Keto Egg Bake Recipe with Bacon

Keto Egg Bake Pin

This super easy Keto Egg Bake is a great keto breakfast casserole recipe for a crowd.

Keto Egg Bake in skillet

We love an easy breakfast and this low-carb breakfast casserole (AKA Keto Egg Bake for the Google Gods ) is one of our go-to’s!

Our version here is keto-friendly, gluten-free, and perfect for the keto diet.

Ingredients in this Keto Egg Bake

  • 8 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces and cooked
  • 3 tablespoons bacon grease reserved from cooking the bacon 
  • ½ yellow onion, diced – about 4 oz
  • 1 bell pepper of choice, diced we used half a red bell pepper, and half of a green bell pepper 
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced  
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt 
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided 
  • 12 large eggs
  • ½ cup half and half or heavy cream
  • 12 ounces shredded cheese (your choice – we used 6 oz mozzarella and 6 oz cheddar)
  • Green onions to garnish, optional 

How to make this keto egg bake

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Preheat a 12” cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add your raw bacon bits to the pan, and cook until browned, about 7-10 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the skillet, and remove all but 3 tablespoons of rendered bacon grease in the skillet. 
  2. Add your onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms to the pan with a pinch of salt, pepper, and about half of the Italian seasoning. Cook until vegetables are slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add in the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, some salt, pepper, and the remaining Italian seasoning. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetable mixture, and stir in…

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The Cultural Contradictions of Conservative Values – Podcast #51

If you made a list of what a right wing fantasy utopia would look like for someone with localist leanings, you’ll discover that the only people who have successfully produced those environments are on the left.  In this podcast I examine the cultural contradictions of conservative values, showing how in practice the values of conservatives themselves have produced some – not all, but some – of the dysfunction in which they live.

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple PodcastsYouTube, and elsewhere. Check out the other podcasts here.

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The Masculinist #56: Understanding Your Social Capital Score

Welcome back to the Masculinist, the newsletter about how we live as Christian men and as the church in the modern world.

Have you or someone you’ve shared it with found the material in the Masculinist helpful or thought provoking? If so, please help sustain and expand my mission by becoming a monthly financial supporter on Patreon or Gumroad.  Patreon supporters at $25/month or more get access to exclusive content, and if you contribute $10/month or more you get early access to each month’s Masculinist newsletter.

You can also send a one-time contribution by PayPalCash App, or mail a check payable to Aaron Renn to PO Box 33171, Indianapolis, IN 46203.

Understanding Your Social Capital Score

Here’s how Wikipedia describes social capital:

Social capital is “the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively”. It involves the effective functioning of social groups through interpersonal relationships, a shared sense of identity, a shared understanding, shared norms, shared values, trust, cooperation, and reciprocity. Social capital is a measure of the value of resources, both tangible (e.g., public spaces, private property) and intangible (e.g., actors, human capital, people), and the impact that these relationships have on the resources involved in each relationship, and on larger groups. It is generally seen as a form of capital that produces public goods for a common purpose.

Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam is one of the biggest popularizers of the social capital concept, particularly through his book Bowling Alone, which described the decline of social capital in American communities.

Social capital today is frequently discussed as a property of locations. For example, Scott Winship at the Joint Economic Committee created a social capital index that measured social capital levels…

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Keto Chicken Fajitas Skillet

This Keto Chicken Fajitas recipe is a perfect go-to recipe for an easy dinner the entire family loves. This recipe is gluten-free, keto-friendly, low-carb, and ready in just about 30 minutes.

Keto Chicken Fajitas with toppings in bowls off to the side

Who doesn’t love fajitas?! They’re such an easy dinner option but for some reason, fajitas often get overlooked as a make at home meal option. We’re here to change that with our easy Keto Fajitas! Our fajitas are packed with onions and bell peppers, and chicken. Either chicken thighs or chicken breasts will both work, use your favorite.

You could even make this into a sheet pan-style dinner if you want a more hands-off approach.

Read on for the details on how to make the best Keto Chicken Fajitas at home.

Ingredients in Keto Chicken Fajitas

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil – don’t use olive oil as it won’t be able to handle the heat to char the chicken
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (you can use all avocado oil or all butter if you’d like)
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • ½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • ½ yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • ½ orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeño or serrano, thinly sliced (optional)
  • 1 Roma tomato, quartered and seeded (optional)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons CIK taco seasoning
  • Sea salt, to taste

A note on the taco seasoning – we used our taco seasoning here as the fajita seasoning. You can use any taco seasoning blend you like!

A note on modifications – if dairy-free, use all avocado oil instead of butter. If Whole30, do the same and leave out the butter. Yes, you can use steak, shrimp, salmon or a white fish, or even our…

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Don’t Become Unhireable – The Masculinist

The Wall Street Journal recently published an interesting article about the curious fact that companies are rejecting millions of résumés at the same time they have a big shortage of workers.

Basically, all applications are scanned by computers today, which automatically reject many applicants who might actually be qualified.

I remember an article some a few years, which unfortunately I can’t locate, in which an HR director, so frustrated with his team’s inability to fill positions, tried an experiment in which he posted an opening for his own job. He applied for it and didn’t even get an interview.

As this article shows, there are things that can happen to you that will render you effectively unhireable because of the way automated screening works.

One of the biggest is a gap in your résumé of a year or more. The WSJ article says a six month gap often leads to rejection, though they seem to be emphasizing positions that don’t require a college degree. Better safe than sorry here.

The consequences of a significant employment gap cannot be understated. I know two former colleagues from Accenture who ended up in this situation. They had both been at the senior manager level and had real skills but a year out of the job market made it impossible for them to even get an interview.

One person was laid off. He had a lot of savings and took some time off, then was excessively picky about a new job. In fact, he turned down at least one really good offer. He did not realize that once his employment gap hit a certain length – I think it’s one year in most cases – no one would interview him.

This guy found that he couldn’t even get a call back or…

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Cheddar Ranch Chicken Thighs [Keto Recipe]

These Keto Cheddar Ranch Chicken Thighs are totally weeknight dinner-worthy and ready in just about 30 minutes. Grab a side salad and maybe some green beans and dig in!

Cheddar Ranch Chicken Thighs in cast iron skillet

Crispy Cheddar Ranch Chicken Thighs 🤤 Aren’t those the 5 greatest words you’ve ever heard? We are digging this easy skillet dinner. What more could you want? We’ve got crispy chicken thighs, melty cheese, and the perfect ranch seasoning along with pork rind crumbs to make a deliciously crispy topping.

We love using pork rinds as a breading as they get super crispy, stick well, and also brown well. Low-carb flours like almond flour and coconut flour aren’t always the greatest options since they tend to burn. Since we’re broiling these thighs, we opted for pork rinds for their stability.

You can purchase pre-made pork rinds crumbs or make your own! Just place the pork rinds in a food processor and pulse until they resemble breadcrumbs or panko. Easy!

Cheddar Ranch Chicken Thighs in cast iron skillet with a spoon removing one

Ingredients in Ranch Chicken Thighs

  • 10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 batch ranch seasoning (recipe below)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced – not pre-minced
  • 2 green onions, minced
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil (we like avocado oil instead of olive oil since it has a higher temp tolerance)
  • 56 grams pork rind crumbs 
  • Fresh parsley, dill, and green onions to garnish (optional) 

For the ranch seasoning:

  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1 teaspoon dried chives
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½  teaspoon salt

Dairy-Free options

Simple! You just need to swap the sour cream for a vegan…

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What to Think About When You Think About Moving – Podcast #50

Americans are relocating, for economic, political, religious, or lifestyle reasons. But what should we think about when we think about moving? This podcast examines a number of factors to consider: whether you having a historic connection to or family in a place, economic prospects, costs and whether you can really afford to live there, whether you actually like it (not just think you’ll like it), and whether you can find a church you like there.

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple PodcastsYouTube, and elsewhere. Check out the other podcasts here.

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Easy Keto Chicken Pot Pie

This easy Keto Chicken Pot Pie is made in a single cast-iron skillet or baking dish for a no-fuss low-carb meal.

Keto Chicken Pot Pie in a cast iron skillet with a spoon taking a serving out

Pot pie is such a classic comfort food, we’re excited to add our no-fuss Keto Chicken Pot Pie to our archive of recipes. Our gluten-free and keto friendly version will easily become a go-to when you’re craving something comforting.

Ingredients in this Keto Chicken Pot Pie

For the pot pie filling:

  • unsalted butter – we use unsalted so that we can control the amount of salt in the final dish. If you use salted butter, just be sure to reduce any added salt just a bit. You can always add more if necessary but it’s harder to make a salty dish less salty.
  • celery
  • yellow onion
  • fresh garlic – always, always, always use fresh garlic. Pre-minced garlic will not give you the fresh garlic flavor that this recipe needs
  • frozen mixed vegetables
  • herbs + spices – a poultry seasoning blend
  • chicken broth
  • cream cheese
  • heavy cream
  • xanthan gum (optional) – used for making the filling a bit creamier, feel free to skip it if you’d like. If you’re okay with a few additional carbs, you can add in a bit of cornstarch or tapioca starch in its place to thicken the filling.
  • shredded chicken breast – this can be a rotisserie chicken for even more flavor and time savings! If you need to cook the chicken in a flash, we love using the Instant Pot method.

For the crust (makes enough for a top crust only:

The ingredients for the crust are basically a type of Fat Head style dough so you know it’s going to be good.

  • shredded mozzarella – part-skim /…

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Non sequiter – weird stuff & tips

I’m not so weird that I don’t know some of the stuff I do is weird. Lol

[Patron link]

Some of the stuff is half baked or tinfoil hat(ish), but not all (I think). Most has to do with nutrition and sleep.

For the rest of this article and more, head over to Patreon! Five bucks a month for access to this and all previous articles. 16% off for annual subscriptions! It’s ad-free and you can cancel if it sucks 

For personalized health consulting services: [email protected].

Affiliate links: OMAHA. STEAKS. Check here for daily discounts and the best steaks of your life.

Still looking for a pair of hot blue blockers? TrueDark is offering 10% off HERE and Spectra479 is offering 15% off HERE. Use discount code LAGAKOS for a deal on CarbonShades. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, read this then this.

Naked Nutrition makes some great products, including Naked Grass Fed Protein. Also, free shipping 

20% off some delish stocks and broths from Kettle and Fire HERE

Real Mushrooms makes great extracts. 10% off with coupon code LAGAKOS. I recommend Lion’s Mane for the brain and Reishi for everything else

calories proper

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Is Peanut Butter Keto? Carbs, Sugar, Brands, and Recipes

If you’re just starting out on a keto diet, we bet you’ve asked yourself the question “is peanut butter keto?” right? Well, we have all the nitty-gritty details for you along with our favorite brands, recipes, tips, and tricks. Read on to learn all about everyone’s favorite snack, peanut butter.

What is peanut butter?

Peanut butter, like all nut butter (even though peanuts aren’t a nut, they’re a legume ), is simply peanuts ground into a paste. Sometimes oil is added to help make the butters smooth and sometimes flavors and sugars are added in as well.

The earliest example of grinding peanuts into a paste can be traced back to the Aztecs and Incas but for modern-day peanut butter that we’re all used to, the US National Peanut Board credits modern inventors with the earliest patents related to the production of modern peanut butter. Mostly, peanut butter was initially used as a meat substitute during rationing. It was also used for patients who needed a soft diet but also needed lots of protein and high fat.

Today, peanut butter is used in all sorts of ways. From straight up on a spoon as a snack to stirred into baked goods, desserts, even savory dishes. Peanut butter is also used often in marinades or sauces. We can’t think of anything that you couldn’t include peanut butter on, just look at this peanut butter burger!

Is all peanut butter keto-friendly?

No, not all peanut butter is keto-friendly. When choosing peanut butter for your low-carb diet, you’ll want to make sure that the peanut butter is free from added sugars.

Our best tip is to purchase peanut butter that is just two ingredients: peanuts and salt.

We like to steer clear of peanut butter with added oils as well. Peanuts are naturally high in healthy…

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