Beth’s keto-friendly ideas for post-Thanksgiving meals, snacks

Editor’s note: My Buckhannon reporter Beth Christian Broschart, who regularly practices a ketogenic diet, shares some tips for post-Thanksgiving keto-friendly snacks and ways to incorporate leftovers into low-carb dishes.

ELKINS – Many folks these days have incorporated low carb and keto recipes into their lifestyle for either weight loss or to eat lower carbohydrates if they are diabetic.

So, after Thanksgiving, as you look at the leftovers, do you struggle to come up dishes to use up everything in the refrigerator to make delicious next day meals and snacks?

I have included some of my favorites, and I hope you will enjoy them.

Mini snacking peppers are delicious and can make a quick, low carb snack for the next day (or days). I simply cut off the stem and slice them down the middle, removing the seeds and inside pulp. Spread on some cream cheese and sprinkle on some Everything but the Bagel seasoning.

For more protein (or if you have sliced salami or sliced pepperoni), cut a slice of pepperoni or salami into quarters and put a piece on each mini pepper for a crunchy and creamy snack that fits the bill.

The calories and carbs will vary depending on the size of the peppers and how much cream cheese is used.

Leftover ham and broccoli/cauliflower can be incorporated into my favorite easy creamy casserole. Here is the recipe that helps use up some of those Thanksgiving leftovers:

Ham, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cheese Casserole

Ingredients:

• 4 cups broccoli/cauliflower

• 1 ½ cup cheddar cheese

• 2 cups of ham, chopped

• ¾ cup mayonnaise

• ¾ cup sour cream

• ½ tsp. onion powder and garlic powder

• 1/8 tsp. paprika and thyme

Directions:

Cook broccoli and/or cauliflower until fork tender and drain very well.

Mix all ingredients, reserving about ½ cup of the cheese for topping.

Bake in 8 x 8 baking dish for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Enjoy!

This ham, broccoli, cauliflower and cheese casserole has six servings and has 38 grams of fat; 6 grams of carbs; 2 grams fiber; 4 net grams of carbs; 12 grams of protein.

For those who had turkey this Thanksgiving and are watching their carb intake, consider using this recipe to make keto ‘white bread’ to use to make a leftover turkey sandwich. This would be good with turkey, a smear of cream cheese (or mayonnaise) along with some keto cranberry sauce (or sugar-free strawberry jam).

This is made in one of the mini griddle or chaffle maker.

Keto Friendly Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 egg

• 3 tbsp. blanched almond flour

• 1 tbsp. sour cream

• ¼ tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. water

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a measuring cup and pour half onto the griddle. Cook until you no longer see steam, approximately 4 minutes.

Top with cream cheese, mayonnaise, turkey, strawberry jam or keto-friendly cranberry sauce.

Sometimes, I also add a few walnuts for crunch. This keto white bread has 237 calories; 19 grams of fat; 5 grams of carbs; 2 grams of fiber; 3 grams net carbs; and 11 grams of protein.

I hope this offers some new ideas to make some lower carbohydrate foods with leftovers from Thanksgiving. We hope your Thanksgiving was happy and safe, and hope you have a wonderful Christmas season!