Chicken Parmesan Soup

Crazy busy at your house? This is not a glam recipe. No one will be dazzled by the beauty of it. No special Christmas cheer,,,but it is really tasty. It reminds me of Italian Wedding Soup--the one with those little meatballs. With some shortcuts you will appreciate, it gets you out of the kitchen and on to those holiday festivities. Afterall, not every holiday meal is a showcase!

Nesco 

My shortcuts include my electric pressure cooker. Love that thing. With it, I can take these delicious Chicken Parmesan sausages from Sprouts--straight from the freezer, mind you-- and have a fantastic soup on the table in about half an hour. I am thinking about doing some blogs about gifts that would be loved and used by low carbers like us. This is certainly one. My version of the electric pressure cooker is also a slow cooker and sells for about 75 bucks.  This vegetable soup tastes like it simmered all day, and you can do it that way if you want. Not me, at least not today.

But if it is another one of those "I'm so busy how can I think about dinner?" kinda days, then this pressure cooker could save your life. Well maybe not your life, but at least your diet. Shortcut number two: I keep a selection of Sprouts sausages in the freezer. Sometimes I am so lazy I don't even re-wrap them from the lump they come in from the butcher department. I just stick them in there, paper wrapping and all. The problem is, the sausages are harder to thaw in a big lump. Bad for a conventional method of cooking, but no problem at all in the pressure cooker. They will steam cook or boil, you choose, in about 9 minutes cooking time. You do have the additional time of bringing the pot up to pressure, but still, not much time. If you are cooking them stovetop, better plan on half an hour and check them to break the big lump at the midway mark. See why I love my electric pressure cooker? When time is up and I have released the pressure the fast way, they have separated and are cooked through. Woohoo.

For this soup, I just used my kitchen shears to "slice" them up. So fast. The slices are tender and delicious. Like I said, they remind me of the meatballs in Italian Wedding Soup. Lots easier to make though. No comparison on ease of prep! Plus, the time the sausages are cooking is not wasted. That is when I chop the fresh vegetables to add in. Efficient, no? Once the sausages are sliced, add in the fresh veggies of choice and back to cook under pressure. A mere 5 minutes on high pressure and you are done. Tender veggies that retain a little character, but blend so well with the chicken flavor.

In my last time saver, I use a can of petite diced tomatoes (S&W Premium) that already have the garlic and Italian seasonings added. Watch for sugar added on some brands. This comes in at 3 net carbs per half cup serving. If you can't find one, just add in your own garlic, basil and oregano to taste. Now ready for the recipe?

Chicken Parmesan Soup

3 Chicken Parmesan Sausage Links (>2 carbs each)
14 oz can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
3 cans water (42 oz)
6 oz sliced portabella mushrooms
4 cups finely diced cabbage (could sub fresh spinach)
3 ribs celery, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup shaved fresh Parmesan Cheese

Place the sausage into the pressure cooker along with the tomatoes and water. Bring up to high pressure and cook for 9 minutes if sausage is frozen, 5 if thawed. Chop vegetables while the sausages are cooking. Release pressure using the quick release method.

Remove sausages and slice into bite sized pieces. Return to pot. Add chopped vegetables and salt. Return to high pressure and cook 5 minutes. Let the pressure drop naturally for 5 minutes, then use quick release. Ladle soup into bowls and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

For a conventional cooking method, thaw sausages. Combine all ingredients except cheese and simmer in a dutch oven on the stove top for an hour or more. Remove cooked sausages and slice. Return to pot. Ladle and top with cheese.

Serves 6:    136 calories   5 net carbs (9)   15 g protein

This is super low calorie. Good if you have been indulging a little too often this holiday season. If not, it gives you lots of room for some fattier low carb treats, like a nice hot cocoa or a fat bomb or two.

For me, the leftover servings are going into mason jars for lunches this week. That makes this a Multiply Meal for us. I know I am going to appreciate this hot meal later this week at school.

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Cream Cheese Lasagna

This stuff is amazing. So yummy. I made it a long, long time ago with Dreamfield's Lasagna noodles--before all the hoopla about their real carb content. I don't bother to buy it anymore (although I never did much, as I had already discovered that it raised the hubby's blood sugar). But forget that! Who needs the pasta anyway? This one uses eggplant slices to replace the pasta. Not quite the same texture, but superb flavor!

The thing that makes this dish so special is the cream cheese. Most lasagna recipes rely on ricotta cheese or cottage cheese. This has so much more flavor. Can you say creamy? True that it looks a little weird before it bakes. The tomato mixed in with the cream cheese looks pink. Fear not, when baked the pink is gone and all is well! I used sausage for even more flavor, but it is good with beef too. In the original recipe, I made a larger lasagna, and used half sausage and half beef. This recipe is easy to double, so do that if you have a crowd.

Cream Cheese Lasagna with Eggplant and Sausage

1 lb pork sausage
1 eggplant
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz cream cheese
14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
5 oz frozen spinach
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or any of your choice)

In large skillet, brown sausage. Cut the eggplant into thin slices. Cut larger slices in half.  Place slices on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 10 minutes. With paper towels, press the moisture off the slices. Brush each with olive oil. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and flip each slice. Bake another 5-7 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven.

While those are baking, combine the cream cheese, diced tomatoes, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. (If cheese is cold, heat it a bit before adding tomatoes). Place 1/3 of the sausage, along with a bit of the pan drippings, in the base of an 8 inch square dish. Top the sausage with a layer of eggplant slices. Spoon 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture over the slices. Top with half of the spinach. Repeat layers of sausage, eggplant and cream cheese. Add the remaining spinach. Add the last of the sausage and cheese mixture. Top lasagna with shredded cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Let lasagna rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Serves 6:   464 calories    6 net carbs      38 g fat


Carb counts can vary with cream cheese, so watch. Neufchatel would lower the calories and fat a bit, but some have higher carbs. My Fitness Pal had the Neufchatel version 2 carbs per serving higher. I can't see how that can be. I hate how different software programs give you different figures. Grr. Just go with this is somewhere between 6 and 8 net carbs per serving.

The eggplant does not exactly stay in obvious layers like the pasta counterpart. It is really tasty, however. This is nice reheated, so go ahead and make a double batch if you want. Divide it up for lunches or freeze an extra. The busy upcoming holidays will be a time you will appreciate having those frozen meals waiting for you!

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Chicken and Broccoli Casserole for 2...or 6. You Choose.

In the family style version, this casserole was formerly and affectionately known as "Hen in a Tree." That is because my boys once called broccoli "little trees." I do miss those days of having lots of little men running around the house. But seasons change and so did this recipe. A new name and albeit much more boring name--but the same homey, comforting taste. Chicken, cream cheese and some trees broccoli.

This is one of the old recipes I am reworking for my upcoming project of the Diner system for Two. I have invested in a few new smaller casserole dishes. This recipe will still feed 4-6, so it is still family friendly. The thing is, when you are just a couple or a single, you can prep it all in individual casserole dishes that will go in to the freezer for another day. Almost no work and a nice warm homecooked meal awaits. The Diner system is great for small families too. I know this would be excellent for my mom who tends to skip dinner and just eat cereal. She says it is too much trouble to cook just for herself. I really don't know how it is that I have not convinced her of the genius of stocking the freezer.

So here is the updated and scaled down version of an old Multiply Meals favorite. Now perfect for one family meal or several dinners for couples. Because it freezes well--either before or after baking, you don't have to eat it for every meal for the next few days. It will wait happily until it finds a way to your menu again, or until you just crave it too badly.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Pure comfort food! This casserole will feel like home. Serve with a green salad on the side.

1 1/2 lb boneless chicken breasts

1 tsp seasoning salt

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp mustard powder

1 lb broccoli

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (divided)

Coat chicken pieces with seasoning salt. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. While chicken is baking, steam the broccoli until just tender crisp. Drain well.

In a medium sauce pan, stir together the chicken broth and cream. Add chunks of cream cheese, whisking until blended. Stir in mustard and set aside.

When the chicken done, chop it into bite sized chunks. Combine the chicken, cheese sauce, broccoli, and a half cup of the shredded cheddar. Pour into casserole dish(es). Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes. (To make a Multiply Meal, freeze 4-5 portions either before or after baking.

Serves 6:   394 calories   5 net carbs

I like to gently stir this casserole before serving, to break up the cheese a bit. Again, I like to bake this in individual casseroles to stock the freezer. Couple might want to bake in three small casseroles. Families who want to eat it all at once will do fine with an 8 inch square dish. So delish. Having a big week with summer camp this week and I am tired. Next week will be more time to blog. Until then...

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Buffalo Grilled Chicken Breast

Those who follow the Diner plan do a weekend prep day, right? Today, my Multiply Meal was grilled chicken breast. Not so fancy. My dear hubby just recently repaired the grill he received as a Father's Day Gift from our boys three years ago. Seriously it has been the money pit of grills...and still refused to work.  My guys found this high end grill at a neighborhood garage sale. The sellers promised it worked. Uuuhhm...no. John replaced parts--burners even. Still no. He bought a new propane adapter. Still not. Back to pouring charcoal into his old grill. Our back porch has been a maze of grills for three years. But we just kept putting money into it, refusing to give up.With renewed spring vigor, John finally got it working! He made lots of hamburgers, along with steak and grilled chicken for our fajitas last week. Those were awesome. Then a storm came though and blew the monster grill over. Ceramic pieces and grill grates all over the place. Thankfully most of it survived although we will now need some new ceramic pads...yep, more money. It is the gift that just keeps giving  taking.  I guess it has still been less expensive than buying it new. John will always be proud because it was given by his boys.

Our monster grill did get to return some love today. I marinated and hubby grilled 5 pounds of chicken breast. Because I did not want all the same flavor, I made up three different new marinades. Gotta say they are all a hit. (I have only sliced off a bit here or there, as these will be meals later this week) Yes, you do lose a little bit of that fresh off the fire flavor, but it is still better to be able to be lazy later in the week. Running the school, I am not sure I can call it laziness--supreme business seems to be my problem. Kinda like adopting 20 teenagers as my own. Having a couple of nice dinners and lunches ready to go will make life so much easier. That is the Diner system at its best.

I am going to feature each of the marinades and subsequent meals separately this week. I was going to put them all in one post, but they are so tasty, I have decided each deserves it own blog. The guys asked for this one for tonight's dinner. Later this week, we will dine on a rosemary garlic chicken meal, and I plan to serve some amazing Ginger Thai chicken salads. So different and so good. Better even still, only one trip to the grill, and no raw chicken lurking in the fridge.

The Buffalo Grilled Chicken takes advantage of a couple of Dollar Tree deals. Yes I am frugal, so don't be a snob. I like the Chicken Wing Sauce from Louisiana Supreme. It lists 0 carbs per serving. I also found the dry dressing mix for Kraft's Blue Cheese Anything--dip, dressing and recipe mix. 1/12 servings of the mix have <1 carb, and I use about 1/4 of the package. Since my guys don't like real blue cheese, this is a good compromise for us. Combined with the wing sauce and butter, it makes a really creamy sauce that is not too spicy or tart with vinegar. I really like the outdoor grilled flavor combined with the Buffalo style sauce They go well together to my taste.

Buffalo Grilled Chicken

1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken (I used breast, but thigh would work also)
1/2 cup hot sauce 
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp butter flavoring optional
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp hot sauce
2 tbsp Kraft Blue Cheese Dressing Mix

In a gallon size storage bag or large bowl, mix the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and butter flavoring. Add the chicken, coating well. Let marinade at least 30 minutes up to overnight.

In a small bowl, melt butter. Stir in hot sauce and dry dressing mix.

Remove chicken and discard marinade. Grill chicken until no pink remains.Baste with sauce during the last few minutes of grilling, or brush on after removing chicken from the grill.

Serves 4 at :           205 calories    1 carb       3 g fat       42 g  protein


There! It is really so simple and fun. We will have a big salad with it--blue cheese dressing for me, Ranch for the hubby. Trying to think of another side--what sounds good to you?

Here is a sneak peak at the other two recipes:

The Rosemary Garlic Mustard Chicken

The Ginger Thai Chicken

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Tac-ole Personal Casseroles

Tac-Ole cups have been a favorite in my family ever since we started low carbing. I love my Tex-Mex food, but there is really nothing I can find that is legal at the fast food Mexican chains. Fajitas are an option in nicer places, but not so great for quick and cheap lunches. Besides, it is just easier to stay far away from that bowl of chips. This recipe is fun and tasty, not exactly like tacos or burritos, but the flavor cures the craving. Better yet, it is so simple to throw together!

I usually make a big Multiply Meal batch that are cupcake size. Today, I did that with most of the batch, but first, I filled three personal casserole dishes for our lunch meal. Yum. I baked some mini peppers stuffed with caulirice, salsa and cheese, and also added a nice side salad. Great lunch. Better yet, some go in the fridge for later this week and some go in the freezer for quick meals in the future!

Here is the recipe for a single batch. You really should buy the Diner e-book so you can work the system and always have food in the freezer and a meal plan in place. It really does de-stress life.

Tac-Ole Cups

1 1/4 lb ground beef
4 eggs
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup almond flour or any low carb flour blend
3 tbsp taco seasoning ( 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp Mexican oregano 
2 cups shredded cheese

Brown ground beef and drain off fat. In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs. Stir in salsa. Add in flour and seasonings. Stir until no lumps remain. Stir in cheese and beef. Spoon batter into 12 standard muffin cups. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serving: 2 cups     614 calories   2 carbs

These travel really well and are great in a lunch box!


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Say "Cheeze"-burger Quiche Cups

These make me smile. This is one of my favorite Multiply Meals from the 24/7 Low Carb Diner e-book. Rather than making 3 full casseroles--although those are great--I thought you might like the smaller version to try out. This time, I made the quiche in cups so they are super portable for lunch on the go, or even a late night snack attack. Either way, casserole dish or silicon cup, these taste terrific. When my son came in from his LifeGroup tonight with his friends, he said the house smelled like hamburgers. That's a testimony. This is no gourmet delight, but real people food.

This dish really is like eating all the best parts of a cheeseburger. Forget the bun. Don't go near the french fries. (Unless you are making some turnip, rutabaga or jicama fries as per the instructions in the March Diner News) These can be held in your hand or eaten with a fork. You choose. I happen to like the taste of the dill pickle. It really makes for an authentic flavor. Truth told, I sometimes divide my mixture and make some without the pickles. Poor sad boy who doesn't do pickles.

This recipe is forgiving. The full Multiply Meal uses a can of diced tomatoes. For the single version, you have a choice. This time, I used a fresh roma tomato. If you don't have fresh you can sub 1/4 cup of a mild salsa.

Cheezeburger Quiche

1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
8 oz cream cheese
6 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 roma tomato or 1/4 cup mild salsa 
1/4 cup yellow mustard or spicy brown mustard
2 tbsp dill pickle relish
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef with the onion. Drain. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, eggs and mayonnaise until no lumps remain. Stir in the ground beef mixture, chopped tomato or salsa, mustard and pickle.Reserve 1/4 cup of cheese for topping and stir the remaining cheese into the mixture. Pour into a casserole dish and bake 40 minutes or until set in the center. Alternately, spoon mixture into silicone baking cups. Place cups on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees or until set in the center. Cups will rise then fall when cooling.  6 very generous portions. (you may choose to make it 8-10 servings depending on calorie goals)

738 calories   3 g net carbs

I serve this simply with some lettuce and a squirt of sugarfree ketchup. Yum.

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My Thai Chicken

This is an old recipe for me...way back to our original low carb days. It is funny that sometimes in my quest to find new things for my blog and FB, I neglect our old standards. John didn't even recognize this meal. I did change out thighs for breast meat, but that wasn't it. True, I did change out red pepper for green this time, and actually had some fresh cilantro in the fridge.That makes it way more beautiful! But maybe it had just been too long since I have made this one. What a shame.

In my Diner e-book, this recipe is a Multiply Meal. For you uninitiated, that means it is a recipe for three complete dinners. Make it once, eat that night and freeze two others. With a winter storm bearing down on my door today, through, I wanted to get several meals out of my 5 lb package of chicken breast, so I made just one entree. I will give you that recipe, but it is good enough to make a triple batch...if you like peanuts. I love peanuts. Just so you know, I use Smuckers peanut butter for this.

Just a note on an ingredient. Knorr Cilantro cubes. I keep these on hand for when I don't have fresh cilantro on hand. I know you can freeze fresh herbs and all, but these cubes are handy. Always ready to go in the pantry. They are completely optional, however, and fresh cilantro will be even more flavorful! Here is today's version:

My Thai Chicken

2 lbs boneless chicken breast or thigh, cut into serving size chunks
1 diced bell pepper
1/2 cup thick mild salsa
1/4 cup no sugar peanut butter
3 tbsp lime juice
1 teaspoons ginger
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 Knorr cilantro cube (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves)
1 oz  peanuts

Mix salsa, peanut butter, juice and spices. Place chicken in casserole dish and coat with the sauce. Add diced pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and stir the sauce into the cooking juices. Chop peanuts and sprinkle over the top. Garnish with fresh cilantro when serving.

Serves 6 at   4.5 carbs each         186 calories

This is nice and warming. The salsa sees to that. Good thing since we were having "Thunder Sleet" while this was in the oven. Crazy weather. School is now cancelled for tomorrow, but that gave me some extra time to blog. Gotta grab it when I can. 

Ready to order the e-book that gives you all the secrets for multiply meals like this one, plus Triple Play meals (1 protein and 3 different entrees), Freezer Favorites, Crock-It entrees, Muffin Mania, Build It Buffet meals and E.Z. Fix meals? Order here:  http://www.247lowcarbdiner.com

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Lasagna and Cheesecake Weeknight Style

Confessions of real life. I have Chicken Vindaloo in my crockpot. It would have helped to make sure the crockpot was plugged in. After discovering that it was cold at 4 p.m., I went to the next dinner selection on the menu. Just as good.

We all love lasagna. It can be expensive and a pain to make, though. This one is not too bad. I opted to use a Mutliply Meals recipe, but just do one casserole this time. It is easy to put together because I used Minute Beef. There, I skipped the browning the meat step. I made one portion of the recipe with real noodles for the carby boys, and used the zucchini slices for us. After all, the taste is in the sauce, not the noodles, right? Tonight, I decided to use some small individual casserole dishes. That helps me limit my serving size and makes an easy lunch box meal for later. My ceramic mini casseroles can be reheated in a microwave in just a minute or two. Because they have lids, I can bake, store and serve in one container. That saves time too. The blue one is the one I ate tonight, but I have another going into the fridge for a Sunday night treat. We usually do leftovers for that meal.

The Lackanoodle Lasagna recipe is in the e-book if you want to make your own.



For dessert, I used my home made Greek yogurt flavored with the Capella drops in New York Cheesecake flavor. So good! I use a good portion of half and half in my yogurt so it is extra creamy. I also let it culture a long time to get rid of all the lactose, which is the carb. I know mine is low carb, and it is so delicious. Lots less expensive than purchasing Greek yogurt from the grocery.

The Capella giveaway will be ending soon, so don't forget to enter to win a Capella flavor of your own. Just look for that post and comment, order the newsletter,follow my blog, or join me over on Facebook.

Sketti Squash Casserole

Trying to stay away from Christmas cookies? Me too! This cheesey casserole makes it easier. I made a Multiply Meals recipe tonight, so we will be able to have this another time too! This will freeze well, and will be greatly appreciated on another busy evening. This makes two large or three smaller casseroles.

Sketti Squash Casserole

This is one of the recipes included in my new cookbook project, Low Carbing Among Friends.

This recipe is available in the book, along with over 60 additional 24/7 Low Carb Diner recipes. By ordering the book, you get more than 300 favorite gluten free recipes from four other well known low carb cooking experts…Jennifer Eloff of Splendid Low Carbing cookbook fame, Kent Altena, the Atkins Diet Geek and You Tube star, nutritionist and author Maria Emmerich of Maria’s Nutritious and Delicious Journal, and popular blogger and food stylist, Carolyn Ketchum of All Day I Dream About Food. Unlike any other cookbook you may own, this one is a compilation of mini cookbooks featuring the talents of these well known low carbers. Think of it as a “best of” project.

Low Carbing Among Friends also features recipes from numerous other talented low carbing friends and recommendations from the medical community who recognize the health benefits of low carb, gluten free living. To preorder your copy, visit http://www.amongfriends.us The official release date is 11/11/11, so pre-order now for a discount.

I honestly don't why more people don't use spaghetti squash. The mild flavor works well with so many sauces. My hash brown casserole is great with this squash, as is this one with an Italian twist. If you think ahead and cook the squash early in the day, it goes together really fast.

I have all my guys home from school now, so there are lots of mouths to feed. It really helps to have as much done ahead as possible. Less time in the kitchen and more time with the famiy--that's always a good thing.

Lidia's Chunky Eggplant Sauce

This is part two of what I found at Big Lots this weekend. Another thumbs up around here. Big Lots has stopped carrying my favorite Muir Glen sauce. So sad. This is really good too, and filled with all natural ingredients with no sugar. There is a touch of honey, and only 4 net carbs for a half cup serving. That is doable!

My boys, not the biggest eggplant devotees, liked it. Of course to serve all of us with some to spare, I had to add to the contents of the jar. I almost never cook for just one meal. That is part of the Diner system. The leftover sauce from tonight's dinner could become a soup later on this week, and a pizza sauce. That would make this a Triple Play meal. Alternately, I could freeze the rest as a Freezer Favorite and enjoy the same meal again later.

The ingredients are tomatoes, eggplant, olive and canola oil, carrots, garlic, capers, basil, honey, roasted garlic, salt, sin dried tomatoes, crushed red pepper and oregano. Good stuff. I have seen Lidia's cooking show a few times, but can't claim to know too much about her cooking. The instructions on the bottle say to mix it with olive oil and pasta. I am certainly not doing that. I do know this sauce is tasty, natural and easy to serve. It was $2 a bottle at Big Lots. The meal made low carb was well received at my house.

Lidia and Lisa's Eggplant Sauce

2 pounds ground beef
1 jar Lidia's Chunky Eggplant Sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 packet sweetener
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
zucchini, cut into thin strips
shredded cheese

Brown ground beef and drain. Stir in pasta sauce and diced tomatoes. Add olives and seasonings to taste and simmer for 15 minutes. While sauce is simmering, slice and saute zucchini noodles. Spoon sauce over sauteed zucchini noodles. Top with grated cheese.



I think this would make a nice veggie salad too. Just mix some pasta sauce with some olive oil and with room temperature veggies and let marinate for a few hours. It would be a good pizza sauce as well. Better buy some while you have the chance. A combo pack of three jars is over $17 if you order online. This way, none of us have to peel and dice an eggplant!

Pizza Supreme Casserole

My youngest son doesn't do pizza anymore--one of his favorites. I have been trying to incorporate more pizza like foods into our meal plan so he doesn't feel too deprived on his Specific Carbohydrate diet. Alternate crusts are fine, but sometimes they are a bother. There is always the pizza in a bowl. That is yummy, but he can't have pepperoni either, so tonight's dish featured ground beef.

It was pretty good. The recipe I based it on called for sliced onions and peppers. Somehow the peppers and onions in mine disappeared--at least in the photo. My oldest isn't that crazy about supreme pizzas, so I admit that I used my Ninja to chop those up more finely than I would by hand. I think next time, chunkier would be better, but this was tasty.

If you want to make one too, here's a plan--more of a method than a recipe.

Pizza Supreme Casserole

2 lbs. ground beef
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 diced onion
1 bell pepper
1 can diced black olives
5-6 sliced mushrooms
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic
1 pound shredded cheese

Brown hamburger and drain well. Saute the onion, pepper, garlic and mushrooms in the beef fat until slightly tender. Place half of the beef in a casserole dish. Top with half of the vegetables and olives. Spoon half the tomatoes over. Shred cheese over this, then repeat layers. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

In my opinion, pepperoni would be even better with this, so throw some in if you want to. For my carby biggest boy, I spooned the casserole over some garlic toast. We low carbers had a side salad.

Nothing fancy, but good anyway. I think it might serve easier with an egg base to hold it all together, but I thought I would give this recipe conversion a try. I had hoped this would make a Multiply Meal, but we ate way too many second helpings tonight. Instead of getting two or three dinners out of my efforts, looks like this one will just be another lunch. Oh well, that sometimes happens when you feed a bigger family!

Tac-ole Cups X-tra Festive

There is a party on my plate tonight. I made one of our family favorites--Tac-ole Cups. I used to make them in my silicon muffin pan, but now I have so many individual cups, I use those. I found these flower shaped cups on half price sale at Hobby Lobby. They are too cute!

Today, I chose to use the Minute Beef version rather than the Multiply Meals recipe. I am busy reorganizing my kitchen, and paint is more fun than cooking at the moment. This meal was easy to throw together with precooked ground beef. Just add the salad--already mixed in the fridge. Now that I am full, I wish I had made a Multiply Meal--then I would have more waiting in the freezer for lunches and easy dinners. But, it is all good.

Steakhouse Special Dump Chicken

That's a lot of chicken! But that is only half of what I prepared tonight. Remember how I played games on Sunday rather than do my prep cooking? It is alright to do that from time to time, because if you follow the Diner system most weeks, you will still have a stock of freezer food waiting. It is a good idea to make up some of what you missed. Tonight, I made a Freezer Favorite--Steakhouse Special Dump Chicken. But rather than marinate then freeze as usual, I made this recipe into a Triple Play Meal. With the five pounds of chicken tenders, we will have three meals. Tonight we had them plain with loaded broccoli on the side. Tomorrow the meal is chicken salad. Later this weekend, I will offer these up as kabobs skewered with cherry tomatoes, red onion and bell pepper.

The Steakhouse Special marinade is delicious, but not too strong. It goes with anything, so it is easy to dress up. Rich with soy sauce, vinegar, liquid smoke and olive oil, the flavors are hard to define. It is a favorite with my guys. Just a little oven time and you have a tasty dinner---and lunch! The choice is yours here. Put the marinade together with raw chicken and pack them away in the freezer, or bake them all at once and dine for several meals. Sometimes I choose this, because I appreciate not having to heat the oven up twice. Once baked, these tenders easily warm in the microwave or toaster oven. My guys even like chicken cold.

The recipe is in the e-book, so if you want it, look there in the Freezer Favorites section.

Chorizo Breakfast Bake

Interested in jazzing up breakfast a bit? This casserole will do it! I have lots of recipes for breakfast casseroles. They are a low carb staple. But the flavors of chorizo sausage are great for something different. The flavor, which comes in either the Spanish or Mexican variety, is packed with spices and paprika. That accounts for the lovely orange color of this breakfast treat. Ours wasn't too hot, but it might be a good idea to try our your brand before you make a Multiple Meals dish like I did today.

Chorizo Breakfast Bake

This is one of the recipes included in my new cookbook project, Low Carbing Among Friends.

This recipe is available in the book, along with over 60 additional 24/7 Low Carb Diner recipes. By ordering the book, you get more than 300 favorite gluten free recipes from four other well known low carb cooking experts…Jennifer Eloff of Splendid Low Carbing cookbook fame, Kent Altena, the Atkins Diet Geek and You Tube star, nutritionist and author Maria Emmerich of Maria’s Nutritious and Delicious Journal, and popular blogger and food stylist, Carolyn Ketchum of All Day I Dream About Food. Unlike any other cookbook you may own, this one is a compilation of mini cookbooks featuring the talents of these well known low carbers. Think of it as a “best of” project.

Low Carbing Among Friends also features recipes from numerous other talented low carbing friends and recommendations from the medical community who recognize the health benefits of low carb, gluten free living. To preorder your copy, visit http://www.amongfriends.us The official release date is 11/11/11, so pre-order now for a discount.

John ate some today, and the rest of that casserole, I cut up and wrapped individually. One casserole, actually a double size, is for our company later in the week. I will serve it with a fruit salad for brunch. Won't the guests be delighted with my pig baker?

California Chicken

We are big fans of Lost, so I had to get dinner done in time tonight. Barely made it! California Chicken was on the menu. Nothing too gourmet, it tastes like my guys' favorite pizza--Chicken Club. Chunks of chicken with peppers and onions, mushrooms and bacon...all topped with Alfredo sauce. Divine.

This recipe is in the e-book in the Multiply Meals. So good you'll be glad to have another in the freezer!

French Hen in a Tree

Ever have one of those days when the kitchen seems to conspire against you? That would be today. Hen in a Tree is one of our family's favorite casseroles. I was making a Multiply Meal tonight when I discovered that my dry mustard was gone. Not just empty, but no longer in the spice rack. That is a mystery.

So, I decided to improvise. Then I went to the fridge to pick up the cream my hubby got at Sam's last night. Oops again. I guess I forgot to put that on the list. Improvise again. Gotta say, I still like it. In fact, the taste is pretty much the same. Because I was gambling, I only made two casseroles instead of the three. So glad this gamble paid off.

French Hen in a Tree

4 cups chicken, cubed and cooked with seasoning salt
1 can chicken broth
10-12 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 1/2 pound frozen broccoli crowns
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used Jack)

Cook chicken breast or thighs, sprinkling with seasoned salt. Steam the broccoli
until tender crisp. While these are cooking, place the broth, mustard and cream cheese in a saucepan. Heat and stir until cream cheese is melted in. Use a hand blender to blend in xanthan gum. Add 1 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and stir. Set this aside until chicken and broccoli are cooked. Chop or slice the chicken. Divide it between two small casserole dishes. Add the cooked broccoli over the chicken. Pour the cheese sauce over everything and stir lightly to coat everything. Top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350.

The dijon flavor is there, but not too overpowering. I served it with a salad. I made a balsamic vinaigrette to add some tartness and sweetness to such a cheesy recipe. Having no cream, this version of the dish has fewer calories than the original recipe in the e-book. I haven't run it in Mastercook yet though. We had some students over this afternoon and evening, and I am just now getting dinner over with. Now I need to go pack the other casserole for the freezer. I know we will appreciate this meal again on another day!

Comfort Casseroles

Brrrr! We are in the deep freeze here. Fortunate not to have any snow, but still bone chillin' cold. I noticed so many people complaining today. Not me. I would rather be cold than hot. I had planned some comfort food on the menu for tonight. Because chicken was not on sale, but ground beef and broccoli were, I adapted a Multiply Meals recipe from poultry to beef. The result is really delicious. I may have to make this more often. If you have the e-book, make a note now that the Hen in a Tree casserole is great made with ground beef in place of the chicken. Guess I will have to call it Cow in a Tree casserole. Sounds odd--strangely reminiscent of the "We've got Cows!" line from the movie Twister. Somehow that is not as appetizing. Still, I am glad to have more casseroles to go into the freezer for a more hectic day. Lots of those will be coming up!

Funny story about tonight's dinner. My dog Tinker was my constant companion in the kitchen tonight, following every move I made. Well, understand that he is almost 90 pounds, and my kitchen is tiny! Somehow, the oven got bumped up to 475 degrees! I blame him, of course. After I put the last casserole in, I came back to the computer. Then I heard this sizzling sound. Hmm. I asked myself if these casseroles should be making that particular noise. Good thing I checked. The first casserole in the oven did get a bit brown around the edges. You can see brown bits in the photo. Actually, those were the best parts to me. The other casseroles are a bit prettier-- the broccoli is brighter and no brown rim. Maybe when I reheat these in the future, I will leave them in a bit longer than necessary to get those yummy browned bits again. I know, gourmet foodies would hate me for that.

Before we settle in under our blankets, I plan on making some hot cider for us tonight. That recipe is in the December newsletter. With the Great Value brand of apple drink mix, it really tastes very close to the real thing. Stay warm!

Farmer's Feast

They're all wrapped up and ready to chill. What you are looking at is a Multiply Meals Casserole, Farmer's Feast, all baked, sliced and wrapped in individual servings. These little jewels will chill then go into the freezer. After that, the frozen cubes will go into heavy duty freezer bags labeled and dated. If they are left in the thin plastic wrap, they would get freezer burned.This method of prep makes them so easy to fix for a nearly instant breakfast. Just unwrap the plastic wrap, put on a plate, add a minute in the microwave, and you have a hot, low carb breakfast with home made taste and no preservatives. They are also super for lunch boxes or the late night munchies.

For this bunch, I added some green peppers since they are abundant this time of year. I also cut my casserole in slightly different sizes. The larger slices are for my hubby, and the smaller ones are for me. My egg sensitivity won't let me have too big a slice. For my prep day this afternoon, I just baked up 24 individual servings. Oh it feels good to have that many hearty breakfasts ready and waiting in the freezer. The recipe is in the e-book. It is a standard we never seem to get tired of around here. Who gets tired of sausage, eggs and cheese?

Today, I am also making Tequila Lime Chicken and Italian Chicken Dump. Boneless, skinless breasts were on sale for $1.68. Can't beat that. What are you cooking?

Cheezeburger Quiche Multiply Meal

Tuesdays are going to be my Multiply Meals prep night more often now. It just fits my schedule better since Fridays are my most hectic day. Tonight, I fried up five pounds of ground beef. Three went into the Cheezeburger Quiches. The remaining is bagged up as Minute Beef. That will make life easier on another day.

The quiche you see in the photo is actually a double portion. I saved one in a regular casserole dish to wrap and freeze. It is good to have that uniform size when they stack in the freezer. This one is in a larger casserole dish. We ate from that one for dinner. The rest, I am bagging up into individual servings. Those will be so handy for lunches and dinners when everyone is home at a different time. To freeze individual portions, I just wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze. Then I put all the frozen servings into a gallon sized freezer bag with a label. Don't forget that all important step. Even though you are sure you will remember, once frozen everything looks remarkably the same!

Hen in a Tree Casserole

Multiply Meals are so great to have waiting in the freezer on busy nights. Then there are the times I spend a bit of extra time to prepare three entrees. Tonight is one of those times. Hen in a Tree is a delicious, creamy chicken casserole that is simple to throw together. The only time consuming part is dicing five pounds of baked chicken. Once you have your chicken cubes, the rest goes together so quickly.

One question you may ask, especially on hot summer evenings, is do I cook all three, or assemble, then freeze to cook later? The answer is either--do whichever you prefer. Tonight, I only had this one recipe going, so I chose to bake all three at the same time. That way, after they are frozen, they will be super quick to reheat for another dinner. I will have the option of rewarming in the microwave, the oven, or even cutting the casserole into serving pieces and heating individually. That is the best choice if you ever want to use a Multiply Meals casserole for lunches.

On the other hand, if I have other projects going on in the kitchen--especially on a prep day--I may bake only the casserole we intend to eat that day. The other two can be assembled, then frozen to bake completely on the day they will be served. This is a good choice when the ingredients may dry out with too much baking. It also saves time on the prep day. It will take a little longer to get food on the table when you do serve it, but it will be just as simple. Any of the casseroles in the book that don't contain an egg base are good choices to assemble and freeze to complete the baking. Quiche type recipes should be pre-baked. Hen in a Tree, with its cream cheese sauce, is good either way.

Now that dinner is over and boys have happy bellies, it is time for me to get back in the kitchen and wrap the extra two casseroles for the freezer. I left the blueberries on the counter when I made the fruit skewers. Even though I have a tough time getting cantaloupe into my guys, these fresh blueberries are disappearing fast. Better go!