Keto Cheddar Sausage Breakfast Muffins

 

KETO-CHEDDAR-SAUSAGE-BREAKFAST-MUFFINS2

As a child and young adult, I was not a breakfast person. It seems I went from no breakfast, to loving a carb-filled breakfast overnight. My breakfast of choice was always French toast, muffins, pancakes, waffles or granola. I could eat more carbs in my morning meal than I now eat in an entire day!

Greg is the breakfast chef at our house on Sunday mornings. I love waking up to the smell of coffee and bacon cooking. Although breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, I do not enjoy getting up to cook. When the kids were small and in school, I felt it was my job to send them to school with a good breakfast in their bellies. Those days have passed. Coming into a clean kitchen in the morning to drag out pots and pans, and make a mess, is not my ideal way to start the day.

Nowadays, I like to prepare something that can last several days, and these Keto Cheddar Sausage Breakfast Muffins are just the ticket. They are by far my favorite keto muffins to date. Greg likes the savory muffin better than sweet, so it’s a family pleaser too.

They are easy and so, so yummy! I have only used breakfast sausage, but I’m sure these muffins would be great with bacon or even diced ham. I plan to try them with country ham soon. Now, if I could just find a keto cane syrup my country girl breakfast would be complete!

Keto Cheddar & Sausage Breakfast Muffins

Servings 8
Calories 357kcal
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 4 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 1 lg. egg
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 c. blanced almond flour
  • 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 c. heavy cream
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 6 oz. sausage cooked and drained

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉.  Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, combine the cream cheese and egg until well blended.  
  • Add the garlic, salt and baking powder and mix.
  • Add the almond flour, cheese, heavy cream and water.  Mix until ingredients are incorporated.
  • Fold in the sausage.  
  • Scoop the dough evenly into 8 muffin cups.  
  • Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and done through.  
  • Cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Remove from pan to a cooling rack.  If refrigerating cool completely before storing in a airtight container.  

Notes

Nutritional Information:
4g Net Carbs; 32g Fat; 14g Protein; 357 Calories

Keto Chocolate Mug Cake

Keto Chocolate Mug Cake

Even after six months of keto, I would still consider myself a Carboholic. I continue to battle the urge to sit down to a plate of French toast or pancakes. Even though resisting is easier on keto, the mind games still exist. Mind games because most of the time I’m not even hungry.

I have struggled with baked goods on keto. I want to find keto substitutions for some of my favorite foods, but the majority of my baked foods have ended up in the trash.

Swerve seems to the be a very popular sweetener, and I don’t care for it in large amounts. Swerve is erythritol and an excellent option for most people. It has 0 calories per gram and little-to-no digestive disruption. However, there is a slight cooling effect in your mouth that I can’t bring myself to accept.

Maybe I am more sensitive to this cooling effect than most. I have tried mixing Swerve with other sweeteners to cut down on the cooling effect, and I still can’t find a happy medium.

My cousin, Linda, recently suggested a product that she has been using. It’s called Pyure, and has erythritol in it but it is mixed with  organic stevia.  Thus far I am delighted with this sweetener and I can’t wait to try it in different recipes.

Linda sent me this recipe along with the Pyure suggestion. It is fantastic, chocolaty, moist and delicious! Although a little higher in carbs than some keto foods, if I plan for it in my daily macros it seems to curb my carb cravings.

Keto Chocolate Mug Cake

Course Dessert
Servings 1
Calories 532kcal
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1/4 c. almond flour
  • 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
  • pinch kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. Pyure Organic Stevia
  • 1 lg. egg beaten
  • 60 Lily's Dark Chocolate Chips
  • 2 tbsp. whipped cream

Instructions

  • Place butter in a microwave-safe mug and heat until melted.  
  • Add almond flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and stevia.  Mix well.
  • Stir in beaten egg until well blended.
  • Add chocolate chips and stir.  
  • Microwave 45 seconds to 1 minute or until cake is set but still fudgy.
  • Top with whipped cream and serve.  

Notes

Nutritional Information:
9g Net Carbs; 49g Fat; 15g Protein; 532 Calories

Apple-Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Scones

Apple=Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Scones

Spring is a busy time for many. We are ready to be out of the house after those cold winter days. Yard work always awaits, and those outdoor projects that we have put off all winter need to be tackled.

Greg and I recently spent three days putting metal siding and a metal roof on an outdoor building. I’m sure we could have hired a professional to do it in a third of the time. However, we did not kill each other in the process, and we have a good feeling of accomplishment!

On these busy days, it’s nice to have something on hand for a quick breakfast or even a snack. These scones are a great savory treat that my family loves. Everything is better with bacon and cheese and these great with a cup of coffee on the go.

 

Apple-Smoked Bacon and Cheddar Scones
 
Author:
 
Ingredients
  • 3 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ c. (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 1½ c. grated Cheddar cheese
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 10 slices bacon, cooked and chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • ¾ to 1½ c. buttermilk
  • 1 lg. egg
  • 2 tbsp. water
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl on low speed. With the mixer running, gradually add the cubes of butter until the mixture is crumbly and studded with flour-butter bits about the size of small peas. Add the grated cheese and mix just until blended. (This can also be done by hand: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Gradually cut in the butter with pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles small peas. Stir in the cheese.)
  2. Add the green onions, bacon, and ¾ cup of the buttermilk to the flour and cheese mixture. Mix by hand just until all the ingredients are incorporated. If the dough is too dry to hold together, us the remaining buttermilk, adding 1 tbsp. at a time, until the dough is pliable and can be formed into a ball. Stir as lightly and as little as possible to ensure a light-textured scone. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured flat surface. Pat the dough into a ball. using a well-floured rolling pin, flatten the dough into a circle about 8inches wide and ½ inch thick. Cut the dough into 8 to 10 equal wedges, depending on the size scone you prefer.
  3. Whisk the egg and water in a small mixing bowl to combine. Brush each wedge with the egg wash. Place the scones on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and no longer sticky in the middle. Serve warm.

 

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Muffins

cinnamon-swirl-banana-muffins

It is no secret that I enjoy cooking and all things that come with it.  Well, except for maybe the cleaning up.  I read cookbooks for pleasure and even watch a few cooking shows.  I also love a day off.  I’m up for a good restaurant any day with someone else doing all of the work.

 Savannah decided to come home over the weekend since the college campus was closed due to Hurricane Matthew.  Having her home was great, and I usually make a few of her favorite dishes while she is home.  This time, she cooked breakfast for us one morning.  She baked these fabulous Cinnamon Swirl Banana Muffins.  The cinnamon swirl was a great addition to banana muffins.
This recipe can also be used to make a loaf of banana bread.  Savannah said that the bread is better the day after it bakes.  We wouldn’t know because the muffins did not last long enough to find out.

 

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Muffins
 
Author:
 
Ingredients
  • 3 to 4 overripe bananas, mashed
  • ⅓ c. unsalted butter, melted
  • ¾ c. granulated sugar
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1½ c. all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ c. granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin pan with 12 paper liners or spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
  2. Mix mashed bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and gently mix into the banana mixture. Do not overmix!
  3. Fill the paper liners half-way with batter. Then evenly distribute half of the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Add remaining batter to the top of each. Using a butter knife, swirl the batter. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
Notes
To make a loaf, pour half of batter the greased loaf pan. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Pour remaining batter on top and swirl with a butter knife. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

 

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

chewy-oatmeal-cookies

 

When life gets hectic, I turn to baking. Baking calms my mind and soothes my soul.

Big changes for the Melton household are underway! My head is spinning with all of the adjustments that we are experiencing. After 33 years with different jobs in the same department, Greg has taken a new job. Same company but new department and new responsibilities.  He’s excited about the challenges and looks forward to doing something new. I suppose I always fear the unknown.

 Our oldest child, Wes, has a job that he starts this week! A real, full-time, paying job! He worked a lot during college. Sometimes for no pay, but always with a goal in mind. A paying job is wonderful news, especially for our bank account.

Then there’s Savannah, our baby; she will begin her junior year of college in a few weeks. She is moving out again in just two weeks. She has been busy painting furniture, making Pinterest projects, and shopping for things she’ll need out on her own.

So, with all of that being said, I recently baked. I have been cooking low-carb for several weeks now, so baking these ooey, gooey, chewy oatmeal cookies was a treat! I love a good oatmeal cookie, and these are the best. Baked in a convection oven they bake in about 5 to 7 minutes. These cookies will spread while cooking to a thin, flat cookie.  Lightly brown the edges of the cookies, leaving the middle soft. They should look slightly undercooked in the center when you remove them from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet and they will firm up as they cool.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
 
Author:
Serves: about 36 cookies
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ½ c. granulated sugar
  • 1 lg. egg
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 3 c. old-fashioned oats
  • 1 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp. whole milk
  • ½ c. dried cherries
  • ½ c. chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. With an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until well combined. Stir in oats, flour, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Stir in milk, dried cherries, and chocolate chips.
  3. Place 1 tablespoon (slightly rounded, not flat, not heaping) mounds of dough 2-inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheets. These cookies do spread while baking, so do not place too close together on your baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes (or 5 to 7 in convection oven), or until cooked have browned lighted on the edges but are still soft in the middle.
  5. Let the cookies cool completely at room temperature on the pan.