Cheesy Sausage and Rice Casserole

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Cauliflower rice is one of the best low carb substitutes for those starchy foods we have all enjoyed but no longer eat on keto.  Since cauliflower is so mild in flavor, it absorbs the seasonings and sauces you add to it, making it a great base in many dishes.  Roasted, riced, or "mashed" shows the vegetable's true versatility beyond streamed or raw florets.  This casserole will turn even the biggest cauliflower non-believer into a fan, because of the delicious sausage and cheese that accompany it.  Another easy weeknight meal makes this a true winner. I began by pre-heating my oven to 350°F and gathering the above ingredients. While heating olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, I chopped the onion, red pepper, and jalapeños into small pieces.  I used two medium jalapeños but you could use more or less, depending on personal preference. I first cooked the onions in peppers until fragrant and the onions were slightly translucent, then seasoned with salt and pepper.  I [Continue reading...]

Pesto Chicken

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Is there anything better than recipes that are 5 ingredients or less?  I love simple foods that don't break the bank or require me to buy every spice, oil, or sauce known to man to make.  Long before making this blog I was interested in cooking and would find recipes that looked delicious, but would immediately become a hard "NO" after scrolling to find an ingredients list as long as 12-15 items.  After busy days at work, energy levels can be pretty low come Wednesday or Thursday night, so having a quick and easy go-to recipe you can throw together is key. I began by pre-heating my oven to 350°F and gathering my ingredients above. On a foil-lined and greased baking sheet, I laid out the chicken breasts, patted them dry, and seasoned both sides with salt and pepper.  I chose thin-sliced chicken breasts for their quicker cooking time. Next I spooned some pesto onto each chicken breast and then topped with cheese.  I put them in the oven for about 30 minutes until the [Continue reading...]

Spicy Shrimp and Broccoli Mash

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With spring finally (slowly) showing up in Chicago, my desire for lighter, and fresher, meals kicks into high gear.  That can be a tricky thing to balance when attempting to eat a high fat diet, but I tend bulk up on fat and super low carb food in the morning and for lunch, and make something a little more carb-heavy (because of vegetables) for dinner.  That's my personal way of balancing macros when soups and meatloaf and casseroles sound a little too heavy for this time of year.  This meal is the perfect way to get in some green veggies, and enjoy a lighter meal in the warmer months. I started by gathering all my ingredients above. Next I heated a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and sauteed my frozen broccoli until tender.  I let as much water evaporate and drained the rest before seasoning with salt and pepper. I added the broccoli along with the parmesan cheese and heavy cream to my food processor and pulsed until everything came together.  If [Continue reading...]

Bacon Leek Pizza

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Autumn is here and that means comfort food season is upon us!  I am so grateful we are past the warm weather and am looking forward to leaves changing colors, sweater weather, and the holidays.  I have posted several pizza recipes on this blog in the past and they are always a big hit.  There's something about pizza on a Friday or Saturday night (or during game day, this time of year) that makes the weekend even better, and I'm so happy low carb crusts exist and make enjoying pizza possible even on a ketogenic diet. I began by pre-heating the oven to 425°F and gathering the above ingredients. First I melted the cream cheese and mozzarella cheese together in the microwave for about 90 seconds.  I then stirred in the almond flour, eggs, and some salt and pepper to create the dough.  If you think your dough is too wet, add a little extra almond flour a tablespoon at a time.  On a parchment-lined baking sheet, I spread the dough out into a large rectangle and baked it for 12 [Continue reading...]

Spanish Rice

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I have found that many times I can come up with a main dish to make for dinner, but unless I want roasted broccoli or asparagus for the fourth time that week, I sometimes have a hard time thinking of a good side dish to pair it with.  Sure, I could make a salad and call it a day, but there are times when I want something different that still fits the low carb model.  I think that's why, in the Standard American Diet, pasta, rice, and potatoes are staples because you can use them in so many different ways to bulk up a meal.  Cauliflower rice is a great, versatile side dish that can be made to accompany many different kinds of protein.  Like regular white or brown rice, it will absorb the flavors of the seasonings and sauces you choose.  It can be used as fried rice, the base of a stir fry, formed into sushi rolls, or used in pretty much any way regular rice is eaten.  I've seen many different low carb Mexican dishes the last few years, and I think this Spanish rice would be the perfect [Continue reading...]

Pulled Pork Breakfast Tower

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*FTC Disclaimer: This BBQ sauce was sent to me free for my consideration.  This is a sponsored post.  As always, all opinions are my own.* As I mentioned in my last post, G Hughes Sugar Free is one of my favorite brands for low carb eating.  I've been purchasing their BBQ sauce for years, and love the variety of flavors they have in stores.  Typically I've purchased the honey BBQ in the past, and I don't even know that I've seen the original flavor while shopping, so I was really excited when they sent me a bottle of it to try.  At only 2g carbs per serving for every flavor, you will never again wish you could find a delicious, tangy BBQ sauce while eating low carb.  Ketchup and BBQ sauce are some of my favorite condiments, and I'm so glad there is a brand that supplies sugar free options for those of us following a low carb diet.  I came up with the idea for this recipe a long time ago, but needed to think of a way to re-create a kind of doughy base that was sturdy enough to hold [Continue reading...]

Mini Cheeseburger Meatloaves + Tangy Dipping Sauce

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*FTC Disclaimer: This ketchup was sent to me free for my consideration.  This is a sponsored post.  As always, all opinions are my own.* I am so excited to be bringing this post to you today and to let you know about the new sugar-free, gluten-free ketchup from one of my favorite low carb brands, G Hughes Sugar Free.  I have included their BBQ sauce in many of the grocery hauls I've posted to my Instagram account for years, and included it in my recipe for BBQ chicken wings earlier this year.  They recently launched their brand new ketchup and I thought what better way to use it than to make some meatloaf, cheeseburger style!  These would be perfect for summer parties as a low carb-friendly option for guests.  As a special 2-in-1 recipe today, I also wanted to show you how to whip up a quick and easy tangy dipping sauce that would be perfect on the meatloaves or with my crispy zucchini fries as a side dish. I began by pre-heating the oven to 400°F and gathering the ingredients [Continue reading...]

Broccoli Bacon Smothered Chicken

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I'm on a mission to find out how many recipes for chicken I can come up with, I think.  The versatility of chicken makes it my favorite protein, because almost anything tastes good paired with it.  I also love posting easy recipes like this so my readers can use it as inspiration for their favorite foods; you can follow it exactly as written, or you can combine your family's favorite toppings and make your own great meal.  Plus, you really shouldn't pile cheese onto a filet, and a life without cheese is a life I don't want to live, if you know what I mean. I began by pre-heating my oven to 350°F and gathering my ingredients above. First I cooked the bacon and steamed the broccoli in the microwave and set them aside to cool slightly.  I broke the bacon into bite-sized pieces when it was cool enough to handle.  I added half of the bacon and all of the shredded mozzarella cheese to a mixing bowl along with the softened cream cheese and stirred everything together. Next I [Continue reading...]

Deep Dish Breakfast Pizza

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I'm sure I've said it several times before, but I really do enjoy making food that can be re-purposed for other meals later in the week.  I think that's why I love casseroles so much - leftovers last for days and are always good re-heated.  I love making a big brunch-style breakfast Sunday morning and then portioning out the leftovers for weekday breakfasts and lunches that require absolutely no effort.  This breakfast pizza is all that and more, and is another great recipe base that you can customize to you and your family's tastes.  Now that I am back in the Chicagoland area, I wanted to pay homage to my roots and try to make a low carb version of one of my favorite foods, deep dish pizza. I started by gathering my ingredients and pre-heating my oven to 350°F. I decided to use sweet Italian sausage for this recipe, but you could use mild or spicy sausage, or ground breakfast sausage, too.  I cooked the sausage in a large pan until crumbled, and then set it aside. While the [Continue reading...]

Pesto Shrimp + Broccoli Alfredo

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Today's recipe is one of my favorite things to eat, no joke.  It's one of those meals that is so satisfying that you forget it's actually really good for you, full of delicious vegetables, and follows the LCHF guidelines.  I seriously love meals like this, and the leftovers tend to be even better the next day after the flavors have had more time to come together.  I also wanted to say this will be my last recipe for a few weeks as I am preparing to move several hundred miles, and need to start packing up my kitchen things, but don't worry... I will be back!  I started Butter Is Not a Carb in this apartment 3 years ago, and have many fond memories of photographing the food on my dining room table by the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.  My blog has evolved so much since the first few posts, definitely for the better, but I still have a lot to learn and there are many ways I can improve.  Thank you so much for being here with me so far, no matter if you started following yesterday or on [Continue reading...]