Before July 4, we shared wonderful dessert recipes to bring to a cookout. (https://blog.neulivenhealth.com/post/four-low-carb-desserts-perfect-for-a-cookout) Independence Day isn’t the only big barbecue day of the summer. There are parties all season long. And some of the most delicious staples of cookouts are also the most carb-heavy.
If you have blood sugar concerns, you know how to navigate around a buffet table. You are a master of finding a meal at a party! But, it can be disappointing to choose between tasty things to keep your blood sugar steady. Making good choices is a balancing act.
It can be hard to eat some things at potlucks because you don’t know the carbs in them. Homemade recipes can vary wildly — even for the same dish. Estimating how many carbs are in your cousin’s mac and cheese recipe is difficult! That’s why today we are recommending four low-carb mac and cheese recipes that you can bring to the cookout that everyone will love.
Two are made with noodles, and people might not realize they are low-carb! With the number of people trying the keto diet and other low-carb eating styles, many folks will be drawn to your dish even if they don’t have blood sugar concerns. And once they’ve tried it, they’ll love it!
If you love stovetop mac and cheese, this is the recipe you want to make. It’s not like Kraft Mac; it’s better. Seasoned with paprika, onion powder and mustard powder, it beats anything out of a blue box! But it is creamy and almost as easy as the mac and cheese you made for yourself as a kid! A serving has 393 calories, six net carbs and 31 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
Some folks love “white mac.” This recipe, made with mozzarella, cream cheese and heavy cream, is for them! It also features bacon and broccoli. As the recipe was written in the UK, it calls for “streaky bacon,” but that’s just normal bacon here in the U.S. Instead of pasta, the recipe uses cauliflower to cut out carbs. But the bacon and cheese bring plenty of flavor, so you won’t miss the noodles! A serving has 465 calories, 11.5 grams of carbs, 3.5 grams of fiber and 43 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
This cauliflower “mac” and cheese combines many of the best aspects of the recipes above. There’s cheddar, mozzarella and cream cheese in this deliciously creamy dish. There’s also bacon! It’s baked in the oven with an optional crispy topping made with pork rinds instead of bread crumbs. You can cut it out to remove calories and fat, but it does make it extra decadent for a cookout! As written, a serving has 605 calories, 13 grams of carbs, three grams of fiber and 48 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
There’s a lot to love about this recipe. From its delicious spice blend to its use of chickpea pasta, this could become a staple in your home long after barbecue season! It’s incredibly easy to make. And, unlike any of the other recipes we’ve shared today, it’s low in fat. We’ve tried to share lower-fat recipes this year, but it’s hard to do with mac and cheese. This recipe pulls it off! A serving has 145 calories, 14.8 grams of carbs, 2.5 grams of fiber and 5.6 grams of fat. Get the recipe.
We hope you enjoy these recipes at gatherings and at home! They are tasty and easy. Following a low-carb diet doesn’t mean missing out on your favorite dishes! It just means you should approach them in new ways.
