Keto Favorites: Holiday Recipes
/By: Laura Dority MS RD LD
Happy Holidays from the entire Keto Hope team! To celebrate, Jessica, Daisy and I decided to share our favorite keto holiday recipes with you! We know sticking to a keto diet can be difficult around the holiday season, but these recipes are sure to make it a little easier and a whole lot tastier!
First up – let’s take a look at Jessica’s favorite. Get your holiday breakfast started off right with this tasty keto breakfast casserole the whole family will love! And let’s be honest…you might just want to eat it all day…why stop at breakfast? This recipe makes about 9 servings and is a 1.25:1 ketogenic diet ratio with 1 gram of net carbohydrates. If you need a higher ratio you can adjust the recipe to include more olive oil and heavy cream and less sausage and eggs to reduce the protein while increasing the fat. Or try pairing with a side of avocado to add more fat and fiber!
Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 lb chorizo sausage
6 cloves garlic, minced
12 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups cooked broccoli (optional, or veggie of choice-not accounted for in the nutrition facts below)
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees F°.
Mix eggs, cream, and 1 cup of cheese in a bowl with whisk. Set aside.
Heat oil in a 12 inch cast iron skillet on medium heat until shimmering, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add sausage and brown. Drain any excess oil off.
Add broccoli, salt and pepper, then pour egg mixture over the pan and spread evenly.
Top with parsley and remainder of cheese.
Once the outside edge starts to turn a lighter color (about 1 minute), transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10-14 minutes (until eggs are puffed but the center jiggles just a little).
Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
You can also make this in a casserole dish by greasing a 9x13 pan. Add sausage and veggies in layers then top with egg mixture and the rest of cheese and parsley. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes ~ 9 servings.
Nutrition information (1 serving): 281 calories, 23 grams fat, 17 grams protein, 1 gram total carbohydrate, 0.1 gram fiber, 0.9 grams net carbs (1.25:1 ratio).
Lechon para Noche Buena (Christmas Eve Pork)
Let’s move on to a main course option! Daisy, our amazing keto mom contributor, selected a Christmas Eve Pork which is a Cuban tradition in her family. Easy ways to add more fat to this recipe include drizzling extra virgin olive oil over the finished product or adding butter when the sauce is thickening. ¡Buen provecho! (Enjoy!)
Ingredients:
1lb of pork either Boston butt or pork loin
2 Tbsp of Badia Mojo Rub Citrus Blend seasoning
Grated Rind of one small orange
2 bay leaves
1/4 t oregano
1 c water
salt to taste
2 tbsp or oil for cooking
Directions:
Add all ingredients except oil and pork to a ziplock bag to be used as a marinade.
Cut pork into chunks about 1.5 in each and then add to the bag with seasonings. Massage the marinade into the pork.
Place the bag in a bowl and allow it to rest for at least 1 hr but overnight is best.
When ready to cook, heat the oil in a small pot on medium high.
Add the pork chunks and brown them on all sides.
Once the pork is browned, add the marinade and lower heat to med low.
Allow the meat to cook in the marinade for 30 min with the lid on. Cook times will vary. You will know it's ready when you press the meat with a fork and it falls apart.
Remove the pork and set aside but continue to cook the sauce until it reaches the desired consistency (this is where you could add butter for a higher fat content) and remove the bay leaves.
Use a fork to shred the pork and add it back to the pot to combine with sauce.
Nutrition information with no extra fat added (1 serving ~2.5 oz): 230 calories, 16 grams fat, 20 grams protein, 0 gram total carbohydrate, 0 gram fiber, 0 grams net carbs (0.8:1 ratio).
Nutrition information with 6 Tbsp butter added to sauce (1 serving ~3 oz): 330 calories, 27.5 grams fat, 20.5 grams protein, 0 gram total carbohydrate, 0 gram fiber, 0 grams net carbs (1.3:1 ratio).
Bacon-Wrapped Cauliflower
And finally, for my personal contribution I combined my two favorite keto foods…and no I’m not going to say avocado. While avocado may be the healthiest keto food, it’s not my personal favorite! The combination of cauliflower (dreaming of rice and pizza crust) and bacon are the hard winners. So, I found a recipe from Delish.com that I altered a bit by taking out the breadcrumbs and adding more Parmesan cheese. It ended up not only tasting great but it’s a work of art.
If you want to make this recipe a tad easier, it would work just as well if you cut the cauliflower into florets and wrapped 1 slice of bacon around each floret and then baked the filling in a separate dish and served it on the side. You could also make this into a casserole by cooking the cauliflower and bacon then chopping and tossing it all together into casserole dish and baking until cheese turns golden brown. It honestly tastes a lot like a spinach artichoke dip. You can add more fat to this meal easily by using more bacon and olive oil.
Ingredients:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
Kosher salt
1 head cauliflower, leaves removed and stem trimmed so cauliflower lays flat but still intact
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed, water squeezed out and chopped
2 large eggs, beaten
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic (minced)
¾ cup shredded cheddar
4 oz cream cheese (softened and cubed)
½ cup grated Parmesan
1 lb (~16 slices) thinly sliced bacon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Bring 8 cups water, oil, lemon juice and 2 Tbsp salt to a boil in a large pot. Add cauliflower and bring back to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and place a plate on top of the cauliflower to keep it submerged. Simmer until knife easily inserts into the center (about 12 minutes).
Transfer cauliflower to a small rimmed baking sheet and let it cool.
Meanwhile, combine spinach, eggs, green onions, garlic, cheddar, cream cheese, panko, and Parmesan and place in a piping bag with a ¾ inch tip.
Position cooled cauliflower stem side upon a rimmed baking sheet. Pipe filling between stalks of florets. Then flip the cauliflower step side down, and lay strips of bacon over in a woven pattern.
Roast, rotating sheet halfway through, until gold all over, about 30 minutes.
Nutrition Information per serving (makes about 8 servings): 300 calories, 25 grams fat, 15 grams protein, 7 grams total carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 4 grams net carbs (~1.3:1 ratio)
Recipe credit: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a26882653/bacon-wrapped-cauliflower-recipe/
Thanks for reading and for all your support during this difficult 2020 year. We wish you and your families the most wonderful of holiday season and a Happy New Year – 2021 is going to be great!