Deconstructed lower-carb comfort food favorites

With a little creativity, you can enjoy the flavors you crave with fewer carbs. Here are a few lower-carb spins on some well-loved comfort food meals:

Instead of deep-dish pizza, try:

Cauliflower pizza casserole

Makes 4 servings | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 40 min

Ingredients

• 2 heads cauliflower, sliced into 1-inch planks
• 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425ºF. Lay out cauliflower onto two baking sheets and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place in oven and cook until browned on the bottom, around 15 minutes. Flip and cook until both sides are browned, another 10 minutes or so.
• While the cauliflower cooks, use a saucepan over a medium flame to heat 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano and garlic powder, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Mix in ricotta.
• Remove cauliflower from oven and reduce heat to 350ºF. In a large baking dish, spread one layer of cauliflower. Spread tomato and ricotta mixture over the cauliflower. Top with another layer of cauliflower.
• Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the second layer of cauliflower. Bake until cheese is melted and starting to brown, around 15 minutes.

Nutrition 

Serving size: ¼ of baking dish

Calories: 296 | total fat: 16 g | saturated fat: 5 g | sodium: 391 mg | cholesterol: 24 mg | total carbs: 27 g | fiber: 10 g | sugars: 16 g | protein: 17 g | potassium: 963 mg

Instead of Chinese takeout, try:

Egg roll bowl

Makes 4 servings | Prep: 5 min | Cook: 16 min

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 16-oz bag shredded green cabbage
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 scallions, chopped

Preparation

• In a large skillet over high heat, cook ground chicken. Stir until no longer pink. Drain the juices from the skillet.
• Add diced onion, sesame oil and vinegar to the skillet. Stirinto the chicken and cook for a few more minutes, until onion is soft. Add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, cabbage, carrots and mushrooms. Stir and cook until mushrooms and cabbage are cooked, around 5-8 minutes.
• Remove from heat and place into bowls. Top with chopped scallions.

Nutrition 

Serving size: ¼ of baking dish

Calories: 311 | total fat: 12 g | saturated fat: 3 g | sodium: 662 mg | cholesterol: 100 mg | total carbs: 14 g | fiber: 4 g | sugars: 6 g | protein: 36 g | potassium: 670 mg

Instead of burgers and fries, try:

Burger salad with sweet potato “fries”

Makes 4 servings | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 20 min

Ingredients

Sweet potato “fries”:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and trimmed
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp garlic powder

Burger salad:

• ½Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped (around 8 cups)
• 2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup sliced pickles
• ½ cup chopped red onion
• 1 large avocado, sliced

Salad dressing:

• ¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp garlic powder

Preparation

• Slice the sweet potatoes into ¼-inch-thick sticks. Toss with oil. Place sticks in the tray of an air fryer, careful not to overcrowd (cook in batches if you need to). Air fry at 400°F until cooked and crispy, around 10-12 minutes. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can oven-roast at 400°F for around 30 minutes instead. When they are done, sprinkle with garlic powder.
• In the meantime, prepare the “burger” meat. Over a medium flame, heat a large skillet. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the diced onion. Sauté until browned, around 5 minutes. Add ground turkey. Stir while cooking. After about 4 minutes, add mustard. Cook until no pink remains and meat is thoroughly cooked, around 7 minutes total.
• While the turkey and sweet potatoes cook, mix up the dressing. Add mayo, tomato paste, lemon juice and garlic powder to a bowl. Whisk together to combine; thin with water as needed.
• Distribute the lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onion and avocado between four bowls. Add an equal amount of cooked turkey to each bowl. Top each bowl with ¼ of the dressing mixture. Serve each salad with a small side of sweet potato “fries.”

Nutrition 

Serving size: 2½ cups salad and around 1/3 cup fries

Calories: 561 | total fat: 35 g | saturated fat: 6 g | sodium: 560 mg | cholesterol: 119 mg | total carbs: 36 g | fiber: 9 g | sugars: 10 g | protein: 35 g | potassium: 1,075 mg