Keto

Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos

November 2, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Simple Keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos for a quick lunch or snack on a low carb lifestyle.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

My most popular recipe so far has been the Keto cheesy salsa verde chicken with Cauli rice (pinned more than 100k times!). Since I usually have the ingredients on hand, I was thinking about making it yesterday. But then I saw some mini bell peppers in my fridge and another idea was born!

I decided to make some keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos inspired by the original recipe. With a little meal prep that I had done earlier in the week, these came together very quick for a tasty lunch. Just because you are following a low carb diet doesn’t mean that you don’t want some cheesy nachos in your life!

Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos

Just like the original recipe, you need just a few ingredients to make this easy keto friendly lunch. Mini bell peppers, cream cheese, chicken and salsa verde are all you need.

I used the microwave for the cheesy salsa sauce for this recipe but you could also use one of those small crockpots to melt it down if you wanted to throw it together earlier in the day. Melt the salsa with the cream cheese for about a minute in the microwave.

For the chicken, I used my instant pot to shred up a bunch of chicken thighs earlier in the week. If you don’t want to cook your own chicken, a rotisserie chicken would work well with these keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos.

Mix the cream cheese/salsa mixture, the chicken and the shredded cheese in a medium bowl.

Add the mixture to your cut and prepared mini peppers. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. I then broiled it for 2 minutes on high so that the tops would get a light brown crust on top!

The cheesy chicken filling has a slight kick from the salsa verde and the mini bell peppers serve as the perfect vessel to get that yummy goodness into your mouth. Don’t forget some extra salsa verde and sour cream for dipping.

If you need some variety in your Keto or Trim Healthy Mama (S) lunch routine, I hope you try these keto cheesy salsa verde chicken bell pepper nachos. If you love the low carb lifestyle, don’t forget to try these smoked salmon, cream cheese roll ups and cheeseburger soup.

And don’t forget to make yourself a 2 minute keto breakfast in the microwave in the morning.

Keto Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Bell Pepper Nachos

Servings

Ingredients

5-6 mini bell peppers (cut lengthwise)
2 oz Cream cheese
1/4 cup salsa verde
1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1/4 cup Shredded cheddar cheese

Servings

Ingredients

5-6 mini bell peppers (cut lengthwise)
2 oz Cream cheese
1/4 cup salsa verde
1/2 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1/4 cup Shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prep the mini bell peppers by cutting off the top, slicing lengthwise and removing seeds.
Place the cream cheese and salsa verde in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 1 minute. You may want to do this in 30 second increments to ensure it doesn't burn.
If your precooked chicken is cold, warm it slightly in the microwave .
Add the salsa/cream cheese mixture, warm chicken and shredded cheddar cheese to a small mixing bowl and combine.
Stuff the sliced peppers with approximately a tablespoon of the cheesy chicken mixture. The exact measurement will vary based on the size of your peppers.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Broil for 2 minutes until the tops are slightly browned.

2 Minute Keto Scrambled Eggs in the Microwave

October 14, 2018 by Stacy Craft 3 Comments

I don’t know about you but mornings at my house are busy. The kids need to get dressed, lunches have to be packed, teeth need brushing. And that is a good day. Often times fights need to be broken up, lost shoes need to be found, and a last minute form needs to be completed. With all that early morning craziness breakfast has to be super quick. Like made in the time that the Keurig can brew my 2nd cup of coffee quick. These 2 minute keto scrambled eggs in the microwave fit that bill.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

I was at the grocery the other day and saw a relatively new product that provides eggs and toppings that you microwave in a couple of minutes for an easy breakfast. I loved the idea but wanted to find a way to control the ingredients, reduce the cost and keep the convenience. So that is how the 2 minute keto scrambled eggs in the microwave recipe was born.

Saving Money by Eating at Home

Keto and low carb lifestyles can be overwhelming with regards to cost and time when you first start out. As a working mom of 2 little ones, I am always looking for ways to make my life easier in the kitchen without inflating my grocery bill with expensive convenience foods.

Here is a quick breakdown of what it will cost you to make these 2 minute Keto scrambled eggs in the microwave at home:

2 Eggs -.14

2 oz sausage – .31

2 oz cheese – .34

Tiny amount of cream – .03 (by the way if you want some useless knowledge, there are 96 teaspoons in a pint. Thank you google)

Total – $0.82

Jimmy Dean Simple Scrambles 3.29

I don’t want to turn you completely off to the premade product. I have purchased it and it is good. If you are in a pinch, this is certainly much better than grabbing a bagel or a donut!

I simply want to show you that you can make a similar meal for a fraction of the price with just a small amount of prep. Plus you can make whatever variety you or your family prefer! 3 for 1 is where it’s at if you are trying to save money.

2 Minute Keto Scrambled Eggs in the Microwave

I like to do an easy meal prep on these to save some additional money and keep my weekday breakfast in that 2 minute range. If you are not a meal prep guy or gal, you can buy prepackaged items to help you out and speed this up even more.

What Do I Need:

Eggs

Cheese

Ham, Bacon or Sausage Crumbles

Heavy Cream

Veggies (optional)

Cute Keto Coffee Mug or small but deep tupperware dish

Meal Prep

If you prep your meats ahead of time, it will make your breakfast come together during the work week in less than 2 minutes. I usually just brown up a roll of breakfast sausage or some bacon and separate the cooked crumbles into 2 oz portions.

If you are rolling your eyes at the 2 oz portion, I don’t blame you. We are talking about a quick breakfast and here I am telling you to measure out 2 ounces of sausage. Don’t worry, you don’t need a measuring cup. I use these 4 oz containers and fill them half way. If you want to go with a full 4 oz, go ahead!

After I fill my containers and let them cool, I put some in the freezer for later and a few in the fridge for the week. For the ones that you plan to eat this week, go ahead and throw in 2 oz of cheese (just fill the rest of your container) and any diced veggies that you might want. I usually keep mine simple and do just the meat, cheese and eggs but I have done a little diced onion and tomato. Now you have your containers ready to dump in the morning!

If you want ultra simple prep, buy the already crumbled sausage, real bacon bits or diced ham.

Making Your 2 Minute Keto Scrambled Eggs in the Microwave

These are your steps for the morning that you are ready to eat! Crack 2 eggs in your coffee mug or tupperware dish. Take a fork and scramble them. Add a teaspoon of heavy whipping cream and scramble a bit more.

Microwave for 1 minute. Carefully remove from the microwave and add your 4 oz cup of meat, veggies and cheese. My 4 year old caught me at this step the other day. She was completely disgusted that I was making “bacon coffee.” I just love her little perspective!

So here is what your eggs will look like at this point, mostly cooked on top but if you stir them, there will still be some liquid throughout.

Stir to incorporate the toppings with the eggs. In this picture I used some diced ham, diced tomato and a slice of cheddar cheese. Feel free to sub in veggies and other toppings of your choice! It is very versatile.

Return to the microwave and cook for 20-30 seconds until the egg is fully cooked. That usually does it for me but if needed, heat in additional 10 second intervals until egg is done.

When I make 2 minute keto scrambled eggs in the microwave, I like to top with a little hot sauce before serving. You could give it a southwestern twist with a little sour cream and avocado too! I added a few chives to this one as well because I had them in the fridge and they made my 2 minute eggs feel fancy.

Trim Healthy Mamas

If you are not fully keto and following THM (like I do), this is a “S” meal because of the whole egg and fats from the meats and cheese. To round out this meal, you could add in some leafy green spinach or some delicious berries. I love these because you don’t have to mess up a skillet everyday and 2 minutes for breakfast is right up my alley.

You could make this an E meal by omitting the heavy cream, using egg whites instead of whole eggs, omitting cheese and using a lean meat plus veggies. That just sounds no fun, so I will keep it an S!

I hope you love making simple 2 minute keto scrambled eggs in the microwave before starting your busy day. Stay on plan and have a great day! Be proud of the choices you are making for a healthier you.

2 Minute Keto Scrambled Eggs

Course

Breakfast

Keyword

breakfast

Prep Time

Cook Time

Servings

Ingredients

2 eggs
2 oz breakfast meat (sausage, bacon, ham)
2 oz shredded cheese
1 tsp Heavy Cream
1 oz diced veggies (optional)

Course

Breakfast

Keyword

breakfast

Prep Time

Cook Time

Servings

Ingredients

2 eggs
2 oz breakfast meat (sausage, bacon, ham)
2 oz shredded cheese
1 tsp Heavy Cream
1 oz diced veggies (optional)

Instructions

Crack both eggs into a microwave safe bowl or mug.
Add the teaspoon of cream and salt/pepper to taste.
Use a fork to scramble the eggs.
Microwave for 60 seconds.
Add cheese, meat, and veggies to the eggs. Stir to incorporate and return to the microwave.
Microwave for 20-30 seconds to warm the toppings and finish the eggs. If the eggs are still runny, microwave in additional 10 second intervals until done.

Check Out Our Popular Keto – Low Carb – THM S Recipes

30 Minute Cheesy Salsa Chicken with Cauliflower Rice

Parmesan & Pork Rind Crusted Pork Chops

Cheeseburger Soup Using Grill Leftovers

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Roll Ups

Cold Cuts Roll Up Salad – Packed with Protein

Smoked Salmon Jalapeno Poppers

July 7, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

So I love the grocery store pick up options like Walmart Grocery. But sometimes the order gets lost in translation. I thought I was ordering 2 jalapenos but apparently I must have ordered 2 lbs. I needed something to do with all the jalapenos in my fridge so this recipe was born. These smoked salmon jalapeno poppers make a great keto or Trim Healthy Mama S appetizer or lunch! I had 4 of them for lunch with a small bowl of berries as a side.

Check out these Smoked Salmon and Cucumber Cream Cheese roll ups to use the rest of your smoked salmon. It is Keto/low carb/THM S too! Also try the Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken Meal – it is my most popular Keto recipe.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Low Carb Smoked Salmon Jalapeno Poppers

A “diet” that lets me eat things like stuffed jalapenos is something I can deal with! These yummy poppers tasted sinful yet I was actually following the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle while eating it! Read how I have lost 22 lbs postpartum on THM (55 lbs total since giving birth in October).

Prepare your pan with a silicone baking mat or spray your pan with non-stick olive oil (I use this to make my own). Wash and slice the jalapenos lengthwise and remove the seeds.

Mix the greek yogurt cream cheese, shredded cheddar and garlic powder in a small bowl. Mix until well incorporated. I like the greek yogurt cream cheese because it adds more protein and it is much softer than regular cream cheese. If you want to use normal cream cheese, just let it soften on the counter for a bit before you mix it.

Spoon the cheesy filling into the jalapeno halves.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until the jalapeno has softened and the cheese gets ooey gooey. I love the slightly browned marks on top. I cooked mine for about 12 minutes and the jalapenos still had a bite but I like that texture with the gooey cheese and soft smoked salmon. If you want the jalapenos extra tender, go towards the 15 minute time.

Finally, just top it with a piece of smoked salmon. Such a simple recipe but the flavors are outstanding. The smoked salmon takes a standard jalapeno popper up a couple of notches!

These low carb smoked salmon jalapeno poppers fit in with a Trim Healthy Mama “S” meal or as a keto option. They would be great to take as an appetizer too!

Low Carb Smoked Salmon Jalapeno Poppers

Smoked Salmon Jalapeno Popper Low Carb Keto Recipe

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

10-15 minutes

Servings

Poppers

Ingredients

2 oz Greek Yogurt or Regular Cream Cheese (Soften the regular cream cheese)
1/4 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 tsp garlic powder
4 pieces Smoked Salmon
2 fresh Jalapenos

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

10-15 minutes

Servings

Poppers

Ingredients

2 oz Greek Yogurt or Regular Cream Cheese (Soften the regular cream cheese)
1/4 cup Shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 tsp garlic powder
4 pieces Smoked Salmon
2 fresh Jalapenos

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or spray with a non-stick cooking spray.
Wash and slice the jalapenos lengthwise in half. Remove seeds.
Combine the cream cheese, shredded cheese and garlic powder in a bowl and mix to combine.
Spoon the cheese mixture evenly into the jalapeno halves.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned and the jalapenos have softened.
Top each jalapeno popper with a slice of smoked salmon.

Recipe Notes

Simple Low Carb Smoked Salmon Cucumber Cream Cheese Roll Ups

May 24, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Simple Low Carb Smoked Salmon Cucumber Cream Cheese Roll Ups

Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.

Sushi! I learned to love it as an adult and then I started following Trim Healthy Mama and dashed all my hopes of ever getting to eat it again. Just kidding, Trim Healthy Mama (THM) focuses on “food freedom” which allows you to be free in your food choices and start right over if you eat something that doesn’t follow their plan (like white rice). I love these simple low carb smoked salmon cucumber cream cheese roll ups because it gives me the perception of a sushi meal without having to go off plan. Even better, it is so easy to make you can create it at work or home in just a couple of minutes. Then you can do other stuff on your lunch break!

What To Buy:

Smoked Salmon – I get mine at Aldi

English Cucumber

Block of Cream Cheese

Simple Low Carb Smoked Salmon Cucumber Cream Cheese Roll Ups – 5 Minute Instructions

The smoked salmon is already cooked and sliced thin. Just separate a piece of it from the package and place it flat on your cutting board. Next, wash and slice your cucumber lengthwise into small spears. Slice your cold cream cheese in the same lengthwise manner. The actual size that you do is up to you and your personal preference.

Assembly of the Salmon Faux Sushi Roll

I place two cucumber spears and one cream cheese segment on top of the smoked salmon. I like the 2 to 1 cucumber to cream cheese ratio because the crisp English cucumbers give a nice crunch to the roll up.

Once you have the cucumber and cream cheese on the salmon, just start rolling it up.

These simple low carb smoked salmon cucumber cream cheese roll ups do not necessarily stay together like regular sushi. Even though they are not like traditional sushi rolls, I didn’t have trouble with them falling apart and certainly no trouble eating them!

I did not try cutting them. I just picked each one up with my hand to eat them. After 3 roll ups I felt completely full and not missing the carbs!

These roll ups will fit your low carb, keto or Trim Healthy mama diet plan. If following THM the meal is an “S.” If you are on THM or just watching carbs, check out my post with 6 THM S & E lunch ideas and an ultra filling protein packed “S” Salad too.

Read about how I lost 22 lbs postpartum on THM here with a 2 week food diary.

How do you like to use your smoked salmon? I just discovered smoked salmon and would love to see your ideas too!

Easy Protein Packed Low Carb Salad

May 7, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Protein Packed Low Carb Salad (Trim Healthy Mama “S”)

Down the road from my office is a little Italian hole in the wall type of place. They have yummy food but Italian and being able to button my pants don’t usually work together. It’s like I can have one or the other. I’m also not a salad kinda girl when there are delicious things like manicotti and lasagna available. But I decided to be good one day and got what they called their “Mama’s Salad.” Much to my surprise, it was a delicious and filling protein packed low carb salad that satisfied me (and kept that pesky pant button comfortably closed).

Since I also like saving money, spending $7 or $8 on a salad during my lunch hour isn’t something I want to do every day. So here I have found a way to recreate it at home. It is super simple and you can throw it together in just a few minutes.

First, gather your ingredients. I used baby spinach for my base but you could sub mixed greens or romaine. You also need to grab your protein. Today I used ham lunchmeat and pepperoni. I like to use thinly sliced salami as well but I was out. You also want a sliced cheese. My preference is a freshly sliced cheese from the deli because it crumbles less but anything will work.

Next, place one slice of cheese on a cutting board. Layer on your meats – I did pepperoni and then a slice or two of ham.

Then you are going to roll it up jelly roll style. If the cheese cracks, don’t worry about it just keep rolling. I try to “Squish” it down (like that culinary term?) to help it all stay together.

Slice them into about 1/2 inch pieces. The rolling style of the meat and cheese is the secret to this protein packed low carb salad. There is something about the big, thick slices of meat and cheese that make it seem more filling.

Simply place the rolls on top of your greens and top with your favorite dressing. I use ranch to add in some extra fats when I am eating Low Carb/Keto/THM. If you are following Trim Healthy Mama, this is an “S” meal.

I hope you love this easy protein packed low carb salad option for lunch or dinner. If you are following Trim Healthy Mama, check out this post with 6 easy THM lunch options.