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One food trend you may have noticed recently is the ketogenic diet, a low-carb lifestyle that continues to increase in popularity. For the uninitiated, the keto diet cuts out sugar and high-carb foods, focusing instead on things like fresh meats, vegetables and fats. I’ve been experimenting with low-carb eating for the last couple of years, so keto really appealed to me; I started in January and it’s been an amazing experience so far. One thing that has made the transition easier is having a roster of some “Quick and dirty” recipes I can throw together in a pinch; the mental load of starting a new lifestyle is enough to handle without worrying about elaborate recipes on top of it – especially when you’re dealing with the “Keto flu”! So if you’re just starting out, like me, I wanted to share five extremely easy recipes to help smooth your transition into keto:

5 Insanely Easy Keto Recipes

1. Pure BLT

One interesting thing about cutting way down on carbs is realizing how high-carb foods can be completely eliminated from some dishes without changing much of the taste. I was in the mood for a BLT a few weeks ago, so instead of bread, I used a large leaf of romaine lettuce as the “Sandwich”. I squeezed a small line of mayo down the middle of the lettuce, inserted a slice of bacon, and topped with slices of tomato, eating it as a lettuce wrap. And you know what really stood out to me? It was the same experience for me as eating any other BLT, so I didn’t miss the bread – in fact, I could actually taste the flavor of the BLT more without it being smothered in bread.

2. Pork Rind “Sandwich”

On the same theme of deconstructed sandwiches, another quick go-to for me is whipping up tuna or egg salad mixture, then using it like a dip for pork rinds – sort of like a deconstructed sandwich in every bite! This makes for a really fast and brainless lunch. Both salads are made in pretty much the same way regardless of what base you start with. I either grab a can of tuna or 2 hardboiled eggs, and mash in a bowl with mayo, garlic salt and pepper. I like to throw in additional ingredients based on my mood, like chopped green onions, olives, or pickles.

Tip: An Instant Pot is your best friend for whipping up meals in a hurry! I use mine to make batches of hardboiled eggs in pinch – these are great to have on hand for egg salads, quick deviled eggs, or just grabbing a fast snack out of the fridge!

3. Pickle Nachos

In true Cooking Catastrophe fashion, I have naturally made a few “Gonzo keto” recipes on the fly. There are many ways to make keto-friendly nachos, the most common method being to use pork rinds in lieu of tortilla chips. However, I found myself in the mood for nachos one evening when there were no pork rinds on hand, so I decided to improvise and see what would happen if I used pickles as the “Chips”. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked out!

To make “Pickle nachos”, I lined a baking sheet with foil and greased it. I then cut a pickle into thin slices and layered it on the foil, just like I would with tortilla chips. From there, I layered my favorite nacho ingredients as normal: First, I added a layer of pre-cooked shredded chicken, followed by sliced black olives, chopped onion and cilantro. I coated the nachos with zero-carb hot sauce, then finished with a layer of shredded cheese. I baked the nachos at 350 degrees until the cheese started to brown, and finished with a tablespoon of sour cream. To complete the meal, I served it with a shot of tequila garnished with a lime!

Tip: If you’re in the middle of kto flu, sip a spoonful of the pickle juice while making your nachos to help with electrolytes!

4. Microwave “Nachos”

I was having a case of the Mondays yesterday, and was so spent by 5pm that I had no energy left for meal prep. So I grabbed a microwave-safe dish, layered it with canned chicken, then added avocado slices topped with hot sauce and a final layer of shredded pepper jack cheese. After 2 minutes in the microwave, I had gooey “Nachos” served with a side of sour cream. I won’t win any cooking awards for this one, but if you need something in a pinch when you’re first starting keto, I know you’ll appreciate the idea!

5. Fried Tofu & Spinach

I love one-pan meals like this – simple to make, simple to clean up! For this one, I used a package of cubed tofu that I got on sale, so I didn’t even have to chop it myself; talk about easy. I drained the tofu, and measured out my desired amount according to how many carbs I wanted to budget. Then I melted a pat of butter in a frying pan and added the tofu, flipping it over frequently and cooking until it started to get nice and crispy, adding more butter as needed. When the tofu was close to being done, I added a very generous handful of spinach, stirring until it wilted, then serving. I seasoned the whole dish with garlic salt and pepper since those are my go-tos, but you can use whatever seasoning takes your fancy.

What are your go-to easy keto recipes?