Creamy Pepper Jack Cheese
If youve tried and enjoyed my Cheesy Pepper Jack Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe, then youre in for a treat with this Creamy Pepper Jack Broccoli with Bacon recipe!
The broccoli and bacon are pan-fried and then baked in a creamy, garlic butter pepper jack cheese sauce all in one pan. Which makes for an easy side dish or meal, followed by an easy clean up. Because no one enjoys a recipe that results in a sink full of dishes. Save those lengthily messy kitchen days for special occasions or holidays.
Simplify your long day with this easy Creamy Pepper Jack Broccoli with Bacon side dish. It is high in fat and low in carbs, which will help keep you feeling full. Not to mention completely comforted when you cozy up on the couch for movie night with your family after!
Who Is Keto A Good Fit For
The short answer is that keto is not for everyone. If youre new to the diet, and especially if youre managing an underlying condition or are on any medications, talk to your healthcare team before diving in. Research on keto benefits is underway, as experts observe that many people are trying the popular diet for weight loss, but keep your expectations in check if youre one of them.
For most individuals trying to lose weight, I am not a huge proponent of the ketogenic diet many of my clients have tried it in the past and found it difficult to follow for the long-term, Smith says.
Also, be aware that the keto diet can cause side effects including nutrient deficiencies, constipation, and fatigue, notes Harvard. Keto also has long-term health risks, such as an increased risk of gout and kidney stones, the university notes. Some of the symptoms keto newbies experience are collectively referred to as the keto flu.
Suffice it to say, keeping on track with keto can be challenging in more ways than one. Before you turn on the grill this summer, keep these nutritious and keto-friendly recipe ideas in mind.
Is Pepper Jack Cheese Keto Friendly
Keto diet is a very low carb diet where your daily carb allowance ranges from 20-25g.
Our main goal is to transition into ketosis where we burn fat for fuel, instead of the usual carbohydrates!
Cheese is almost synonymous with the keto diet! Its a staple that goes well with most other low-carb foods such as nuts, berries, veggies, meats, etc.
Pepper Jack cheese is a semi-hard cheese with 0.5-1g of net carbs per serving of 28g . It is fairly keto-friendly with a great fat-to-carb ratio.
Heres the complete nutrition profile for 1 ounce of pepper jack cheese:
- Calories: 107
- Protein: 6.1g
- Fats: 9g
Pepper jack is a rich source of calcium since its made using cows milk. Its also loaded with phosphorus, zinc, vitamin B12, and vitamin A.
It has a higher moisture content than dry jack and hence its more perishable. When grocery shopping, aim for a piece of cheese that is free from cracks or discolorations.
I love adding pepper jack to my burritos made using low-carb wraps. There are few cheeses that feel as gooey as this one!
PS: Some brands offer lactose-free pepper jack which is a dream come true for keto-ers! Lactose is the major source of carbs in any cheese!
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How To Make Keto Cheese Crackers
Really, these cheese crackers are made with a modified fathead dough so they are easy to whip up. You can have them ready for all of your game day celebrations, perfect for dipping or just eating on their own.
But in this case, instead of mozzarella, you use Pepper Jack. Because its such a smooth cheese, it melts beautifully and makes perfect cheese crackers.
I usually melt the cheese in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave, in short bursts on high. But you can also melt the cheese on the stovetop in a pot. Just be sure to keep the heat very, very low and stir constantly.
Once the cheese is melted, you stir in almond flour, some additional seasonings, and an egg.
I highly recommend using a really flexible rubber spatula for stirring the dough together. Ive made quite a bit of keto fathead dough and one of the best ways to get it to hold together is to really knead it hard against the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Then turn the dough out onto a work surface. If your dough is sticky at all, this is where you can work in more almond flour. It shouldnt be tacky and you should be able to roll it out easily, but different almond flours vary considerably.
Roll it out quite thinly, no more than inch thick, so it will crisp up properly. Then cut into small crackers. I use a pizza wheel and to be frank, I am terrible at getting nice straight lines. But once they are baked and broken apart, no one can tell!
Happy snacking!
Creamy Pepper Jack Broccoli With Bacon
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This Creamy Pepper Jack Broccoli with Bacon dish is a delicious recipe made with fresh broccoli, crispy bacon, and creamy pepper jack cheese sauce. Making it the ultimate low-carb, keto-friendly side dish to any meal.
Read Also: Is Cottage Cheese Good For Arthritis
What Type Of Cheese To Add Peppers To
The style of cheese chosen for this month is also a big part of my game plan. What I am looking for is an early aging cheese and that means a moister cheese. I added a cold water wash to the curds to increase this curd moisture, rather than to dry it out. The removal of whey/lactose before the addition of cold water and the drop in temperature associated, slows the acid production so that the cheese will be slightly sweeter when ready to mold.
Also I choose to use a full fat milk because of the effect that the fat has on melding the pepper/dairy flavors and subduing the heat of the peppers.
Therefore the following guideline will be for a rich full-fat cheese with higher moisture and a slightly sweet finish that will blend well with the flavors of both my smoked jalapenos and my freshly toasted black peppers.
How Many Carbs In Cheese
Does cheese have carbs? Yes, and the quantity varies by the type of low carb cheese you select. Find the best cheese for keto below:
Read Also: What Is Vegan Cheese Made Out Of
Which Cheese Is Best For Keto
Most cheeses can fit in nicely into a ketogenic diet because they are high in fat and low in carbohydrates.
There is some variability in the amount of carbs found in cheese.
You will need to look closely at the nutrition label to see how many grams of carbohydrates are in each serving of cheese.
But the odds are that your favorite kind of cheese is keto-friendly!
There are many kinds of keto cheese to choose from and limitless ways to incorporate them into your keto diet.
For example, cheddar cheese can be used in a keto-friendly version of a comfort food classic, broccoli cheese soup.
Making keto soup can be pretty simple with minimal ingredients.
You can easily whip up this soup with just shredded cheddar cheese, broccoli, chicken broth, garlic, and heavy cream.
In no time at all, you can have a filling dinner. Better yet, the soup is low in carbs and would hit the spot on a chilly day!
Another comfort keto food that uses cheese is keto mac and cheese, but instead of macaroni use cauliflower.
Not only does that make it work for keto, but it also helps you get more vegetables into your diet!
The cheese sauce should be made only using keto cheeses, such as cream cheese or cheddar cheese, and other keto dairy such as heavy cream.
Traditional cheese sauces use thickeners such as flour, which would not make it suitable for keto.
You can make things really simple with keto cheese crisps.
A Final Word Before You Choose A Keto Diet Book Or Try This Eating Plan
Still not sure if keto or these diet books are right for you? Keto may be great for some people, but its important to understand the risks, and think of yourself as a unique individual who has specialized health needs, says Hultin. So consider using the books for the occasional recipe, but for medical recommendations, see your doctor.
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S To Make Keto Monterey Chicken:
Step 1: In a hot oven-safe skillet, add olive oil and butter. Season chicken generously, then sear chicken on each side.
Step 2: Reduce heat, then simmer with the lid on and reduce the heat to low until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
Step 3: Spoon BBQ sauce on top of each chicken breast.
Step 4: Divide the cooked bacon evenly and place it on top of each chicken breast.
Tip: The bacon works best in this recipe if it is nice and crispy.
Step 7: Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of the bacon. Finish off the chicken with Monterey Jack Cheese and sprinkle parsley on top.
Step 9: Turn the oven to broil and place the skillet in the oven on the top rack. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Make sure to watch closely as the broiler can burn the chicken quickly.
Tip: Make sure your skillet is oven-safe if not, you can transfer it to a casserole dish.
What Makes Pepper Jack Cheese Keto Friendly
Pepper jack cheese has been certified to be keto-friendly because it is low in net carbs and high in fats at the same time. Pepper Jack Cheese is low in carb because it contains 0.71 gram of net carbs per 100-gram serving, and this makes it a perfect choice while on keto. It is important to limit your net carb consumption to 20 gram 30 gram per day to stay on ketosis.
Pepper Jack Cheese is also a good source of fat because it does not contain any non-keto ingredients. However, most of the fat it would take to stay on keto should still come from natural and minimally processed sources like virgin olive oil, MCT oil, and grass-fed butter. It is very much important to get your fats from healthy sources so your body can burn clean fuel while on ketosis.
Pepper Jack Cheese is also minimally processed and free of non-keto sweeteners, highly refined oils, and food additives. It is quite important to check both macros and ingredients of your food to achieve a healthy weight loss on keto.
Read Also: How To Make Baked Mac And Cheese Easy
Keto Cheese: 17 Best Low
- 8 minute read
Cheese is a great food option for those following the keto diet because it is naturally high in fat and low carb.
It is also a good source of calcium!
So if you werent sure before, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that you will still be able to enjoy some of your favorite foods such as keto pizza.
Not only can cheese be made into many delicious keto recipes, just grabbing a few cubes of plain cheddar cheese can be a quick and easy low-carb snack.
Keto cheese is a great item to have on hand, but you need to be careful when you are picking it out at the grocery store.
Some keto cheese choices are better than others, so lets take a closer look at how to include cheese into your low-carb diet.
In this article, Ill discuss the best low-carb keto cheese that you can eat.
Also, check out:
How Is Pepper Jack Cheese Made
Monterey Jack Cheese was made by the Mexican Franciscan friars of Monterey, California, in the 19th century. Then David Jack, a California businessman, decided that the market for the cheese could be developed. He produced the mild, white cheese that we now call Monterey Jack. Later, producers began to add small pieces of spicy peppers to the curds of their Jack cheese, creating Pepper Jack Cheese.
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Relying On Cookbooks For Recipe Inspiration Can Help Take The Guesswork Out Of Eating On A Keto Diet
Are you considering going on the ketogenic diet? Before you start filling your shopping cart with grass-fed butter and bacon, know this: While youve likely heard about this high-fat, very low carbohydrate diet and you probably even have a friend or two who have tried it there’s still a lot of confusion about what it really takes to follow keto.
“In general, people say they’re on the ketogenic diet, but it’s not actually the case a lot of times they’re just doing a low-carb plan,” says Ginger Hultin, RDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a Seattle-based dietitian.
The reason for this, says Hultin, is that the diet itself is challenging to follow. “Because 80 percent or more of your calories must come from fat, if you’re doing the diet correctly, you need to be calculating, weighing, and measuring what youre eating,” she says.
RELATED: 10 Steps Beginners Should Take Before Trying the Keto Diet
Why Add Peppers To Cheese
Yes, why add peppers. Well I could just say that we do it because the Italians have been doing this forever but there is a real reason why they work so well.
Peppers in general have a strong spicy flavor often referred to as âpicanteâ. This is due to a compound group that causes a âthermogenicâ effect. This means that they increase the body temperature and thus increase your metabolism .
In hot peppers this is the naturally occurring âcapsaicinâ and in black pepper it is âpiperineâ.
Three of the most important qualities associated with the use of peppers in cheese are that:
- These compounds are easily soluble in the fat of cheese and thus disipate the heat of the peppers so that the flavor of the pepper can shine through. They are not soluble in the water phase.
- Cheese contains casein which tends to bind to capsaicin and relieves the heat sensors. This also promotes the focus on flavor from the peppers and lessens the heat effect.
- They are both antimicrobial and antifungal and tend to inhibit growth both inside and on the surface of cheese.
If you have ever tackled that super hot habanera sauce that your friends challenged you to,someone may have offered you a glass of milk as your face turned that third shade of red⦠Yes, it was the fat and protein in the milk that took the heat away.
If you recall, about a year ago I made the cheese ball rolled in black pepper , I still have one of those aging in my cave and still nothing grows on the surface.
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The Case For Keto: Rethinking Weight Control And The Science And Practice Of Low
If youve been on the fence about trying the keto diet, this book may give you the push you need to discuss it with a registered dietitian. Taubes, an investigative reporter, explores why fad diets of the past typically dont work, and why simply eating less and exercising more isnt necessarily the key to weight loss for many.
Taubes interviewed 100 current physicians who have found that the keto diet keeps their patients in good physical health, and he explores why eating a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet could be so effective in weight reduction.
Still, going keto isnt necessarily a weight loss slam dunk. The ketogenic diet can help some individuals lose and maintain weight loss, but it is definitely not for everyone, says Kristen Smith, RDN, an Atlanta-based registered dietitian and the creator of 360 Family Nutrition. For some individuals the ketogenic diet can be difficult to follow for the long-haul, therefore does not offer a long-term weight loss solution.
Consider this book a think piece on the keto way of eating, but dont look to it necessarily as a how-to guide for following the plan.
The Case for Keto: Rethinking Weight Control and the Science and Practice of Low-Carb/ High-Fat Eating, $18.89, .
