Crispy Hash Brown Bake

 

 I made this recipe the other night for dinner and the family raved about it.  A delicious bake with hash browns mixed with Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, salt, and olive oil.  They are baked to crispy perfection.   Cups are then made and lined with ham and cheese topped off with an egg.  Bake an additional 15 minutes and the dish is ready to serve.

Traditionally, this may be a breakfast dish but it is also great for dinner.  

Crispy Hash Brown Bake

From Tasty

Ingredients:

4 lb russet potato

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

¼ cup olive oil

12 slices cheddar cheese, cut into 1x3in (2x7 cm) strips

12 slices deli ham, cut into 1x3in (2x7 cm) strips

6 large eggs

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a 9x13-inch (23x33-cm) baking dish with non-stick cooking spray

Peel the potatoes, then shred on the large holes of a box grater. Transfer to a large bowl of water and swirl around to remove excess starch. Drain and rinse, then place the potatoes in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze until they’re completely dry.

Add the shredded potatoes to a clean, large bowl with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, onion powder, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. Toss until fully combined.

Transfer the potato mixture to the baking dish. Spread evenly.

Bake for 1½ hours, or until the potatoes are tender throughout and golden brown on the top and bottom.

Press the bottom of a glass into the potato mixture to create 6 evenly spaced wells.

Shingle slices of cheddar cheese and ham around the wells, then crack an egg into each one.

Bake for 15 minutes more, or until the cheese melts and the egg whites are set. The egg yolks should still be slightly soft.

Serve and sprinkle with chives, if desired.

Enjoy!

Serves 6

Blueberry Sour Cream Vanilla Pancakes

Who doesn't love pancakes?  I could eat them morning, noon, and night.  These pancakes are light, fluffy, tender and delicious. The batter is made with rich buttermilk and sour cream with some vanilla extract.  Add flour, eggs, and other ingredients and mix.  I fry the pancakes in butter to get a nice crispy edge.  As the pancakes are cooking scatter some blueberries on top of the batter.  Flip and cook.  Delicious Blueberry pancakes are calling your name.

Blueberry Sour Cream Vanilla Pancakes


Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled
2 cups fresh blueberries
butter for cooking the pancakes

Directions:
1. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.  In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract and melted butter together.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk mixture; gently stir until just combined.  Batter should remain lumpy with a few streaks of flour.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
3. Using 1/4 cup measuring cup, pour batter in skillet.  Cook until the edges are set, and bubbles on surface are beginning to break.  Sprinkle blueberries on the pancakes.  Cook until golden brown.
4. Using a wide spatula, flip the pancakes and continue to cook until second side is golden brown.  Serve pancakes immediately.  Repeat with remaining batter, add butter as needed.  Be sure to wipe the skillet with a paper towel between uses.
Makes 14 pancakes.

Pancakes

Pancakes are a wonderful meal to prepare anytime.  They are easy and you can add blueberries, pecans, chocolate chips, granola -  whatever you feel to make them a personal favorite.  I usually make a large quantity and freeze them so you can just pop them into the microwave when you need a quick breakfast or a pick-me-up.

There are so many wonderful recipes out there but my personal favorite is the one I found from the NY Times Cooking.  It is your basic recipe of flour, salt, eggs, milk, butter, and baking powder.   I like it because you can add whatever flavors you wish.



Pancakes
NYT Cooking

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar, optional
2 eggs
1 ½ to 2 cups milk
2 tablespoons melted and cooled butter (optional), plus unmelted  butter for cooking, or use neutral oil

PREPARATION
Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low heat. In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Beat eggs into 1 1/2 cups milk, then stir in 2 tablespoons melted cooled butter, if using it. Gently stir this mixture into dry ingredients, mixing only enough to moisten flour; don't worry about a few lumps. If batter seems thick, add a little more milk.
Place a teaspoon or 2 of butter or oil on griddle or skillet. When butter foam subsides or oil shimmers, ladle batter onto griddle or skillet, making pancakes of any size you like. Adjust heat as necessary; usually, first batch will require higher heat than subsequent batches. Flip pancakes after bubbles rise to surface and bottoms brown, after 2 to 4 minutes.
Cook until second side is lightly browned. Serve, or hold on an ovenproof plate in a 200-degree oven for up to 15 minutes.

Chile Cheese Souffle Squares

A delicious egg bake that is sure to please even the pickiest  of eaters.  I love this recipe because it has a wonderful slightly firm but yet light texture.  The flavors of the cheese, eggs, and green chile work nicely together to make this a very satisfying dish.    This dish is also very versatile as it can be served for breakfast, brunch or for a light dinner.  I served this souffle for dinner and it was perfect.   You  probably have most of the ingredients in your kitchen so it is great to fix if you are in a time crunch.

Chile Cheese Souffle Squares
From Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons real butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
dash of salt
10 eggs
7 oz can fire roasted green chiles, drained
1 pint (2 cups) cottage cheese
1 lb monterey jack cheese, shredded

Directions:

Slice butter into large chunks and place in a 9×13 pan.  Place pan in oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Add 1-2 eggs and whisk mixture until there are no lumps.  Add in remaining eggs and whisk until smooth.  Stir in green chiles, cottage cheese, and jack cheese and stir until just combined.  Remove pan from oven and make sure butter coats bottom of pan.  Pour butter into egg mixture and stir to combine.  Pour mixture into warm pan.  When oven is preheated place pan in oven and cook for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and cook for an additional 35-40 minutes, or until top is golden and slightly browned.  Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing into squares and serve.

Serves 6-8

Waffles

Who doesn't like waffles?  Slightly crisp and delicious squares that ooze out syrup or jam when you bite into them. Perfect for breakfast or even dinner.  I sometimes make a double recipe so I can freeze some and save them for later.

My favorite recipe for great tasting waffles is the one I found on the Pioneer Woman website.  Perfect waffles every time.  The texture  has a slight crunch and is tender with a very slight vanilla flavor.  Add some butter, syrup, and some chopped nuts.  Tastes just as waffles should taste.

Waffles
From Pioneer Woman

Special Equipment: Waffle Iron

Ingredients

2 cups All-purpose Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Sugar
1-1/2 cup Milk
2 whole Egg Yolks
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon (additional) Vanilla Extract
1 stick (1/2 Cup) Salted Butter, Melted
4 whole Egg Whites

Preparation

Preheat the waffle iron to the regular setting.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, 2 egg yolks, and vanilla. Pour over the dry ingredients and very gently stir until halfway combined. Pour in the melted butter and continue mixing very gently until combined.

In a separate bowl (or using a mixer), beat the egg whites with a whisk until stiff. Slowly fold them into the batter, stopping short of mixing them all the way through.

Scoop the batter into your waffle iron in batches and cook according to its directions (lean toward being a little deep golden and crisp!) Remove and serve immediately with softened butter and warm syrup.

Serves 8

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Who doesn't love Cinnamon Rolls.  I must say, I love them.  During Holiday time I tend to make them a lot.  They are perfect for Christmas breakfast, those times when family and friends drop over, or just a special treat for your family.

I found this recipe for overnight Cinnamon Rolls on Our Best Bites website.  They are great because the work is done the night before and you pop them in the oven the next day.  I made these for our Thanksgiving Day breakfast and they were wonderful.  The entire family gobbled them up.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls 
Recipe from Family Meals, Williams-Sonoma

Dough

1 T active dry yeast
1/2 C warm water (105 deg F)
4 1/2 C all-purpose flour (22 1/2 oz)
1t kosher salt
4 large eggs
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C (1 stick) real butter at room temp

Filling
1/2 C (1 stick) real butter at room temp, divided
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1 T cinnamon

Glaze
1 C powdered sugar
2 T butter, melted
2 T milk or cream
1 t vanilla extract

In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the water, allow to bloom for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 C of the flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.

Add the eggs, sugar, butter, salt, and remaining 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and knead on medium speed until smooth 10-12 minutes. Add a bit more flour to reduce stickiness if needed.

Cover with plastic wrap, set in a warm spot and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

While dough is rising, prepare filling. Take 2 T of the stick of butter and set aside. Beat remaining butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until combined and slightly fluffy, about 1 minute. It will be rather thick.

Butter a 9×13 baking dish. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Roll out into a rectangle about 15×10 in. Spread filling onto dough. Use a spoon (or your fingers) to spread it out evenly and then roll up length-wise.

First score the rolls so you know you’re going to cut evenly. Then slide the thread underneath the rolls, cross over the top and pull. You’ll get razor sharp cuts without smashing your pretty dough.

You can cut the rolls to your liking. This will make 12 small rolls, 10 medium ones, or 8 large rolls. I made 10, but put 2 in a little dish to cook separately.

Place cut side up in baking dish. Melt the reserved 2 T butter and brush on top of rolls. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.

The next morning, remove from refrigerator and let rise until half again as high, about 1 hour.

While rising mix glaze ingredients until combined.

Preheat the oven to 350. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. 

Then spread the glaze over them and serve.

Avocado Key Lime Smoothie

Who doesn't love smoothies.  They are quick, refreshing and delicious:)  Smoothies are a favorite of mine for  a  breakfast on the run  or for a nutritious snack.   Today's recipe has  half of an avocado, a banana, Key Lime yogurt, chia seeds, soy milk, and honey as the ingredients.  This smoothie gets its' subtle lime flavor from the yogurt.  I love the combination of lime and avocado.  It has a nice cool refreshing taste.   Blend the ingredients  together and you have a very refreshing and healthy beverage. Quick, easy, nutritious, and delicious:)



Avocado Key Lime Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/2  of an avocado
1 frozen banana, cut into chunks
1/2 cup Key Lime yogurt
1 cup Vanilla soy milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup ice cubes

Directions:
1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into glasses and serve.

Ready To Be Blended

Makes 2 drinks

Southwestern Egg Sandwich

Ever since the Egg McMuffin, I have enjoyed egg sandwiches. You get to eat all the breakfast basics- egg, meat, cheese, and bread in one delicious bite. The Southwestern Egg Sandwich is a delicious cousin to the Egg McMuffin. 

This breakfast is quick, easy, and nutritious.  I started by toasting an English muffin and spreading some butter on both muffin halves.    One MorningStar Farms Original Sausage patty was cooked in the microwave for about 45 seconds.  These patties are  veggie patties with a wonderful savory flavor.  I then topped the patty with some diced green chili followed by and over easy egg and a slice of cheese.  The sandwich is then topped with the top of the muffin.

A great breakfast to enjoy that is easy and fast to prepare. And did I say delicious:)

Southwestern Egg Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 English muffin

Butter

1 MorningStar Farms Original Sausage patty

2 teaspoons diced green chili

1 over easy egg

1 slice cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Toast an English muffin.  Butter both halves of the muffin.

2. Cook the Sausage patty on a microwave safe dish for about 45 seconds.  Time may vary according to your microwave.

3. Assemble your sandwich by placing the sausage patty on a buttered muffin half.  Top with the green chili, over easy egg, cheese, and muffin top.  Serve.

Makes 1 sandwich

Blackberry Ricotta Pancakes

I had some ricotta cheese in the fridge and had picked up some fresh blackberries at Costco.  I was in the mood for some pancakes.  I thought Ricotta cheese and blackberries with a touch of lemon zest would make great pancakes.  I was right - these pancakes were delicious.  They were like eating a fluffy blackberry cheesecake in pancake form.  And the lemon zest, well what can I say but lemon zest always adds extra zing to food.  Deliciousness in every bite.

These pancakes make a perfect breakfast..  You'll start everyone's day with love.

Blackberry Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 cup ricotta cheese drained if necessary
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs, separated into yolk and whites
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup fresh blackberries, slighty smashed
Butter for the pan

Directions:
1. Whisk togethe flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a small mixing bowl.
2. Combine ricotta, milk, egg yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla in a larges mixing bowl.  Add the dry ingredients to the ricotta mixture until just combined.
3. Add the fresh blackberries to the mixture and stir until combined.
4. Beat eggs whites until stiff peakes form. Gently stir a small scoop of the egg whites into the pancake batter, then fold in the remaining egg whites with a spatula.
5. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Melt a small amount of butter in the pan, just enough to coat the skillet.  Using a 1/3-cup measure, scoop out the batter and pour onto the hot griddle.  Cook the pancakes for about 3 or 4 minutes, until the undersides are golden.  Flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.  Repeat with the remaining pancakes.

Makes 8 to 10 pancakes


 




    

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats

Oatmeal is a breakfast I serve my family on a regular basis.  Not only is it tasty, it is economical,  nutritious, and you can add a variety of toppings to satisfy individual tastes.  At my house, we are fans of steel cut oats.  We love their chewy texture and nutty flavor.  What I run into on busy mornings is time to prepare the oatmeal.  It needs to cook about 35 minutes before serving.

I solved this problem by cooking the oatmeal in a Slow Cooker.  The family breakfast cooks while we sleep.  In the morning we wake up to a nutritious and tasty breakfast.  I usually put out a variety of toppings for the oatmeal - butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, dried fruits, nuts, etc.  Whatever I have on hand and think will be good.

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats
From BHG


Ingredients
6 cups water
2 cups steel-cut oats
1 teaspoon salt
Toppers, such as dried cherries, cranberries, raisins, or snipped apricots; coconut; chopped nuts; brown sugar; maple syrup; and/or milk, half-and-half, or light cream

Directions
In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine the water, oats, and salt. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 1/2 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
Top each serving with desired toppers. Serve warm.

Makes 9 servings