Loaded “Potato” Casserole

Who doesn’t like a loaded baked potato?  This is the low-carber’s version, with meat added for a complete meal!  Not such a pretty dish; but a very tasty dish!   I had a leek on hand so I just used that, but green onion is traditional on a loaded baked potato.  This goes together fast and was truly delicious.  Makes a big casserole that will serve 6 hungry adults.  🙂  This dish is suitable for all phases of Atkins, Keto diets and those Primal folks that eat occasional dairy.

INGREDIENTS:

½ large head cauliflower, cut into medium chunks

4 oz. bacon ends (or lean bacon), chopped

1½ c. green onion (or leek), chopped

1 lb. ground beef or pork (I used 90% lean grass-fed beef),

2 oz. cream cheese

½ c. sour cream

1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:  Steam or boil cauliflower until almost fully tender, but not quite.  Drain well.  Preheat oven to 350º.  While the cauliflower is cooking, in a large skillet or wok, brown the bacon.  Add the green onion or leek and saute until tender. Add black pepper and mix in well.  Salt won’t be needed with bacon and this much cheese. 🙂  Add ground beef, breaking apart and stirring as it browns.  Add cream cheese, stirring to allow it to melt and disperse into the mixture.  Add sour cream and blend well.  Stir in the drained cauliflower gently. Top with grated cheese and pop into preheated 350º oven for 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to blend and cheese to melt.  Serve at once with a lovely green salad or green veggie of your choice.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 6 servings, each contains:

465 cals, 37g fat, 8.68g carbs, 2.41g fiber, 6.27g NET CARBS, 26.6g protein, 676 mg sodium