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!

School Lunch Toddler Edition: October

October is one of my favorite months...definitely my favorite month in the fall. With a new month comes a new lunch menu. Prepacking their meals has been a major time saver throughout the week and I am determined to get better at it for myself. My lunch packing was hit or miss, but truly helpful when I was consistent. All that aside, I've gone through the last couple of months and pulled a few favorites and added a couple of new things.

Helpful tips:

Cook as many grilled ham and cheese sandwiches as you'll need for the month. Freeze them and thaw at the beginning of each week. Heat in the morning and wrap in foil or place in a thermos. Done!

Stock up on applesauce pouches/cups/fruit cups when they are on sale. They last for a long time and are great, easy ways to add some fruit to their meals.

Hard boil the number of eggs you'll need for the week at the beginning of the week. I go ahead and peel mine for the kiddos. This will save everyone some time in the long run.

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School Lunch Toddler Edition: September

Well, it's time to plan next month's menu. With most of us back to school, I've had to be a little more intentional with a lunch menu. I began the pre-packing lunch system this school year and after being a month in, I'm still loving it. My toddler has yet to complain about having the same menu each week, so I think I'm good. My challenge for September is to do the same meal planning for myself. I've been planning menus for what seems like forever and I have a really good system. It is just time to stretch that system so that it applies to breakfast and lunch, not just dinner. This will not only be more beneficial from a time and budget standpoint, but by intentionally planning meals, I can ensure that I am meeting my low carb goals and providing healthier meals for my kids. What I also love is that whatever I make for my daughter at this point is great for my 13 month old. Occasionally I have to make an adaption or two, but overall, I'm just packing double of everything.

For those who are planners like myself, here are the meals I'll be sending with my babes for the month of September.

Tips:

I used 1 jar of spaghetti sauce to make both the Pizza Pinwheels and the spaghetti. I used what I needed to for the spaghetti and I was able to still freeze a portion of sauce for later use.

I buy a regular size package of breakfast sausage links, bake the amount I'll need for the month and then freeze them to pull out as I pack.

If you have time and prefer to make your French toast sticks, then by all means. However, I opt for the convenience (and personal taste preference) of the premade frozen. Maybe I'll eventually find a recipe for them that I really like.

I also make most of my muffins and other meals that could be prepackaged. This lowers the amount of preservatives and increases the nutritional value. Plus, I can sneak in extra veggies.

Previous Menus

August 2016

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School Lunch Toddler Edition: August

School days are in full swing around here. Our 3 year old began preschool this year and is loving every minute. With three of us needing to leave the house by 7am so that I can drop off baby boy at the sitter and G at her preschool, I needed to find a way to shave off some minutes in the morning so that we aren't running frantically out the door. My friend was telling me how she has started prepping her kids' meals for the week. The week! I typically try to do them each night, but if I'm too tired, I convince myself that I can just get them done in the morning. This clearly has not been working...so I decided to give this weekly meal prep thing a go.

I try to carve out about an hour of time on Sunday evening to compile all of the meals. It does not typically take this long unless I need to make muffins or something else that needs to bake so that it can be frozen for future meals. We are going on week 3 and I like the way things have been playing out. The prep takes a little time but it is well worth it. I have chosen to rotate out the same 5 meals each week for the month. G eats breakfast at home before heading to preschool and N eats at the sitter. Their breakfasts vary but are quick (and I try to keep them generally healthy-protein packed and full of whole grains- as much as possible.)

Here are the meals that I've been rotating out for August. I hope this will help you save a little sanity in your crazy, beautiful life.

The Pumpkin Muffin recipe can be found here.

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