Low-Carb Keto Recipe: Baked Pepper Poppers

Holle loves to cook. She creates a lot of delicious recipes and enjoys sharing them.

My Low-Carb Diet

I've been on a low-carb diet for years, off and on. My weight has gone up and down somewhat, but I have been able to keep off over 100 pounds for 20 years, thanks to low-carb eating.

The biggest problem with this eating plan is that I love carbs! In fact, I think I'm addicted to them. My body does not love carbohydrates, however. Just a small amount of carbs raises my blood glucose and my weight, and my joints feel achier. Physically, I feel much better when I'm following a very low-carb diet, but mentally, I often find myself daydreaming about breads, rice, corn, potatoes, and ice cream.

I find if I'm able to eat low-carb foods that are high in taste appeal, it's easier to forego the carbs. I don't count calories, protein grams, or fat grams; I count only carb grams. This really works for me, especially because there are still a lot of tasty foods I can enjoy, like the pepper poppers I describe here.

Low Carb vs. Keto: What's the Difference?

A lot of people get low-carb diets confused with the keto diet. While both are very low in carbohydrates, there are some differences. Typically, a low-carb diet is low carb, high protein, and moderate fat. A keto diet, on the other hand, is low carb, moderate protein, and high fat.

The low-carb diet works better for me than does the keto diet. For one thing, I don't want to consume so much fat. For another, I like the freedom of eating lean meats and not having to eat a certain number of fat grams each day. I'd rather eat more protein than fat. To me, low carb is just a lot easier and tastier. I can enjoy lots of chicken, turkey, fish, and other lean sources of protein. Before I had an allergic reaction to shellfish, shrimp, lobster, and crab made up a large part of my low-carb meals.

Creating Low-Carb Recipes

I'm often creating low-carb recipes. I love to cook, and I'm a very creative person, so I find figuring out dishes on my own to be enjoyable and rewarding. As I mentioned, I try to keep my daily carb count low, but I still like to eat yummy foods. Sometimes it's quite a challenge, but I've come up with some low-carb recipes that usually satisfy my cravings.

These pepper poppers are low-carb and keto-friendly. Each popper has less than one gram of net carbs, and because they contain fat and protein, they're very filling and satiating. They work well as a snack, an appetizer, and a party food—but sometimes I make an entire meal of them.

How to Prepare the Jalapeño Peppers

First of all, choose peppers that are bright dark green and shiny, with no blemishes. For this recipe, I like to use jalapeños that are about 2 1/2 inches long. Rinse the peppers well in cool water and drain on paper towels. Put on plastic gloves! Handling hot peppers can give you a condition known as “pepper hands,” which can make your hands and fingers burn and tingle for days. It's not fun; I've had it.

Slice peppers in half, lengthwise, leaving on the stem. The attached stem will make a nice little handle. Use a teaspoon to scrape out seeds and interior membrane.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• butter-flavored cooking spray
• 20 jalapeño peppers, halved, lengthwise
• 1 (8-oz) carton Walmart cream cheese spread, onion and chive or garden vegetable
• 20 Hillshire Farms Lit'l Smokies, halved, lengthwise
• 14 slices bacon, cut into thirds

Instructions

1. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Spray lightly with butter-flavored cooking spray.
2. Place prepared peppers on baking sheet, cut side up.
3. Using a butter knife or spoon, spread about 1 teaspoon cream cheese spread inside each pepper.
4. Press ½ a sausage into the cream cheese on each pepper.
5. Stretching a bacon strip, wrap each filled pepper. Make sure the seam is on the bottom of the pepper.
6. Place the baking sheet in a cold oven and set the oven to bake at 350 degrees.
7. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
8. Serve with your favorite low-carb dressing as a dipping sauce. Buttermilk ranch is perfect!

© 2021 Holle Abee

Comments

Brian from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia on July 24, 2021:

Going Keto certainly has its' perks. ;) Love me some delicious baked pepper poppers and your recipe seems easy, Holle. The wait time is worth it when you sink your teeth into the crunchy poppers.

Bill Holland from Olympia, WA on July 23, 2021:

Sure, why not? The hotter the better, right? :)