low carb

Name: Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken with Cauliflower Rice
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 package chicken tenderloins; 1 tbsp fajita seasoning; 8 oz block of cream cheese ((softened)); 16 oz salsa verde; 1 tbsp olive oil

30 Minute Keto/THM S Cheesy Salsa Chicken With Cauli Rice

June 3, 2018 by Stacy Craft 36 Comments

This Keto/THM S Cheesy Salsa Chicken With Cauli Rice will be on your table in 30 minutes.

Easy and quick are what I need these days in order to stay on track. This creamy, cheesy sauce is rich and decadent (and covers the taste of the cauliflower rice). I know this goes against the new rage of low carb cauliflower rice but I just can’t get on board , UNLESS it is covered in some cheesy goodness! I can get on board with anything that is swimming in cheese and salsa.

This cheesy salsa chicken with cauli rice meal will fit with your Keto/low carb/THM S lifestyle and is also pretty budget friendly! I made it for less than the cost of 2 value meals at a fast food restaurant.

I love this cheesy salsa chicken with cauli rice meal because you only need a few ingredients and they are all pretty shelf stable or long lasting. Pull out some frozen chicken tenderloins, riced cauliflower, a bottle of salsa verde and a block of cream cheese and you are ready to make a quick dinner that will conform with your low carb lifestyle.

Pin this recipe for later here!

Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.

30 Minute Keto/THM S Cheesy Salsa Chicken With Cauli Rice

When you start a low carb lifestyle, cauliflower rice is almost always suggested. And while it is a great way to fill up your plate and bulk up your nutrition, I didn’t love it. But I found that if I layer it in delicious cheese and spicy salsa it turns into a great base for chicken.

And now cauliflower rice finds a way to get into a bunch of my meals & I’m not sad about it! I recently made a really yummy (and totally easy) 20 minute Keto Buffalo Chicken Dip casserole that turns your favorite appetizer into an easy weeknight meal. Pin it here for later.

Cooking Directions for Keto Salsa Verde Chicken & Queso Cauliflower Rice

The first thing you want to do is make sure you have your cream cheese softening up so it will melt nicely in your sauce. Next, get your chicken tenders cooking.

I added a little pepper and some fajita seasoning that I had on hand. If you are a Trim Healthy Mama purist (I am not) you may want to ensure that it fits within the guidelines. I love the overall method of THM but I just kind of go with the flow and don’t mind an off plan ingredient here or there. You could make your own seasoning that would fit into the plan perfectly.

Get your chicken completely cooked and then remove it from the pan. Cover it with some foil if you are worried about it getting too cold but the sauce comes together pretty quickly.

Make The Cheesy Queso Sauce:

Next, you want to take your softened cream cheese and cut it into fourths. This will help it to melt a little quicker.

Now you need to add your bottle of Salsa verde. Cook it over medium-low heat until the cream cheese is completely melted.

Once the sauce comes together, add your cooked chicken back on top for a minute or two. Just make sure the sauce and chicken are warm.

While the chicken is mixing with the sauce, put your cauliflower rice in the microwave. Cook according to the directions. Then layer the cauli rice, cheesy salsa verde sauce and chicken. The result is a satisfying cheesy chicken with cauli rice meal that will make you forget about carbs!

Serve It Up:

The way that I prepared it, there was enough for a dinner and I ate the leftovers for lunch the next day. I did have a bit of unused sauce so if you added more chicken, the sauce could stretch farther since it is so rich. I have also wrapped this meal up into a green salsa queso drenched enchilada that is a family favorite! Pin it!

Cheesy Salsa Verde Chicken with Cauliflower Rice

Course

Main Dish

Keyword

Keto, Trim Healthy Mama S

Cook Time

30 minutes

Servings

Ingredients

Course

Main Dish

Keyword

Keto, Trim Healthy Mama S

Cook Time

30 minutes

Servings

Ingredients

Instructions

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken tenders to the skillet and season with the fajita seasoning. Cook your chicken completely and remove from pan. Cover with foil to keep warm.

Cheesy Salsa Verde Sauce

Reduce heat to Medium/low.
Cut the softened cream cheese into fourths and add it to the pan.
Add the bottle of Salsa verde.
Stir occasionally until the cream cheese is completely melted and the salsa is well incorporated.
Add the chicken tenderloins on top of the completed sauce for 1-2 minutes to warm it all together.

Recipe Notes

To serve, place 1 cup cooked Cauliflower rice at the bottom of a bowl, spoon the cheesy salsa verde sauce on top of the rice and top with the desired number of chicken tenderloins.

Follow my low carb / THM food diary on Instagram!

If you like this cheesy salsa chicken with cauli rice meal, check out these other top THM/Keto recipes:

Mac and Cheese Zoodles

Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

Smoked Salmon Topped Popper

Protein Packed Meat/Cheese Roll Up Salad

$5 Chicken Sausage & Vegetables Grill Meal

If you are curious about Trim Healthy Mama, read about how it helped me lose 22 lbs. postpartum here. And if you need a super easy 2 minute Keto microwave egg breakfast, find that simple scramble recipe at this link.

20 Minute Keto Buffalo Chicken Dip Casserole (THM S)

January 9, 2021 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Precooked chicken, wing sauce and ranch make this Keto buffalo chicken dip casserole quick, easy and delicious!

Buffalo chicken dip is something I have made so many times that I can do it with my eyes closed. I even included it in this huge list of Keto friendly dips that you can serve with pork rinds. It is a household favorite around here.

The dip is one obsession. The newish Tyson unbreaded buffalo chicken strips are my other obsession. I slapped them together, added a veggie and created this simple Keto buffalo chicken dip casserole that bakes in just 20 minutes.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Pin Our Most Popular Keto Recipe for Later – Chicken tenders with Salsa Verde Queso “Rice” (A 30 minute meal)

20 Minute Keto Buffalo Chicken Dip Casserole (THM S)

Cauliflower rice is combined with traditional buffalo chicken dip ingredients to create a creamy base for this casserole. Next, you layer the super convenient Tyson buffalo strips on top of the cauli rice. Bake it & enjoy. It really is that easy.

It reminds me of a chicken and rice entree meets buffalo chicken dip appetizer. So so good.

Here is what you need for this Keto buffalo chicken dip bake:

Frozen Cauliflower rice
Cream Cheese
Wing Sauce
Ranch
Shredded Cheddar
Tyson Unbreaded Buffalo Tenders

And let’s just talk about these Tyson unbreaded buffalo tenders (you’ll thank me later). They are amazing! It is our go to “didn’t cook & have no plan” meal after a busy day. And all my Trim Healthy Mama friends – they are approved and “on plan.”

They are precooked so all you have to do is heat them in the oven or my preferred method, the air fryer. We eat them on salads, low carb tortillas for a quick wrap and even on pasta.

If you like these buffalo, don’t forget to try the blackened strips too. Just as good!

Cooking Keto for One or For Two

I am listing instructions in the recipe for one person and for a couple.

My sweet husband despises cauliflower rice and won’t try anything that includes it. So I made this just for me. Since it is so easy & virtually any real cooking, I whipped it up for an easy lunch.

I’ve also added measurements if you want to make it for two. And if your whole family would eat it (my littles won’t eat spicy or cauliflower or ranch or anything HA), you could easily double the couples recipe to get a casserole that would feed 4.

Assembling the Low Carb Wing Sauce Chicken Casserole

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray your casserole dish with olive oil. (This is the casserole dish that I used when making the recipe for one & it works perfectly.)

Add the cauliflower rice, ranch, buffalo sauce, cream cheese and shredded cheese into the casserole dish and mix until combined.

Next, place the Tyson buffalo strips on top of the cauliflower base.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until the chicken is warm and the cheesy cauliflower is bubbling on the sides slightly.

Serve with fresh celery for scooping up the extra rice!

Check out this Healthy Buffalo Chicken Chili – THM E

I’d love to be Instagram friends! Follow my Low Carb/Keto/THM Food diary here.

Keto Buffalo Chicken Dip Casserole

Servings

Ingredients

Buffalo Chicken Dip Casserole for 1

Buffalo Chicken Dip Casserole for 2

Servings

Ingredients

Buffalo Chicken Dip Casserole for 1

Buffalo Chicken Dip Casserole for 2

Instructions

Refer to either the measurements for a casserole for 1 or 2 people to ensure the correct portions. Double the ingredients for 2 if you want a casserole for a family of 4.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all ingredients except the chicken in a small prepared casserole dish.
Top the buffalo cauliflower mixture with the frozen chicken tenders.
Bake for 18-22 minutes until chicken is hot and the cauliflower rice is lightly bubbly on the outside.

Sugar Free Muddy Buddies THM S

December 24, 2020 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

You might call it puppy chow or maybe muddy buddies. Either way, you know it is a delicious peanut butter and chocolate cereal treat, coated in powdered sugar.

If you are thinking you can’t have that this year, think again! These sugar free muddy buddies are a THM S recipe.

If you are missing Muddy Buddies this year and want to be able to enjoy a healthier version, this recipe is for you.

We sub out all the bad stuff for on plan ingredients to create these yummy & sugar free Muddy Buddies.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Sugar Free Muddy Buddies THM S

I have been on a Wasa cracker candy kick the last couple of days. Earlier this week I made some killer Wasa cracker toffee (Christmas Crack) and it was seriously amazing.

Like so good that you need to pin it now so that you don’t forget it.

Ok, back to the puppy chow. Making this is super easy and if you have made puppy chow before, you can make this in just about the same amount of time!

What You Need for THM Muddy Buddies

To make this THM S dessert, you need 6 ingredients.

Wasa Light Rye Crackers
Butter
Jif No Sugar Added Peanut Butter (Or other on Plan PB – Here is a great list of options)
On Plan Chocolate Chips
On Plan Confectioners Sugar
Vanilla

Making the Low Carb Muddy Buddies

Low carb puppy chow is made almost the same way that the sugar loaded version is made. The biggest difference is in prepping the Wasa Crackers.

Making the “Cereal”

You want to break the cracker in half. Next, break each half into half again. Then break each piece in half once more. So you will make each Wasa into 8 pieces.

I try to keep them all about the same size but just go with it. It doesn’t need to be perfect.

Tips for Making the Wasa “Cereal” Close to the Regular Recipe

I tried cutting them (ya know to get equal looking pieces because the perfectionist in me wanted them to look better). Don’t do that. It makes a big mess and it is just a lot easier to break it with your hands. I do think it tastes better in smaller pieces so try and get them as uniform as possible.
Only use about 3/4 of the Wasa package. I feel this way when using Chex cereal too but it is particularly important for the Wasa recipe. You want good peanut butter & chocolate coverage on each cracker piece. If you use the entire package of crackers, you won’t get that.

Make the Peanut Butter Chocolate Coating

Melt the peanut butter, chocolate chips and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Add the vanilla and pour over the broken Wasa crackers.

Using a spatula carefully cover all of the Wasa pieces.

Coat The Crackers with Confectioner’s Sugar

Add the Swerve powdered sugar and the chocolate covered Wasa into a gallon ziplock bag. Seal the bag and shake until most of the sugar is covering the crackers.

Remove the sugar free muddy buddies from the bag and spread out on a large sheet of wax paper to dry.

It takes about an hour.

Store in an air tight container or a zip bag.

Serving Size

1 Wasa Light Rye cracker is permitted in an S setting. If you break your crackers into 8 pieces, the will be your serving size.

It doesn’t seem like much but they are quite satisfying so make yourself a plate of 8 pieces and enjoy!

Keto Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie (THM S)

November 19, 2020 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Looking for the perfect fall or holiday dessert for your low carb diet? This Keto pumpkin ice cream pie is the perfect way to indulge without guilt.

Pumpkin meets sugar free ice cream and lies on top of a delicious and flavorful pecan crust. Tell me, why did we eat sugar before? Because once you try this ice cream pie, you will wonder that too!

This recipe was actually inspired by & lightly adapted from a Breyers pumpkin ice cream pie that I saw on Pinterest. I switched up a few things like the crust, sweeteners and ice cream to make it compatible for Keto, Low Carb and Trim Healthy Mama (S) lifestyles.

And the best part? Aside from it tasting like a piece of pumpkin pie swirled with vanilla ice cream. It is really pretty easy to make. The only hard part is waiting for it to freeze back up after you mix it.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Keto Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

The pie starts off with a pecan crust. I first made this crust for my double layer Keto pumpkin cheesecake and it is amazing. It adds so much more than the graham cracker crusts you ate before Keto.

Next, comes a mixture of rich pumpkin, cinnamon, vanilla ice cream and of course a little “sugar.” Freeze it & eat it 4 hours later.

And it is so so so good. My daughter (6) actually snagged my piece before I got a bite. Which is saying something because kids are picky.

So what do you need to make this Keto pumpkin ice cream pie?

Ingredients for Pecan Pie Crust

Chopped Pecans
Butter
Cinnamon
Monk Fruit

Low Carb Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie Filling

A low carb/Keto/THM approved vanilla ice cream
Swerve Brown Sugar
Pumpkin Puree (not pie filling, the only ingredient should be pumpkin)
Cinnamon

Allowable Ice Cream Options

Since this recipe was inspired by the Breyers recipe, let’s start there. The Breyer’s Carb Smart (which is allowed as an S on THM) can be used in this recipe.

You could also use a compliant vanilla ice cream of your choice like Halo Top or Rebel.

Making the Frozen Pumpkin Pie

This recipe would be no bake except for the fact that you need to bake your homemade low carb pecan crust. But it is easy and only takes a blender & 10 minutes!

Simply combine the pecan crust ingredients into your blender and blend until everything is combined. The pecans will become so fine that it will look like brown paste.

Make sure the butter is all blended together. That is when I know it is ready.

This is what it will look like before baking.

Spread the pecan mixture into a pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes.

Remove from the oven and let the crust cool completely. You could also do this ahead of time and freeze.

Blending the Pumpkin Ice Cream

In a medium bowl, combine the vanilla ice cream, brown “sugar,” cinnamon and pumpkin. Mix with a hand or stand mixture until completely combined.

The ice cream will become smooth.

Pour this mixture on top of your cool and frozen crust.

Place the pie in the freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Serving the Keto Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

Take the pie out of the freezer about 20 minutes before you are ready to serve.

Top with homemade whipped cream or Fat Free Reddi Whip (for my THM Drive Thru Sues) and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

More Low Carb Holiday Recipes

Instant Pot Brown “Sugar” Holiday Ham

Crock Pot Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce

Keto Double Layer Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake

Chicken Bacon Ranch Stuffed Mushrooms

Sausage Rotel Stuffed Mushrooms

Everything But the Bagel Goat Cheese Spread

Tons of Keto Dips that you can Dip with Pork Rinds

Keto Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie (THM S)

Servings

Ingredients

Keto (THM S ) Pecan Pie Crust

1.5 cups Chopped Pecans
4 tbsp Butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tbsp monk fruit

Keto (THM S) Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie Filling

3 cups Breyers Carb Balance Ice Cream (Or choice of Vanilla Keto friendly Ice Cream)
1/3 cup Swerve Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup Pumpkin Puree

Servings

Ingredients

Keto (THM S ) Pecan Pie Crust

1.5 cups Chopped Pecans
4 tbsp Butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tbsp monk fruit

Keto (THM S) Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie Filling

3 cups Breyers Carb Balance Ice Cream (Or choice of Vanilla Keto friendly Ice Cream)
1/3 cup Swerve Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup Pumpkin Puree

Instructions

Combine all crust ingredients into a blender. Pulse until the nuts are fine and the butter is evenly incorporated. (The butter doesn't need to be melted but if it is close to room temp it will blend more quickly.)
Spread the pecan mixture into a pie plate and bake for ten minutes at 350 degrees.
Remove the pie crust from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
Combine the ice cream, pumpkin, cinnamon and Swerve together in a medium bowl. Using a hand or a stand mixer blend until completely smooth.
Spread the ice cream mixture on top of the cooled pecan crust.
Cover & freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Allow the low carb pumpkin ice cream pie to sit on the counter for about 20 minutes before cutting.
Serve with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon.

Homemade THM Taco Seasoning With Nutritional Yeast

September 13, 2020 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

If you are wanting a healthier option than the store bought taco seasoning packets you will want to try this homemade THM taco seasoning with nutritional yeast. It is so easy & contains no ingredients that you can’t pronounce!

Some Trim Healthy Mama’s are purists. And some are not. I’m in that latter category. Don’t get me wrong, I want to make healthier choices for myself and my family but some things just don’t bother me (you can see those things here in the 5 things I don’t do on THM).

And on busy days I sometimes have to choose between getting dinner on the table with one or two less than desirable ingredients or ordering pizza. And I opt for the mostly healthy vs. the pizza.

Taco seasoning packs are one of those things that I used to use because they are “mostly ok.” But if you really drill down, lots of those store bought packages are filled with gross ingredients and things that I don’t want to consume.

So making my own seemed like the only option. But I have to have easy for busy week day suppers so a big batch that I can use for a while was a must. So this Homemade THM taco seasoning with nutritional yeast will yield about the same seasoning as 6 pre-made packs.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Homemade THM Taco Seasoning With Nutritional Yeast

If you have a batch of this Mexican seasoning blend in your pantry, you will be able to make tacos and fajitas quickly during the week.

I’m A Drive Thru Sue – Are the Pre-made Packets that Bad?

Well, I guess that depends on who you ask! I’m not promising that I will never use one again. (I hear all the purists gasping from everywhere!)

But what I am committing to is trying to do better. I know it is easier to rip open a packet and dump it into your ground beef but with just 5 minutes of prep, you can have the same level of easy for six dinners.

And you will feel better knowing that this homemade THM taco seasoning with nutritional yeast is only filled with things that are good for you.

No weird ingredients or fillers. Just spices and Nutritional Yeast!

What is Nutritional Yeast?

Nutritional yeast comes in the form of flakes that are yellow in color. It is a low fat, high protein food that can be used to season. It gives off a nutty or even a slightly cheesy flavor (which makes it nice for E meals, though on it’s own it is a FP).

You can check out all the benefits in this article by Medical News Today.

Making THM Taco Seasoning Packets

Making the homemade THM taco seasoning with nutritional yeast is quick and easy. Just combine all ingredients in a container with a lid or even a ziplock bag.

I prefer these containers.

It will keep in your pantry for an indefinite period! Just waiting on you for a busy night when you need a quick meal for dinner & tacos are welcome at my house any day of the week!

How To Use The Seasoning

After you brown the meat of your choice, add 2 tablespoons of the homemade THM taco seasoning with nutritional yeast to your skillet with 1/2 a cup of water. Allow the seasoning to simmer with the meat for about 15 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.

More THM Mexican Recipes:

30 Minute Skillet Chicken with Salsa Verde Queso Cauli Rice – THM S

NSI Cheese & Onion Enchiladas – THM S

Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Pork (A great taco or enchilada filler) – THM FP

Best Instant Pot Taco Meat Using this Homemade Taco Seasoning! THM FP or S

Homemade THM Taco Seasoning With Nutritional Yeast

This homemade THM taco seasoning is filled with your favorite Mexican flavors and nutritional yeast to add some benefits plus a slight cheesy flavor. The recipe makes about 5 packets worth of seasoning if you were to use the packets from the store. Use 2 Tablespoons of mix per 1 lb of ground meat.

Servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup Chili Powder
6 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp Salt (optional)

Servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup Chili Powder
6 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp Salt (optional)

Instructions

Combine all the seasonings in a zip bag or plastic container. *I don't add salt because I use a salty beef base when cooking this in an Instant Pot Taco Meat recipe.
When you are ready to use the THM taco seasoning, add 2 tablespoons of seasoning to 1 lb of browned and drained ground beef.

low carb

Pin this recipe for later here!

30 Minute Keto/THM S Cheesy Salsa Chicken With Cauli Rice

Make The Cheesy Queso Sauce:

Serve It Up:

Follow my low carb / THM food diary on Instagram!

20 Minute Keto Buffalo Chicken Dip Casserole (THM S)

Assembling the Low Carb Wing Sauce Chicken Casserole

Sugar Free Muddy Buddies THM S

What You Need for THM Muddy Buddies

Making the Low Carb Muddy Buddies

More On Plan Low Carb/THM S Sugar Free Treats:

Keto Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

Ingredients for Pecan Pie Crust

Low Carb Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie Filling

Allowable Ice Cream Options

Making the Frozen Pumpkin Pie

Serving the Keto Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

Homemade THM Taco Seasoning With Nutritional Yeast

I’m A Drive Thru Sue – Are the Pre-made Packets that Bad?

What is Nutritional Yeast?

Making THM Taco Seasoning Packets

How To Use The Seasoning