Spicy Mama!

 Sometimes a recipe really hits it out of the park. This is one of those, so I wanted to share it with you all! While my stomach is still able to tolerate things like fried food in smaller quantities, if yours isn't and you miss spicy cheesy goodness, this recipe will blow you away. And it's low calorie, low carb, and packed with flavour for a delicious high protein dinner.

Jalapeno Popper Turkey Bake:

340g raw turkey breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 jalapeno pepper

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

170g carrots

170g green beans

43g cream cheese

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tbsp chicken stock reduction (optional)

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp seasoning salt

pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Trim the green beans and put them into a Tupperware container with a lid. Slice the carrots into rounds and add them to the Tupperware. Sprinkle half of the seasoning salt and your pepper on the veggies, then add the olive oil. Put the lid on the container and shake until the oil and spices are evenly distributed. Roast veggies in the oven until tender-crisp, about 12-14 minutes.

Slice the jalapenos into rounds- you may want to use gloves while you're cutting them! Set aside.

Season the turkey chunks with remaining seasoning salt and black pepper. Heat up an oven safe pan on the stovetop (if you don't have one it's okay, you can switch to a baking dish later on). In the pan you can either use some Pam spray to cook the turkey, or I used a little water mixed with chicken stock reduction to give the turkey a little more richness. Cook the turkey until cooked through, 4-6 minutes. 

Reduce the stove heat to low, then stir in the cream cheese and milk into the pan with the turkey. Cook, stirring often, until the sauce is combined. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top, then add the jalapeno rings. Put the pan in the oven until the cheese melts, about 3-4 minutes. 

Divide the veggies and the turkey bake between your plates- this recipe serves two.

I was blown away- it really did taste like the jalapeno poppers, but with a hearty amount of protein that will keep you satiated for a long time! If you wanted to cut the calories even further you could use oil spray on the veggies rather than oil, but I think that might reduce flavour a bit too much for me. As it stands, this delicious dinner has only 428 calories, 17.5g fat, and 20g carbs, with a whopping 51g of protein. I definitely think it's going to be in my regular rotation!

I don't follow keto myself because I prefer to stick with a balanced diet, but I'm told that if you swapped the side veggies for keto friendly ones such as cauliflower or asparagus, this recipe would be perfect. In that case you could consider adding a strip or two of chopped bacon in the turkey bake as well to increase the fat content. Definitely give this one a try and let me know what you think!