SAUSAGE AND CHEESE MUFFIN LOAVES

This was such an easy dish to throw together for supper tonight.  Turned out quite tasty and we decided they are keepers.  This went really well with my Creamy Corn and Cauli Casserole which you can find on Page 203 of Low Carbing Among Friends, Vol. 2, and a lettuce and kale salad.

SAUSAGE AND CHEESE MUFFIN LOAVES                    

1 pound  Jennie-O turkey sausage (breakfast)
1 large  egg
1/4 cup  almond flour -- (I used Honeyville)
1/4 cup low carb Barbecue Sauce
1/2 teaspoon  salt
2 sticks  smoked string Cheese, (Baker is the brand I use)
2 tablespoons  Real Bacon Bits
2 tablespoons  Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In small bowl, combine turkey breakfast sausage, egg, almond flour, Barbeque sauce, and salt.  Mix together well.  Divide evenly into 12 greased muffin tins.

Cut string cheese sticks into 12 equal pieces by cutting into 3rds first and then each 3rd cut in half.  Place 1 piece in the middle of each muffin.  Sprinkle each with 1/2 tsp of bacon bits, and then 1/2 tsp each of Parmesan cheese.

Bake 30 minutes.

Variation: You can use pork sausage or ground beef or turkey as well if you prefer.  Nutritional info would change.

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12 Servings/Per 1 Serving: 127 Calories; 10g Fat (68.5% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber;

BROWNIE CREAM CHEESE DANISH

I'm still doing things with the Brownie recipe!  This is pretty simple.  Just whip up a batch of the brownie recipe, place about 2 tbsp in each well of a whoopie pie pan, or if you don't have one, just use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and make 12. Make the cream cheese filling which is from this recipe, for the Cream Cheese Danish, plop some in the middle, and bake.  I also used some of the cream cheese filling, which I had left over to try adding to my Donut Bun and made a glaze to drizzle over it.

If I did it again, I would spread more of the cream cheese on the top rather than a blob of it in the middle.  I had to microwave it longer which made the outside drier.  But it was tasty.  The glaze is simply 2 packets of truvia powdered in my coffee grinder, and about 1/2 tsp of cream stirred into it, or just enough to make it a drizzling glaze.  If you don't like Truvia, you can use any sweetener of your choice, about a tbsp, powder it in your coffee grinder, and add the cream.  I've made a great powdered sugar sub out of a combo of 1 part Splenda granular to 1/2 part xylitol, powdered.  Swerve would work great I'm sure if you have it as well. I've never used it though.

Just one more variation for you! I hope you enjoy it.

BROWNIE ICE CREAM SANDWICH

I came back from visiting family, after a family health emergency (which all turned out well in the end), with cravings for things I couldn't eat.  This just very very rarely happens to me anymore.  I don't normally get cravings.  But I had to leave immediately, without having time to plan food, making sure I have things to eat that are gluten free, low carb.  I normally am fine with my own things, and not bothered at all by what everyone else eats.  But since I didn't have much with me, other than making myself a couple bread buns so I could at least make a sandwich while there, I was very hungry most of the time, watching others enjoy food, while just making do with the little that I could eat.  It wasn't even that there was a lot of food around me! But somehow I kept thinking of all the things I couldn't enjoy that others could.  I was determined when I got home to make some of the foods that came into my head, or that I saw, or that I dreamed of, to enjoy.  

This doesn't happen often, but when it does, I get through it by telling myself, "I can make that".  When I do, I'm satisfied, I get over it, I go on.  

So chocolate and ice cream was on my mind when I got home.  The brownie/cookie part is from my Chocolate Fudge Brownie recipe, pretty simple, and worked really well for this.  

CHOCOLATE FUDGE BROWNIES

                

2 oz.  unsweetened chocolate

1/3 cup  coconut oil -- or butter

1 cup  sweeteners -- (12 packets Truvia, 1/4 cup xylitol, 8 drops liquid sucralose)

2 eggs

1/2 tsp.  vanilla

1/2 cup  almond meal

1/4 cup  flaxseed meal, golden

1/2 tsp.  baking powder

1/4 tsp.  salt

In medium saucepan, over medium low heat, melt chocolate and oil. Remove from heat and add sweeteners, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix well, and add the remaining ingredients.  Stir well and pour whoopie pie pan to fill 12 cups in the pan. Bake in pre-heated 350 degrees F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.  Do not over bake!  The longer you bake, the more cake-like, the less, the more fudgy, and brownie-like.  

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12 Servings/Per Serving: 127 Calories, 11 g fat, 4 g protien, 4 g carbs, 2 g fiber

Entire Recipe: 1519 Calories, 138 g fat, 50 g protein, 48 g carbs, 18 g fiber

The ice cream filling was the same recipe as the Ice Cream Dibs

Ice Cream:

1/2  cup  heavy cream

2 tablespoons  sugar-free syrup -- (such as DaVinci or Torani)

1 tablespoon  sugar-free vanilla pudding and pie filling

In a small bowl, whip together cream, sugar-free syrup, and vanilla pudding and pie filling mix until it is stiff.  

For 1/12 of recipe:

38 Calories; 4g Fat (84.6% calories from fat); trace Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber;

For 1/6 of recipe:  77 Calories; 7g Fat (84.6% calories from fat); trace Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber

To make the sandwich:

After brownie cookies have cooled, spread the filling on a cookie and cover with second cookie to make a sandwich.  Wrap each cookie individually and place in a freezer bag in your freezer.  These also are really good before you freeze for a whoopie pie!  Or to tell you the truth, I had a hard time not eating them just slathering the filling onto a cookie and eating it right away.  (I did that with one), so you can choose which way you like them.  Unfrozen or frozen, they are delightful to the taste buds! Enjoy!

CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE

It was a cooler day today.  One of those days when you think of casseroles.  Casseroles, to me, are comfort food.  This was comfort food.  A rich, creamy casserole with chicken, roasted red pepper strips, nopalitos, zucchini noodles, and a rich, cheesy, creamy sauce.  Very quick and easy to put together and toss into the oven.

CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE                    

20 ounces  canned chicken -- (2 10-oz. cans)
2  medium  zucchini -- sliced lenghtwise with vegetable peeler into noodles
15 ounces  Mezzetta Roasted Red Bell Pepper Strips -- (1 jar drained)
1  cup  nopalitos -- chopped (found in Mexican section of store)
15 ounces  GIA RUSSA Alfredo Sauce
1  cup  fiesta blend shredded cheese -- (or other cheese of your choice)
1/4 cup  Parmesan cheese

Spray 2 qt. casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil.  Add chicken, zucchini noodles, red pepper strips, and nopalitos. Stir together. Stir in alfredo sauce.

Add shredded cheese and stir until well mixed.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.  Let sit for 5 minutes and serve.

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6 Servings/Per Serving: 445 Calories; 32g Fat (64.3% calories from fat); 29g Protein; 11g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber