Non CAFO Pork?

[Linda R]

I need to purchase a small amount of ham for a casserole recipe. Can anyone suggest a brand of ham that does NOT come from a CAFO?
I would really like to use ham from pigs that actually lived their lives outside, in the sun, wallowing in the mud, and doing what happy pigs like to do!!!
I steer clear of Oscar Meyer and Farmland.

[Jan in Key West]

Linda...have you checked into Applegate meat? We tried the pork from our pastured guy down the road and didn't care for it.....maybe his pigs aren't all that happy!

[Barbara from New Jersey]

Perhaps Applegates brand has ham.

[Linda R]

Thanks!
Totally forgot about Applegate. Several of their products are available at my nearby Super Target.
I have bought their franks several times.

[Barbara from New Jersey]

I checked a local market that carries Applegate products and there were 4 kinds of sliced ham available.  These were on the hanging racks.  No chunks if that was what you were looking for.

[Linda R]

I checked a local market that carries Applegate products and there were 4 kinds of sliced ham available.  These were on the hanging racks.  No chunks if that was what you were looking for.

I checked out their site and found the same thing, which will be perfect. I am also wondering if my local Target has Applegate Ham in their big deli department. I will check both areas of the store.


I just need a pound, diced, for a recipe called Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, one of my faves.

[Barbara from New Jersey]

Do post this recipe!

[Linda R]

DOTTIE'S CHICKEN CORDON BLEU CASSEROLE
1 pound boneless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into bite-size pieces *
12 ounces ham, cut into cubes
8 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream (see my comments below)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon dill
2 teaspoons chives
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped





Put the chicken, ham and cheese in a large mixing bowl. Season with a little salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, blend the heavy cream into the cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the garlic, pepper, dill, chives and parsley. Pour over the meat and cheese and stir everything together. Transfer to a foil lined 12 x 7” baking dish. Bake at 350º for about 40 minutes until bubbly and the chicken is fully cooked. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving to allow the oil to soak back into the sauce.
Makes about 4-6 servings
* Note that the chicken is added raw but you can substitute diced, cooked chicken and reduce the baking time to about 20-30 minutes.





Per 1/4 Recipe: 754 Calories; 55g Fat; 60g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs [See below for smaller portion nutritional information.]
Per 1/6 Recipe: 503 Calories; 36g Fat; 40g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs




This started out as a recipe by Dottie at Low Carb Friends but was then tweaked by Low Carb Layla and Caveman Keto. I took the basic concept and added my own tweaks.

I left out the egg because I didn't want a quiche-like flavor or consistency. I changed the amount of Swiss cheese to 6 ounces, which is the size chunk it comes in where I shop. I also boosted the flavor by adding the same kinds of spices that I use in my Homemade Boursin Cheese Spread recipe. I think my version is closer to Dottie's original recipe than the others but with more cream cheese, like the others used, and my additional seasonings. I'd rather use a whole 8 ounce package of cream cheese and not have 6 extra ounces sitting around in the fridge and I thought it would make a thicker sauce without having to add an egg. I only thinned down the cream cheese with 1/2 cup of cream. I left it rather thick because I knew that the chicken would give off quite a bit of liquid as it cooked. If you want to make this with leftover cooked chicken, you may want to thin the sauce down a little more. As you can see, the sauce did come out a little oily but some of the oil does soak in if you let this stand for a little while before serving.
This is delicious and simple to make and I will definitely make it again. The chicken came out perfectly cooked; not dry or tough. I'm glad though that I added the seasonings to the sauce or I think it might have been a little bland.




I found this recipe here:  [size=78%]http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/chicken_cordonbleu_casserole.html[/size][/b]
My favorite site for low carb recipes!!!!


Help needed on clean-up.   Oh Rita.........................................

[mosey]

Linda, Please give us your recipe for Homemade Boursin Cheese, I love that stuff but it has some yucky additives.
Thanka

[Linda R]

OK, I think I have confused some of you and I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE CREDIT WHERE IT IS NOT DUE.
When I post recipes here, I did not create them.
I find them at another site and her name just happens to be Linda! I also post recipes by someone named Lisa.


Here is the Boursin Cheese Recipe, from Linda's site.
************************************************************************************************




HOMEMADE BOURSIN CHEESE SPREAD
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 small clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon dill
2 teaspoons chives
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped



In a mini food processor, process the cream cheese, butter and garlic until blended. Add the remaining ingredients and process until well combined. Put in an airtight container and chill a couple hours to allow the flavors to develop. Serve with crackers or raw vegetables.
Makes about 3/4 cup
Can be frozen


After gasping at the outrageous prices of store-bought Boursin, Alouette and Rondelé cheese spreads, I decided to try making my own. I used a Southern Living Magazine recipe as a guideline, but used my own choice of seasonings. I think it tastes very nice. I haven't tried freezing mine yet, but the Southern Living recipe claims that it can be frozen.
I've heard that you can use this cheese spread in recipes. I hope to try some and will post the recipes when I do. I haven't tried this myself, but my sister told me about a dish she had recently where a grilled bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin filet was place on a grilled portobello mushroom that had some Boursin cheese spread over it. Since those filets are pricy, I may try something like that with a hamburger patty.
*************************************************************************************************

Maybe I will simply use this font for my own thoughts, etc.

[Barbara from New Jersey]

Nice recipe Linda.


It does take a while to get used to all the new ways of cooking, buying and combining foods the low carb way.  Thank you for posting these. I used to buy Boursin and the others, but stopped when all those crackers I ate gave me heartburn.  Glad to have this recipe.
This will taste good on the WB pumpernickel bread recipe.  I slice it thin and will use this with smoked salmon or a small piece of fillet for an appetizer. 


You have been at this much longer than we have!  Thanks for sharing.
 
By the way, my diabetic friends thought the chocolate zucchini bread was yummy.  They don't bake, hardly cook and just go out to eat most meals.  "You can't make it (the dish) for this money ( the restaurant charge)" is their motto.  Somehow, they haven't figured out that their blood sugar directly relates to their food consumption.  I briefly explained that I have developed an allergy to wheat and don't eat it or other grains.  They accepted that and I kept my mouth shut about the highly glycemic foods they were eating. 

[mosey]

Thanks Linda,
 this sounds yummy. I had tried making this before with Goat Cheese but the consistency was not right, I would never have guessed ummm, butter!

I think it's great that all of you credit the recipes here, I have found some very interesting websites from that info. I don't think that occasional posting without credit is a problem, we all add our own touches to just about everything. That makes cooking fun & personalized. I say keep sharing.

[Linda R]

Thanks mosey.
I have always been super impressed by cooks and chefs who can take something as simple as a chicken breast and turn it into a delicious meal.
I am always on the lookout for low carb recipes and, at least the first time, I follow that recipe to the letter.
I may make minor changes if I prepare it again, but I was not gifted with that kind of culinary magic.


I found Linda's site several years ago and have prepared tons of her recipes.
When I post her recipes here, they were copied and pasted, for the most part, directly from her site.


 

[Barbara from New Jersey]

Hi Linda,


Made the Chicken Cordon Bleu and it was terrific!  Found Nimon Ranch Hamsteak at Whole Foods.  It was on sale and sure is worth the extra cost.  Very tasty.  Superb in this sauce.  Was thick enough to cut into chunks.  They carry other brands of sliced hams too, all from humanely raised and fed animals.  Another nice thing was that 365 brand, which is Whole Foods House label, has heavy cream that is not ultra-pasteurized.  This sure does enhance the flavor better than the ultra-pasteurized heavy cream. 


All in all, this is recipe is good enough for company!  I probably would serve this over rice. 
Thanks again!  I will be exploring Linda's web site too.