Ideal Protein Phase 1 Low Carb Breakfast Casserole

Low carb doesn't have to = no happiness!

This weekend we had company staying with us.  One of my favorite go-to breakfast options for larger groups is breakfast casserole.  Prepared the night before, I love that the only work I have to do in the morning is pop it in the oven!  I wanted to be able to enjoy a similar warm breakfast too so I decided to attempt a breakfast casserole that would be Idea Protein phase 1 friendly.  Low and behold it worked!  It looks and tastes just like the real deal, you'd never guess it wasn't filled with cheese.

I am terrible about just making things up so I rarely follow instructions to a T and don't always write down what I did but I tried to keep pretty close track this time for the sake of being able to share the awesomeness with my fellow breakfast lovers on the IP plan.

IP Breakfast Casserole:
2 small Rutabagas or Turnips (baseball size... or one large)
1 Ideal Protein Broccoli Cheese Soup packet
2 Whole Eggs
2 Egg Whites
5 oz Turkey Breakfast Sausage (lean)
Suggested seasonings (amounts based on personal preference):
Garlic
Onion Powder
Salt
Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Grate rutabaga/turnip with largest size on grater.  Spray a loaf pan/muffin pan/tart tins (6), with Pam spray.  Press grated veggie into the bottom of your pan(s), this will form the crust. Once in the pans, spray the top of the crust with Pam spray and put in the oven.  Bake at 400 for approximately 7 minutes til slightly crisp or until as crispy as desired.  Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
Cook your turkey sausage in a pan on the stove top draining off all grease.  Once cooked, top the cooked turnip crust with the sausage.  In your shaker mix your broccoli soup packet with 4.5oz of water or low sodium chicken broth for added flavor.  It should be a bit thick!  Add desired seasonings to soup mix and shake again.  In a separate bowl beat together the 2 eggs with the 2 egg whites until well mixed.  Add the soup mix to the bowl with the eggs.  Whisk until combined.  Pour mixture over the crust.  You can cook immediately if needed, otherwise cover and refrigerate overnight.  When ready, cook uncovered at 350 degrees for roughly 30 minutes.  Serves 2


I did a half batch and it filled 3 tart tins perfectly.  That seemed like a huge serving for one person yet it only has half a packet an 1.5 eggs plus 1c of veggies! Awesome.

Here is a photo comparing mine with the one I made for the non-dieters that had cheese and hash browns and all that.  Mine is in the tart pan but other than the flecks of broccoli, you can hardly tell a difference!

The really exciting thing about this is that it is full of potential.  Try it with ham, or leave out the meat and pack it with veggies. You could add peppers, sun dried tomatoes, leeks, spinach, whatever you like.  I am thinking next time I'll try it with peppers, sun dried tomatoes, spinach and a little WF Alfredo sauce for a different taste.  Enjoy, get creative and feel free to share what you tried that you enjoyed!

My hubby is thinking he may want to do the IP diet when I finish and I am pretty sure if he had any doubts, this casserole sealed the deal for him.  I had him sample mine to compare to the regular one.  He like it so much he actually suggested that I just make it that way for both of us from now on!  I consider that a successful meal.

Enjoy!