to use low sodium meats (when possible), veggies such as spinach, baby kale or peppers, and of course, cheese. The options are really endless.

What will you put in them?

3 Minute Mini Omelets 

Serves 1

1 large egg

1 tbsp shredded cheese

1 slice of low sodium ham, bacon or other meat of your choice

1/4 c diced veggies

In a microwave safe bowl lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, whisk the egg until the yolk and white are well mixed.

Add in veggies.

Microwave for 1.5 minutes (3 minutes if the recipe is doubled). Heat your meat as needed.

Gently lift the egg to release it from the bottom of the bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and top with meat. Fold in half.

Done!

You can make a few ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for a couple days or in the freezer.

Low Carb Spiced Parmesan Pork Chops

I'm new to the world of low carb and quite honestly, it has been super hard. I never realized how many carbs I potentially eat in a day. I love bread. I love pasta. I love rice. Nothing about these three loves is low carb. I've been doing some research and I know that drastically cutting these down in my diet will not only help lose weight, but it has the potential to reverse or ease a variety of my PCOS symptoms. It's a win-win if I can get myself fully on board.

I've been working hard to find filling low carb meals that all of us can enjoy. I came up with a recipe that fits the bill. It will definitely be made again.

Spiced Parmesan Pork Chops

6 lean, pork tenderloin chops

1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp of 6 Pepper Spice seasoning (we got this from Sam's)

Preheat own to 400.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray. 

In a gallon size bag, combine the cheese and seasoning. Add 2 chops at a time and shake them in the seasoning to coat.

Place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until meat is tender and no longer pink.

Serve with your choice of side. 

Each chop is 1 carb, 24g  protein, 125 calories and 3.5g fat. 

Yum!

Linking up with Mommy Momments 

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Enjoying the cool fall evening 

I. Love. Fall. It is my favorite season for hundreds of reasons. One of the biggies is that the cool weather just begs to be paired with warm, comfy, stick to your bones recipes. One of my favorites is stew. Stew is a pretty generic term considering how versatile it is. In honor of the first day of fall, I thought I'd share a tasty stew recipe that not only makes yummy leftovers, but also freezes well.

My daughter has been helping me a lot in the kitchen lately and yesterday she helped me throw together this yummy stew. Now you can use whatever type of meat you prefer but I typically use beef or venison. I opted for certain veggies but of course you can use whatever you'd like.

Slow Cooker Stew 

Ingredients:
1lb ground venison
3 potatoes, cubed
1 c frozen corn
1 c frozen lima beans
1 c baby carrots
1tsp onion powder
2 cloves minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp sugar
1 15oz  can low sodium beef broth
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch
1c water

Directions:

Spray the slow cooker with nonstick spray.  Next, place your venison on the bottom, breaking it up slightly. (If using ground beef, you'll want to precook it and drain the fat.) Layer on the veggies and then top with the seasonings. Pour over the Worcestershire sauce and beef broth.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. About 15 minutes before you're ready to eat, mix the corn starch and water and stir into the stew. This will thicken it. Pair with your favorite corn bread and enjoy!

Linking up with Waiting on Wednesday
and Mommy Moments

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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Snow days + pregnancy cravings + ample amounts of baking supplies equal good things (unless my obstetrician tells me otherwise at my upcoming appointment). Last week I had a ridiculous craving for chocolate chip cookies. Someone may or may not have demolished an entire package of chocolate chip cookies last week…can’t blame the hubby or toddler for that one. So naturally, when I was trying to decide what to make for my husband’s volunteer fire department’s annual dinner fundraiser, I knew what was going to be my contribution.

Each year the wives, along with some of the fire department’s auxiliary team, make desserts to go with the main meal. I opted to make some super delish chocolate chip cookie bars. Now, this recipe makes a lot…I cut 15 large (maybe giant is more appropriate) bars but you could easily double or triple that number by cutting them smaller.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

You can find Martha Stewart’s original recipe and directions here.

Ingredients:

1 ½ c (3 sticks) of butter at room temperature

4 c all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 c sugar

1 ½ c packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 12oz bag of chocolate chips (butterscotch or peanut butter would also work well)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350.

2. Cream together the butter and both sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well. Add the vanilla.

3. Add the baking soda and then slowly add the flour. Mix until well combined (the mixture will be thick).

4. Add the chocolate chips. Mix until just combined.

5. Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Evenly spread the cookie dough batter into the pan (I found using a wooden spoon to work best).

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes and check. The top of the bars should be slightly browned. Over baking will make them dry and crumbly. I baked mine for almost 35 minutes and they turned out perfectly.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Remove from the pan, slice and serve. Yum!

These were delicious! It is a good thing that they are not staying in my house because I would be in some serious trouble. These are so good! Enjoy!

Linking up for Tasty Tuesdays!

Tasty Tuesday: Butterscotch Haystacks

I'm giving credit to my first grade teacher for this one. If I had tasted these before her then I apologize.  I remember her bringing these to school one day and I was hooked.

Now it's been several years since I've made these but last night I had to have them. The cravings with this baby have been very similar to my first.  Eggs and sweets. Normally I can take or leave dessert but currently I'd rather eat it as the first course.  Last night's craving revolved around butterscotch...not the candies, but the chips, pudding,  pie, etc.

I happened to have what I needed for this recipe...so now present to you Butterscotch Haystacks!

Ingredients :
1c. butterscotch chips
1/2c. Peanut butter
2c. Chow mein noodles

Directions:
Combine the butterscotch chips and peanut butter into a medium-sized microwavable bowl. Heat for about 2 minutes and make sure to stir about every 30 seconds until the chips and peanut butter are well combined and smooth. Spoon the mixture into little piles on a sheet of foil or wax paper and allow to set completely. This recipe makes 12 to 15 generous haystacks but will easily make many more smaller ones. You could also mix it up and instead of using butterscotch chips use chocolate or white chocolate chips for a different flavor.

Enjoy!

Linking up with Green Fashionista for Tasty Tuesday

Christmas Memories: Homemade Sugar Cookies

I was so blessed to have my mom come up for Christmas. I love seeing her interact with G. I hate that our time together is so short and that the distance between us is so far...I have dreams for it to change some day. So until that day, we soak up every second and make as many memories as we can.

One of my favorite memories from childhood was making Christmas sugar cookies with my mom. She has used the same recipe forever and it always tastes the same. It is the essence of my childhood Christmases. To my delight, my mom chose to keep the tradition going with her granddaughter.

She even brought matching aprons! Isn't that the cutest thing?!

She and G enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Granna taught G how to roll out the dough and use the cookie cutters.

We opted out of the frosting this year and just decorated the cookies prior to baking. What fun!

Homemade Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

2/3 c shortening

1 1/2 c sugar

2/3 c butter (10tbsp)

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

8 tsp milk

4 c flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Cream together shortening, butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and eggs, add flour, baking powder and salt. Add the milk. Mix well and chill for several hours (or overnight).

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Flour your work surface. Roll out the dough and cut with cookie cutters. Bake until the cookies are very lightly browned (10-12 minutes). Cool, frost and decorate.

Linking up with Green Fashionista

Inside Out German Chocolate Cake

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Oh how I love holiday baking. The kitchen gains a whole new scent from Thanksgiving to Christmas. The house is always filled with some type of sweet or savory smell this time of year. We had a short notice family gathering this past weekend and with some other fantastic activities we had planned, I didn't have time to do a lot of additional baking for the family event. That's when this semi-homemade dessert came to mind.

I have to give credit to one of my fellow teachers who first introduced me to the basic concept. Her recipe calls for a Butter Pecan cake base (A.MAZ.ING!) which was the only cake mix that was not available at our local Wal-Mart. What are the chances?

Time to improvise. What else goes well with coconut and pecans? Well chocolate of course! I call this cake simple (almost embarrassingly so) and you'll soon see why...

Inside Out German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 box of German Chocolate cake mix

1 can of coconut pecan frosting

Eggs

Oil

Water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Generously spray a bunt pan (I could not find my "pretty pan" so my angel food cake pan had to suffice) with cooking spray.

Prepare the cake mix according to directions on the box. Before pouring the batter into the pan, remove the foil seal from the frosting and microwave it for about 35 seconds. Scoop the frosting into the cake batter and mix well.

Pour the batter evenly into pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan by flipping it out onto a plate or platter.

 This cake is heavenly served warm but is also perfect the next day with a cup of coffee. You can't go wrong! I hope you'll find this recipe just as tasty and easy as I have. I continue to receive compliments on the taste and I never come home with leftovers (which could be a good or bad thing, depending how you look at it.)

Happy Baking!

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Tasty Tuesday: Apple Crumble

I'm alive! I know I've been out of the blogging world for a bit but life has been crazy...a good crazy, but crazy nonetheless. We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family. The food was good. The fellowship was great. The time with my sweet little family was priceless.

I've been savoring every moment. Before I get too sappy, I wanted to be sure to share a new go-to recipe. I opted to stray from the typical pumpkin desserts for Thanksgiving this year. I had some delicious apples that I had made and frozen a few weeks ago. (You can find the recipe here.)

I chose to make an Apple Crumble. Oh. My. Word. I could literally just eat it out of the skillet. Now that I've peaked your interest, here is the recipe. (The original recipe can be found here.)

Apple Crumble

Ingredients:

6 c. of Freezer Apple Pie Filling, thawed

1 c. wheat flour
1 c. old-fashioned oats
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c, white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
12 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions:

-Preheat the oven to 350.

-Coat a cast iron skillet with cooking spray.

-Spread the apples evenly in the skillet.

-In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Using your hands (seriously the best method), mix the butter into the dry ingredients until a crumble has formed.

-Sprinkle the mixture over the apples evenly.

-Bake for about 40 minutes or until the topping is browned and bubbly.

-Enjoy alone or with a scoop of ice cream.

Linking up with Green Fashionista



Simple Cinnamon Rolls

I've been a little MIA lately with a sick toddler, home projects and work consuming my days. I finally opted to take a little break and share a recipe I recently tried.

I'm a sucker for cinnamon rolls and I have a great homemade recipe...but it is pretty time consuming (although well worth the effort.) When I stumbled upon this no yeast recipe, which means no rise time, I had to give it a shot. I had everything for the rolls on hand but not for the icing. We opted for pre-made cream cheese icing and that worked just fine.

No Yeast Cinnamon Rolls

For the Cinnamon Filling:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

For the Cinnamon Roll Dough:
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
5 Tablespoons butter, melted and divided

Directions:


Preheat oven to 425. 

Combine filling ingredients in a small bowl, and mix well. In a larger bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Whisk together buttermilk and 4 Tablespoons melted butter in a separate bowl, then pour into the dry ingredients. Stir together until dough just comes together (do not over mix.) Kneed slightly with your hands until the dough forms into a ball, then slice it in half.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a rectangle that is a little larger than a piece of paper. Press half the filling mixture into the center, leaving 1/4″ of the dough clear on all 4 sides, then roll, starting with one of the short ends. Pinch together the seam, trim the ends and cut into 8-10 slices. 

Repeat with the other dough half, then place rolls in a non-stick sprayed 9×13 pan. Brush the rolls with remaining melted butter and bake for 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.

Top with icing and enjoy! 

Linking up with Green Fashionista

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

I am all about Taco Tuesdays and I'm always looking for festive new recipes to add to my recipe arsenal. This past week was another successful new recipe and I just had to share.

With fall coming soon, I've started to pull out a soup recipe or two. This recipe for Chicken Taco Chili will be a definite go to. I found the original recipe at Table for Two. You'll see that I changed things up a bit, only because I used things that I already had in the house.

If you're looking for something super easy and super good, pull out your crockpot and come along with me.

Chicken Taco Chili

Ingredients:
1 16oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 16oz can red beans
1 16oz can tomato sauce
12 oz bag of frozen corn
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
1/2tbsp ground cumin
1/2tbsp chili powder
1c. low fat sour cream
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus some for garnish
3 frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Mix together all ingredients in the crockpot, minus the chicken breast.

Place the chicken on top of the vegetable mixture and push down until the pieces are covered. This ensures that they get cooked through without drying out.

Set your crockpot on high and allow to cook 8-10 hours.

Remove the chicken breast and shred or dice. Return it to the soup and mix. Add in the sour cream and cheese. Mix well allowing the cheese to melt.

Top with extra sour cream and cheese if you'd like.

This was a full meal in itself, but I'm sure some type of garlic bread or grilled cheese would pair nicely as well. Enjoy!

Linking up with Green Fashionista!

Also linking up for the first time with Tuesday Table.

Cherry Pie Bubble Bread

I've tried several new recipes lately but this one I just have to share. It's like Christmas in a pan. Yes. Christmas in a pan. That is what I will call it.

I found the original recipe at The Taylor House.

I opted for this recipe for a work birthday breakfast. Big hit! I've already got my own personal Cherry Cheesecake version in the works. If it passes the test, I'll share it with you soon.

Ok...I digress. Without further ado, here is what you've been waiting for.

Cherry Pie Bubble Bread

3 cans of buttermilk biscuits,  quartered
1 can cherry pie filling
1tsp. cinnamon

Glaze:
1c. Powdered sugar
2Tbsp.  Almond milk (or your milk of choice)
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350.

Quarter the biscuit dough.

Mix in the cherries and cinnamon.

Pour into a greased pie pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Cool slightly. While it's cooling, combine the remaining ingredients into a medium bowl. Mix well. Pour the glaze over the slightly warm bread.

Enjoy!

Linking up with Green Fashionista for Tasty Tuesday. 

Eggs in a Basket: An Easy Recipe for the Whole Family

There are some recipes that take me straight back to my childhood and I love that I can share these simple delights with my own family (thanks Mom). This Eggs in a Basket recipe is one that was made by my mom as a special treat and it's great for the kids who like to help out in the kitchen. 

Begin by lightly buttering two pieces of whole wheat bread on both sides.

Next select the shape of cookie cutter you'd like to cut out of your bread. This particular morning we went with stars. Firmly press the cookie cutter down into the bread, wiggling gently to ensure a clean cut is made. You can easily use the open end of a drinking glass to form circles if you have no other shape cutters on hand.

Remove the cut-outs. This was one of our favorite parts...besides the eating of course.

Place all of the bread pieces in a skillet set on medium heat. Crack an egg for each cut-out and gently place it inside the "bread basket".

Allow the eggs to cook until they are almost firm on one side.

Gently flip to allow a couple minutes of cook time on the other side. Don't forget about the shape cut-outs...they'll toast up a little more quickly.

Pair with some (low sodium) bacon and some fresh fruit and you're good to go! Enjoy!

You can view and print this recipe here.