BACON HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

We diabetics have to watch it when it comes to potatoes.  Since potatoes are one of my favorite foods I am always looking for ways I can enjoy them without spiking my blood sugar levels.  This recipe has 8 grams protein to 24 grams of carbs per serving.  That barely meets the recommended carb to protein ratio but that is good enough for me!

1 carton (16-oz) fat-free sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
1 can reduced-fat condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp hot sauce
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheese of your choice (I prefer Mexican Blend)
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, drained, crumbled
1 bag (32-oz) frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes, thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or pan and set aside.

Combine the sour cream, soup, garlic powder, and hot sauce in a very large mixing bowl.  When combined, add the onions, cheese, bacon, and potatoes.  Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour until casserole is bubbly and heated through.

Yield: 12 servings

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Holiday Wishes

 Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, I hope your holidays are filled with love and happiness.

CARB CHOICES VS CARBS

Do you get confused when you see Carb Choices in the nutritional information of a recipe or on a product label? 1 carb choice is equal to 15 carbs. So if something has 29 or 31 carbs it would be equal to 2 carb choices. Don't get the two confused.

DIABETIC CONNECT'S PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup Splenda
1/4 cup egg substitute*
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking oil spray. (Personally, I prefer to line baking sheets with parchment paper.)

In mixing bowl combine all 4 ingredients until well blended.

Drop by teaspoon onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Dip a fork into some Splenda and make criss-cross marks on cookies.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

*May use 1 egg.  (That is my note, not from diabetic connect.)

This is a repost from 2013.

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*May use 1 egg.  (That is my note, not from diabetic connect.)

HOMEMADE SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK FOR DIABETICS

Make your own Sweetened Condensed Milk for baking recipes.

1 cup Splenda Granulated
1 cup dry powdered milk
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp butter

Place Splenda and powdered milk in a blender.

Place water and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and bring to a boil in the microwave.  This will take a minute or less with most microwaves so keep your eyes on it so it doesn't boil away.

Add water mixture to the blender and blend until combined.  Scrape sides if necessary and blend again.  Blend until the sugar/powdered milk is dissolved in the hot water.

Will thicken as it cools.

May keep in the refrigerator a week to ten days.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups.  (A 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk holds 1 1/4 cups.)

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SAUSAGE & EGG BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

1 lb bulk sausage, browned, crumbled, drained well

6 slices whole-grain or your favorite low-carb bread
6 large eggs, beaten
2 cups low-fat milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1 cup grated low-fat cheese

Lay out bread slices to cover the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or dish.

Sprinke the prepared sausage over the bread.

Add the milk, salt, mustard, and cheese to the beaten eggs and mix together well; pour over the sausage and bread.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake casserole in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until set.

Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, cut into squares and serve.

Yield: 9 to 12 servings

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GROUND BEEF AND VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

1 lb lean ground beef

1 1/2 tbsp chopped green chiles
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (14.5-oz) chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3 red potatoes, diced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 1/4 cups thin sliced carrots
1 cup thin sliced celery
1 can low sodium tomato soup
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 sheet refrigerated pie crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook the beef, chiles, and onion in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink and is crumbly.  This will take about 10 minutes.  Drain well in a colander.

Wipe any fat from skillet with paper towels; return drained beef mixture to the skillet.  Add the undrained tomatoes, corn, garbanzo beans, potatoes, mushrooms, carrots and celery.  Stir in the soup, water, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Add lid to skillet and cook mixture, stirring occasionally until tender, about 20 minutes.

Spoon skillet mixture into a large oblong baking dish or pan.

Roll pie crust sheet into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface.  Cut into 1-inch wide strips.  Arrange strips in a lattice pattern over the casserole.  Bake at 375 until the filling is bubbly and the pastry is lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

You can lower the carbs by eliminating the corn, if necessary.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

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CHEESY STUFFED MUSHROOMS

24 large mushrooms

3/4 cup butter 

1/2 cup green onions

1/2 cup of thyme

1/2 cup parsley

8-oz of cream cheese

2 cups of parmesan cheese

16 slices crisp fried bacon

Rinse mushrooms and pat dry with paper towels. Remove stems and dice. Sauté diced stems along with the thyme, parsley and green onions in 1/2 cup of the butter.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, crumbled bacon and half the parmesan cheese. Add the sauteed mixture and stir in. Brush both sides of the mushrooms with the1/4 cup remaining butter, melted. Fill mushrooms with the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese. Broil for 5 to 20 minutes or until heated through. 

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CHERRY ANGEL DESSERT

1 sugar-free angel food cake (we used the whole cake minus 1 piece my grandson ate!)

1 can no-sugar-added (Splenda sweetened) Cherry Pie Filling
1 carton sugar-free whipped topping (we didn't quite use the whole carton)
1/3 cup chopped almonds, divided

Break the cake up into bite-size pieces in a large mixing bowl.  Add the pie filling and 2 tablespoons of the almonds; using a spatula, mix together well.  Place mixture in a container with a lid.  Spread the whipped topping over the cherry mixture and sprinkle with the remaining almonds.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

This is something I put together in 2012. I also enjoy this with no sugar added blueberry pie filling.

FRENCH ONION SOUP

2 tbsp canola oil

1 1/4 lbs (5 cups) sliced onions
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/8 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 slices whole-wheat bread, toasted & cut in half diagonally
4 tsp ground flaxseed
6 slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese, halved

Preheat broiler.

Heat the canola oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat for about a minute.  Add the sliced onions, thyme, bay leaves, and salt; stir to combine.  Cover and cook, stirring frequently, for around 15 minutes until the onions are evenly browned and softened.  Reduce the heat to keep onions from browning too fast.

Add 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth to the onions and turn heat to high.  Cook briskly simmering about 3 minutes.  Add the remaining broth and the water.  Bring to an almost boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.  Remove and discard bay leaves.

Place a half slice of toast in the bottom of four shallow heatproof bowls and sprinkle each with a teaspoon of the flaxseed.  Divide the soup evenly between the four bowls.  Top each bowl of soup with 3 of the cheese half slices.

Broil 6-inches from the heat for 1 minute or until the cheese is bubbly and light golden brown being careful not to let the cheese burn.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

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Yield: 4 servings
Per serving: 315 calories, 28 g carb, 13 g protein, 15 g (5 g sat) fat, 20 mg chol, 350 mg sodium (without adding salt to the bowl), 5 g fiber, 330 mg calc, 650 mg omega-3s.