Keto Chicken Carbonara

This year, because it was just my husband and I, we decided to forego the usual ham for Easter dinner. Instead, I whipped up a Keto Chicken Carbonara, which I have been craving this meal for weeks. The recipe did not disappoint, so I thought I would share it. Enjoy!

Keto Chicken Carbonara

Ingredients:

4 Chicken breasts (6 oz chicken breasts)

1 ¼ cup Heavy whipping cream

¼ cup Mayonnaise

½ lb Thick sliced bacon

1 can Mushrooms (8 oz) 

½ tsp Xantham Gum (thickening agent)

1 cup Shredded parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp Minced garlic

½ tsp Onion Powder

Sea salt & Black pepper to taste

2-3 Tbsp Bacon Grease

12 oz Spiral Zucchini noodles (I like to use the frozen Green Giant family size zucchini veggie spirals)

Optional Ingredients: 

Peas (I don't usually add these because they are NOT Keto, but sometimes I add when I'm having a craving. I cook separately and then add in to individual servings so that I can make sure I'm controlling the portion size.) 

4 Eggs (I don’t like egg in my carbonara so I don’t add any, but you totally can if you like the egg.) 

Directions:

1.    Pre-heat oven to 375°. Lay bacon out on a baking sheet (I like to first put down tinfoil to save my baking sheets). When oven is heated, cook bacon for 10 minutes and then flip bacon over and cook for another 10 minutes or until bacon is crispy. Set aside 2-3 tablespoon bacon grease.

2.    Over medium heat, add 1-2 tablespoon bacon grease to large skillet. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook until temp reaches 165°F. Pull chicken out of pan and slice into strips.

3.    Add 1 tablespoon bacon grease to pan (if needed). Then add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook for 1 minute (or until fragrant), then add canned mushrooms and cook on medium heat until warmed through. Add sliced chicken back into pan and mix with mushrooms and garlic.

4.    Mix together 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2/3 cup parmesan cheese, and Xanthan gum and then pour into pan. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes (Stir so mixture does not stick to pan). 

5.    Break up bacon into small pieces and add bacon to pan. 

6.    Put frozen zoodles into microwave and heat for 3 -4 minutes (until zoodles are no longer frozen, but are not fully cooked through). Drain zoodles of excess water and then add to pan and stir until all ingredients fully mixed. Let simmer 5 additional minutes or until zoodles are warmed through.

Note: If using fresh zucchini noodles, I would not cook the noodles at all before adding to mixture. I would add raw and let simmer in mixture until warmed through.

7.    Add remaining 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese over the top of the carbonara and serve. 

We got two meals out of this between the two of us.