Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake

You’ll love this Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake that’s a tasty zucchini side dish that has been mega-popular for years on Kalyn’s blog! In fact, this is the most popular recipe of all the Top Ten Low-Carb Zucchini Recipes on her blog! From kalynskitchen.com.

Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake


Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini, cut in slices or half-moon slices
2 medium yellow squash, cut in slices or half-moon slices
4 T chopped fresh basil (more or less, depending on how much you like the flavor of basil)
2 T thinly sliced green onion (if tolerated or omit)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (see notes below)
1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan, plus a little more for the top if desired (if tolerated)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (if tolerated)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Spray an 8" x 8" or 8" x 11" baking dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. (I originally used the small size, but now I prefer a slightly bigger dish.)

2. Wash the squash and cut in slices or half-moon slices.

3. Wash basil, spin dry or dry with paper towels and finely chop or slice. (I used a mini salad spinner to dry the basil and Herb Scissors to cut into thin slices.)

4. Slice green onions.

5. Combine the sliced squash, chopped or sliced basil, sliced green onions, dried thyme, garlic powder, 1/2 grated mozzarella and 1/2 cup coarsely grated Parmesan and stir together until the veggies are coated with cheese and the herbs are well-distributed. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

6. Put the mixture in the baking dish and bake uncovered for about 25-30 minutes, or slightly longer. (Pierce a piece of zucchini with a fork to be sure it's mostly tender.)

7. When the zucchini is nearly cooked through, take the casserole dish out of the oven and sprinkle over the remaining 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella, plus a little more Parmesan if desired.

8. Put the dish back in the oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted and nicely browned and zucchini is fully cooked. Serve hot.

9. This kept well in the fridge overnight, but mine was gone the next day so I don't know if it would last longer than that!


NOTES
You can use more cheese or use other white cheese if you prefer but that will increase the amount of carbs in this recipe.

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

These Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers have all the delicious flavors of a loaded Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, but in a low carb stuffed pepper variation. Tender roast beef, melty provolone cheese, smothered with sautéed mushrooms, onions (if tolerated) and garlic. It's a match made in heaven. With only 6 main ingredients and less than 30 minutes of hands on time, this is the perfect quick and easy weeknight dinner. From peaceloveandlowcarb.com.

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Yield: Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

8 ounces thinly sliced roast beef (without problem ingredients)
8 slices provolone cheese (if tolerated)
2 large green bell peppers
1 medium sweet onion, sliced (if tolerated or omit)
6 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
sea salt and black pepper, to taste (if tolerated)


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice peppers in half lengthwise, remove ribs and seeds.

2. In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, add the butter, olive oil, garlic, mushrooms onions and a little salt and pepper. Sauté until onions and mushroom are tender and they start to caramelize.

3. Slice the roast beef into thin strips and add to the onion and mushroom mixture. Allow to cook 5 to 10 minutes. Line the inside of each pepper with a slice of provolone cheese. Fill each pepper with the meat mixture until they are nearly overflowing.

4. Top each pepper with another slice of provolone cheese.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese on top is golden brown. (You may want to pre-bake the peppers for about 10 minutes while the meat mixture is cooking if you like a softer pepper).


*I bet you can make these with Steakumm (check for problem ingredients).

"No"mato Ketchup

Need some ketchup that is IC friendly? Here is some from an IC Safe Cookbook. From callieknutrition.com .

"No"mato Ketchup


Ingredients:

2 cups Nomato Sauce
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 tsp salt
2 heaping tsp allspice (if tolerated)
1 garlic clove crushed
3 tbsp onion finally chopped (if tolerated)
2 tsp lemon oil flavoring (if tolerated)
vegetable oil


Directions:

Saute onion and garlic in a little vegetable oil until translucent. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on low heat for about 1/2 an hour, stirring occasionally so doesn't stick, until mixture thickens and darkens. Puree in blender, pour into containers and keep in fridge.

"No"mato Sauce

This sauce tastes (and looks) more like traditional sauce than roasted red pepper sauce! Recipe created by Kerri Cole (@icfood4u). From callieknutrition.com .

"No"mato Sauce


Ingredients:

1 small can yams or sweet potatoes
1 small can beets, drained
1 can pears (Do not drain! Need the juice)
3 roasted red peppers
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp brown sugar, or to taste
1 tsp oregano
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
fresh basil, to taste


Directions:

Put yams, beets, pears, and red peppers in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

In a pot or sauté pan, add the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and stir just until fragrant. Add the Nomato Sauce, oregano, parmesan cheese and brown sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes stirring every so often. Add a little water if you’d like the consistency thinner. Add salt to taste.

Top with fresh basil and enjoy.

Spinach and Mushroom Crustless Quiche

Beth says she is a big fan of savory breakfast dishes, and this Spinach and Mushroom Crustless Quiche might be her new favorite! It’s very filling, full of vegetables, and doesn’t leave her with a carb hangover. You can serve it up at brunch or eat it for lunch or dinner, so give this recipe for crustless quiche a try the next time you want to prepare something special. She promises it’s worth the effort! From budgetbytes.com . I made it 9/17/23 and give it: ★ ★ ★ ★

Spinach and Mushroom Crustless Quiche


Ingredients:

1 10oz. box frozen chopped spinach
8 oz. mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cooking oil, divided
2 oz. feta cheese
4 large eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (if tolerated)
1/4 tsp pepper (if tolerated)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Thaw and squeeze as much moisture out the spinach as possible.

2. Rinse any dirt or debris from the mushrooms, then slice thinly. Mince the garlic.

3. Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt, and a ½ Tbsp cooking oil to a skillet. Sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they have released all of their moisture and it has evaporated from the skillet. No water should remain in the skillet.

4. Brush the other ½ Tbsp cooking oil inside a 9-inch pie plate. Layer the mushrooms, spinach, and crumbled feta into the pie plate.

5. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, Parmesan, pepper, and milk.

6. Pour the egg mixture into the pie plate over the spinach, mushrooms, and feta. Top with the shredded mozzarella.

7. Bake the crustless quiche in the preheated 350ºF oven for about 50 minutes, or until it is golden brown on top and the internal temperature reaches 160ºF. Slice and enjoy!


NOTES:
I made mine with 8 oz. can of mushroom stems and pieces (drained well) and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (I skipped step #2). YUM!

Herb Chicken Thighs with Potato and Asparagus

This hearty dinner is very filling and IC friendly! From callieknutrition.com.

Herb Chicken Thighs with Potato and Asparagus


Ingredients:

6-8 chicken thighs
Baking bag
2 tablespoon avocado oil
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (equals 1 teaspoon dried)
3 sprigs of fresh thyme (equals 1 teaspoon dried)
Butter- 1⁄2 c softened
Garlic - 6 cloves
Parmesan cheese - 1⁄4 cup (if tolerated)
Red potatoes
Asparagus


Directions:

1. In a separate bowl, mix butter, garlic, and Parmesan together and set aside.

2. Rub each chicken thigh with oil and rub the butter mixture all over each thigh, you can even stuff some of the butter mixture under the skin of the thigh.

3. Place all thighs in the baking bag along with rosemary, thyme, cut red potatoes and asparagus surrounding the chicken. Seal the bag.

4. Place in a preheated oven of 375 for 30-45 minutes until thighs are fully cooked.


NOTES:

Before adding the dried herbs to the food, rub the leaves between your fingers and hands or grind them before putting them in the dish. This helps release volatile oils and increases the herb's fragrance and flavor.