Low-Carb Side Dish or Main Entree - Cauliflower Gratin

As seen on About.com

My comments are in italics.

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (discard core and large stems)

1 (14 ounces) can chicken or vegetable broth (or homemade - about 1-3/4 cups) I used about 2 cups.

2 Tbsp butter

2 ounces cream cheese

2 Tbsp sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1/4 cup sliced green onions, white and green parts

2 large eggs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped ham, smoked turkey breast, or cooked bacon pieces I omitted the meat.

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sweet Hungarian paprika I used regular and it was just fine.

Vegetable spray

Directions:

Place cauliflower florets in a large saucepan. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until very tender, about 12 minutes. For mine, it was more like 20 minutes. Drain thoroughly through a fine sieve and return to the pot over low heat. Cook about 2 more minutes to dry out excess moisture, stirring constantly. (It's okay that it breaks apart.)

Pour cauliflower into food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add butter, cream cheese, sour cream, half of the cheddar cheese, green onion, salt, pepper, and eggs. Pulse to combine. We didn't want to clean the processor, so I just mixed vigorously with a spoon. Fold in ham, turkey or bacon pieces.

Spray an oven-proof casserole with vegetable oil. Pour cauliflower mixture into casserole dish and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and all of the Parmesan cheese. My casserole dish is 8X8. Dust lightly with paprika. Bake in a preheated 375 F. oven for about 45 minutes.

My result:

Comments:

Not only did it smell awesome, it looked awesome as well (the picture here doesn't do it justice.) Very light and fluffy, like eating clouds. The flavor of the cauliflower came through very well, and the chicken broth pumped up the flavor. I'm usually not a fan of cheese with vegetables, but this gratin is so good. It's even great reheated.

Chicken Caesar Salad Sammiches

As seen on Six Sisters' Stuff.

My comments appear in italics.

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
I used 5 skinless chicken breasts.

1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing
I used Kraft's Classic Caesar. I didn't measure it out; just poured until I felt there was enough.

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Frigo brand for me and I didn't measure.

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (if you don't have fresh use around 2 teaspoons of dried parsley)

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
Any lettuce will do.

12 slider buns or 4-6 regular sized hamburger buns

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours. I also seasoned the chicken with a little bit of minced onion and garlic powder. I used 2 cups and omitted the onion and garlic.

2. Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Place chicken on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds, discarding any fat. Mine didn't have any fat, so YMMV.

3. Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. I decided to add some onion powder here. I really make sure that I discard any fat pieces so by the time I was done I only used about 1/2 cup of dressing but you make need more if you have more chicken. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve (we also added a little bit of dressing on on the buns). My results using a 3-quart slow cooker:

 

Comments:

If you're not a fan of Caesar dressing, you can use any you like. I live with family (mother, brother, twin nephews) and it was a unanimous hit. Two of the guys had two sammiches, while the rest of us had just one. There was barely any leftover chicken, so if that's your aim, increase your ingredients as necessary. I will definitely be making this again.