Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

Following a low carb diet can sometimes be a bit boring especially when you love all the things you need to either avoid or eat in small amounts.  

The Atkins “induction” phase is sometimes like that.. when there are really limited options…. So sometimes it takes some effort and creativity to make different meals with the same ingredients taste different.

The rewards of feeling better certainly outweigh the efforts.

This recipe is both easy and “induction” worthy… for those following Atkins.. this recipe is for you… for those just curious.. it is delicious and something everyone can enjoy.

TIPS

I do use extremely lean meat … the recipe includes other ingredients that are higher in fat.. you don’t need to compound that with higher fat meat.

The Worcestershire sauce is optional.. we like the added zing it gives ground beef.  I used about three “splashes”… which is less than 1 tablespoon.

The mushrooms are optional as well.

I used my mini chopper to chop the onion and garlic together.. it’s easier and mixes the onion and garlic really well.

You can use less cheddar cheese if you prefer.. we like it cheesy.

I used heavy cream… half and half works also.

Recipe: Low Carb Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

All you need:

1 pound lean ground beef

3 strips of thick sliced bacon, cut up

1 small onion, diced

1 large garlic clove, minced

About 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)

8 oz. baby Portobello mushrooms, thickly sliced (optional)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 eggs, beaten

½ cup mayo

½ cup heavy cream

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large skillet cook the bacon until cooked and slightly crispy.

Remove all but about a tablespoon of the bacon grease.  Add the onions and garlic.. and cook until the onions are soft.  Add the ground beef and add the splashes of Worcestershire sauce.  Cook until the beef is brown and cooked. *Add the mushrooms toward the end as the beef finishes cooking.

The mushrooms will release quite a bit of water.. that’s okay.  When the beef finishes cooking and the mushrooms are semi soft… add the bacon back into the pan… mix well and then remove the mixture to a 9 x 9 inch square baking dish.

Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top of the meat mixture.

In a medium bowl, mix the beaten eggs and mayo well.  Add the heavy cream and mix until smooth.  Pour the mixture over the top of the casserole.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is set and golden in color.

Remove from the oven and allow to set for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

Italian Sausage Peppers and Onions

Italian Sausage Peppers and Onions… a great “street festival” food… easy to make at home and oh so good!

TIPS

There are a number of ways to make these…. I always par boil the sausage…. then either pan fry, flat grill or grill them on the BBQ… any way you decide to cook them are all good and all very easy.

I parboil them so I can limit the amount of time I have them on the grill or in the fry pan.. I don’t like to incinerate them but you do need to cook them through and parboiling them is the easiest way to do that.

I pierce the skin with a sharp tonged fork in a few places so the grease seeps out.. nothing worse than biting into a cooked sausage and having a splat of hot grease hit your lip or face.

These can be served so many ways…. In hot dog buns, hoagie rolls … over cooked pasta or rice…

Quantities can be varied if you prefer… just eyeball the amount of onion and peppers….

Don’t over-use the olive oil…. a little goes a long way… you may not even need any depending on the amount of grease that renders from the sausage or how you make it.

How you make the onions and peppers… you can make them in a skillet with a little olive oil … which you will need to if you decide to finish cooking the sausages on the BBQ grill.

You can also cook them when you finish cooking the sausages in the skillet… if the sausages don’t render much grease.. just drizzle a little olive oil in there and toss the onions and peppers to coat them.. don’t let them burn.. a little dark is good.. too much can make them taste bitter.

I love to serve this with a pasta salad on the side… a great weekend meal to watch the game or enjoy on the deck or patio … it makes a wonderful dish for a backyard BBQ.

Recipe:  Italian Sausage Peppers and Onions

All you need:

5-6 Italian Sausages in casings (Hot or Sweet or Both)

1 large sweet onion, sliced fairly thin

1 red pepper, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1-2 tablespoons olive oil (only if needed *See TIPS)

Hot dog or sub rolls

All you need to do:

Take a sharp knife or fork and pierce the skin of the sausages a few times and place in a skillet with high sides.

Add enough water to come up to about half the sausage(s).  Cook over medium to high heat and bring to a brisk simmer for about 20 minutes, turning them over about half way through cooking.  

The water will cook off… and that’s perfectly fine…. as long as they have cooked about 20 minutes.  If not, then add some more water.  If you still have water in your pan… dump out the left over water… and return the skillet to the heat.

Mine usually totally evaporates… and I just leave the sausages in the pan.  Add a little olive oil and dump the onions and peppers in the pan… and cook the sausages until they are nicely browned on all sides and the center is no longer pink. 

You can pierce the sausages a bit more to get more of their grease in the pan to flavor the onions and peppers.

If your onions and peppers brown faster than the sausages.. then remove them to a platter and continue cooking the sausages.

Serve on hot dog buns, sub rolls or with pasta.

Italian Sausage and Grilled Eggplant Lasagna

 

A terrific low carb meal… Italian Sausage and Grilled Eggplant Lasagna is easy to put together.. from scratch or taking shortcuts… it’s all good!

TIPS

I make a crock pot of tomato sauce.. and use the leftovers for recipes like this…. Here is a super easy crock pot recipe for tomato sauce…. Click here.

As I mentioned.. you can take shortcuts.. commercial jarred tomato sauce works in this recipe just fine.

I grilled my eggplant on my Cuisinart grill.. you can do it in a grill pan on the stove or even in the oven.  To do it in the oven.. preheat the oven to 400 .. cover a baking sheet with non-stick foil and follow the instructions basting the slices in olive oil and seasoning with a bit of salt and pepper… roast until slightly yellow in color and the slices begin to soften.

I didn’t peel the eggplant… sometimes I do peel it.. it’s just personal preference… this time the skins were tough.. either way works.. do whichever you prefer.

Be sure to give the shredded mozzarella on top of the casserole a quick spritz of olive oil cooking spray.. it helps melt the cheese into gooey goodness.

You can use either mild (sweet) or hot Italian sausage. 

I hope you try this delicious meal!

Recipe:  Italian Sausage and Grilled Eggplant Lasagna

All you need to do:

1 pound Italian bulk sausage, cooked and crumbled

2 medium sized eggplants, sliced ¾ inch thick (peeling is optional)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Tomato sauce  *See TIPS

1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese

1 egg, slightly beaten

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tables spoons chopped fresh parsley

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups shredded mozzarella

Olive oil cooking spray

All you need to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread some tomato sauce (just enough to coat it) in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and garlic powder.  Set aside.

Reserve ½ cup of sauce for the top of the casserole.  Set aside.

Mix the remaining tomato sauce with the cooked Italian sausage.  Set aside.

Using a pastry brush, brush olive oil on both sides of the eggplant slices and season with salt and peer.  Grill them on a hot grill or grill pan (See TIPS for oven method) until they are slightly yellow and slightly soft.

To assemble the casserole:

Lay a layer of grilled eggplant on the bottom of the baking pan (over the little bit of sauce on the bottom).

Spread the Italian sausage mixture over the egg plant.  Spread the cheese mixture over the meat.  Lay the remaining eggplant on top of the cheese.  Spread the reserved tomato sauce over the eggplant.  Sprinkle the mozzarella over the entire top of the casserole.

Give the top of the cheese a quick, light spray of olive oil cooking spray.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes ot until the casserole is bubbly and cheese has melted and browned slightly.

Allow to stand about 10 minutes before serving.