Recipe: Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Bake (Keto, Paleo)

Well guys, it's a new year, and I'm doing some experimenting with my diet and giving keto a try. I really love Paleo a lot, and I would say what I'm doing right now is just a Paleo-friendly version of keto (but at the same time I'm eating quite a bit more dairy than I usually do, so we'll see how that goes). Over the past few months I've been all over the place with my eating habits, so I'm looking forward to reigning it in and really cutting out grains and sugar again.

I came up with this Paleo recipe before the holiday break, and yesterday I made it again for lunch with some cheddar cheese. If you don't do dairy or simply want to keep this Paleo, you can just skip the cheese. Or, you can do half and half--I put cheese on Rob's and left mine dairy-free. Do whatever works for you! I think this would be awesome with a squeeze of lime juice and some sliced avocado, but it's really delicious on its own.

Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Bake

Ingredients: 

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Half of a yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts (you could also use thighs)
• About a tablespoon of taco seasoning (or a mixture of cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper)
• About 1/2 pound of Brussels sprouts, chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup Enchilada sauce (use one with little to no added sugar)
• 1-2 handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• About 2 tablespoons of chopped lettuce and 1/8 of a diced red onion, for garnish

Instructions: 

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. In an oven-safe skillet, sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir frequently and add the garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until onions are caramelized.
3. Move onions to the side of the pan and add chicken (season first with taco seasoning, salt, and pepper) to the pan. Move the onions so that they're surrounding the chicken. Cook chicken for about 5 minutes on one side and then flip. Add the chopped Brussels sprouts and mushrooms, then drizzle more olive oil over the vegetables and chicken. Season with salt and pepper, stirring to combine everything. Pour enchilada sauce over the whole thing.
4. Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the veggies are crispy and the chicken is cooked through. (Add cheese a few minutes before serving if desired.) Garnish with chopped lettuce, raw Brussels sprouts, and diced red onion.