When the weather starts to warm up, I usually prefer a lighter, more casual dinner. One of my favorite things to do is put together a selection of appetizers and just let everyone wander into the kitchen to eat as the evening goes on. These wings are perfect for that. The marmalade makes the chicken skin sticky and also helps bind the other seasonings to the wings. The ponzu sauce adds depth of flavor and saltiness. These are excellent both hot and cold!

Sticky Orange Ponzu Wings

 

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Prep time

3 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

43 mins

 

Baked wings cooked in ponzu sauce, ginger paste and garlic for depth of flavor and orange marmalade for a sticky, sweet surprise.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 lbs chicken wings
• 4 tbsp ponzu sauce
• 3 tbsp orange marmalade
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together.
3. Place the wings presentation-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Flip the wings over and brush them with the remaining marinade.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 730 Fat: 29 Saturated fat: 8 Trans fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 13 Sugar: 10 Sodium: 642 Protein: 99 Cholesterol: 303

3.2.2885

Gather up:

• 3 lbs chicken wings
• 4 tbsp ponzu sauce
• 3 tbsp orange marmalade
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tbsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and set out your ingredients.

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl…

And give it a good mix.

Place the wings presentation-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Flip the wings over and brush them with the remaining marinade.

Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Finger-lickin’ good!

These are the perfect breakfast/brunch food. The eggs are light enough to just hold the dish together without dominating the flavor profile. It’s so easy to just pop a couple of them in your mouth and hit the road or heat up a few and linger over them with a glass of pink champagne. So versatile! When you’re making them, it won’t seem like there are enough eggs, but there are. The pesto and the cheddar add an incredible sophistication. I’ve yet to meet someone who didn’t enjoy these.

Cheesy Pesto Artichoke Bites

 

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Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

22 mins

 

Cheesy, savory artichoke mini bites full of flavor! Perfect for breakfast or brunch!

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 8.5 oz cans of artichoke hearts, drained
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup parsley, minced
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tbsp pesto

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Grease a mini muffin tin with butter or oil.
3. Finely chop the drained artichoke hearts.
4. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
5. Portion artichoke mix into muffin tin.
6. Bake approximately 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 195 Fat: 9 Saturated fat: 4 Carbohydrates: 15 Sugar: 2 Sodium: 469 Fiber: 7 Protein: 18 Cholesterol: 135

3.2.2929

You’ll need:

• 2 8.5 oz cans of artichoke hearts, drained
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup parsley, minced
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tbsp pesto

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease a mini muffin tin with butter or oil.

Finely chop the drained artichoke hearts.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Portion artichoke mix into muffin tin.

Bake approximately 20 minutes, until golden brown.

These make an awesome house warming gift!

Don’t throw out that leftover pickle juice! As soon as I saw these on The Primitive Palate’s site, I knew I had to make them. I used seasoned almond flour as my breading instead of pork rinds and went with an Outback Steakhouse, blooming onion style dipping sauce instead of chipotle dip. The pickle flavor is so strong in the brine that it does a phenomenal job with really soaking into the chicken meat, even though the chicken only spends an hour in the brine. The meat is tender, the crust has a subtle crunch and the hot dipping sauce takes it to the next level. Frying them on the stove will get you a crisper coating, but the almond meal is also more likely to fall off a bit if you handle it too much. Baking them in the oven is much less labor-intensive. Either way, these will not last more than a few minutes on your Super Bowl party table!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Pickle-Brined Fried Chicken Fingers

 

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

Chicken tenders brined in pickle juice and then fried in a light almond flour crust. Serve with spicy blooming onion dipping sauce.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken tenderloin strips
• Pickle Juice
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp reduced-sugar ketchup
• 3 tbsp horseradish sauce
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tbsp celery salt
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp oil

Instructions

1. Toss your chicken into a gallon-size plastic bad and add the juice from one jar of pickles. Brine the chicken in the juice for one hour.
2. While chicken is brining, mix together mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish sauce and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine two eggs.
4. On a small plate, combine almond flour, celery salt and paprika.
5. Drain the chicken and then dredge each piece in the egg mixture…
6. followed by the almond flour mixture.
7. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet and fry chicken in batches for 3 minutes per side. -OR- Bake at 350 degrees on a greased, foil-lined baking sheet for 20 minutes.
8. Serve with pickles and horseradish dipping sauce.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 529 Fat: 29 Saturated fat: 5 Trans fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 19 Sugar: 5 Sodium: 1004 Fiber: 2 Protein: 51 Cholesterol: 197

3.2.2885

• 2 lbs chicken tenderloin strips
• Pickle Juice
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp reduced-sugar ketchup
• 3 tbsp horseradish sauce
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tbsp celery salt
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp oil

These are my favorite pickles on earth!

I just ate through the jar as I normally do and saved whatever juice was left when I finished it.

Toss your chicken into a gallon-size plastic bad and add the juice from one jar of pickles. Brine the chicken in the juice for one hour.

While chicken is brining, mix together mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish sauce and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine two eggs. On a small plate, combine almond flour, celery salt and paprika.

Drain the chicken and then dredge each piece in the egg mixture…

followed by the almond flour mixture.

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet and fry chicken in batches for 3 minutes per side.

-OR-

Bake at 350 degrees on a greased, foil-lined baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Serve with pickles and horseradish dipping sauce.

Oh, God!

I sent my husband to the store to get some regular old boneless skinless chicken breasts. Anytime I send him to the store, it’s an adventure. You never know just what he will come back with. He returned with a single chicken breast, thinly sliced into four pieces. What to do… What to do? After googling around, I came across Luscious Low Carb’s Pesto Chicken Roll-ups. I could not be bothered with securing the chicken with toothpicks, so I just wrapped them in prosciutto. Win! I also swapped out the parmesan for asiago because I think it packs more of a punch next to pesto.

Pesto Chicken Rollups

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Easy, baked chicken pesto rollups filled with asiago cheese.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 4 thin-sliced chicken breasts
• 4 tbsp pesto, divided
• 4 tbsp shredded asiago cheese, divided
• 7-8 slices of prosciutto, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place a chicken breast slice in between plastic wrap.
3. Using a rolling pin or meat mallet, pound the chicken all over until it is about ¼” thick.
4. Spread a tablespoon of pesto all over the surface of the chicken.
5. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of shredded asiago onto the left corner of the chicken slice.
6. Roll the chicken into a cigar shape.
7. Wrap the chicken roll-up with 1 or 2 slices of prosciutto. My pack of prosciutto came with 7 slices, so I used 2 slices each for the first 3 roll-ups and a single slice for the last one.
8. Place on a rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. If you don’t have a rack, just put them on top of a foil-lined baking sheet.
9. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 627 Fat: 32 Saturated fat: 5 Carbohydrates: 2 Sugar: 2 Sodium: 1132 Fiber: 1 Protein: 80 Cholesterol: 170

3.2.2885

• 4 thin-sliced chicken breasts
• 4 tbsp pesto, divided
• 4 tbsp shredded asiago cheese, divided
• 7-8 slices of prosciutto, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place a chicken breast slice in between plastic wrap.

Using a rolling pin or meat mallet, pound the chicken all over until it is about ¼” thick. The slices are already thin, but we want them just a bit thinner so they aren’t enormous when rolled up.

Spread a tablespoon of pesto all over the surface of the chicken.

Sprinkle about a tablespoon of shredded asiago onto the left corner of the chicken slice.

Roll the chicken into a cigar shape.

Wrap the chicken roll-up with 1 or 2 slices of prosciutto. My pack of prosciutto came with 7 slices, so I used 2 slices each for the first 3 roll-ups and a single slice for the last one.

Place on a rack on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. If you don’t have a rack, just put them on top of a foil-lined baking sheet. The foil is only used to make clean-up easier.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

I like to serve this with a little bit of marinara sauce for dipping.

It’s the grown-up version of chicken nuggets with dipping sauce.

Whenever I eat sushi, I always get the rolls that have cream cheese in them – which is weird, because at no other time do I eat cream cheese with my fish. Hmmm, maybe I should start? These low-carb smoked salmon rolls have all the flavor and crunch of the typical Philadelphia Roll, but none of the rice and they can be made in minutes. They’re the perfect appetizer for an impromptu happy hour!

Smoked Salmon Rolls

 

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Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

4 mins

Total time

6 mins

 

Super easy, low-carb appetizer made with strips of tender smoked salmon rolled with chive and onion cream cheese and refreshing cucumber slices

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 4 oz smoked salmon
• 4 oz chive and onion cream cheese
• ½ cucumber, deseeded and sliced into thin strips

Instructions

1. Lay out a bit of plastic wrap.
2. Sprinkle the sesame seeds around the center of the plastic wrap.
3. Lay the smoked salmon pieces over the sesame seeds, making sure to overlap the pieces so they form a solid layer.
4. Spread cream cheese over the smoked salmon.
5. Place your cucumber strips on the left side of the salmon and cream cheese.
6. Using the plastic wrap to help you lift up the salmon pieces, roll the salmon into a tube.
7. Move the salmon roll to the center of the plastic wrap and wrap the plastic around it.
8. Place the salmon roll in the freezer for 4 minutes, so it's easier to slice.
9. Slice and serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 208 Fat: 14.1 Saturated fat: 7.4 Trans fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 3.1 Sugar: 1.3 Sodium: 1433 Fiber: 0.6 Protein: 16.5 Cholesterol: 40

3.2.2802

• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 4 oz smoked salmon
• 4 oz chive and onion cream cheese
• ½ cucumber, deseeded and sliced into thin strips

Lay out a bit of plastic wrap.

Sprinkle the sesame seeds around the center of the plastic wrap.

Lay the smoked salmon pieces over the sesame seeds, making sure to overlap the pieces so they form a solid layer.

Spread cream cheese over the smoked salmon.

Place your cucumber strips on the left side of the salmon and cream cheese.

Using the plastic wrap to help you lift up the salmon pieces, roll the salmon into a tube. Make sure you don’t roll the plastic wrap up with the salmon and cream cheese. The plastic wrap should always be on the outside of your roll.

Move the salmon roll to the center of the plastic wrap and wrap the plastic around it.

Don’t you just love that there’s no mess to clean up?!

Place the salmon roll in the freezer for 4 minutes, so it’s easier to slice.

Slice and serve.

I adore mayonnaise. I’ve even eaten it by itself before (don’t judge me, lol). My husband is not quite as enamored with it. It is a constant battle in our house with me surreptitiously trying to sneak more mayonnaise into things when he’s not looking. We go back and forth like that scene in Goodfellas when Pauly is warning Vinnie about putting too many onions in the sauce. Except for when it comes to this recipe. This one we agree on. The mayonnaise here is a fairly small amount and when combined with the lemon juice, the resulting texture is like a light, creamy dressing. It really lets the other ingredients shine.

Gather up:

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)
• 6 hard-boiled eggs, yolks removed, chopped
• 2 tbsp relish
• 3 stalks celery, minced
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp sugar or splenda
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• Salt and Pepper

Place chicken in a skillet and cover with water. I like to toss a bouillon cube into the water for extra flavor, but this is optional.

Boil chicken on high heat until cooked through, approximately 20 minutes.

Let the chicken rest for at least 20 minutes on a plate. Do not skip this step. This is what will make the chicken really moist in the salad and since we are keeping the chicken cubes fairly large, it’s important that they are really flavorful on their own.

While the chicken is resting, get together the remaining ingredients. The stuff at the top that looks like rock cocaine is splenda, lol 🙂

Cut chicken into large 1-inch cubes and place in a large bowl.

Toss with the remaining ingredients.

Chill overnight and serve.

I like to serve this with parmesan crisps, which are crackers made entirely of parmesan cheese.

Chicken Salad

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Healthy chicken salad with big chunks of juicy chicken breasts, egg whites, crunchy celery, relish and a light mayonnaise dressing.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)
• 6 hard-boiled eggs, yolks removed, chopped
• 2 tbsp relish
• 3 stalks celery, minced
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp sugar or splenda
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. Place chicken in a skillet and cover with water. I like to toss a bouillon cube into the water for extra flavor, but this is optional.
2. Boil chicken on high heat until cooked through, approximately 20 minutes.
3. Let the chicken rest for at least 20 minutes on a plate. Do not skip this step.
4. While the chicken is resting, get together the remaining ingredients.
5. Cut chicken into large 1-inch cubes.
6. Toss with the remaining ingredients and chill overnight.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 460 Fat: 24.7 Saturated fat: 5.8 Trans fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 16.8 Sugar: 9.1 Sodium: 622 Fiber: 0.6 Protein: 41.1 Cholesterol: 351

3.2.2802

My college friend Cheryl posted something the other day on Facebook about a snack of cucumbers in orange-balsamic vinegar. You can buy it online, but I didn’t want to wait for shipping, so I started coming up with ways I could incorporate those flavors into a quick, light dinner or appetizer. The sauce is an adaptation from Martha Holmberg’s Modern Sauces. Using chicken tenderloins means the dish cooks in record time – just a quick boil to reduce the balsamic vinegar mix and cook the chicken and then a quick swirl of butter to complete the sauce. I made this at the end of a 10-hour workday and evening gym session and it came together so quickly, there wasn’t even a moment to change out of my workout clothes. At the same time, the flavors are nothing short of sophisticated. No honey, no sugar, just the juice of an orange to balance the earthy vinegar and herbs.

You’ll need:

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• Juice from 1 orange
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp crushed rosemary
• 1 lb chicken tenderloin strips
• Salt and pepper

The butter needs to be super cold when you go to add it into the dish later, so I start by putting my butter in the freezer. It will be nice and chilled by the time we are ready for it.

Combine the balsamic vinegar, orange juice, shallot, ground ginger and rosemary.

Pour the mixture over the chicken tenderloin strips in a nonstick skillet.

Cook on high for approximately 8 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through, flipping frequently.

Remove the skillet from the heat. The balsamic mixture should have reduced considerably to about a tablespoon of liquid and the rest of your pan should have patches of thick balsamic syrup.

Get your butter out of the freezer and using a fork, swirl it throughout the pan, making sure to rub it across any areas where the balsamic mixture has turned into syrup.

The cool butter and sticky syrup will combine to create a velvety sauce.

Plate your chicken, which is now perfectly cooked and juicy from the residual heat, and pour the rich sauce over the top.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5.0 from 3 reviews

Orange Balsamic Chicken Tenders

 

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Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

12 mins

 

Fast and easy, juicy chicken tenderloin strips in a rich orange-balsamic sauce spiced with ginger and rosemary. Perfect appetizer or light dinner.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp butter
• ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
• Juice from 1 orange
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp crushed rosemary
• 1 lb chicken tenderloin strips
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. The butter needs to be super cold when you go to add it into the dish later, so I start by putting my butter in the freezer. It will be nice and chilled by the time we are ready for it.
2. Combine the balsamic vinegar, orange juice, shallot, ground ginger and rosemary.
3. Pour the mixture over the chicken tenderloin strips in a nonstick skillet.
4. Cook on high for approximately 8 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through, flipping frequently.
5. Remove the skillet from the heat. The balsamic mixture should have reduced considerably to about a tablespoon of liquid and the rest of your pan should have patches of thick balsamic syrup.
6. Get your butter out of the freezer and using a fork, swirl it throughout the pan, making sure to rub it across any areas where the balsamic mixture has turned into syrup.
7. Plate your chicken, which is now perfectly cooked and juicy from the residual heat, and pour the rich sauce over the top.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 433 Fat: 24.5 Saturated fat: 14.7 Carbohydrates: 6.7 Sugar: 3.8 Protein: 46.6 Cholesterol: 158

3.2.2802

You already know about my love for Thai food (here) and my love of cakes/patties (here), and today we are combining the two! These are really light, flavorful chicken patties with a very “springy” texture. Even though they are pan fried, they have the texture of a good sausage – a nice pop as your teeth pierce the outer layer and lots of tender and moist meat inside. They are slightly adapted from Thai Fresh’s Tod Man Kai Fried Chicken Cakes to really bring up the heat and make them spicier. The fresh green beans add a great crunch. You’ll want to serve them with the cool cucumber relish as a nice contrast to the fiery curry heat.

For chicken cakes:

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2 tbsp thai red curry paste
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• juice of half a lime
• 4 green beans, finely chopped

For cucumber relish:

• 1/2 cucumber, sliced in half length-wise and then sliced thinly into half moons
• 1/2 red hot chili pepper, de-seeded and sliced thinly
• 1/2 shallot, minced
• 3 tsp white vinegar
• 3 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Start by making your cucumber relish, because it needs to sit for a while. Chop your cucumber, chili pepper, shallot and cilantro.

In a small bowl, combine white vinegar and sugar and stir until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add cucumber mixture and stir to combine.

Leave cucumber relish to marinate for 20 minutes.

Now, onto the chicken cakes.

Finely chop 4 fresh green beans and set aside.

Combine ground chicken, curry paste, eggs, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar in a food processor.

Mix until well-combined.

Remove mixture to a large bowl and mix in the chopped green beans. If you put the green beans in with the other items in the food processor, they get too small and you lose the crunch.

Spray a non-stick skillet with a little oil and heat on medium heat. Form the chicken mixture into little patties about 1/4 cup in size and fry in small batches.

Cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through, approximately 5 minutes per side. You should be able to get about 18 patties.

Serve with cucumber relish.

Enjoy!

4.7 from 3 reviews

Thai Chicken Cakes (Tod Mun Gai) with Cucumber Relish

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Juicy and tender fried chicken cakes with thai seasoning and fresh green bean bite. Served with refreshingly cool and spicy cucumber relish.

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2 tbsp thai red curry paste
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• juice of half a lime
• 4 green beans, finely chopped
• ½ cucumber, sliced in half length-wise and then sliced thinly into half moons
• ½ red hot chili pepper, de-seeded and sliced thinly
• ½ shallot, minced
• 3 tsp white vinegar
• 3 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Start by making your cucumber relish because it needs to sit for a while.
2. Chop your cucumber, chili pepper, shallot and cilantro.
3. In a small bowl, combine white vinegar and sugar and stir until sugar is mostly dissolved.
4. Add cucumber mixture and stir to combine.
5. Leave cucumber relish to marinate for 20 minutes.
6. Now, onto the chicken cakes.
7. Finely chop 4 fresh green beans and set aside.
8. Combine ground chicken, curry paste, eggs, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar in a food processor.
9. Mix until well-combined.
10. Remove mixture to a large bowl and mix in the chopped green beans.
11. Spray a non-stick skillet with a little oil and heat on medium heat.
12. Form the chicken mixture into little patties about ¼ cup in size and fry in small batches.
13. Cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through, approximately 5 minutes per side.
14. You should be able to get about 18 patties.
15. Serve with cucumber relish and enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition above is for the chicken cakes alone. Nutrition information for the entire batch of cucumber relish is as follows: Calories 88, Carbohydrates 22, Fat 0, Protein 1, Sodium 7, and Sugar 18. Divide relish into as many servings as necessary to calculate nutrition information per serving.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 152 Fat: 7 Carbohydrates: 5 Sugar: 2 Sodium: 927 Protein: 17

3.5.3229

I made this pizza a while ago and, while it is excellent, I really hesitated to put it on the blog. Part of why I started the blog was because I want to eat more whole ingredients and discover new ingredients and just revamp my eating habits. So I get a little anxious if I start eating too many “lookalike” foods that just swap out certain ingredients. I don’t want to be eating a different kind of pizza, I want to move away from eating pizza in general and expand my knowledge of other foods and flavors. You know?

And now that I’ve said that, here is a recipe for a low carb, keto-friendly, LCHF-friendly pizza with a crust made of cheese and almond flour. Ha! My justification is this: As I said in the intro, this pizza is mind-blowingly good, and I’m glad I have it in my cooking arsenal for those times when I want a piece of pizza and nothing else will do or if I’m making pizza for a crowd. For anyone who has been burned by a tasteless cauliflower-crust pizza, this is for you. You can watch a video of this pizza being made here by one of my favorite youtube vloggers: CheapEasyLowCarb’s Low Carb Pizza Crust – Fathead Style!

For the crust:

• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I prefer to use a mix of 2 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella and 1/2 cup of shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese)
• 4 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 2 eggs
• Garlic Salt and Ground Pepper
• Parchment paper

For the toppings:

• 4 oz Pizza Sauce (find a low-sugar brand or do what I do and make your own by combining 4 ounces of canned tomato sauce with 1/2 cup dried oregano and 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 oz pepperoni slices
• 4.5 oz sliced mushrooms (we prefer jarred mushrooms on pizza)

NOTE: The pizza is only in the oven with the toppings long enough for the cheese on top to melt. If you are using raw toppings like onions, bell peppers, fresh mushrooms, or raw meat, you need to PRE-COOK those items before you put them on the pizza otherwise they will still be raw when the pizza comes out of the oven.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a microwave-safe bowl, add your shredded cheese(s) and cubed cream cheese.

Microwave on high for approximately 2 minutes, until the cheeses are melted and gooey when stirred. If they aren’t sufficiently melted after 2 minutes, keep microwaving for 15 seconds at a time until they reach this texture. You don’t want to accidentally scorch the cheese. You want it just melted.

Add your eggs and almond flour.

Stir until well-combined. If the cheese starts to get hard again while you are trying to incorporate the almond flour and eggs, just microwave it for 15 seconds at a time until it is all melted and gooey again. You want to be careful not to scramble the eggs so don’t microwave it in longer increments.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dump your melted cheese mixture into the middle of it.

Have your water faucet running or a bowl with water nearby.

Wet your hands and use them to push the cheese mixture out to the edges of the pan. Keep wetting your hands any time the dough starts to stick to your hands or feels stiff. Wet hands are what will allow you to keep pushing the mixture out to the corners of the baking sheet.

Sprinkle the “dough” with garlic salt and ground pepper.

Bake for 8 minutes. Check to see if any bubbles have formed in the dough and if they have, use a fork to poke them and let out the steam.

Continue baking for an additional 8 minutes or until the crust looks golden brown. Then top with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, and mushrooms.

Drop the oven temperature down to 375 degrees and bake the pizza for approximately 10 minutes, or until cheese topping is melted and slightly browned.

Remove the pizza from the oven and slide the pizza and the parchment paper onto a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes.

Slice with a pizza cutter, grab a few slices, and enjoy!

Cheese Crust Pizza

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

22 mins

Total time

27 mins

 

Low carb, keto-friendly, gluten-free pizza that tastes like the real thing. Use the crust recipe and any toppings you'd like!

Author: Tekesha @ EatMoreFoodProject

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I prefer to use a mix of 2½ cups of shredded mozzarella and ½ cup of shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese)
• 4 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 1½ cups almond flour
• 2 eggs
• Garlic Salt and Ground Pepper
• Parchment paper
• Pizza Sauce & Toppings of Your Choosing

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, add your shredded cheese(s) and cubed cream cheese.
3. Microwave on high for approximately 2 minutes, until the cheeses are melted and gooey when stirred. If they aren't sufficiently melted after 2 minutes, keep microwaving for 15 seconds at a time until they reach this texture. You don't want to accidentally scorch the cheese. You want it just melted.
4. Add your eggs and almond flour.
5. Stir until well-combined. If the cheese starts to get hard again while you are trying to incorporate the almond flour and eggs, just microwave it for 15 seconds at a time until it is all melted and gooey again. You want to be careful not to scramble the eggs so don't microwave it in longer increments.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and dump your melted cheese mixture into the middle of it.
7. Have your water faucet running or a bowl with water nearby.
8. Wet your hands and use them to push the cheese mixture out to the edges of the pan. Keep wetting your hands any time the dough starts to stick to your hands or feels stiff. Wet hands are what will allow you to keep pushing the mixture out to the corners of the baking sheet.
9. Sprinkle the "dough" with garlic salt and ground pepper.
10. Bake for 8 minutes. Check to see if any bubbles have formed in the dough and if they have, use a fork to poke them and let out the steam. Continue baking for an additional 8 minutes or until the crust looks golden brown.
11. Top with pizza sauce and whatever toppings you'd like.
12. Drop the oven temperature down to 375 degrees and bake the pizza for approximately 10 minutes, or until cheese topping is melted and slightly browned.
13. Remove the pizza from the oven and slide the pizza and the parchment paper onto a wire rack to cool for at least 10 minutes.
14. Slice with a pizza cutter, grab a few slices, and enjoy!

Notes

NOTE 1: The pizza is only in the oven with the toppings long enough for the cheese on top to melt. If you are using raw toppings like onions, bell peppers, fresh mushrooms, or raw meat, you need to PRE-COOK those items before you put them on the pizza otherwise they will still be raw when the pizza comes out of the oven.

NOTE 2: Nutrition information is for the crust only because I anticipate that people's tastes will vary with respect to the toppings they want. The nutrition information for the pizza shown above with sauce, cheese, pepperoni and mushrooms is as follows: Calories 758, Carbs 14, Fat 61, Protein 48, Sodium 1310, Sugar 5.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 587 Fat: 49 Carbohydrates: 9 Sugar: 3 Sodium: 660 Protein: 35

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