Keto Breakfast Turtles

This kid-friendly low carb recipe is fun for adults too! Mild Italian sausage is formed around two front and back legs made from sausage links to make a shell. The head is made from a sausage link cut in half and then studded with two eyes made from whole cloves. The result is delicious and will have your kids giggling at breakfast or dinner time (breakfast for dinner!). This recipe was inspired by Maria Emmerich from Keto Adapted; you can find the original recipe here: https://mariamindbodyhealth.com/keto-turtles/.

How are the turtles formed?

Take two pieces of sausage links and set them parallel to each other about 1” apart. Roll the Italian sausage into a ball and form it around the two links to make the shell. Press it down slightly to get the sausage to stick around the links. This will form the shell of the turtle. One sausage link is cut in half to make two heads that are stuck into the ground sausage shell. Then two whole pieces of clove are used for the eyes.

What kind of ground meat can I use?

The recipe below lists ground mild Italian sausage, but you can use spicy ground Italian sausage as well. Any ground meat that comes pre-seasoned (means less work for you) is a great sub in. If you would like to use ground beef or pork season, 1 # of meat with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt.

What other fun toppings can I add?

Strips of bacon cut down to size would make a great addition to the turtles’ shell and will crisp up nicely in the oven with the other ingredients. Get creative! You could even stuff the “shell” with a block of cheese.

Serving suggestions

Serve Keto Breakfast Turtles with any of Carb Manager’s pancake recipes like these Keto Buttermilk Pancakes https://www.carbmanager.com/recipe/keto-buttermilk-pancakes

Net Carbs

3.7 g
Fiber

0 g
Total Carbs

3.7 g
Protein

26.1 g
Fats

51.8 g

595 cals

Quantity

Serving Size

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Brown 'n Serve Fully Cooked Sausage Links

10 links
Italian All Natural Ground Mild Sausage

1 lb
Cloves, Whole

1 x 10 cloves

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 350 F. Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange two pieces of sausage links parallel to each other about 1” a part. These will form the legs of the turtle. Repeat to make 3 more turtles. Now you should have 4 total turtle bases.
Step 2

Take the ground Italian sausage and divide it into four parts. Massage each section to bind the meat together a little. Roll each section into a ball and place it on top of one of the four sausage link bases. Press it down well so the shell forms around the front and back legs. This ensures that it all holds together. Cut the remaining two sausage links in half and press each headpiece into the shell. Form the ground sausage around the heads to hold them in place.
Step 3

Use two whole pieces of clove for each eye. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the turtles are browned and cooked through.