Slow cooker meatballs and tortellini

This is an easy set it and forget it meal that tastes like you spent the afternoon in the kitchen. It was the perfect meal while watching football last weekend. 

INGREDIENTS

26 ounce bag of frozen meatballs

30 ounce jar of marinara 

4 cups of beef broth

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

salt & pepper 

1 -2 bags tortellini (fresh or frozen)

Add all ingredients to the crockpot except the tortellini and mix together. Cook on low for 4 hours. About an hour before you want to eat, add the tortellini and stir. Cook on low for another hour. 

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese before serving. We paired this with a 5 cheese Texas toast and side salad. It was delicious and so filling! I couldn't even clean my plate. 

Monster cookie energy balls

If you like monster cookies, and who doesn’t, this is a great no bake snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth.

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ cups quick oats

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup mini m&m's

DIRECTIONS

Combine oats, peanut butter, honey, chocolate chips and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Use a wooden spoon or a handheld mixer to combine. Add the mini m&ms and stir in.

Shape into one-inch balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This recipe will make about 36 balls. Store in a covered container in the fridge.

Notes: Resist the urge to add extra chocolate chips or m&ms. It will make these crumbly.

Zesty queso chicken soup – keto

Why do I love soup so much? Not just because they are warm and delicious! Many of them are a dump and go recipe. I had a busy day at work so I threw this in the crockpot yesterday afternoon. Only thing that took a minute was to shred the chicken and dump it back in. Literally, took me a minute. Does it get any easier than that? No browning meat. No dirtying a bunch of dishes. Just a creamy soup with great flavor and a little kick. Well, the way I made it anyway. But I love the spicy stuff. This is a keto recipe but can easily be altered.

INGREDIENTS

2 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

14 ounces petite diced tomatoes not drained

2 10 oz cans of rotel

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups chicken broth

8 ounces cream cheese softened

Optional:

2 cups baby spinach

1 tbsp diced jalapeno

 

Optional toppings:

Avocado

Monterrey or Colby jack cheese

Jalapenos

Dash of hot sauce

 

Non keto add ons:

Black beans

Corn

Tortilla strips on top

Notes: The original recipe called for 28 oz of diced tomatoes and 1 cup salsa verde or green salsa. I opted for the combination of diced tomatoes and rotel above because that’s what I had on hand. I also added 2 cups of spinach because I need more greens. I’m allergic to avocado so that’s a no go for me but I did top it with a pinch of shredded Colby jack.

DIRECTIONS

Instapot:

Place chicken, taco seasoning, tomatoes with juices, salt, chicken broth, and green salsa in Instant Pot. Set to manual mode and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure. Allow pressure to release naturally (about 15 minutes), remove and shred the chicken. Set aside. Stir softened cream cheese into the soup in the pot and whisk until fully melted. Return chicken to the soup and serve with diced avocado and monterrey jack cheese.

Slow Cooker:

Place all ingredients except cream cheese in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours or until the chicken is tender and shreds easily. Add cream cheese and stir until melted.

Zuppa Toscana Soup – low carb

Everyone knows about Olive Garden’s famous endless soup, salad and breadsticks. I for one, am a huge fan of their Zuppa Toscana soup. I’m not, however, a fan of the calories and carbs associated with the soup. Not to mention the basket of breadsticks I would want to consume if I was at OG. So I tried my hand at a keto friendly zuppa. And I have to tell you, I didn’t miss the potatoes at all. Cauliflower really is a low carb chameleon and I’m glad that I like it.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. mild Italian Sausage

4 slices thick-cut bacon (chopped)

32 oz beef bone broth (I couldn’t find beef bone so I used beef broth)

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 head fresh cauliflower, diced or one bag of frozen florets

½ cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups fresh spinach or kale (I used spinach)

salt and pepper, optional

crushed red pepper flakes, optional

shredded parmesan cheese for garnish, optional

DIRECTIONS

Brown your sausage and chopped up bacon together in a large soup pot. Once your meat is cooked, drain the grease and add beef broth, onions, garlic, and cauliflower. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender. I used a potato masher to break up the chunks of the cauliflower at this point.

Once the cauliflower is softened, add in heavy cream and spinach. Cook for about 5 minutes, until spinach or kale is soft. Add salt, pepper and some crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.