Tag: cream cheese

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-MUFFINS2
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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

Chocolate Covered Cherries (Keto/Gluten Free)

keto-chocolate-covered-cherries

Most of you know that I enjoy baking and making candy during the Christmas holiday season. It’s a tradition that I have continued with my family, just as my mother did. It just feels like Christmas to me.

Last week, while trying to make some of my favorite recipes low carb/gluten free, I wasted more groceries than ever before!  I was just about to throw in the towel when I decided to experiment with some homemade candy.

Homemade Chocolate Covered Cherries is always a must at Christmas. The recipe I have made forever was an old recipe handed down from my mother. It was a staple at Christmas when I was growing up and has remained one until now. I am sure I will make mama’s old recipe again someday. For now, I am down 23 pounds, and I do not plan to blow it during the holidays. I have found that an occasional carb-up us helpful to me. However, I can’t carb-up the entire season.

This recipe makes 17 cherries but can easily be doubled if you are preparing for a crowd. The fondant seems to soften much quicker than traditional chocolate covered cherries. Instead of placing the bowl of fondant in the refrigerator to cool, I scooped 17 fondant balls onto a pan lined with wax paper and then refrigerated. When I was ready to start covering the cherries, I took out a few pieces of fondant at a time, covered the cherries, then placed them back into the refrigerator.
Because the fondant is softer than my traditional recipe, they do not require standing at room temperature before serving.

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Chocolate Covered Cherries (Keto/Gluten Free)

One of my mother's Christmas candy recipes made low carb!
Course Keto
Servings 17
Calories 51kcal
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 17 maraschino cherries drained and dried
  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter softened
  • 3 Tbsp. cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 c. Stevia
  • 1/2 c. Swerve Confectioners
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 servings Lily's Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate Chips (120 chips)
  • 1 tsp. coconut oil

Instructions

  • Place 17 cherries on a double layer paper towel to drain.  Blot dry with another paper towel before using.
  • Line a baking sheet with wax paper, set aside.  
  • In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer combine butter and cream cheese.
  • Gradually add salt, Stevia, and Confectioners Swerve, and protein powder and mix until well blended.  
  • Add vanilla extract and mix until combined.
  • Scoop fondant using a small scoop or spoon, making 17 evenly sized balls and place on wax lined baking sheet.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.  
  • Remove a few fondant balls at a time and cover each cherry with one ball.  Return to the refrigerator onto the wax paper.
  • Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small bowl and microwave 30 seconds.  Stir.  If the chips have melted most of the way continue stirring until completely melted.  You may need to microwave a few more seconds to get them to this stage.
  • Remove the pan of cherries from the refrigerator.  Using a small spoon, drizzle the cherries with melted chocolate.  Return to the refrigerator until the chocolate has set.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.  

Notes

For 1 chocolate covered cherry:  Net carbs = 3 g; Fat = 4 g; Protein = 1 g; Calories = 51

 

 

Keto Taco Soup

I will be the first to admit that I am always the last to jump on any bandwagon. I usually err on the side of caution. Ask anyone that knows me well, I am skeptical about a lot of stuff! I don’t buy into infomercials, and before I believe anything on the world wide web I will verify, verify, verify!

Better late than never on this bandwagon though. It appears that Chipotle Rotel came out about a year ago. Who knew? This stuff is the bomb! I love the smoky taste of chipotle peppers anyway and adding them to Rotel was a brilliant idea. I say give the genius that came up with this idea a promotion!

I recently told you all about attempting a healthier lifestyle. More explanation on that will be posted next week after it appears in my newspaper article.

With the temperatures being in the low 90’s and Starbucks having pumpkin spice again, it totally has me in the mood for all things fall. That always means soup time for me!

I recently experimented a little with low carb taco soup. Using my cousin Nancy’s taco soup recipe loosely as a guide, I made this fabulous soup! Wes is free with his opinions, and he loved it.  In fact, he said it was the best soup he’s ever had.  That is like a “stop the presses” compliment from him!  The chipotle Rotel shines in this soup.   My family loved this soup so much that no one complained when we had leftovers!

If you are not worried about the carbs, you can always add a can of rinsed and drained black beans and even a can of drained hominy or corn.

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Keto Taco Soup

Course Soup
Servings 8
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 lb. ground chuck
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • 2 (8-oz.) cream cheese
  • 1 (32-oz.) container beef bone broth
  • 2 (10-oz.) cans Chipotle Rotel
  • 2 tbsp. taco seasoning
  • 2 tbsp. dry Ranch dressing mix
  • 1 tbsp. chili powder
  • salt, to taste

Instructions

  • Brown beef, during the last minute of cooking add the garlic and sauté.  
  • Drain and pour beef mixture into a slow-cooker.
  • Add the cream, beef bone broth, Rotel, taco seasoning, Ranch seasoning, chili powder and salt.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.  

Notes

10 servings
Net Carbs = 6 g
Fat = 38 g
Protein = 87 g
Calories = 735

Strawberry Cream Slab Pie

 

Strawberry Cream Slab Pie

Cakes are tasty, but can they even compare to pies? Pies are perfect! They can be cold and creamy, or warm and comforting. Best of all, pies are easy.   However, if you are serving a crowd, you need several pies because they do not go very far. Not at our house anyway.  Someone always seems to get an extra large piece, or another wants a second helping.  That is why I love, love, love the idea of slab pies.   I adore the homey, rustic look of serving a slab pie, just as I like to use cast iron for baking and serving.

I made this delicious Strawberry Slab Pie recently, and my family loved it, especially Wesley’s girlfriend, Ashley.  I found the recipe on chefintraining.com, where she has some fantastic looking recipes! If the strawberries aren’t tempting enough, the chocolate drizzle makes you want to take a spoon and dig right in.

This pie is best made and eaten on the same day, as the crust will be soggy on the second day.  The next time I make this pie, I will slice the strawberries rather than cut them in half.  I felt they were quite a large bite.

Strawberry Cream Slab Pie
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 pkg. Pillsbury brand All Ready Pie crust (2 crusts)
  • 2 c. heavy whipping cream
  • 1 (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened 2⁄3 c. sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. almond extract
  • 20 to 30 fresh strawberries, cut in half
  • 2 T. shortening
  • 1 c. milk chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425℉. Lay pie crusts onto a flat, slightly floured surface, overlapping slightly. Roll dough to a 17 x 12-inch rectangle. Place in a 15 x 10 x 1-inch pan. Crimp edges and prick crust with a fork. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool. Beat heavy cream until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese until fully. Gradually add in sugar, vanillaa and almond extracts. Fold cream cheese into the beaten heavy cream until evenly combined. Spoon into cooled crust. Arrange strawberries over the top of filling. Melt shortening and chocolate chips in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Drizzle over strawberries. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Serve the same day you prepare.

 

 

 

 

Key Lime Cupcakes

Cupcakes are one of my favorite desserts to make for a crowd. There’s no mess with cutting to serve, and they are always the perfect size. We love key lime desserts around our house, and I think they are perfect for any summer gathering. If you like key lime pie, I think you’ll like these cupcakes. They are perfect for the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

 

For a potluck dinner, where there will be several desserts, I think mini cupcakes work well. With a slight adjustment on the baking time, you can make standard-sized cupcakes also.

Key lime cupcakes are best made a few days before serving and stored in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 30 – 45 minutes before serving. They are good slightly cool, but not so cold that the icing is like cold butter.

Key Lime Cupcakes
 
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Ingredients
  • Cupcakes:
  • 1 (18.25-oz.) box lemon cake mix with pudding
  • 1 box (4-serving size) lime-flavored gelatin
  • ¾ c. ginger ale
  • ⅓ c. Key lime juice
  • ⅓ c. vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 or 3 drops of green food color, if desired
  • White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
  • 12-oz. cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1½ sticks butter, room temperature
  • 9-oz. white chocolate
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2-lb. powdered sugar
Instructions
  1. For cupcakes: Heat oven to 350℉ (325℉ for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cups in each muffin cup. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, gelatin, ginger ale, key lime juice, oil, and eggs on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add green food color, if desired, and mix until well blended. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake 15-18 minutes for standard sized cupcakes or 10-12 minutes for mini cupcakes. Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes in pan. Remove from pan and place on wire rack to cool completely. Frost with completely cooled.
  2. For Frosting: Microwave chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Do not overheat!! If it is almost melted with just a few solid pieces you can stir continuously for the pieces to melt. Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until fluffy and completely blended. Slowly beat in melted chocolate and vanilla extract. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. If frosting is too thick you can use heavy whipping cream, adding 1 tbsp. at a time, to reach spreading consistency. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes.