Holiday Keto Stuffing {Low-Carb & Gluten-Free}
The holidays can spell disaster when you’re on a diet.
While some conventional myths about end-of-year weight gain have been disproven (one study found people gained less than a pound[*]), you might lose momentum by letting things slip too much in November and December.
That’s one reason healthy recipes for some of your favorite foods are so important. Take stuffing, for example. If you’re following a low-carb diet like keto, traditional stuffing recipes just won’t cut it. They’ll be made with bread or breadcrumbs, which have too many carbs to stay in ketosis.
And if stuffing is one of the foods you look forward to ( who could blame you?), you might be considering taking a “break” from your diet.
On the other hand, if you had a delicious holiday keto stuffing recipe handy, it’d be much easier to stick to your health goals.
The end of the year is a time for reflection, family time, and yes, eating. And there’s no reason you can’t stick to your routine with recipes like this.
4 Reasons To Try This Cauliflower Keto Stuffing Recipe
Here are four reasons to ditch the white bread stuffing and give this healthier option a shot.
- Prep and cook time are less than an hour: Preparing a big meal for the family? Then you know time and oven space matter. That’s one reason this recipe is great. Start to finish, your stuffing can be prepped and cooked in just 55 minutes. That gives you time to focus on getting the internal temperature of your prime rib or turkey just right.
- The ingredients are simple: Diet-friendly recipes often call for complex items, things you have to special order or stop at a specific grocery store to pick up. But not this keto stuffing recipe. You can find everything at the local grocery store. Chances are you already have some of the items at home.
- It’s high in protein: You’d be hard-pressed to find a more protein-packed stuffing recipe. One serving has 10 grams of protein, along with fiber, and plenty of fat to keep you satisfied for hours after you eat. Because protein suppresses the hormone ghrelin (responsible for you feeling hungry[*]), eating enough during the holidays is a good way to keep the weight off. .And if you’re sticking to your exercise schedule during the holidays, eating enough protein is crucial for repairing muscles [*].
- You’ll recognize the stuffing texture: Let’s be honest—a lot of alternative recipes leave something to be desired. They might share the same name, but doesn’t always taste like the regular version that you’re used to. When it comes to stuffing, for example, you’re looking for fluffiness and moisture with the occasional “crunch” of the top layer. Thanks to the cookie sheet preparation and the versatility of cauliflower (see the next section for more), you’ll get both of these things. There’s no bread in this recipe, but you’re sure to recognize it for stuffing.
Finally, let’s look at the plentiful benefits of the star of this stuffing recipe.
Ingredient Spotlight: Cauliflower
Cauliflower is packed with health-promoting phytonutrients, as well as vitamins B6, C and K[*].
Toss in trace amounts of more than ten essential minerals, plus a handful of antioxidants (which help stabilize cells and fight off diseases like cancer)[*][*]].
Suffice it to say, there’s a lot to like about cauliflower. Just look at the differences[*][*]:
- 1 cup of cauliflower has just 25 calories. A cup of white bread has 120.
- 1 cup of cauliflower has more than twice as much fiber.
- 1 cup of white bread contains four times as many carbs as cauliflower—nearly 23 grams, which is about one-half of what a keto dieter eats daily.
- White bread is often bleached and stripped of many of the essential nutrients in the original grain[*].
- White bread has a very high glycemic index, meaning it gets rapidly absorbed by your gut and spikes blood sugar[*].
Compared to a commercially produced white bread, cauliflower is a no-brainer for a low-carb diet. And who knows, it tastes good enough that it might just become your preferred stuffing main ingredient going forward.
Sold yet? We hope so. Happy holidays to you, and we hope you enjoy this keto stuffing recipe as much as we do.
Ingredients:
- ½ pound ground sausage
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 cup mushrooms
- ½ cup celery, diced
- ½ cup onions, diced
- ½ cup parsley and rosemary, chopped
- ¼ cup cranberries
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 stick of butter, divided
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- On a cookie sheet, roast the cauliflower florets for about 12 minutes until they develop a char on parts of the head. Remove and set aside.
- In the meantime, in a medium pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add in the sausage, diced onions and celery. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook them down until sausage is slightly browned and vegetables are just softened. Add in the mushrooms and cook until soft.
- Add parsley and rosemary to the celery, onion, and mushrooms, and mix well. Take off the heat and stir in the roasted cauliflower.
- In an oven-safe dish, transfer the stuffing mixture and add the cranberries.
- Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter, allow to cool, and whisk it together with broth and cream. Whisk in egg.
- Pour broth mixture over the vegetables and let it bake for 30-40 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
