Better Than "Pancho's" Cheese Dip

Pancho's cheese dip is one of those signature tastes of Memphis.  For those that don't live in Memphis, you can find it at your grocery store.  Now you can make it at home with the Deluxe Cooking Blender by Pampered Chef.   My family says it tastes like Pancho's cheese dip but better.

Ingredients:

• 1 c cream
• 1 c whole milk
• 1 T Pampered Chef Southwest Seasoning
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 10 oz can Rotel
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 8 oz American cheese, cubed 
• 1/2 c colby-jack or Monterey jack cheese, grated
• 1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients except cheese in the order listed to the Deluxe Cooking Blender pitcher.  Replace and lock the lid.  Turn the wheel to select the SAUCE setting:  press the wheel to start.
2. When prompted to “Add” press CANCEL.  Remove the vented lid cap and carefully add the cheese.  Replace the cap and blend on speed 3 of the CUSTOM BLEND setting for 1 minute, or until the cheese is fully incorporated.
3. Serve with tortilla chips.

Click Here to Print Recipe:

Tip:  Buy American cheese from the deli.  Do not use Velveeta.

Caramel Sauce

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup cream
• 6 T. Butter
• 1 ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Add ingredients to the Deluxe Cooking Blender in the order listed.   Replace and lock the lid.  Turn the wheel to select the JAM setting; press the wheel to start.
2. When prompted to “Add” press CANCEL.
3. Pour into another container and store in refrigerator.

Tips:

• The Deluxe Cooking Blender is the latest power tool by Pampered Chef.  Not only does it do the normal stuff that blenders do, ~margaritas and smoothies~ it also cooks and cleans itself.  I know!  I know!  A blender that cooks and cleans?!?  Unbelievable!  Well it's true.  It has pre-programmed settings for jams, sauces, alternative milk and heated purees.
• This sauce is great for dipping apples.  Simply use the apple wedger to core and slice an apple.  Sooo good.

Click Here to Print Recipe:

Quick Cooker Crack Chicken ~Keto~

Quick Cooker Crack Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 lb bacon, chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp Penzeys Buttermilk Dressing and Dip Seasoning 
• 4 lbs chicken breasts ~can be frozen~
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened and cubed
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 - 5 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1. Turn Quick Cooker to SEAR and cook the chopped bacon for 5 - 7 minutes, until crisped.
2. Drain the excess bacon grease from the inner pot.
3. Add chicken broth, seasoning and chicken.
4. Seal the Quick Cooker, press CHICKEN/POULTRY and adjust the timer to 15 minutes ~20 if using frozen chicken.~
5. When the timer goes off, allow 5 minutes for natural pressure release and then manually release the rest.
6. Use the Salad Choppers to chunk up the chicken.
7. Set the pot back to SEAR and add cream cheese whisking for a few minutes until melted.
8. Add half of the shredded cheese and bacon.  Stir to combine.
9. Serve over rice or pasta.  Top with shredded cheese and chopped green onions.

Tips:

• The Quick Cooker is Pampered Chef's pressure cooker. ~i.e. Instapot~   Many recipes for the Instapot call for various accessories like a trivet, ceramic pot, ramekins, or springform pan.  Pampered Chef has accessories specifically created to use with the Quick Cooker.  
• This recipe can be make in a slow cooker.  It just takes longer.  LOL
• To keep this recipe keto, simply serve over riced cauliflower or eat by itself.

Click Here to Print Recipe:

5 Tips for Surviving Christmas on Your Keto Diet

Do you have a love/hate relationship with Christmas?  Most of us do.  I love the decorations and the parties and the music and the food.  I love to bake and spend time with friends and family.  We were created for relationships and Christmas is a great time to catch up with friends and family that we don't see as often as we'd like.  Plus we're really busy so it's easy to just run thru the drive-thru and grab dinner.  

But the food . . .  How do we stay on track with our Keto lifestyle with all this good food?  Here's 5 tips to survive all the Christmas parties.

1.  Eat a bit before you go.

One of the beauties of the Keto lifestyle is the food we eat fills us up and we don't get hungry.  If you aren't as hungry, it's easier to say no to the sugary and high carb delights at the party.  Our fridge usually has either beef taco meat or chicken fajita meat for quick Keto meals or snacks.  Or grab a handful of mixed nuts.  Or a few bites of Broccoli Slaw, which I also keep in the fridge.

2.  Take your own dish.

I have several dips that I make that are very Keto-friendly.  I'll be adding them in the weeks before Christmas so be sure and check back.  Or better yet, join my "What's For Dinner?"  Facebook group.  It's a great place to get tips, recipes and menus.  Meatballs are another great app that you can take.  I'll also be sharing my Keto Cheesecake bites that you can take.

3.  Use the raw veggies as dippers instead of crackers.

Most parties have a veggie tray.  Use the veggies from it for other dips.  Most of the dips at parties are very Keto-friendly.  Made with sour cream, cheese, bacon and other fats.  Or eat them with a fork.  Who says you have to eat a cheeseball with a cracker?  

4.  Enjoy little bites . . . 

Instead of eating a whole slice of that delicious chocolate torte or pie, just eat a bite or two.  Share that brownie with another party goer.  Grab just one chocolate covered pretzel.  

5.  Give yourself some grace . . . 

Be realistic.  How many times have you actually lost weight during Christmas?  Enjoy the time with family and friends.  Enjoy the good food.  Don't be the party pooper that guilts everyone at the party.  Don't make it all about you and your diet.  Moderation here is key.  Just don't overdo it at the party or family get-together.  

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil

1 t. Penzey's Garlic, Minced ~or 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced~

Penzey's Forward Seasoning or Smokey Barbecue Rub by Pampered Chef 

2 1 lb. Pork Tenderloins

8 - 10 bacon slices.

Preheat oven to 400 deg.

Soften minced garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes.

Brush pork tenderloins with olive oil infused with the garlic.

Sprinkle liberally with seasoning of choice.

Lay out 4 slices of bacon on cutting board side by side.  Lay one pork tenderloin on bacon.  

Starting at one end, wrap tenderloin with bacon securing with toothpicks.

Place bacon wrapped tenderloin on large bar pan.  Repeat with other tenderloin.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to 300 deg.  Bake for additional 15 minutes.  

Check tenderloin with a meat thermometer.  It should be 135 deg.  Increase the heat to low broil ~450 deg~ and broil for 3 - 5 minutes to crisp up bacon.

Remove from oven.  Cover with foil for 10 minutes.  Internal temp will rise.

Slice and serve. 

Turkey Stuffing

When my family moved to Arkansas, we discovered a dish called cornbread dressing.  It was not cooked in the turkey and cooked with hard boiled eggs.  My mom was informed that she made yankee stuffing ~which was not a compliment~.  There were few that would try her yankee stuffing, but everyone who tried my mom's turkey that was stuffed commented on how moist it was.  Ironically,  that is one of the reasons that her turkey was moist.  It was stuffed.  Here is her recipe.  Even if you make cornbread ~or southern dressing~ I recommend that you use this recipe to stuff your turkey.  Just throw out the stuffing if you don't like it.  What it does for the turkey as it cooks is worth it.

Mom's Turkey Stuffing:

Ingredients:

6 – 8 slices of dry bread – I toast mine and then put on a cookie sheet and let dry out.

1 box herb stuffing mix

1 lb sausage, browned

½ cup butter 

1 small onion, diced

2 ribs of celery, sliced

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sage

2 tsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp ground pepper

2 cups chicken stock

In large bowl, crumble up dry bread slices.  Add stuffing mix, sausage, salt, sage, poultry seasoning, and pepper.  Melt butter in medium frying pan.  Sauté onion and celery in butter until soft.  Add to bread, stuffing mix and seasonings.  Add 1 ½ cups of chicken stock.  Mix well.  Add additional stock to get desired moistness.  You want it moist, but not mush.  

Spoon into the neck and body cavity of the turkey ~make sure you remove the giblets first, lol~ Secure the neck cavity with skin flap and use skewers to secure body cavity.  Bake turkey as directed for a stuffed turkey.  

I recommend baking in a bag with breast side down for the moistest turkey.  Put stuffing that doesn’t fit in the turkey in a baking dish.  Bake it for 30 – 40 minutes covered in a 350 degree oven.

To Print Recipe, Click Here.

Broccoli Coleslaw - Keto

Broccoli Coleslaw - Keto

This is one of my Keto Hacks.  I keep this for when I need a bit of a crunch.

Ingredients:

1 14 oz bag broccoli slaw

1 c mayonnaise - I use avocado oil mayo.  

2 T. heavy cream

1 t. mustard

1 t. garlic salt

1 t. celery seed

1 t. black pepper

Mix together the mayo, cream, mustard, garlic salt, celery seed and pepper.  Pour over broccoli slaw and mix.  Refrigerate.