Keto Instant Pot Jambalaya

We (and by we, I mean everyone currently in house except the baby) have been following a keto diet plan.  I probably have a few extra recipes to add since we've definitely formed some favorites, but for now... this Keto Jambalaya recipe is the very best adapted recipe I created since we started about 6 weeks and (for me) 13+ lbs ago.

First, you should know I adapted this recipe from Café Delites. If you like peppers, okra, celery and carbs, you should go there and try her version. But, if you're trying to eat keto and like jambalaya, mine is pretty darn good.

Ingredients

• Andouille Sausage - I used about 6 brats, sliced into rounds
• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast - I used two great big ones
• Shrimp - I bought a small-ish bag of deveined, tail-off frozen shrimp
• Onion - 1 medium, chopped
• Cajun Seasoning - 2 TBS, divided
• Butter - 2 TBS
• Garlic - I used about 4 moderate squeezes of garlic paste.
• 14 oz Can of Crushed Tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Dried Thyme
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 tsp Hot Pepper Sauce
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 4 cups Riced Cauliflower

Directions

1. Cook all the meat. 
• Sausage | Cut up the sausage into rounds and throw the pieces into a large frying pan with the cut up onion.  Cook on medium heat for a while--until the edges of the sausage are all browned and the whole pan is sizzling.
• Chicken | I hate--and I do mean hate--dealing with raw chicken. So, you can cook it however you want, but I tend to take the giant breasts (bought frozen), throw them into a pot with water and boil for a while to get them "not slimy any more." Then, I cut the chicken into smaller pieces, add about a 1/2 TBS of the Cajun seasoning, and cook it until it's all browned and yummy looking.
• Shrimp | Throw your shrimp into a small pot. Add butter, garlic, and 1/2 TBS of Cajun seasoning, and cook it until it looks done.
2. Add the following to the Instant Pot (you can do this while the meat is cooking): tomatoes, 1 TBS Cajun seasoning, black pepper, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire, broth, and cauliflower. As the meats are done, dump those in, too.
3. Stir all the ingredients well, put the lid on the Instant Pot. Close the pressure valve, and if your Instant Pot has a Soup button (like mine does), press that.  It will pressurize and then cook for about 30 minutes.  I let mine depressurize on its own and then it sat on Keep Warm for about 45 minutes. 
4. Serve with low carb corn bread, a fried low-carb tortilla, or by itself.

I'm not sure how many this serves--maybe 8 or 10? It's a little spicy, has great flavor, and keeps well in the refrigerator. I'm also not totally sure of the carb count or macros or whatever, but I know it's low carb enough and delicious.

Crock Pot Carne Asada Tacos

Ok, fine. So, I'm a shameless recipe thief. But here's the thing... if I try something, and it's perfect as is. Why go reinvent the wheel? So, I'm adding this easy and delicious meal from thedailydeelight.com to my cookbook.

• 2 lb chuck roast, cut into large chunks (I used a larger piece, more like 3 lbs, and I'm lazy, so I did not cut it into chunks. It worked out fine.)
• 1 onion, cut into large chunks. (I used about 3/4 of a white onion. More was not necessary.)
• 3-4 cups chicken or beef broth (I used 4 cups of chicken broth.)
• 1 c. white wine (I used plain ol' cooking wine.)
• 2-3 TBS red pepper flakes (I just used 2 TBS)
• 4 TBS garlic powder
• 4 TBS cumin
• tortillas, chips, or salad bowls plus any toppings you might like: cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, beans, etc.

Put the beef in the crockpot with the onions, and cover them with the broth and wine. Add the garlic powder, 2 TBS of chili powder, and red pepper flakes. Put the lid on, and turn the crockpot on low for 8-10 hours (Mine inevitably cooks for 10 hours then sits on "warm" for another 2 until I actually get home. This did not hurt the recipe, and may have helped it.)

When done, remove the beef and shred it in a large bowl. Then add about a cup of the liquid left in the crockpot to a smaller bowl. Mix in the cumin and 2 TBS of chili powder. Dump that over the shredded beef and stir it up good.

Serve on nachos, in tacos, as burrito filling, or topping a Mexican salad. I ate these as regular tacos with guacamole, cheese, and sour cream, and that was delish.  I'm planning to serve this meat as part of a taco/nacho bar for a party this weekend. 

The meat stores and reheats well, and can be enjoyed for several days in several different ways. The 3 lbs I made, fed 5 people 2 full meals.

Holiday Ham

Ham is really easy. 

Place ham in a baking dish big enough to hold it and the juice from it when it bakes.  Put about half a cup or so brown sugar on top of the ham.  Press it into the ham.  I just pat it down so it stays on the ham and can kind of melt into it.  Bake for an hour or two (or so).  Slice and serve. 

Yum!

Holiday Turkey

Thaw turkey for about four days in the refrigerator.

Open his bag and rinse him out with warm water because he is usually frozen some on the inside and that helps to get the giblets and stuff out.

Check his neck cavity, too, to get the stuff out.  You can cook the stuff separately if you want to, or you can throw it out.  Your choice!

Put him in the turkey pan, close it, and put it in the oven at 350° for about 5 or 6 hours.  The turkey usually has a little thermometer thing, and it is done when it pops out.  It doesn’t hurt to leave it in awhile after it is done as long as you don’t open the pan. 

If you are planning to slice it and not serve it on the table all intact, you can turn it upside down when you cook it.  That will make the breast more moist.  It doesn’t look as pretty as when you cook it right-side up, though.  Again, your choice! 

Mom says, "I used to get up in the middle of the night to cook it so that my oven was open for casseroles."

County Fair Chicken

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breasts, diced
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
• 1 lb carrots, peeled & sliced
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
• 1/2 c. fat free chicken broth

Toss chicken, potatoes, and carrots with olive oil. Add soup mix and seasonings and toss well.  Place mixture in a large sprayed baking dish. Slowly pour broth over mixture. Seal dish with foil.

Bake 1 hour at 350. Remove foil last 15 minutes of baking.

Green and White Chicken Chili

Prepare the Chicken

• ~1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 TBS onion powder
• 5 tsp chopped garlic (I use the kind that comes in a jar)
• 1 jalapeno pepper (I use several pickled/jarred chopped peices of jalapeno)
• 2 TBS ground cumin
• 1 TBS ground coriander
• Cilantro: 1 cube, 1 tsp of paste, or 2 TBS fresh, chopped

Add the chicken to a pan and cover with water. Start cooking over medium-high heat. Add onion powder, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, coriander, and coriander. Boil together until chicken is fully cooked and tender.
Remove from heat and let cool a little. Cut up chicken breast into chunks and add to large pot or crockpot. There should be some yummy spices hanging out in the pan used to cook the chicken. Go ahead and empty everything that was in with the chicken into the new pot.  [Note: You could cut up the chicken before cooking it, but I hate touching slimey raw chicken, and doing it "my way" prevents me from having to touch it much while it's still raw.]


Cook the Chili

• 1 cup tomatillo salsa
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cans (15-oz each) cannellini or Great Northern beans
• Cilantro: 2 cubes, 2 tsp of paste, or 4 TBS fresh, chopped
• 1/4 cup lime juice

Now, add the salsa, the chicken broth, 1 can of cannellini (drained), cilantro, and lime juice to the pot. Take the second can of cannellini and dump half into the pot. Smash up the remaining half of cannellini--to use as a thickening agent--and dump that in the pot.

If cooking in a pot on the stove, simmer on medium-high heat for at least 10 minutes before serving. If cooking in a crockpot, set for 8-10 hours on low heat and leave to cook all day. I've done it both ways. The stove way works great if  you want to eat immediately, but you get the best flavor out of cooking it all day.


Serve it Right

• Light sour cream (I only use Daisy Lite. All other light sour cream is too runny for my tastes.)
• Shredded cheese (I use 2% reduced fat.)\
Fritos corn chips

Fresh shredded cilantro

Before serving, add a tablespoon or two of light sour cream to each bowl and stir it up. This step makes the chili less watery and adds a nice creaminess.


Top with shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, and corn chips. Enjoy the best chili you've ever eaten. Seriously, it is delish.


Nutrition Info

Although I can never seem to eat just one bowl... let's assume it makes 8 servings. Given that assumption, you're looking at about 6 WeightWatchers PointsPlus (including the sour cream) per serving, plus however much cheese and fritos you enjoy with your meal.

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

Before I dive into the ingredients and how-to, let me just say that this meal was so delicious that after a couple of bites my husband said, without prompting: "This may be the best taco I ever ate."

Then, my parents unexpectedly stopped by and I fed them. And my dad, without knowing what my husband said, told me: "This maybe be the best taco I ever ate."

Yep, the exact same comment. Without prompting or collusion. What are the chances?! It's like a certified double-blind study. These really might be the tastiest tacos ever.

 Ingredients:

• 1.25 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (completely thawed)
• 20 oz salsa - I used Pace Picante (Medium)
• Juice from 1 lime
• Fresh, chopped cilantro - about 1/2 cup
• 1.25-oz package taco seasoning
• 2 TBS chopped jalapeno peppers (I used the kind in a jar, but fresh would be good too)

Directions:  
Throw all the ingredients in a crockpot and cook it for at least 6 hours on low. I set mine to cook on low for 8 hours, and since I was at work, it sat on warm for probably another 4.5 hours, which didn't hurt it at all. In fact, it made the chicken extra tender.

It made 5 servings (10 tacos).

Each person got two small/medium soft flour taco shells filled with some of the chicken mixture (smashed up with a fork to shred it a bit), shredded 75% reduced fat Cabot cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, light sour cream, and lettuce.

For two tacos and all those fillings, it was 9 P+. You could reduce the point count a great deal by making a taco salad out of it or using small corn tortillas. However you serve it, if you like Mexican food, you'll like this chicken. I promise.

Pizza Roll Ups

Ingredients:
  - 1 can Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls (8 rolls)
  - 24 slices Hormel Turkey Pepperoni
  - 4 oz. Cabot 75% Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  - 1 c. low-sugar spaghetti or pizza sauce
  - 1/8 c. low-fat parmesan cheese, if desired
  - spray butter (16 sprays)
  - garlic salt (~1 tsp)
  - italian seasoning (~1 tsp)

Directions:

1. Unroll crescent rolls into 8 individual triangles.
2. Sprinkle each triangle with garlic salt and Italian seasoning.
3. Add 3 slices of pepperoni, a spoonful of pizza sauce, and 1/2 oz. shredded cheese to each triangle.
4. Roll up crescents, folding all ingredients neatly inside.
5. Spray tops of rolls (about 2 sprays each) with spray butter, and sprinkle with garlic salt and italian seasoning.
6. Bake according to crescent roll package instructions, or until they are brown.
7. Warm pizza sauce and serve as dip, garnished with parmesan cheese (if desired).

I "healthified" this recipe, making it my own.  Changes include things like low-fat rolls, turkey pepperoni, 75% RF cheese, and the spray butter.  I don't think the lower-fat options make this any less delish, and it sure did turn a fatty-patty recipe into a very WW-friendly one.  Each roll, dip included, is 4 PP.  Can I get a hell yeah?!

This recipe is adapted from several sources--most notably a WW-friend's blog posting and this food.com recipe (where I also borrowed the pic). 

Sour Cream & Bacon Crockpot Chicken

Ingredients:

• 8 bacon slices (I used turkey bacon, 1 piece per piece of chicken)
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used smaller pre-cut chicken breast tenderloins, more ike 12 of them)
• 2 (10 oz) cans roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup (I used fat free)
• 1 cup sour cream (I used light)
• 1/2 cup flour
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wrap one slice of bacon around each boneless chicken breast and place in a 4-5 quart crockpot.
2. In medium bowl, combine condensed soups, sour cream, and flour and mix with wire whisk to blend. Pour over chicken.
3. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours until chicken and bacon are thoroughly cooked. You may want to remove the chicken and beat the sauce with a wire whisk so it is very well blended.
4. Pour sauce over chicken.

I served this over white rice one night and brown the next, and it was yummy! Husband even said he liked the brown rice (and usually he won't touch the stuff). He told me this was a definite re-do, so I will be making it again. Yummy and so easy!

**Recipe found on Pinterest and taken from Moms with Crockpots.**

Crockpot Pot Roast

Ingredients:
 - 1 (4-5 lb) beef roast - Any kind will do, but I used sirloin because it was the leanest.
 - 1 package brown gravy mix
 - 1 package Italian salad dressing mix
 - 1 package ranch dressing mix
 - 1-1.5 cups water
 - red potatoes, carrots, & onions (cut up, but not cooked)

Instructions:

Add vegetables to the bottom of the crockpot.  Place beef roast in crock pot. (I sort of made a nest of the veggies.) Mix the dry mixes together in a bowl with 1 cup of water and sprinkle that over the roast.  Pour extra water around the roast, if desired. (I did.)  Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

This was the first pot roast I ever attempted, and it was divine!  The meat is so tender is just pulls apart, and the veggies are super flavorful. I made mine without onions (because husband hates them), but I think it would have been even better with them in there!  So good that husband wanted to know what to do with the leftover juice on his plate. Not understanding, I told him to wash it down the drain. He looked kind of horrified, and said, "But it's too good not to do SOMETHING with it!"  That means this recipe was a real winner with that cute man of mine.  Good thing, too, because we're eating the leftovers tonight.

Angela's Enchiladas Verdes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb raw boneless, skinless chicken breast (not diced)
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken condensed soup
• 1 TBS chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 4 oz. grated Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese (divided)
• 16 oz. green enchilada sauce (divided)
• 1/2 c. light sour cream
• 10 small/medium flour tortillas

Cook the Chicken.  Put chicken in single layer in a pot. Cover chicken with water, and add minced garlic.  Cook covered on medium-high heat until boiling.  Remove lid, reduce heat to medium, and cook until all water has evaporated and chicken is cooked through.

Make the Filling.  Shred chicken, putting it into a bowl.  Add cream of chicken soup, chili powder, garlic powder, and ground cumin. Mix thoroughly and set aside for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. 

Fill the Tortillas.  Add half of the cheese to the chicken/soup mixture and stir it together until the cheese is evenly distributed.  Pour 1/2 c. of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.  Fill tortillas evenly with the chicken/soup/cheese mixture.  Wrap each tortilla and place tightly in baking dish (I can usually line 8 up and place 2 across the top).

Top and Bake.  Mix remaining 12 oz. of enchilada sauce with sour cream and pour over the filled enchiladas.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes until brown and starting to crisp on top.

A couple of weeks ago, I made Honey Lime Enchiladas, courtesy of Kelly's Healthified Kitchen (visit the link, you won't regret it).  They were the BEST thing I'd ever eaten, but husband didn't love them quite as much as I did, so I thought I would take the same concept and adapt it to a more traditional enchiladas verdes recipe.  Voila! Angela's Enchiladas Verdes were born.  I think I still liked them more than husband did, but they were fantastically delicious if I do say so myself. 

At only 11 PointsPlus per serving (for 2 enchiladas... 6 PointsPlus for just one), I really do LOVE this recipe!

Easy Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 bag mixed frozen veggies
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 packet of McCormick's brown gravy mix (or white gravy mix)
• 1 packet (4 servings) instant mashed potatoes
• Seasoning: garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, etc. (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. 

Brown the Meat.  Begin browning ground beef.  Add garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper while cooking (if desired).

Cook the Veggies.  While the meat is cooking, prepare the frozen veggies according to the package directions.  I used a mix of green beans, corn, and carrots because husband doesn't hate any of those. I also bought the "steam in bag" variety, purely by accident, but they were delicious and super easy. When the veggies are done, drain them (if necessary), and put them in a fairly even layer in the bottom of a casserole dish.

Make the Gravy.  Just follow the packet instructions.  Dump the packet mix in with a cup of water and blend/stir with a whisk over medium heat until boiling.  Then continue simmering for another minute.  Once the meat is done, dump the gravy in the pan with the meat and mix them together.  Then dump the meat/gravy mix over the veggies in another even layer.

Make the Mashed Potatoes.  Again, just follow the packet instructions.  The ones I bought were pretty simple.  Add 2 cups of boiling water to the potato mix, cover, wait 5 minutes, fluff with a fork.  You can either spread the potatoes over the meat layer or use a froster to make the dish more decorative.  Either way, fully cover the meat layer with a potato layer.

Bake on middle-to-top row for at least 35 minutes, or until potatoes begin to brown.  Serve hot.

At 6 servings, this recipe comes out to about 6 WeightWatchers PointsPlus.  That's amazing for a totally instant meat and potatoes meal!

This recipe is my own invention. Husband loves shepherd's pie, but I'd never even tried making it. I found a recipe in a Hungry Girl cookbook, but it had a lot of replacements, and I knew that would just disappoint husband.  So, I decided to invent my own healthy version of this meal, and husband really loved it. Said it didn't taste like diet food at all.  I call that a winning recipe!

Onion Meat Loaf

- 1 TBS vegetable oil
- 1/2 c. chopped onions
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 3/4 cup oats, quick or old-fashioned (or 2 slices bread, shredded)
- 1/2 c. ketchup
- 1 1/2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 TBS milk
- 3 TBS A1 Steak Sauce
- 2 tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion; cook, stirring until tender (about 7 to 9 minutes).

In a bowl, mix ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, black pepper, and A1 Steak sauce.  Set half of this mixture away for topping.

In a bread pan, shape meat mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan.  Bake for 50 minutes.  Remove from oven, dump remaining sauce mixture over the top of the loaf and return, uncovered, to the oven for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, slice, and serve.

Yields 6-8 servings.

Scott's Hodgepodge Chili

- 1 can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 can Campbell's minestrone soup
- 1 can Ranch Style beans
- 1 lb ground beef (I use lean)

Combine tomatoes, soup, and beans in large pot.  Cover and turn on medium-low heat.  Brown and drain ground beef.  Add meat to pot with other ingredients.  Stir.  Simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes (or until warm enough to serve).  Serve with Fritos, shredded cheese (I use 2%), and sour cream (I use light).

Actually tastes better the second or third day, so I usually double or triple the batch!

Garlic Meatloaf

Sending lots of love to e-mealz for this one, but I modified it enough (a whole lot, really), so I claim it as my own! My husband's favorite!

- 1 egg
- 1/4 c. ketchup mixed
- 1/4 c. A-1 Steak Sauce
- 1/4 tsp California Style garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp California Style garlic pepper
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/4 c. quick cooking oats

Preheat oven to 350.  In a small bowl, mix ketchup with A-1 until you can't tell they were ever two different sauces.  Mix together half of the ketchup/A-1 mixture and the rest of the ingredients.  When the mixture looks the same throughout, put it in a sprayed loaf pan, spreading it and flattening it out to fill the pan.  Top with other half of ketchup/A-1 mixture.  Bake 1 hour 10 minutes at 350.

Makes 4 servings. 6 WeightWatchers PointsPlus per serving.

I usually serve 1/4 of the loaf with a point-free veggie (like broccoli) and corn on the cob (at only 2 points per ear) or a baked potato.  The left-over meatloaf is actually better than the first night, so it's a double treat!