All the flavors of a Reuben sandwich from your favorite deli, in breakfast form! This make-ahead reuben frittata is a great low-calorie breakfast treat.
The ironic thing about this one is that I had no idea that the McRib was going to come back at the time that I decided to make it. My husband mentioned it this morning and it was news to me. Maybe I got the inspiration from an ad I didn’t pay attention to while watching football or something. I had some leftover pork chops in the freezer, and as you know, I’ve been kind of obsessed with finding new ways to use chaffles. I’ve always loved the McRib, despite it being basically made from whatever falls on the floor at the processing plant. So making the McRib seemed like a logical step. I think McDonalds was copying me by releasing it now.
I made mine by grinding pork chops in the food processor because that’s what I had, but you can save some time, effort, and dishwasher space by buying pre-ground pork and adding the seasonings. Either way, per half-pound of pork, you’ll need a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of hickory Liquid Smoke, and black pepper. Either add this directly to ground pork and massage to mix, or put cubed pork chops into a food processor with the Liquid Smoke and salt and pepper and whiz it until it’s a big meat ball.
To make the patties, divide the meat up evenly, and roll each one into a log, then flatten it out into an oval on a cutting board. Use your index finger to press even bumps on one side of each oval to mimic rib shapes. Once you’ve got them all shaped, you can either use a grill pan or a gas or charcoal grill to cook them about five minutes per side. When you flip them, coat each one with about a half-tablespoon of sugar-free barbecue sauce. Do this for the second side as well, then cook for a minute per side again to caramelize the sauce a little bit.
This is a good visual representation of the indentations for the “ribs”.After caramelizing the sauce a bit.
We’ll be serving these on chaffles, as is custom. For this one, my slight modification on the Wonder Bread recipe works perfectly. For each sandwich, beat one egg with a tablespoon of mayonnaise, a tablespoon of almond flour, about 1/4 teaspoon of Sukrin Gold Fiber Syrup or a similar honey or corn syrup substitute, and 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder. Whisk all of this together in a bowl, then pour half of the mixture onto your preheated Dash mini-waffle iron.
You may need to use a rubber scraper or spatula to spread the mixture to the edges, as it’s pretty thick. Let that cook for 3-5 minutes per waffle, then remove it with a fork and repeat with the second half of the batter.
To serve this, put another half tablespoon of barbecue sauce on the top chaffle, then add pickles and slivered onions on top of the rib patty.
Keto Chaffle McRib
Now you can have this limited-edition McDonalds sandwich anytime, without cheating!
Mix the pork, liquid smoke, salt and pepper thoroughly in a bowl. Divide the pork into two even balls, then roll them into logs. Press the logs into approximately 1/2-inch thick ovals on the cutting board. Use your index finger to indent them evenly crosswise, to mimic rib bones.
Heat a grill pan over medium high heat, or preheat your gas or charcoal grill. Grill the patties for 5 minutes per side, brushing each one with 1/2 tablespoon of barbecue sauce after you flip them. Once both sides are done, allow them to cook for 1 more minute per side to caramelize the sauce, then remove and prepare your sandwich assembly.
For the Chaffles
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Preheat your Dash, then pour 1/4 of the mixture onto the surface, spreading it to the edges before closing the lid. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown, then remove with a fork and repeat with the remaining mixture until you have four chaffles.
For the Sandwich Assembly
Brush another 1/2 tablespoon of barbecue sauce on the inside of the top chaffle bun for each sandwich. Stack the patties on the bottom buns, then top with slivered onions and pickle chips before placing the remaining chaffle buns on top, barbecue sauce down.
Macros per serving: 399 calories, 5 grams net carbs, 35 grams protein, 27 grams fat. I calculated macros based on the ground pork loin chops I used, so you may need to recalculate if you're using regular ground pork.
Keyword chaffles, high protein, keto, low carb, pork, sandwich
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If you’ve never had a Hot Brown, you probably think it sounds kind of gross just based on the name. You don’t know what you’re missing. This open-faced sandwich was invented at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, and consists of a thick slice of buttered toast topped with tomato, roasted turkey, and mornay sauce, then placed under the broiler until it’s brown and bubbly and topped with bacon. It’s basically a fat bomb of a meal, minus the carbs in the bread. If you can get rid of those, it’s almost perfect keto goodness. And that’s where the chaffles come into play.
You may be wondering what the weird dish is that I’m serving this in. To be honest, I had to turn to my Facebook friends to figure out what it’s called. Turns out it’s a skillet baker. While I’m linking you to the ones on Amazon, I got six of them for about the same price as one on Amazon by going to my local restaurant supply store several years ago. You can find a lot of great kitchen equipment there for dirt cheap. I got my stainless steel skillet on the same trip and I’ve been beating the crap out of it ever since and it still looks pristine. Restaurant supply stores have the most durable kitchen equipment ever, which makes sense when you think about it.
It seems like this recipe would take forever, since it has so many steps, but it’s really just a matter of timing. Get your chaffles made while you’re making the sauce, and you can put it all together in no time flat. Because I wanted to simulate the crunch of the toast in the original recipe, I made the original crispy cheese chaffle. Just beat one egg, sprinkle a tablespoon of shredded cheddar directly onto the preheated Dash mini-waffle iron, then pour on half the egg, then sprinkle another tablespoon of cheese on top. Close the iron and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese gets golden brown and crunchy. Remove the chaffle and repeat.
A finished chaffle topped with a tomato slice. <3
The sauce is super easy to make, and as long as you have all the ingredients ready, it will come together while the first chaffle is cooking. First, put 2 ounces of cream cheese and 1/3 cup of heavy cream into a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the cream cheese is incorporated, then add 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of shredded Swiss cheese. Whisk it to melt the cheeses, and then add 2 teaspoons of dry sherry and 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, plus a few grinds of white pepper. If you don’t have the sherry, that’s okay. It might not have the same depth of flavor, but it’ll still be super good. If you feel like the sauce is too thick, water it down with a tablespoon of heavy cream, but you want it to be pretty thick so it stays on top of the sandwich. I usually cook the bacon when I start the sauce, because it’ll be ready about the time the sandwiches are done.
Ready to go under the broiler!
To assemble a sandwich, first put your chaffle in the baker, or on a butter-greased foil-lined baking sheet if you don’t have one. Top the chaffle with a thick slice of tomato, then with 4 ounces of deli roast turkey, or leftover roast turkey if you have it. This recipe is great for Thanksgiving leftovers! Finally, pour half the sauce over the top, and sprinkle it with about 1/2 teaspoon of grated parmesan. Repeat for the second chaffle. Set your oven to broil and put the rack on the second from the top, so the sandwiches won’t be too close to the heating element. Slide them onto the rack and broil for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce begins to get brown spots on it. Remove them from the oven, then break your bacon slices in half and criss-cross them over the top of the sauce. Serve with a knife and fork. You’ll need them.
Keto Chaffle Hot Brown Sandwich
An open-faced turkey sandwich topped with a rich and creamy sauce.
Preheat the Dash. Once the light goes off, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cheddar directly onto the iron, top with half of the beaten egg, and then top that with another tablespoon of the cheese. Close the iron and cook for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
For the Sauce
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream cheese and heavy cream and whisk constantly until the cream cheese dissolves. Add the parmesan and Swiss cheeses and continue whisking until the cheeses melt. Whisk in the sherry, if using, and the nutmeg and white pepper. Continue whisking until smooth, then remove from the heat.
For the Sandwich
Put your oven rack on the second-highest position and set the oven to broil.
If using skillet bakers, put one chaffle on the bottom of each skillet baker. If you don't have a skillet baker, line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, grease the foil with butter, and then place the two chaffles on top of the greased foil.
Top each chaffle with a tomato slice and 4 ounces of roast turkey, then top with half the sauce. Sprinkle each sandwich with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of grated parmesan.
Place the sandwiches under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce begins to bubble and get brown spots on top. Remove from the oven and place on a heatproof surface.
Break the cooked bacon slices in half and criss-cross them on top of the sandwich. Serve immediately with a knife and fork.
Macros per serving: 572 calories, 3 grams net carbs, 41 grams protein, 41 grams fat.
Keyword chaffles, high protein, keto, lchf, low carb, sandwich, turkey
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I can’t make this recipe without getting that Nationwide jingle with Peyton Manning stuck in my head, so now you have it stuck in your head too. I’m just that kind of person. But all earworms aside, this is one of the most kid-friendly meals I make. Both of my kids love it, which is saying something because they have vastly different tastes. It’s also really versatile. You can serve it over zoodles, Miracle Noodles, hearts of palm noodles, or regular noodles if your family isn’t keto. Last night, I made myself a couple of chaffles and the family ate theirs on sub rolls.
It’s not a tough recipe to make, either. Last night I had to hit the gym, pick up the girl child from school, take a shower, and have it on the table before my husband and the boy child got home from soccer practice. And I got it done early, so I had to put their sandwiches in a warm oven to wait for them.
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You’ll get started with 4 chicken thighs or breasts. I’ve done it with both and it turns out well no matter what. Just do what’s better for your macros. You’ll want it to be about a pound of meat total, although if you go over a little that’s no big deal. Too much and you’ll run out of breadcrumbs, so be careful. Pound them to about 1/4 inch thickness and set them aside.
With the chicken prepped, start heating 1/4 cup of oil in an enameled cast iron skillet over medium high heat, so it’s ready by the time you’re finished with the breadcrumbs. Avocado oil is best for frying because of its high smoke point, but I like a little olive oil flavor in this one, so I usually go 3 tablespoons of avocado oil to one tablespoon of olive oil. Once you get that going, start the breadcrumbs. If you’ve read my other recipes, you know how this starts. Mix together 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of pork rind crumbs, then mix in a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of Italian seasoning, a half teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder, and however much black pepper you want. Put that on a large plate, then beat an egg in a small bowl. Set the whole thing up next to your stove.
Take the largest piece of chicken, dip it in the beaten egg to coat, dredge it in the crumbs until it’s well-coated, then gently place it into the hot oil. Repeat with the next largest one, down to the smallest. Fry them for about 4 minutes per side, turning them gently with tongs to avoid knocking off the breading, then remove them from the heat but keep them in the pan. Top each with 1/4 cup of marinara sauce, making sure that the sauce you use does not have sugar listed in the ingredients. I prefer the Rao’s brand. Normally I’d link to it on Amazon but their prices are obscene. Go to Costco or shop the sales at your grocery store and stock up when it’s on sale. After you put on the sauce, top each piece of chicken with a slice of provolone cheese. I usually tear the slices in half so I can get them to cover more of the chicken. Once you put the cheese on, put the whole skillet in the preheated oven until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and serve immediately.
Ready to go into the oven. Yeah, I know there are only 3. It’s what I had. Don’t @ me.
Since I made sandwiches this time, I decided to whip out the trusty Dash and make the recipe for Wonder Bread chaffles I’ve seen going around. It’s just an egg beaten with a tablespoon of almond flour, a tablespoon of mayonnaise, 1/8 teaspoon of baking powder, and a teaspoon of water. Because there’s no cream cheese, you don’t need a blender for it. It turned out okay, IMO. It reminded me of cloud bread. My main issue with it is that it was a bit softer in texture and had some trouble holding up to this type of sandwich, and that it’s a bit higher in calories than most chaffles because of the mayonnaise. I want to try it again replacing the mayonnaise with a tablespoon of cream cheese, and maybe adding 1/8 teaspoon or so of a liquid sweetener like Sukrin Gold Fiber Syrup in order to replicate that hint of sweetness that’s in Wonder Bread. It would be great with some peanut butter and sugar free jelly, though. But I digress.
To serve these, either slap them on your bread substitute of choice, or put them on your pasta substitute of choice. If you use pasta, you may want to add some extra sauce. Just make sure you add that to your macros!
Pound the chicken to an even thickness of about 1/4 inch using a meat mallet. Set it aside.
Heat your oil of choice in a large enameled cast-iron skillet over medium high heat.
Mix together the parmesan, pork rind crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper on a large plate. Beat the egg in a bowl and place it next to the plate near your cooking surface.
Dip your largest piece of chicken into the egg, then dredge in the breadcrumbs until well-coated. Place it gently in the oil. Repeat with the next largest piece of chicken down to the smallest. Cook for about 4 minutes per side, until golden brown.
When the chicken is cooked, remove the skillet from the heat but leave the chicken in it. Top each chicken breast with 1/4 cup of marinara and one slice of provolone. Place in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about ten minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta substitute or between two slices of your favorite bread substitute.
Macros per serving for the chicken, using thighs: 456 calories, 2 grams net carbs, 34 grams protein, 35 grams fat. As always, calculating macros for fried foods is difficult, but this is my best estimate.
For the Chaffles
Preheat your Dash. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl or ramekin.
Pour half of the batter onto the Dash. It'll be thick, so you may need to spread it around a bit so it covers the entire iron. Close and cook for 3-5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Macros per serving (2 chaffles): 215 calories, 1 gram net carbs, 8 grams protein, 21 grams fat.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Any embedded link to a product earns me a portion of the purchase price if you click and buy it.
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