Here’s a comfort-food recipe to warm cold nights with a delicious and low carb meal. I adapted this and the alternate recipe below for low carb/Keto meals. The original called for frozen hash browns, which I replaced with grated turnips. You could also use chopped cauliflower as a substitute.
Low carb flour and baking mix will work as a thickener, but it sometimes takes more cooking or a little more flour to get the sauce to thicken. If you don’t have a gluten allergy, you can replace a tablespoon of the low carb flour with gluten flour to get the elasticity needed to thicken the roux. You can also use a tablespoon of corn starch, but that will add a little to the carbs. Coconut flour and other nut flours don’t work since they don’t have gluten.
Ham and Cabbage Casserole
1 cup chopped or cubed Ham
3/4 cup shredded Turnips
2-1/2 tablespoons unsalted Butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped Onions
2-1/2 cups chopped Cabbage
½ cup shredded Carrots
1-1/2 tablespoons Low Carb all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Mustard
1/2 teaspoon White Pepper
1 cups Cream
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2 slices Bacon Strips, cooked and crumbled
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or use cooking spray on an 8×8-inch baking dish.
Prepare all vegetables and shredded cheese before starting to cook. It will make the timing so much easier.
Spread chopped ham evenly on the bottom of the baking dish.
Set shredded turnips onto a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high power for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter, add onions, and cook until they start to turn clear, about 3 minutes. Add chopped cabbage and continue to cook and stir until cabbage starts to wilts, about 4 minutes. Add shredded carrots and microwaved turnips and stir to mix well. Spread the mixture over the ham in the baking dish.
Use a paper towel to wipe out the skillet then melt the remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. In a small bowl, combine low-carb flour, salt, and white pepper. Add a little garlic powder if you like. Sprinkle flour and seasonings over the melted butter and stir until the flour and butter make a paste and the mixture is bubbly. Cook for 1 minute while stirring.
Gradually pour in cream and stir to break down any lumps. Stir in mustard. Still stirring, continue to cook, until the mixture thickens. If the mixture is too thick, stir in an additional 2 tablespoons cream. Remove from heat.
Add half of the grated Cheddar cheese and stir until it is melted, then add the remaining half and stir. Pour cheese sauce over the casserole and top with crumbled bacon.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes until the top is bubbly and brown. Let sit a few minutes to set, then serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Alternate recipe. This one is almost identical but doesn’t use a cream roux and cooks in a skillet. I didn’t include the bacon pieces in this one, but you can without adding any carbs.
Skillet Cabbage and Sausage with Cheese
1 lb. Sausage Links, cut into 1/2 inch slices.
3/4 cup shredded Turnips
1 tablespoons unsalted Butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped Onions
2-1/2 cups chopped Cabbage
½ cup shredded Carrots
1 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1/2 teaspoon White Pepper
1/2 cup grated Sharp Cheddar cheese
Prepare all vegetables and shredded cheese before starting to cook. It will make the timing so much easier.
Set shredded turnips onto a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high power for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter, add onions, and cook until they start to turn clear, about 3 minutes. Add chopped cabbage and continue to cook and stir until cabbage starts to wilt, about 4 minutes. Add shredded carrots and microwaved turnips and stir to mix well. Add the sausage and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add shredded cheese and cook another 3 or 4 minutes until the cheese melts.
Serve with a side salad and/or low carb toast or biscuit.
