Cauliflower Antipasto Salad

​Who doesn’t love a good antipasto platter in the warm months of the year.

Simple and easy to entertain friends, just loading up a ton of keto friendly good stuff, like dried meats, cheese crips, nuts, cheeses, pickles, artichoke hearts, mini sweet peppers, black olives, green olives, etc. 

Summer for me is all about easy entertaining recipes, simple tasty sides and practically no oven cooking if I can get away with it.

That is not the case in this recipe, sorry! 

The good news is this keto antipasto salad is out of this world! The bad news is that yes, you do need to roast the cauliflower prior to building this beauty of a keto pasta salad.

BUT my friends, it is so worth it because best part is, you can enjoy it without blood sugar spikes or crash!

Carbs in Traditional Antipasto Pasta Salad

​According to the app Cronometer, a pasta salad store bought from Aldi’s has about 22 total grams of carbs for a 1/2 cup serving and 200 calories.

Too high for anyone on a keto diet and will kick you out of ketosis. It might work for someone on a low carb diet who eats 50 grams of carbs or more a day, but it’s not something I’d recommend for anyone looking to lose weight or reduce sugar and refined carb cravings. 

Our Keto Antipasto Salad has just 5 grams of total carbs for 1/2 cup serving. All the rest of the nutritional information is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page. 

Can I use Store Bought Frozen Cauliflower Rice?

No I do not recommend using frozen cauliflower rice as it is very bland and holds a lot of water. If you do want to try it, be sure to thaw it and drain it really well before using. 

For best results, roasting is my recommended method. Roasting takes cauliflower to a level of tasty that far surpasses any other way of cooking it.

Steaming is ok, but for this you REALLY need to roast it in the olive oil and garlic before adding all the tasty antipasto accompaniments to a large bowl. 

You could use store bought raw cauliflower rice and add in some olive oil and garlic to season it and this would certainly save some time, but I prefer the oven roasting method if you have time.

Keto Antipasto Salad

Once prepared, you’ve got this huge, awesome, totally fabulous side dish for any entree, for any weeknight with grilled meats, for any BBQ party with friends! And antipasto turned into a salad that’s hearty and satisfying and an easy way to feed a crowd!

Worth it, worth it every time! Even your friends won’t notice it’s made with cauliflower, they may ask after they’ve eaten their fair share, but they won’t care!

I brought this over for Fathers Day to my Big Italian family, my brother and his Italian In laws and it was a huge hit! No one even asked what it was made of, they all just dived into it.

I barely had any left to take myself home a serving!

If you feel this salad is just too big then cut all the ingredients listed by half and you can enjoy it yourself all week long for easy meal preps lunch! Otherwise serve it up for company, cook out parties and BBQ’s!

Other cauliflower rice recipes you might like:

• Provolone Cauliflower Rice
• Kimchi Fried Cauliflower Rice
• Cauliflower Potato Salad

Low Carb Keto Antipasto Cauliflower Rice Salad

Print

Low Carb Antipasto Cauliflower “Rice” Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12 @1/2 cup each

Calories 132kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar Free Mom

Ingredients

• 8 cups cauliflower florets or 6 cups riced (see notes above)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese smoked, chopped
• 4 ounces dried salami chopped
• 6 ounces artichoke hearts in the jar, sliced
• 6 ounces roasted red peppers chopped
• 1 ounce mild banana pepper rings
• 1/2 cup olives pitted, sliced
• 1 cup fresh basil chopped
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• optional: red onion

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place cauliflower florets on two baking pans. Toss florets with olive oil.
• Bake for 1 hour or until tender. Place cooked florets into a food processor and pulse until texture of rice.
  
• If using cauliflower rice simply saute the rice in a large skillet tossing with the olive oil until warmed through and follow the rest of the recipe. 
• Pour into a large serving bowl and allow to cool.
• Once cooled add remaining ingredients into bowl and toss together.
• Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your preference.
• Serve room temperature immediately or Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Video

Notes

3 g net carbs

This recipe was first published in July 2015 and updated with video in July 2019.

You could skip the roasting of the cauliflower and simply use store bought cauliflower rice but you just won’t get the same flavors as roasting the fresh florets.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 588mg | Potassium: 321mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 40.8mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 0.9mg

The post Gluten Free Low Carb Keto Antipasto Cauliflower Salad appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

Loaded Mashed Cauliflower Casserole

Cheese and bacon. Bacon and cheese. Can’t have one without the other it seems. At least in most epic keto diet recipes that make you drool, they are the stars of the dish and this one is no exception.

But this loaded cauliflower casserole dish uses pancetta, the bacon of Italians. And while loaded cauliflower wouldn’t be consumed by my old fashioned Italian Nonna, this is still a winning great side dish for any party or holiday.

Carbs in Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Just like a loaded baked potato, loaded mashed potatoes are super high in carbs and wouldn’t be consumed when following a keto diet.

Some people on a low carb diet might be able to include potatoes but for many on either diet, potatoes are too high and will spike blood sugar.

According to the app Cronometer, a serving of loaded mashed potatoes from Chili’s has 350 calories, and 33 grams of carbs!

That amount is more than most people eat in a whole day on a ketogenic diet. 

Carbs in our Loaded Mashed Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a much healthier alternative to potatoes for a low cab diet. 

Our mashed cauliflower casserole recipe has just 3 net grams of carbs and with the added protein from a few slices bacon or pancetta, you have 18 grams of protein per serving. 

The printable recipe card is at the bottom of this page with all the rest of the nutritional information.

Loaded Cauliflower Mash

When you hear the word ‘loaded’ what do you think? Loaded with calories? Loaded with goodness? Maybe loaded is a dirty word for some, that is, if you are into your New Year’s Resolution at full force.

But loaded means so many good comfort food things in the keto, low carb world! Loaded with all things delicious in this creamy cheesy mashed cauliflower.

But whether you’re keto or low carb or not even close to either of those things, you will still enjoy this cauliflower casserole.

Here’s my Keto journey in case your interested in beginning. All I can say is it’s worth it. You will never be hungry. You always feel satiated and you can enjoy things you thought were once forbidden. And that is food freedom in my opinion.

I pulled off the unthinkable in my Italian household. I made this as a side for Christmas day along with my mom’s prime rib! And the only one who knew it was made with cauliflower was the hubby and he didn’t tell!

If my dad did think it tasted different than potatoes, he never mentioned it. So this is a win in my family.

AND they all ate it up. The Kiddies. The Picky Hubby. My Italian father who comes from Rome and doesn’t even like mashed anything.

And they all loved it. So whether you tell them what inside or not, just be sure to tell them AFTER they try it.

Can I use Cauliflower Rice instead?

If you don’t want to use a fresh head of cauliflower and steam it, you can use frozen cauliflower rice. Just thaw it and cook.

Please note that a fresh head of cauliflower cooks until tender then we drain the excess moisture so you will also need to drain excess water from cauliflower rice.

The best way to do that is after cooking the riced cauliflower, place it into a clean hand towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible then follow the rest of the instructions for this particular recipe. 

More Delicious Side Dish Low Carb Recipes

Keto Ratatouille

Keto Cheddar Biscotti

Low Carb Turnips au Gratin

Keto Green Bean Casserole

Keto Air Fryer Cheddar Cottage Cheese Biscuits

If you need a little more help and guidance on your health journey you can check out my Sugar Detox Course and well as my Cookbooks for more helpful recipes.

You can subscribe for free by email so you won’t ever miss any recipes I share on social media and just for subscribing you receive a FREE recipe from my Cookbook!

Loaded Cauliflower Bake

Print

Loaded Mashed Cheesy Pancetta Cauliflower

Course Side

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 12 @ 1/2 cup

Calories 354kcal

Author Brenda Bennett Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

• 24 ounces cauliflower or 2 pounds fresh cauliflower head or see notes above for using cauliflower rice
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder 0r fresh garlic cloves minced
• 8 ounces pancetta diced or regular bacon
• 8 ounces gruyere
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese shredded divided
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided
• 1/2 cup scallions chopped (fresh green onions)

Instructions

• Cut off stems of the head of cauliflower and steam cauliflower florets until fork tender then place in a colander and let steamed cauliflower drain of excess water. 
• Place in a food processor and add butter, salt, pepper and garlic powder. You could do this in a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, potato masher or immersion blender of you prefer.
• Process or mash cauliflower until smooth, no lumps.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook pancetta or bacon in a saute pan over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
• Place pureed cauliflower in a bowl and stir in half of each kind of cheese. Save remaining cheese for topping.
• Stir in pancetta, save some pieces for topping.
• Stir in scallions and save some to sprinkle on top of the mashed cauliflower recipe when serving.
• Grease pan with olive oil nonstick spray.
• Spread mixture evenly into a 9 by 13 baking dish.
• Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top of the mixture.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling on the edges.
• Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before serving.
• Sprinkle with plenty of bacon and scallions before serving.
• Enjoy!
• Storage: Store once cooled, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

Net Carbs: 3 g

Brenda’s Notes:

• You can use frozen cauliflower if you don’t have fresh on hand. Just steam as you would with fresh florets and continue with recipe as follows.
• If you don’t have pancetta, just use regular uncured, nitrate free bacon.
• You could use any cheeses you like. Not a fan of gruyere, try gouda or smoked mozzarella.
• This recipe was first published in January 2016 and updated with video in Nov. 2018. 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 594mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 681IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 483mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Low Carb Keto Loaded Mashed Cauliflower Casserole appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

What is in a Traditional Shepherd’s Pie Recipe?

An original recipe for a traditional shepherd’s pie protein source is ground lamb, with a vegetable mixture, and topped with mashed potatoes. If you’re following a keto diet or low carb diet, it would be too high in carbs to enjoy. 

I’m not a fan of lamb, so I used ground beef so technically it isn’t a shepherd’s pie, it’s a cottage pie.

Our low carb shepherd’s pie recipe has just 4 grams net carbs and total 8 g carbs with the pie crust. Nutrition info is below if you decide no pie crust on the bottom of your baking dish. 

Can I Skip the Pie Crust? 

With a fabulously flaky crust, filled with a scrumptious ground meat mixture and topped with a buttery creamy mashed cauliflower, these little shepherd’s pies will be a complete meal for the entire family.

It’s a great option for meal prep to make ahead and heat up for easy lunches!

​You could easily make this recipe in a standard pie plate and forgo having a bottom crust all together if you’re just feeling a bit lazy.

Some days I get that way as well, but the little extra effort for the bottom crust is worth every delicious bite when you’re family doesn’t complain about eating cauliflower.

Or if you want to lower the carb count, you can skip adding the pie crust.

Nutritional Information without crust

The recipe card is below with all ingredients, instructions and nutrition with the crust, but if you decide you don’t want the crust, here are the macros for you.

​Calories 218

Total Carbs 2 g

Protein 12 g

Dietary Fiber 1 g

Fat 18 g

Net Carbs 1 g

Low-Carb Shepherd’s Pie

Once I made my low carb coconut flour pie crust, I’ve been creating recipes all around it. It’s such an amazing crust that really resembles a traditional white flour pie crust.

I’ve used it for sweet pies, like my Lemon Cream pie as well as savory pies like my Cheesy Italian sausage Quiche.

I’ve also enjoyed these left over for lunch the next day. I simply just reheat in the microwave for about a minute. You could just reheat in a toaster oven as well for about 5-8 minutes.

One is sufficient with a side salad but at just 4 crabs per serving, you could enjoy more than one if you so desire.

My hubby and kids really loved these. The oldest teen wasn’t crazy about the cauliflower, he’d rather have mashed potato, but otherwise he ate these anyway.

For a 15 year old who’s eating me out of the house and who prefers not to cook anything himself, he shouldn’t be complaining one bit.

Can I swap the ground meat?

 Yes, you can swap out the ground beef for ground lamb or ground turkey or ground chicken if you like.

​How can I make this one large Cauliflower Shepherd’s Pie?

You can replace the muffin pan that I used to make individual mini shepherds pie and use a 9 inch cast iron skillet instead.

You could also use a 9 by 13 large casserole dish. 

​You can use any pie dough you want, but the nutrition info is calculated with my coconut flour pie crust.

I have a brand new non stick muffin pan, and once cooled for about 15 minutes, these popped right out using a knife to loosen around the edges.

If you don’t have a new muffin pan, try using silicone muffin cups so these won’t stick.

How to Store Healthy Shepherd’s Pie

Store leftover keto cottage pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

​Can I freeze this Shepherd’s Pie?

Yes, you can freeze our low carb version in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months. 

How to Reheat

Thaw the night before you want to reheat this shepherds pie. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and cover pie with aluminum foil.

Bake for 20-30 minutes. You could also microwave individual pieces for busy weeknights.

Low Carb Side Dishes to Serve 

Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

Broccoli Tots

Cauliflower “Potato” Salad

Keto Shepherd’s Pie Recipe 

Print

Mini Keto Low Carb Shepherd’s Pie

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 330kcal

Author Brenda Bennett Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

• 1 My Easy Keto Pie Crust recipe unbaked
• 1 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic or garlic powder
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/4 cup beef broth or chicken broth
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or vegan cheese for dairy free
• 2 cups mashed cooked cauliflower (I steamed 1 small head, cauliflower florets were about 4 cups total)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp butter or coconut oil
• optional topping: fresh parsley and dried paprika

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Once your pie dough is ready, separate it into 12 balls.
• Spread the dough with fingers on the bottom and half way up sides of each cup of 12 capacity muffin pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside.
• While crust is baking, make filling by heating the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add garlic and onion and cook until onion is softened.
• Add the ground beef and cook until browned.
• Stir in the broth, tomato paste, vinegar and salt and pepper.
• Once the pie crust is done, evenly add the ground beef mixture into each muffin cup.
• Top each evenly with shredded cheddar.
• Before piping the creamy cauliflower mash onto each muffin cup, stir the mashed cauliflower with salt, pepper and butter. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
• Add mashed cauliflower topping to a piping bag and pipe over each muffin.
• Bake for 5 more minutes to melt the cheddar cheese to golden brown.
• You can also broil for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully, just to brown the mashed cauliflower a bit.
• Sprinkle over optional toppings before serving if desired.

Video

Notes

Net Carbs: 4 g per serving with pie crust

Nutrition info without crust is above in the blog post.

This recipe was first published in March 2016. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1pot pie | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.8g | Protein: 20.6g | Fat: 23.5g | Saturated Fat: 11.2g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 331mg | Fiber: 4.8g | Sugar: 1g

The post Best Gluten Free Low Carb Keto Shepherd’s Pie Recipe appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

Keto Low Carb Gnocchi

If you’re new around here, you may not know I am full blooded Sicilian Italian. My dad came to the USA when he was just 15, from Sicily. I come from a childhood of pasta, bread, and sauce.

Carbs, and more carbs, that’s what I loved and craved growing up. When I decided to start living a sugar-free, white flour free lifestyle about 13 years ago, I mourned the loss of my beloved Italian pasta dishes, especially traditional gnocchi.

It’s took me a long time to get over the fact I may never enjoy them again. But deciding to go low carb   has caused me to think outside of the box. I worked on this recipe about 4 times.

Each time changing up the ingredients just slightly to try and get that familiar texture I wanted. I can’t say they are perfectly identical and taste just like the real thing to a traditional white flour gnocchi, but they do have a light and fluffy texture that melts in your mouth and curbs pasta cravings.

How to Shape Cauliflower Gnocchi

My grandmother didn’t have a gnocchi board, she just taught me to use the back of a form to roll ours, but of course, you could buy one if you like. 

After you have used the food processor to make your keto gnocchi dough, place a piece of parchment paper on your work surface. Wet fingers and form a 15 inch long thin log. Cut the log in half lengthwise so the width of the dough is ½ inch.

Cut 1 inch pieces from the log, you should be able to make 24 gnocchi. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Using the back of a fork, roll over the gnocchi to see the fork lines. Freeze for 1 hour before using.

More Low Carb Cauliflower Recipes

Thinking outside the box has made me fall in love with Cauliflower for my keto recipes. It has become one of my favorite ingredients to sneakily include in many recipes without my kids having any idea. Bacon Cheeseburger Cauliflower Casserole, Chicken Enchilada Cauliflower Casserole, Cauliflower Tots ,Cauliflower Tortillas and  now these little gnocchi!

How to Cook Gnocchi made with Cauliflower

Regular gnocchi or traditional potato gnocchi is meant to be cooked in boiling water but for this keto cauliflower gnocchi recipe, you can skip this step as it’s just not needed.

The first two times I made them I actually baked them. While I liked that they held up well once in sauce on the stove, I felt they didn’t have that soft exterior I wanted.

When they are frozen after making them and not baked, you can then just pop them into a hot frying pan with your favorite oil and minced garlic and brown  for just 2 minutes.

I repeat, just 2 minutes is all these need or you will end up with mush. They are pretty much cooked anyway since the cauliflower is cooked prior to rolling them.

Best Tips for Easy Keto Gnocchi Recipe

I will caution that if you don’t own a food scale, you should, otherwise you may not get the right consistency for these gnocchi. Coconut flour is tricky to work with and measuring in cup amounts just really isn’t accurate. You’ve been warned.

My daughter and youngest loved these! My oldest, who is a teen, said he could still taste the cauliflower, but he didn’t care because they were so good! My life is complete.

I think they may be slightly larger than your typical sized gnocchi, but you can make them as little or large as you prefer.

Topped with some fresh parmesan cheese and fresh basil or parsley, and your favorite tomato sauce or my marinara sauce.

More Keto “Pasta” Recipes

Italian Pasta Salad

Caprese Zucchini Noodle Salad

Cabbage Lasagna

Zucchini Lasagna

Protein Lasagna

Low Carb Cauliflower Gnocchi

Print

Low Carb Cauliflower Gnocchi

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 11 @ 12 gnocchi each

Calories 155kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

• 20 ounces cauliflower rice frozen, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese

Optional toppings

• 1 tbsp fresh herbs like fresh parsley or basil, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Place your thawed, squeezed dried riced cauliflower into a food processor and add remaining ingredients.
• Pulse until combined well and it forms like a dough, and pulls away from the sides of the processor.
• Place a piece of parchment paper on your work surface. Wet fingers and form a 15 inch long log. Cut the log in half lengthwise so the width of the dough is 1/2 inch.
• Cut 1 inch pieces from the log, you should be able to make 24 gnocchi. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Using the back side of a fork, roll over the gnocchi to see the fork lines. Freeze for 1 hour or until ready to use.
• When ready to cook, heat a medium sized skillet with olive oil and garlic.
• From freezer, place no more than 12 gnocchi into the hot skillet.
• Saute just 2 minutes or until browned on each side and heated through. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. For a variation you can also heat low carb marinara in a sauce pan and cook the gnocchi in the sauce until heated through.
• Keep gnocchi frozen in an airtight container or ziploc bag until ready to use.

Video

Notes

Net Carbs: 4g

This recipe was published first in March 2017 and has been updated with new improved instructions and change from fresh cauliflower to riced cauliflower for convenience. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving @ 12 gnocchi | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 416mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 287IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 223mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Keto Low Carb Cauliflower Gnocchi (Nut Free, Grain Free) appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

Cheesy Keto Cauliflower Tater Tots Recipe

Oven fried low carb cauliflower tots can actually get that crispy outer coating just as if you had fried them!

These delicious keto Cauliflower tots are made without grains and looks like a potato puff or some know them as Tater Tots. These look good enough to get even the pickiest of kids to eat them!

I can’t help it, but I have an insane desire to fool my kids into eating cauliflower. It’s an addiction really. I do it all the time, like in my Bacon Cheeseburger Hidden Cauli Casserole, and the many others that came from that recipe. It’s seems they may be catching on to my tricks, but they also don’t seem to care and still eat it regardless. So mom is winning here!

This keto cauliflower tots recipe is an adaption from my Mock Tater Tots original recipe in my first cookbook. I’ve recently just released my 3rd book, The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet that sold out first printing and is a best seller on Amazon!

I added some mozzarella to really give it some substance and that cheese really overpowers the traditional taste of mashed cauliflower, which is good for my kids since they typically hate cauliflower and can detect it easily.

But it wasn’t just for my kids, this recipe was for me. I was craving some carbs like crazy and needed something to curb that craving. I was browsing my cookbook and there it was, adapt and conquer! My whole family loved these crispy tots!

Carbs in Classic Tater Tots

Regular tater tots made with potato and refined flours are not keto friendly or low carb. Keto tater tots use cauliflower to replace potato.

32 grams of store bought potato “tater” tots have about 9 grams of carbs and less than 1 gram of protein and no dietary fiber.

Our keto tater tots serving size is 4 large tots around 60 grams in weight, having 6 total carbs and 11 grams of protein and 3 grams dietary fiber. Per serving just 3 grams of net carbs.

How to Make Low Carb Cauliflower Tots

To view the nutritional information please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.

Ingredients

cauliflower florets (or frozen riced cauliflower thawed)

parmesan cheese

coconut flour

mozzarella (cheddar cheese can also be used instead)

eggs

garlic powder (feel free to add onion powder if you like)

garlic salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place steamed cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until it resembles cauliflower rice.

If using store bought cauliflower rice, thaw it and squeeze as much moisture from the rice as possible.

Fresh cauliflower doesn’t have the excess moisture that frozen cauliflower rice has. It can be used but be sure as much excess water is removed. The best way I have don this is placing frozen thawed cauli rice in a clean hand towel and squeezing multiple times.

Pour cauliflower mixture it into a large bowl and stir in the rest of the ingredients until combined.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a small cookie scoop or about a tablespoon of the mixture, form into small tater tot shapes and place onto baking tray.

I was able to make 32 tots.

Bake for 15 minutes then flip them over for cook another 5 minutes until golden brown.

Cool slightly, then enjoy with some sugar-free ketchup!

FAQs for Cheesy Cauliflower Tots Recipe

Can I make these in the air fryer?

Yes you can air fry these if you prefer. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F. Spray air fryer tray with cooking spray and place tots in a single layer in air fryer. Air fry for 5 minutes then flip over and air fry until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes more.

Can I swap the coconut flour with almond flour?

I have not tested this recipe swapping coconut flour with almond flour though i am sure you could do that.

Please not that 1/4 cup coconut flour is equal to about 1 cup almond flour. Coconut flour is much more dense and absorbent and that’s why it works so well in this recipe. If you do swap almond flour and use 1 cup amount, you will have at least double the batter to form tots.

Can I fry these cauliflower tots in oil instead of bake?

You could certainly fry these in oil a few at a time in a hot pan with some avocado oil or coconut oil, be sure to use enough oil in the pan, but it just seems like more work than needed in my opinion. 

Baking at a high temperature really can produce that same kind of outer texture you’re looking for.

How to Store Keto Tots

After tots have cooked and cooled, remove any excess oil placing on paper towels. Place in a single layer between pieces of parchment paper in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.

If you have some no sugar added ketchup, dip these in that or make your own Homemade Ketchup! 

Cheesy goodness baked to perfection and a delicious side dish!

You may have trouble eating just 4 per serving on your low-carb diet or keto diet! Be sure to share and don’t tell the kids until AFTER they try them, works in my house!

More Keto Recipes using Cauliflower

Thin Crust Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Deep Dish Cauliflower Pizza

Cauliflower Bread Sticks

Cauliflower Tortillas

Keto Cauliflower Tots (Low Carb and Gluten Free)

Print

Crispy Cheesy Cauliflower Tots (Low Carb & Gluten Free)

Recipe Adapted from the Sugar-Free Mom Cookbook

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings @4 tots

Calories 140kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

• 4 cups cauliflower
• 1 cup parmesan
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1 cup mozzarella
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place steamed cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until it resembles crumbs.
• Pour it into a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients until combined.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Using a cookie scoopor about a tablespoon of the mixture, form cylinder shapes.
• I was able to make 32 tots.
• Bake for 15 minutes then flip them over for cook another 5 minutes.
• Cool slightly then enjoy!

Notes

This recipe was first published in August 2016 and updated with video in August 2019. 

Net Carbs: 3g

Nutrition

Serving: 1@ 4 tots | Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 191mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 252IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 236mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Keto Cauliflower Tots (Low Carb & Gluten Free) appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

Cauliflower Tortillas

Just 5 ingredients are needed to make these fabulous cauliflower tortillas. Everything is combined easily in a food processor, basically making cauliflower rice then mixed with some simple ingredients and baked in the oven so NO Flipping required!

These are the easiest low-carb cauliflower tortillas you will ever make and the whole family will love them!

Use these low-carb tortillas as cauliflower wraps, they are perfectly bendable without breaking, or for keto low carb quesadillas or for myLow Carb Mexican Lasagna recipe!

Homemade Tortillas

It’s Monday and January 2nd so that can only mean one thing………The diet starts now! Maybe not, if you’ve been faithfully enjoying a low carb and sugar free life style for some time now.

Even if you’ve been really balanced through the holidays, (I for one overindulged and need to watch my portions more than ever), these tortillas are great for a healthy lunch or dinner recipe and much better for you than corn tortillas that have high carbs and would not be recommended if you’re on a keto diet.

I don’t know about you, but I hardly make New Year’s Resolutions. I’d rather focus on a few things that are doable with small goals I can actually and realistically do during the hectic week with my family.

I’m a busy mom of 3 kids and I homeschool and I run this blog and it’s not easy working from home with constant interruptions. BUT I am grateful for being able to BE at home, do something I love as a career and teach my kids.

Honestly though, my time is truly limited and I’ve had to find ways to get in exercise and work before school begins. I’ve had to become a morning person and get up at 5:15am every day! It’s tough but it really is the only way for me to make time for myself. 

My focus this year in my life is to get strong and fit through increasing my cardio, but adding twice a week of strength and weight training. I tend to get back spasms and all the cardio in the world won’t help my back if my core isn’t strong so that’s my focus this year.

I continue to eat a low-carb diet and my net carbs range from 40-50 a day. Sometimes it’s lower than that. These low carb tortillas can fit nicely for most dietary needs.

Over our school vacation I had a cauliflower in the fridge I wanted to use up. I’ve got a ton of hidden cauliflower recipes and knew I wanted to do something a bit different with this one. I looked over my cauliflower tots which my family loves and adapted from there.

To be completely honest with you I was hoping to make a new keto low carb chip, but the recipe didn’t work as I thought and now we’ve got these awesome tortillas instead, still a win in my book!

My oldest teen loved them and didn’t even realize cauliflower was in there! You’re family will hardly believe these tortillas contain cauliflower, if they passed my picky teen son test!

Low-Carb Tortilla Recipe

Exact measurements for the main ingredients are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Nutritional information is also provided.

Fresh Cauliflower– a head of cauliflower or purchase cauliflower florets. If you buy cauliflower rice that is frozen be sure to thaw and drain excess moisture by squeezing in a clean kitchen towel. See Best Tips below for how much cauliflower rice to use.

Egg

Garlic Powder

Sea salt

Cheddar cheese or a blend of Mexican Cheese

Step by Step Instructions are in recipe card below.

How to Store

Once cooked and cooled, lay left over tortillas between parchment paper and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 7 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Tools to Make Cauliflower Tortillas

Food Processor- My food processor makes everything quick and easy and this recipe is no exception. Just combine all ingredients into the processor and let it do it’s thing. 

Baking Sheet pans- You will need two large baking sheet pans for this recipe so that you can spread out the batter and bake 6 cauliflower tortillas on each pan. 

Parchment paper- These are pre-cut pieces of parchment paper sheets that fit perfectly onto the sheet pans but you could also just buy a roll and cut to fit your pan. I like easy and quick and these precut work well for me. If I need them for a smaller pan I just cut them in half. 

Best Tips for Keto Tortillas

The reason I didn’t just use an egg here and chose egg whites instead is that I didn’t want them any more yellowy in color.

Yolks often provide the fat content to most recipes and since I am using a lot of cheese which has fat, the yolk isn’t needed. The egg whites are enough to bind the ingredients together.

If you prefer you could replace the egg whites with one egg.

PLEASE!!!! Weigh these measurements! A cup of shredded cheese is not the same as weighing it in ounces or grams.

If you notice them to be a bit greasy, simply pat them with a paper towel.

If you buy all ready riced cauliflower, use 2 1/2 cups, that’s how much mine measured after I grated it in my food processor.

UPDATE: I decided to make these again using 1 egg instead of egg whites to make it easier for everyone.  I also felt since they were a bit greasy I weighed my cheese and was now only able to make 12 instead of 16. I also spread them out even flatter, about 1/8 inch thick and they are amazing!

Keto Cauliflower Tortillas

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Low Carb Cauliflower Tortillas (Gluten Free)

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 89kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

• 4 cups cauliflower florets 1/2 large head (12 ounces)
• 1 egg or 2 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2.25 cups cheddar cheese shredded or (241g)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Lay parchment paper on two baking sheets. Set aside.
• Place the florets into a food processor and pulse until the florets are grated and there are no large pieces.
• Add into the food processor the remaining ingredients and pulse until combined.
• Scoop 3 tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking sheet and pat down into an even flat, round circle about 1/4 inch or even 1/8 inch thick depending on your preference. Do this with the remaining batter. Should be able to make 12.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.
• To get some color on the other side of the tortillas you can place another piece of parchment over the cooked tortillas. Then place another baking pan the same size over the parchment. Holding the sides of the pans together, flip the pan over and remove the layer of parchment. You can then place them back in the oven for another 5 minutes if you prefer.
• Allow to cool then layer between pieces of paper towel to absorb some of the grease from the cheese.
• Fill as you would for a taco.
• Keep remaining pieces in the refrigerator until ready to use again. Just reheat in a dry skillet for a minute or 2 on each side.

Notes

Net Carbs: 1g

This recipe was first published in January 2017.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tortilla | Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Keto Low Carb Cauliflower Tortillas (How To Video) appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

WHAT IS A CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE?

A cheeseburger casserole is essentially a deconstructed cheeseburger! All the flavors of a cheeseburger made into a layered casserole dish with the secret vegetable ingredient as the base! This recipe was first published in March of 2015 and has been updated with a  new & improved method and video.

I do love a cheeseburger every once in a while, but I always skip the hamburger bun. I’m  gluten free and keto, buns at burger joints are not. But isn’t the best thing about a cheeseburger is all the toppings? Now don’t get me wrong, I like keto rolls and keto bread like everyone, but sometimes I don’t have time to make them for a burger. 

I highly doubt it’s the bun that makes the burger. So I give you the inside out burger made into a layered dish! The perfect cheesy keto bacon cheeseburger casserole!

NEW & IMPROVED CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE

Impress your whole family or friends when you make this cheeseburger casserole recipe. This amazing recipe requires a little bit of work, but the results are well worth the effort.

Bring it to a pot luck and WOW everyone there when you tell them they just ate cauliflower! Cheese and bacon make everything right in my world. Even if you are watching your calories this dish will fill you up with one small serving so the calories will be completely worth it since this is a complete meal!!

The previous method for making this low carb cheeseburger casserole when I first published it in 2015, required steaming a fresh head of cauliflower. You see back in 2015 there were not many options as you see today for cauliflower already in rice form.

The other change I made to make this easier is to bake the bacon instead of watching it in a skillet. This way you don’t have to babysit the bacon and can get on with the rest of the recipe. 

HOW TO MAKE CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE

Ingredients- see exact amounts below 

• Bacon
• Avocado oil or olive oil
• Ground Beef
• Seasonings
• Frozen Cauliflower Rice
• Coconut Flour
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• Mustard
• Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Add your bacon in an even layer on a large baking sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes or until crisp. You could fry your bacon in a skillet but baking the bacon save time to make the rest of the recipe much faster.

Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium- high heat and add ground beef. You could use any oil you prefer. You could also swap ground beef with ground turkey or chicken if you like. Cook until browned. Stir in the onion powder, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl to keep warm and set aside.

Place frozen cauliflower rice in a microwavable bowl and cook for 5 minutes. Add the coconut flour and salt and mix well. Set aside. SEE NOTES BELOW IF USING FRESH CAULIFLOWER.

Once bacon is crisp, remove to a paper towel lined pan. Once cool chop into pieces.

Make the sauce: Add the butter to the skillet and stir in the coconut flour. Reduce to low heat and stir until the flour has absorbed the butter. Pour in the heavy cream and mustard and continue to stir until it thickens.

Assembly

1. Place 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13 baking dish.
2. Spread the cauliflower mixture on top of the sauce as evenly as possible.
3. Place 4 ounces of cheddar over the cauliflower rice.
4. Spread the ground beef over the cheddar evenly.
5. Pour half of the remaining sauce over the beef.
6. Place the remaining cheddar over the sauce.
7. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with chopped bacon.
8. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 minutes.
9. Allow to cool out of the oven for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.
10. Top with fresh, chopped scallions if desired. Enjoy with a nice crispy green salad and some dill pickles.
11. Store any left overs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

CAN I USE FRESH CAULIFLOWER?

You can definitely use fresh cauliflower for this recipe, but you will have to cook it prior to using it in this keto casserole which takes a bit more time.

In 2015, I steamed 6 cups of cauliflower florets then used the food processor to turn it into rice, a lot more time involved as well as having to clean two kitchen appliances. 

You could also use fresh cauliflower rice. I’ve don’t that as well, BUT you still must cook the cauliflower rice or it won’t get nice and soft in the base of this casserole. 

Buying frozen cauliflower rice is the quickest method since it’s already cooked and you just need to heat it up about 5 minutes. See my new video below.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE

I think this keto cheeseburger casserole needs no sides, but if you wanted to these Keto Air Fryer Rolls would be easy to add or a simple salad like my Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad or my Cucumber Dill Salad. 

But to enjoy this inside out burger without a bun and be completely satisfied, there is not defeat in that. It’s called winning!

MORE KETO RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

• Low Carb Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
• Bacon Cheddar Cauliflower Bites
• Philly Cheese steak Stuffed Mushrooms
• Mini Bunless Cheeseburger Bites with Thousand Island Dip
• Chicken enchilada Cauliflower Casserole
• Beef Stroganoff Cauliflower Casserole

Low-Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

This low carb bacon cheeseburger casserole has all the flavors of a bacon cheeseburger, but with only 7 total grams of carbs per serving. It’s a great option for a meal prep on a weekend, as well as adding to your freezer meals. My entire family loves all of my low carb meals, but this is one of their favorites. 

Print

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

Course Entree

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 504kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

• 6 ounces bacon
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• 1.5 pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 20 ounces frozen cauliflower rice (see notes above for fresh cauliflower)
• 1/3 cup coconut flour 40 grams
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Add your bacon in an even layer on a large baking sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes or until crisp.
• Add avocado oil to a large skillet and add ground beef. Cook until browned. Stir in the onion powder, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove with a slotted spoon into a bowl to keep warm and set aside.
• Place frozen cauliflower rice in a microwavable bowl and cook for 5 minutes. Add the coconut flour and salt and mix well. Set aside.
• Once bacon is crisp, remove to a paper towel lined pan. Once cool chop into pieces.

Make the Sauce

• Add the butter to the skillet and stir in the coconut flour. Reduce to low heat and stir until the flour has absorbed the butter. Pour in the heavy cream and mustard and continue to stir until it thickens.

Assembly

• Place 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13 baking dish.
• Spread the cauliflower mixture on top of the sauce as evenly as possible.
• Place 4 ounces of cheddar over the cauliflower rice.
• Spread the ground beef over the cheddar evenly.
• Pour half of the remaining sauce over the beef.
• Place the remaining cheddar over the sauce.
• Pour the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with chopped bacon.
• Cover and bake 30 minutes.
• Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes.
• Allow to cool out of the oven for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Net Carbs= 4 grams

This recipe was first published  in 2015 and updated for a new and improved method in 2021.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 661mg | Potassium: 423mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 275IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 196mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole (NEW & IMPROVED!) appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

Deep Dish Pizza

Sometimes you can fool even the pickiest of veggie eaters and sometimes you can’t. But this Cauliflower Deep Dish Pizza recipe I’m sharing today is a fool proof one for all the pickiest of eaters!

In case you’re new around here, I share a lot about my 3 picky picky kids, but often the pickiest one of all is my meat and potatoes hubby. He’s a lover of veggies don’t get me wrong, but he is also a lover of all things carbs and starch so fooling him into eating a low carb pizza is a feat in and of itself!

Cauliflower Pizza

Of course I told them all after they tried a slice. And they all said they could not taste one ounce of cauliflower and for that they were happy. When my kids knowingly see roasted cauliflower they cringe, but mashed and hidden into other recipes which replicate a favorite type of food, they are more than willing to try it. They are getting used recipes using cauliflower and they don’t seem to mind. They even enjoy my Thin Crust Cauliflower Pizza.

A traditional deep dish pizza is often eaten like pie, with a fork and knife so that was what I was going for here. This is not a “pick-it-up” like a standard pizza recipe. You need a fork and knife, but it is so satisfying and filling you’ll be glad you made the effort to make this for the family and yourself.

The nutrition info is only for the pie crust, no toppings. You’ll just have to use your imagination with the toppings of choice your family likes. If you need to figure out calories/macros I suggest using myfitnesspal.com.

I seriously believe cauliflower can easily be disguised in many traditional recipes with a few little tweaks here and there to make it low carb.

It’s a hearty, comforting meal when you just feel like pizza.

Enjoy with a nice side salad and dinner is served!

If you’re looking for more of a traditional style pizza, this Cauliflower Pizza from from Cookie Rookie looks fantastic! If you prefer vegetarian this Cauliflower Crust from Kalyn’s Kitchen sounds great. For a little less traditional this Caulfilower Croque Monsieur, and finally something the kids might love the most are these Cauliflower Bread Sticks!

If it’s just another way to get my kids to eat cauliflower, well, that’s how I roll and I’m totally ok with it.

If you love meals like this for yourself and family, you might be interested in my meal planning membership. Weekly low carb keto dinner meal plan sent to your inbox every Friday with shopping list. The best part about my meal planning feature is that if you aren’t interested in one of the dinner meals you can swap it out for something else! You can even change serving sizes and the shopping list will adjust! It pretty amazing software and I hope you’ll take advantage of it. You can have a sustainable low carb/keto lifestyle when you’re well prepared and planning meals is the key!  LEARN MORE TODAY!

Other Hidden Cauliflower Recipes you may like:

• Mexican Lasagna
• Cauliflower Tortillas
• Bacon Cheeseburger Cauliflower Casserole
• Chicken Enchilada Cauliflower Casserole
• Baked Cauli Tots

Meal Planning

If you love meals like this for yourself and family, you might be interested in my meal planning membership. Weekly low carb keto dinner meal plan sent to your inbox every Friday with shopping list. The best part about my meal planning feature is that if you aren’t interested in one of the dinner meals you can swap it out for something else! You can even change serving sizes and the shopping list will adjust! It pretty amazing software and I hope you’ll take advantage of it. You can have a sustainable low carb/keto lifestyle when you’re well prepared and planning meals is the key!  LEARN MORE TODAY!

Cauliflower Deep Dish Pizza

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Low Carb Cauliflower Deep Dish Pizza (Nut Free)

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 12 slices

Calories 121kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

• 12 ounces cauliflower fresh
• 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 2 eggs
• 4 ounces coconut flour I used Bobs Red Mill
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Toppings of choice but not included for nutrition info: tomato sauce, provolone or mozzarella cheese, pepperoni

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place your cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until it resembles rice.
• Add in mozzarella, cream cheese and eggs and process until combined.
• Pour in coconut flour and seasonings and pulse to combine. Set aside.
• Grease acast iron skillet with olive or coconut oil.
• Spread dough evenly on the bottom of the skillet and up the sides to create a crust. Fork holes into and around the sides and bottom of the dough to prevent it from getting too puffy when baking.
• Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Add your sauce and additional toppings and bake another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• Allow to cook for about 1 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Net Carbs: 2.9g

Brenda's Notes:

• Please weigh your ingredients. One head of cauliflower may be very large and over a pound. Others may be on the smaller side. 4 ounces of coconut flour does not mean 1/2 cup. Please weigh. Thank you!
• There is no need to pre-cook your cauliflower.
• You can use frozen cauliflower but be sure to defrost it prior to adding it in the food processor.
• This recipe was first published in February 2017 and updated with video is January 2019.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.2g | Protein: 7.3g | Fat: 8.2g | Saturated Fat: 4.8g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 289mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 0.7g

The post Low Carb Cauliflower Deep Dish Pizza (Nut Free) appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Mexican food is much loved by my family so making cleaner, lower carb versions have begun to consume my thoughts. Actually it doesn’t even have to be Mexican food, more like comfort food is what they crave and I think what we all crave.

But when trying to live a life in a healthier way and as for myself as low carb as I can, I want comfort food too, but not the carbs. I certainly don’t want to make two meals, one for my family and one for me.

Low Carb Chicken Enchiladas

This version of a low carb chicken enchilada casserole has no flour or corn tortilla’s in it as one might expect. Everyone had gone crazy for my Bacon Cheeseburger Cauliflower Casserole so I adapted it from that.

If you’re looking for something with more carbs or don’t really care about the carbs check out these recipes:

• Easy Chicken Enchilada Bake
• Oven Fried Chimichangas
• Freezer Easy Chicken Burritos
• BBQ Chicken Cheddar Burritos
• Turkey Enchiladas
• Oven Fried Mexican Turkey Taquitos

Keto Mexican Toppings

This to me with all the toppings is complete comfort in a bowl. I’m discovering that it’s always all about the toppings for me. We eat with our eyes and food not only needs to be flavorful but must be as colorful as possible to be appetizing. Olives, jalapeños, salsa, sour cream and avocado are all perfect to top this dish with!

So essentially it’s like a taco/enchilada bowl or maybe it should be nicknamed  enchiltaco or tacochilada??

Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Whenever I make a whole roasted chicken, usually it’s the breast meat I end up freezing since my family is all about the dark meat.  I love to use up left overs don’t you?! I freeze the breasts and then use them in recipes like this. Win win for me and win win for the family with a new invented recipe for chicken!

When I made this for my family I DID NOT tell them cauliflower was on the bottom. After they all enjoyed their dinner and ate it up, even the hubby I told them they ate cauliflower. Again they were shocked as they were before when I made the bacon cheeseburger casserole! They not only ate it up but said they loved it and make it again. WINNING!

Brenda’s Notes:

• To keep it low in carbs I did not add typical corn or black beans as one would normally see in an enchilada. Feel free to add those if you desire.
• Feel free to use cooked ground turkey or turkey breast instead of chicken if that’s what you have for cooked left over meat in the house.
• If you don’t have smoked paprika I would suggest getting some! SO much tastier than regular paprika.
• Find enchilada sauce without sugar if possible and as low carb if you can.
• This recipe was first published in March 2015 and updated with video in July 2018.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole (Keto, Low Carb)

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Chicken Enchilada Cauliflower Casserole {Low Carb and Grain Free}

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 357kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

Cauliflower Base

• 6 cups cauliflower florets
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 2 eggs beaten

2nd layer

• 1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken shredded
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 10 ounces enchilada sauce
• 2 cups Mexican Shredded cheese
• Optional toppings: lettuce olive, avocado, sour cream, salsa

Instructions

• Steam the cauliflower florets until tender.
• Place the florets into a food processor and pulse until it looks like rice in texture.
• Mix in the flour and spices until combined well.
• Set aside to cool before stirring in the eggs.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl add the shredded chicken and spices and stir until combined.
• Spread the cauliflower into a 9 by 13 as the first layer.
• Place the shredded chicken over the cauliflower base as the second layer.
• Pour the enchilada sauce over the chicken.
• Top with all the shredded cheese.
• Cover and bake 30 minutes.
• Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until cheese is nicely melted.
• Allow to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before slicing.
• Top with optional toppings and enjoy!

Notes

 

NET CARBS:  6g

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 760mg | Potassium: 454mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 870IU | Vitamin C: 36.9mg | Calcium: 221mg | Iron: 2.3mg

The post Chicken Enchilada Casserole {Keto, Low Carb and Grain Free} appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

Crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes on top of a cheesy bacon filled quesadilla makes for one delicious meal! Once I made my Cauliflower Tortilla recipe I envisioned many more recipes using them and this is a winner with my picky family!

These easy Cauliflower Tortillas don’t require a lot of work since everything gets prepared in your food processor then flattened as tortillas and baked. You can pre- make these or make them just for this recipe. The whole meal can be made in under 30 minutes!

You could even leave them open faced like this and call them a personal pizza!

But topping them with another tortilla turns them into an one of the best low carb quesadillas you’ve ever had!

You can really fill them with anything you like!

Maybe quite a simple meal but for busy moms like me, with 3 picky kids and one picky hubby, this makes us all pretty happy!

The recipe for the Cauliflower Tortillas is linked below as the first ingredient. If you make them ahead just store them in the fridge until you’re ready to make quesadillas.

Nutrition info below includes lettuce and tomato but not any optional toppings.

You might also want to make two batches of the tortillas so you can make this comforting Mexican Lasagna!

Enjoy!

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Low Carb BLT Cauliflower Quesadillas

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 237kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar Free Mom

Ingredients

• 8 cauliflower tortillas
• 4 slices bacon
• 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chopped Romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup chopped tomato
• optional toppings: avocado sour cream, olives

Instructions

• If you've just prepared the cauliflower tortillas, allow them to cool slightly before adding fillings.
• Cook bacon until crisp and lay them on paper towels to absorb grease. Set aside.
• Place 4 tortillas on a parchment lined baking pan. Set aside remaining 4.
• Sprinkle 1 ounce of cheese onto each tortilla.
• Chop 1 bacon strip into pieces and sprinkle onto cheese of each tortilla.
• Broil for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted.
• Remove from oven and lay another tortilla over each one on baking pan and press them together.
• Lay quesadillas between paper towels to absorb any grease.
• Top with chopped lettuce and tomato and any optional toppings.
• Best if eaten immediately.

Notes

Net Carbs: 3.9g

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.4g | Protein: 18.7g | Fat: 15.3g | Saturated Fat: 8.9g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 712mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 2.4g

The post Low Carb BLT Cauliflower Quesadillas appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower can be as comforting as creamy mashed potatoes when you have the perfect combination of ingredients. This recipe is a winning recipe! It’s got simple ingredients and just a few at that, and a simple method for perfect mashed cauliflower.

Obviously if you’ve just started in a low carb life style, you most likely miss some comforting carb type foods you used to enjoy. To the long time low carb person, cauliflower is the dream vegetable that can really make a perfect substitute for many once loved “carb” foods.

Making cauliflower is super simple if you own a wonderful steamer it’s usually ready and fork tender in 25-30 minutes. Instructions below include not using a slow cooking and steaming the cauliflower on the stove as well. But if you’ve got a bunch of things cooking away on the stove or oven and your hands of full, the ease of using the crock pot is the way to go for this simple side dish.

Mashed cauliflower is either loved or hated by the family. My kids are not keen on eating it like this, BUT when I disguise the cauliflower in recipes they have no idea they are eating it.

Some winning HIDDEN SNEAKY CAULIFLOWER recipes my 3 picky kids and hubby love are;

• Cheesy Cauliflower Tots
• Chicken Enchilada Cauliflower Casserole
• Bacon Cheeseburger Cauliflower Casserole
• Mini Shepherd’s Pot Pie
• Cauliflower Tortillas
• Mexican Cauliflower Lasagna

I love using Mashed Cauliflower over pretty much anything! This recipe is an exclusive called Cheesy Stuffed Chicken Kiev Meatballs from my 4 Week Low Carb Family Dinner Menu plans.

Serve mashed cauliflower over my Cheesy Stuffed Meatballs,  Salisbury Steak, Caprese Stuffed Chicken Thighs,  or my Cheesy Stuffed Spinach Meatloaf!

Enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Creamy Mashed Cauliflower

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 cups

Calories 145kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower about 8 cups florets
• 8 ounces low sodium chicken broth
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 ounces sour cream I used Horizon Organic
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

• Pour the chicken broth into the slow cooker. *
• Place your florets into thecrock pot.
• Set in on high and cook for 3 hours.
• Use a hand held mixerand pulse until the cauliflower is mashed.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Keep mashed cauliflower in slow cooker on warm until ready to serve.
• Top with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

Notes

* If you don't have a slow cooker, simply steam the cauliflower in the chicken broth in a pot on the stove on low heat until fork tender.
If you have a standard steamer appliance you can skip the chicken broth while it's steaming and mix it into the mashed cauliflower after it's mashed.

Net Carbs: 4.9g

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion @ 1 cup | Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.3g | Protein: 3.1g | Fat: 11.2g | Saturated Fat: 5.9g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 310mg | Fiber: 3.4g | Sugar: 4g

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When I think back to my childhood and favorite comforting foods, it always goes back to pasta, actually mac-n-cheese.

It wasn’t homemade; it was from a box, but it was the stuff I loved as a teen, the more carbs the better. The more cheese, the better and in a huge bowl please.

When I became a mom 15 years ago, I can’t lie and tell you I made everything from scratch or that I didn’t let my toddler enjoy mac-n-cheese from a box.

But with my second child, almost 13 years and trying to go sugar-free at that time, using less refined flours and eating more whole grains, I knew the boxed mac-n-cheese buying had to stop. If not just for their health, but my own. The temptation to eat a few bites off of their plates were more than I could bare some days.

So now after my 3rd child 10 years ago, the boxed mac-n-cheese never calls my name. I don’t want it and I don’t eat it. I choose to make low carb comforting dishes that remind me of what I love most.

What I love most is a creamy, cheesy meal and if that means it’s got cauliflower in it as a low carb substitute, well it just still works for me.

Might not work for you, but it works for me and that is enough for me to post this beauty of a recipe and tell you how good it is.

It’s cheesy, meaty, hearty and filling, even without the carbs from pasta. 🙂

Brenda’s Notes:

• You can switch out the milk I used for unsweetened almond milk, since my youngest has a tree nut allergy and was eating this, I didn’t use it. Other subs for the milk would be Half & Half or light cream. If using the almond milk your nutrition info would be:
• Calories: 552, Fat: 37.9g, Sat Fat: 18.7g, Cholesterol: 152mg, Sodium: 1189mg, Carbs: 11.3g, Fiber: 3.1g, Sugars: 3.2g, Protein: 42.3g, Net Carbs: 8.2g
• My Hubby LOVED this and that is a saying a lot because he has just started eating low carb and has been a pasta lover for years!

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Low Carb Bacon Burger Mac-N-Cheese

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 564kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

• 6 cups cauliflower florets
• 4 ounces nitrate free bacon
• 1. 25 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion

Cheeseburger Sauce

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1 cup milk 1%
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup dill pickle relish
• 2 tbsp organic no sugar added ketchup
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

• Place your cauliflower florets in a steamer and steam until just tender, you don't want them too soft.
• Set aside.
• Cook your bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove and set on a paper towel lined plate.
• Drain the bacon grease from the skillet and cook the ground beef in the same skillet, once browned add the onion and cook until softened.
• Add the florets and keep on low while making the cheddar cheese sauce.
• To a medium sized sauce pan, add the butter on low heat to melt.
• Whisk the arrowroot powder and milk together in a bowl.
• Pour this into the sauce pan and bring to a simmer.
• Reduce heat to low and stir constantly until mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
• Add the remaining ingredients and stir until cheese is melted.
• Serve this over the cauliflower burger mixture.
• If you'd like this a little more browned on top, just place it under the broiler for a few minutes.
• Top with bacon and enjoy immediately!

Notes

Net Carbs: 10.3g

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 564kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.2g | Protein: 43.5g | Fat: 37.8g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 1179mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 5.2g

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Salads make the world go round.

Perfect in any season.

Make them fancy or casual, they are always the perfect accompaniment to any meal.

Sometimes my recipes are ones thought of while on my treadmill or inspired by watching the Food Network cooking shows. But most times it’s at the market where seasonal, good looking produce call my name and beg me to take them home and make something beautiful with them.

This purple cauliflower did just that.

I gave it one look and new it had to come home with me.

But I didn’t want to cook it. I wanted it raw and raw is how it’s served in this salad.

And why not? Why does cauliflower have to be cooked all the time anyway? Well, it doesn’t in my opinion and that’s what I’m sticking with.

You could cook it up a bit or blanch it quickly if raw isn’t your style. But I guarantee once you try all raw veggies you usually enjoy cooked, you might be surprised that you like them even more!

This is also perfect for making ahead. In fact it gets better when it has time in the fridge with the other veggies and dressing.

New Here?

• Are you unsure about all the sugar free sweetener options and what is the difference between sugar free versus low carb? Here’s what you’ll see shared on my blog as well. If you’re all ready a sugar free fan, but need a little guidance in converting some recipes to sugar free, this post about all the differences with stevia plus a conversion chart might help you.
• And last if you’re ready to start the New Year, but need a little more help and guidance you can check out my Sugar Detox Plan and well as my Cookbook for more helpful recipes.
• You can subscribe for free by email so you won’t ever miss any recipes I share on social media and just for subscribing you receive a FREE recipe from my Cookbook!

Check Out my Pinterest Board for More Awesome Salad Recipes!

Follow Sugar-Free Mom | Brenda Bennett’s board Scrumptious Salads! on Pinterest.

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Cauliflower Confetti Kale Pecan Salad

Course Side

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 112kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar Free Mom

Ingredients

• 1 small purple cauliflower or 2 cups or regular white cauliflower
• 1/2 cup red pepper chopped
• 1/2 cup yellow pepper chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 4 cups curly fresh kale stems removed
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: 2 ounces asiago cheese chunks

Instructions

• Remove stem and slice cauliflower very thinly.
• Add cauliflower, peppers, scallions and kale to a serving bowl or dish.
• Top with pecans.
• Whisk oil and lemon juice together.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Toss dressing in bowl.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Serve as a side dish or add some protein for a main meal.

Notes

Net Carbs: 5.5g
No worries if you can’t find a purple cauliflower, it tastes the same as a white one.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.6g | Protein: 2.3g | Fat: 9.2g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Sodium: 59mg | Fiber: 2.1g | Sugar: 1.3g

The post Cauliflower Confetti Kale Pecan Salad appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

We recently moved about a month ago into our house in the woods! Country living at its best or should I say, no store or gas station for at least 20 minutes away. Something to get used to for sure!

Needless to say, just getting unpacked, homeschooling and feeding my family is about all I can handle at the moment.

I’ve had to stop myself and think about whether I had actually eaten even though I feed my kids 3 square meals a day. But as mom, I’m constantly on the go and rarely have a moment to stop. Multitasking is the name of the game with 3 kids.

When it comes to lunch I want fast and easy. Make it once, enjoy it for a few days for myself so I don’t need to waste any time. I want in and out in the kitchen, especially now trying to still unpack boxes a month later and with Christmas coming, ugh I don’t even want to think about decorating yet.

My friend Miryam over at the blog, Eat Good for Life reviewed my Sugar Free Mom Cookbook last year on her blog and shared my Garlic Parmesan Chickpea recipe. Last month she came out with her own cookbook and of course I wanted to return the favor because that’s what friends do.

ABOUT MIRYAM

On paper, I am actually a clinical dietitian. I earned a BS degree in Bioinformatics (molecular genetics and computer science) and a BS degree in Psychology. I later attended graduate school to obtain a Masters degree in Human Nutrition and currently I am studying to become a physician assistant. I guess I am the never ending student, or as I describe it, the professional student. Will see how this journey goes because as I stand, blogging, studying and taking care of my family is a lot of hard work! I think I am the master multitasker…lol!!

Right now I live in Westfield, New Jersey, with my husband and two kids. It is not bad but at some point, hopefully in the near future we would like to move. Maybe back to Spain, who knows, but for now, New Jersey is what we call home.

Her cauliflower soup caught my eye as an easy lunch for me for a few days!

Matcha Green Tea is really good for you and since I had recently made this Cool Lime Refresher over the summer using it so I was excited to use it again.

WHAT IS IN THE HEALTHY MATCHA COOKBOOK?

1. A comprehensive introduction guide that includes: History of green tea, Green tea basics, Health benefits of matcha powder and lists of the major ingredients used in my pantry.
2. 4 chapters which includes energizing breakfast (10), healthy snacks (10), lean green meals (23), decadent desserts (16).
3. Many recipes are gluten free, vegan, vegetarian and dairy free. Substitutions for recipes that are not vegan or gluten free are also given.
4. Recipes that are full proof.
5. A total of 59 recipes with colored photographs.
6. 2 week meal plan.

THE HEALTHY MATCHA COOKBOOK RECIPES:

Breakfast: Granola, Mango protein smoothie, Overnight oats, Breakfast smoothie bowl, Breakfast frittata, Cream cheese spread, Kiwi and pineapple jam, No bake breakfast bars, Breakfast muffins, Breakfast parfait.

Healthy snacks: Energy truffles, Nana ice cream, Energy bars, Kale and hot pepper grilled cheese sandwich, Energizing smoothie, Avocado and eggs on flatbread, Lemon coconut bites, Dark chocolate pomegranate seed bites, Sesame squares, Ricotta and cucumber toasts.

Lean green meals: Barley Risotto, Fish green curry, Noodle salad with Asian vinaigrette, Quinoa burgers with habanero mayo, Curried coconut broccoli soup, Quinoa stir-fry, Baked chicken fingers with spicy mayo, Asian quinoa salad, Cauliflower salad, Mac and cheese, Spinach and chive mushroom pasta, Roasted veggies, Oven roasted chicken fajitas, Creamy kale tomato pasta, Cauliflower and thyme soup, Mushroom kale chicken pasta, Mahi Mahi in tomato sauce, Tofu stir-fry, Asparagus and tomato quinoa salad, Lentil and arugula salad, Asian cabbage salad, Kale mushroom flat bread pizza, Rice noodles with tofu.

Decadent desserts: Fudge, Coconut ice cream, Chocolate chunk cookies, Blueberry crisp, Flourless brownies, Baked chocolate donuts, Brownie mug cake, Frozen Popsicles, No bake cashew banana pie, White chocolate mousse, No bake coconut macaroons, Whole wheat sticky buns, Chocolate cake with heavy cream frosting, Cream bars, No bake pistachio pumpkin cookies, Apple walnut bundt cake.

Plenty of options to choose from for healthy meals.

If you decide on purchasing please note the dessert recipes are NOT sugar free. Many use unrefined sugars like maple syrup which can easily be replaced to your favorite sweetener of choice.

You will find this cookbook on Amazon for order, titled, The Matcha Cookbook: Green Tea-Inspired Meals, Snacks, Drinks and Desserts  is a collection of  healthy recipes which some are gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, and dairy free. 

Brenda ‘s Notes:

• The size of your cauliflower will matter. Mine was small and as florets was only about 2.5 cups. If you use a large cauliflower, you may have double this amount and therefore your servings will be more like 1 cup than just 1/2 cup serving as here.
• I didn’t have thyme powder so I used dried Italian seasonings instead.
• If you don’t like much spice, use less pepper.

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Low Carb Cauliflower and Thyme Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 51kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tsp thyme powder
• 1/2 tsp matcha green tea powder
• 1 head cauliflower about 2.5 cups
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves chopped
• 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1 tsp black ground pepper

Instructions

• Over medium to high heat, add the vegetable stock, thyme and matcha powder to a large pot and bring to a boil.
• Add the cauliflower broken into florets and cook until cauliflower is tender.(Mine took about 10 minutes.)
• In the meantime, in a small sauce pan, add the olive oil and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• When the cauliflower is almost tender, add the garlic and salt and pepper, and cook another 1-2 minutes.
• Turn off the flame and with an emersion blender, blend the soup until smooth.
• Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.7g | Protein: 1.5g | Fat: 2.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 564mg | Fiber: 1.4g | Sugar: 1g

The post Low Carb Cauliflower and Thyme Soup appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

I didn’t grow up eating Reuben sandwiches or even pastrami for that matter.

It just wasn’t part of our Italian household weekly menu.

But the classic pastrami and dressing that makes the Reuben what it is, makes for a tasty way to spice up a casserole meal for a family.

I first got this idea from watching Rachel Ray one afternoon. She used barely in her base and breadcrumbs in her meatballs which are obviously not so gluten free or low carb.

But I loved her idea and decided to revamp it to work for me and my family. Not only did the family eat it for dinner, they actually surprised me and told this was the best “hidden” cauliflower recipe I’ve made thus far and that is saying alot!

What I mean by “hidden” cauliflower is that if your family doesn’t see the cauliflower steaming on the counter before dinner, they will not even know or taste it in this dish.

The base is like a mashed potato and with the classic sauerkraut in the mix with some onions, they will never guess cauliflower is there. And that’s the way my kids like it.

They prefer not to see cauliflower in regular form and then they will gladly it eat.

Because of their dislike of cauliflower, it’s provoked me to create “hidden” recipes they will eat.

Some of the BEST “HIDDEN” CAULIFLOWER recipes:

• Bacon Cheeseburger Cauliflower
• Chicken Enchilada Cauliflower Casserole
• Beef Stroganoff Cauliflower Casserole
• Meatlovers Pizza Hidden Cauliflower Casserole

The Reuben Dressing is what tops this casserole upon serving and extra for at the table for those of us who like more sauce with their meat.

Using my own sugar free ketchup and dill relish without sugar instead of typical relish full of sugar, makes for a lower sugar dressing that is excellent!

The flavors of this casserole work well because of the stir in pastes by Gourmet Garden. It makes life a little easier when you just have to squeeze out some garlic and not have to chop and mince all your herbs and spices. The lightly dried parsely is a winner as well because here in New England the colder weather has begun and my garden is no longer producing any herbs for me.

It’s a win win situation!  Hope you enjoy this hearty family meal!

Disclaimer: This post has been sponsored by Gourmet Garden however all opinions are 100% my own and always will be! Thank you for supporting the brands I enjoy working with.

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Low Carb Reuben Style Cauliflower Casserole with Pastrami Meatballs

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 482kcal

Author Brenda Bennett | Sugar-Free Mom

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1/2 pound pastrami chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tbsp minced Garlic
• 1/4 tsp chili pepper optional
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 egg

Casserole

• 8 cups cauliflower florets or 8 ounces riced
• 1/2 cup onion chopped
• 4 ounces sauerkraut rinsed, drained
• 3 ounces Swiss cheese

Dressing

• 6 ounces sour cream
• 1/3 cup sugar free ketchup
• 1/4 cup DILL relish no sugar added

Instructions

• Steam cauliflower until fork tender.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a bowl stir all the ingredients together for the meatballs.
• Form 24 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches each and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake 12-15 minutes. Set aside.
• Place the cooked cauliflower in a food processor and process until smooth like mashed potatoes. (If using riced cauliflower, saute it in a skillet to dry it out a bit, then process in food processor)
• Place the cauliflower in a bowl and stir in onion and sauerkraut.
• Spread mixture evenly into a 9 by 13 baking dish.
• Top with slices of Swiss cheese.
• Place all the meatballs on top of the Swiss cheese. (At this point you can allow this to cool completely, cover and refrigerate until the night you want to serve it.)
• Bake 10 minutes or until bubbling.
• Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the top of the casserole or serve on the side.

Notes

Net Carbs: 9g 

Nutrition

Serving: 3meatballs with 1/8 portion of mashed cauli | Calories: 482kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 820mg | Potassium: 814mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 744IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 241mg | Iron: 4mg

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