Combining the flavors from a Kentucky Hot Brown, this Creamy Keto Turkey, Bacon, and Tomato Casserole is great for a cheesy dinner party entrée, a dish for your weekly meal plan, or your contribution to a potluck. What can I say, some flavor combinations from classic sandwiches make the best casseroles. The low carb part is just a bonus.
What You Need to Make this Cream Keto Turkey, Bacon, and Tomato Casserole
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Chef’s Knife
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Wire Rack Insert for Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
- Cheese Grater – If you need / want to shred your own cheese.
- Saucepan – Large enough to hold and comfortably stir about a quart of liquid volume.
- Induction Burner – Completely optional, but if you have one, making the Mornay sauce is a good time to use it.
- Large Sauté Pan – Or Skillet with Lid
- Rubber Scraper – Or other utensil for stirring
- Fine Mesh Strainer – For straining the onion, cloves, and bay leaf out of the heavy cream.
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- 9 x 13 inch Casserole Dish
- Nonstick Cooking Spray
Ingredients
For the Mornay Sauce:
- Heavy Cream
- Onion (large onion)
- Whole Cloves
- Bay Leaf
- Grated or Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- Shredded Gruyère Cheese
For the Casserole:
- Thick-cut Bacon – Cooked and diced.
- Cooked Turkey – I buy the pre-cooked turkey breast at Sam’s Club and then just cube up what I need.
- Cauliflower Rice – I like the 12 ounce bags when I can find them. However, if your store only has 10 or 10.5 ounce bags then just use that.
- Chicken Broth or Stock – I recommend my Homemade Chicken+ Broth if you have the time and inclination.
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes – I use 2 (14.5-ounce) cans, drained. You can use regular diced tomatoes if you can’t find the fire roasted ones.
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Nutmeg – Freshly grated, if you can.
- Paprika – I suggest Smoked Paprika if you have it.
- Dried Parsley
- More Heavy Cream
- Mornay Sauce – This is what you’ll have made with the ingredients listed above.
- More Grated or Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- More Shredded Gruyère Cheese
Getting Started with Making Creamy Keto Turkey Bacon and Tomato Casserole
This casserole part of this recipe comes together quickly. However, there are two steps that I suggest you prep in advance to streamline your process.
Cooking Bacon and Prepping the Turkey
The easy “advanced prep” step is cooking the thick-cut bacon. To do so, you’ll start by lining a rimmed baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and inserting a wire rack and preheating the oven to 400°F. Just lay out the bacon strips on the wire rack and bake them at 400°F for 20 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, you’ll flip them over and place them back in the oven for approximately another 10 minutes or until crispy. The exact timing will depend on your oven and the thickness of the bacon.
Once it’s nicely crisped (not burnt), you’ll want to remove it to a paper towel lined plate to soak up the extra grease. Then you can cut it into bite sized pieces and set it aside.
Lori Tip: I use kitchen shears to cut the bacon.
While the bacon is cooking, you can cut the cooked Turkey into bite sized cubes and set it aside.
Making the Mornay Sauce
Because we’ll need a cup of Mornay Sauce, we’ll start by pouring 1 ⅓ cups of Heavy Cream into a small saucepan and adding ⅛ of a large onion, 4 whole cloves, and 1 bay leaf. Now, you’ll bring the mixture just to a boil and then drop the heat to a simmer, stirring constantly. You’ll need to allow it to simmer until it begins to thicken and is reduced by about ⅓ of a cup (about 10 minutes).
Using a fine mesh strainer, you need to remove the onion, cloves, and bay leaf from the thickened cream. Then you’ll pour the cream back into the saucepan and return it to a low medium heat.
Next, we’ll stir continuously while adding 2 ounces of grated Parmesan cheese and 2 ounces of shredded gruyère cheese. You need to keep stirring until the cheese has melted and is fully incorporated into the sauce. Then you can remove it from the heat and set it aside.
Assembling the Casserole
In a large sauté pan, you’ll combine 24 ounces of Cauliflower Rice, 1 cup of Chicken Stock or Broth, 29 ounces Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (2 cans), 1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt, 1 teaspoon of Ground Black Pepper, ½ teaspoon of freshly grated Nutmeg, ½ teaspoon Paprika (preferably Smoked), and ½ teaspoon of Dried Parsley. Cook over medium heat until the liquid has evaporated (about 10 minutes).
Keeping the mixture on the heat, you’ll add 1 cup of Heavy Cream and 1 cup of the Mornay Sauce that you made. Once those ingredients are incorporated, stir in 1 ounce of grated Parmesan Cheese and 4 ounces of Gruyere Cheese until they are melted.
Finally, stir in all of the cubed Turkey and two thirds of the Bacon pieces. You’ll sprinkle the saved Bacon pieces on top before baking.
Then you can remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a well greased 9×13-inch casserole dish.
To top the casserole, sprinkle on the remaining 1 ounce of grated Parmesan Cheese, 2 ounces of shredded Gruyère Cheese, and Bacon pieces.
Baking this Creamy Keto Turkey, Bacon, and Tomato Casserole
At this point, you can either cool it completely and then store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it or bake it immediately.
To bake, you’ll preheat the oven to 350°F. You will bake the casserole at 350°F for 30 minutes or until it’s bubbling and the cheese on top has melted.
Serve warm.
Related Recipes
Looking for some more creamy casseroles? You might like one of these:
- Cozy Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Casserole
- Broccoli Pumpkin Queso Casserole
- Ham, Mushroom, and Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Fajita Casserole
Interested in other Kentucky Derby inspired recipes? Check out my:
- Deconstructed Kentucky Hot Brown (Keto)
- Keto Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole
- Pimento Cheese Chia “Polenta”
- Keto Bourbon Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Sauce
Or . . . take a look at my Kentucky Derby Dinner Party Menu post.
Creamy Keto Turkey Bacon and Tomato Casserole
Ingredients
For the Mornay Sauce:
- 1 ⅓ cups Heavy Cream
- ¼ Onion large onion
- 4 Whole Cloves
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese Grated or Shredded
- 2 ounces Gruyère Cheese Shredded
For the Casserole:
- ½ pound Thick-cut Bacon Cooked and diced. Divided: ⅔ in the casserole mixture, ⅓ on top.
- ½ pound Turkey Cooked and cubed
- 24 ounces Cauliflower Rice
- 1 cup Chicken Broth or Stock I recommend my Homemade Chicken+ Broth.
- 29 ounces Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes 2 (14.5-ounce cans, drained)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg Freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon Paprika Smoked
- ½ teaspoon Dried Parsley
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 cup Mornay Sauce from above
- 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese Grated or Shredded. Divided: 1 ounce in the casserole mixture, 1 ounce on top.
- 6 ounces Gruyère Cheese Shredded. Divided: 4 ounces in the casserole mixture, 2 ounces on top.
Instructions
To make the Mornay Sauce:
- Pour 1 ⅓ cups Heavy Cream into a small saucepan and add ¼ Onion (large onion), 4 Whole Cloves, and 1 Bay Leaf. Bring the mixture just to a boil and then drop the heat to a simmer, stirring constantly. Simmer the liquid until it begins to thicken and is reduced by about ⅓ of a cup (about 10 minutes).1 ⅓ cups Heavy Cream, ¼ Onion, 4 Whole Cloves, 1 Bay Leaf
- Using a fine mesh strainer, remove the onion, cloves, and bay leaf from the thickened cream. Pour the cream back into the saucepan and return it to a low medium heat.
- Stirring continuously, add 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese (grated or shredded) and 2 ounces Gruyère Cheese (shredded). Stir until the cheese has melted and is fully incorporated into the sauce. Remove it from the heat and set it aside.2 ounces Parmesan Cheese, 2 ounces Gruyère Cheese
To make the Casserole:
- Cook ½ pound Thick-cut Bacon by lining a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, inserting a wire rack, and preheating the oven to 400°F. Lay out the bacon on the wire rack and bake it for 20 minutes, then flip it over, and cook for another ~10 minutes or until crispy but not burnt. Remove the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess grease. Cut the bacon into bite sized pieces and set it aside.½ pound Thick-cut Bacon
- While the bacon is cooking, cut ½ pound Turkey (cooked) into bite sized cubes and set it aside.½ pound Turkey
- In a large sauté pan, combine 24 ounces Cauliflower Rice, 1 cup Chicken Broth or Stock, 29 ounces Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (2 cans), 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, ½ teaspoon Nutmeg (freshly grated), ½ teaspoon Paprika (preferably Smoked), and ½ teaspoon Dried Parsley. Cook over medium heat until the liquid has evaporated (about 10 minutes).24 ounces Cauliflower Rice, 1 cup Chicken Broth or Stock, 29 ounces Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, ½ teaspoon Nutmeg, ½ teaspoon Paprika, ½ teaspoon Dried Parsley
- Keeping the mixture on the heat, add 1 cup Heavy Cream and 1 cup Mornay Sauce (from above). Once incorporated, stir in 1 ounce of grated Parmesan Cheese and 4 ounces of Gruyere Cheese until melted.1 cup Heavy Cream, 1 cup Mornay Sauce, 2 ounces Parmesan Cheese, 6 ounces Gruyère Cheese
- Fold in all of the cubed Turkey and two thirds of the Bacon pieces.½ pound Turkey, ½ pound Thick-cut Bacon
- Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a well greased 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- Top the casserole by sprinkling on the remaining 1 ounce of grated Parmesan Cheese, 2 ounces of shredded Gruyère Cheese, and Bacon pieces.2 ounces Parmesan Cheese, 6 ounces Gruyère Cheese, ½ pound Thick-cut Bacon
- To bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the casserole at 350°F for 30 minutes or until it’s bubbling and the cheese on top has melted.
Equipment
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
- Cheese Grater If you need / want to shred your own cheese.
- Medium Saucepan Large enough to hold and comfortably stir about a quart of liquid volume.
- Large Sauté Pan or Skillet With Lid
- Rubber Scraper Or other utensil for stirring
- Fine Mesh Strainer or Sieve For straining the onion, cloves, and bay leaf out of the heavy cream.
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Nonstick Cooking Spray
Notes
- Advanced Prep
- Once everything is combined and poured into the 9×13-inch casserole dish and topped with cheese and bacon, you can either cool it completely and then store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it or bake it immediately.
- If you store it in the refrigerator, remove it from the fridge 30 – 45 minutes before baking.
Alternatively, you can place the cold dish into the cold oven and then pre-heat them together. However, in this case, don’t start the clock on the bake time until the oven has come up to temperature.
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