Sausage, Bacon & Egg Breakfast Casserole

30 11 2011

Love an easy breakfast that can feed a crowd?  Me too!  Enjoy!

* 8 eggs, beaten

* 1 cup fat free half-and-half

* 4 green onions, white and green parts, chopped thin

* Salt and pepper

* 1 lb spicy pork sausage, casings removed, cooked and crumbled

* 1 lb bacon, cooked and broken into 1/2-inch pieces

* 8 to 10 thick French bread slices, torn into chunks

* 1  1/2 cups grated cheddar or Colby Jack cheese

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half and green onions.  Season with salt and pepper.  Whisk until well-combined.

Spray a 9X13 oven-safe dish with non stick spray.  Line the bottom of the dish with the bread.  Sprinkle the bread with the cooked sausage, bacon chunks and cheese.  Pour the egg mixture over the top of the entire mixture.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the egg mixture has set.

Did this recipe make you Smile?  I would be honored if you’d become a Facebook fan of mine!  Click here (or copy and paste this link into your browser:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Smiles-in-the-Kitchen/143789102327574).


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Categories : Breakfast, Casseroles

The World’s Best Camping Breakfast

6 09 2011

I’ve been a bad, bad girl.

Bad Lora.

Bad.

I’ve played hookey from the blog recently…

Sorry, Friends, but I had to do it.

I blame it on 3 things.

Boats, wake-boarding and camping.

[That's my story and I'm sticking to it.]

The lure of the boat every weekend (and sometimes during the weekdays – yes, I love being a Realtor because my office is virtual and mobile, so I have the ability to work on a lake) has been far too powerful for me to muster a “no, thanks.”

Yeah.  You trying saying “no” to that beautiful boat that’s just itching to get to the water…  It’s a lot harder than you think!

And once on the water, it’s laughter, wakeboarding, day-camping, picnicking, and playing in the mountain air.

It’s absolutely amazing.

Then, you throw on holiday weekend camping trip in the mix, and…

It’s over.  Completely over.

I considered not coming back.

Not gonna lie.  There are few words to describe what an amazing weekend it was.

[And you know that I'm rarely at a loss for words.]

To go hand-in-hand with camping, you need great friends, cold beverages and delicious food.  I mean, it is vacation, right?  So, you gotta make it count; do it right.

Check-check on the great friends and cold beverages…

As for food, the sky’s the limit…  However, I have a certain affection for Roadkill.

[Yes, the name is a bit scary, but it's actually quite appropriate.  You throw all ingredients together, and it's simply magic.  Or Roadkill.  One or the other.  Or both.]

:)

Trust me… You – are – gonna – love - this recipe.

It’s fit for a King and an Army.  You’ll see why…

The way I’m writing this recipe should feed about 4-5 people.

* 1 large sweet onion, chopped

* 1 red bell pepper, chopped

* 1 orange bell pepper, chopped

* 1 jalapeno pepper, thinly chopped

* 1 bag hash browns, thawed

* 1 roll Jimmy Dean sausage

* 8 strips bacon

* 5 Tbsp imitation butter (I like Brummel & Brown)

* 1 Tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning (or 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder)

* 8 eggs

* 1 Tbsp Ranch dressing

* 1 Tbsp hot sauce, optional (Tabasco or Tapatio is great, but use your fave)

* 1 cup Colby-Jack cheese, shredded

* Sour cream (if desired)

* A large bin or bowl for the finished product

Place sausage in skillet. Brown on all sides and chop while cooking.  Meanwhile, cook bacon in a separate skillet.  Drain on a paper towel and chop.  Reserve the bacon drippings.

Saute the onion, peppers, and jalapenos in the bacon drippings over medium heat until tender and fragrant.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Add eggs to a medium sized bowl. Whisk with Ranch dressing and hot sauce.  Scramble eggs in the skillet the sausage was cooked in. Add cheese just as the eggs are becoming fully scrambled.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Spray a large saucepan or griddle with non-stick spray. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in the griddle/saucepan. Add hash browns. Sprinkle Montreal Steak Seasoning (or salt/pepper/garlic powder) on top. Add another 3 Tbsp butter to the top of the hash browns. Allow to cook on medium-high heat, without turning for about 10 minutes or so (check often, just in case your camping cook stove heats differently).  Flip the hashbrowns and cook until golden on the other side (you may want to use a bit more butter here).

Off the heat, combine all of the cooked ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Place the Roadkill back on the griddle to reheat the previously cooked ingredients.  Serve with ketchup, hot sauce and sour cream.

To make the Roadkill last an extra day, bring a package of flour tortillas with you and create “Morning-After Roadkill Breakfast Burritos”:  reheat the Roadkill (you will have leftovers!), and stuff it in burritos warmed in foil over the camp stove.  Add sour cream and hot sauce.  It’s perfect for the Sunday (or Monday) morning breakfast!

This recipe constantly evolves, but was first introduced to me through my friend, Alana Peavey.  Thank you, Alana, for this amazing breakfast that continues to make the camping crowds swoon!  :)

Here are some fun camping pictures from our long weekend at Bullard’s Bar Reservoir near Nevada City, CA:


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Cheesy Grits Topped with Poached Eggs, Bacon Chunks and Salsa

19 07 2011

I’m a bit of a rebel.

[Insert quirky, raised eyebrow HERE.]

Yup.  I swear.

[Ummm-hmmm.  Riiiiiiiiiiight.]

Fine.  You win.

[My cover's blown.  Thanks a lot.]

Seriously, though… I’m a bit of a rebel when it comes to food.  Like eating dessert before dinner (sweet!!).  Or, awesome appetizers as dinner (yes, please).  Or, or, bacon with EVERYTHING!!  Okay, not really [yeah, sure!]…  Or, breakfast for DINNER!

Whoooooop, whoooooop!

Oh, c’mon.  I know ya’all have done it.

Don’t even fib.  Don’t even.

Your nose is growing and yo’ Mama knows it!

Honestly, though, who hasn’t craved (or made) breakfast for dinner.

Pure awesomeness.

[Technical term, here.  Don't get scared of the lingo.]

And, being from the South, ya’all know I adore grits!!!  :D

Breakfast for dinner + grits + CHEESE (super Mario bonus points) + eggs (gotta love protein for energy!) = Pure AWESOMENESS!

[Yes, I'm a little punchy tonight.  Whatever.  You've got to be used to it by now...]

Without further a-do, enjoy your breakfast ala Dinnnnnerrrrrre!  

[French accent, work with me here!  And, yes, it totally feels like there should be some cute curly lines or apostrophes somewhere in there.!!]

* 1 cup quick-cooking grits

* 2 Tbsp imitation butter (I like Brummel & Brown yogurt butter blend – think great taste and lower calories/fat)

* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

* 4 slices bacon, fried or baked (whatever your preference) and chopped into chunks

* 4 eggs, poached (see directions below)

* 1/2 cup white vinegar

* 1 tsp salt

* 1/4 cup (or so) pico de gallo or your fave salsa

* Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Grits:

Cook grits according to package directions.  Remove from heat.

Poach the eggs:

Add the 8 cups water to a large pot.  Add the vinegar and salt.  Bring the water mixture to a gentle boil.  Using a small teacup or ramekin, gently break each egg into the teacup.  One at a time, place the teacup close to the water, allowing the egg to “roll” into the water gently.  Using a spoon, gently separate the eggs into 4 corners of the pot (so they don’t join together while cooking).  Cook until the yolk is congealed, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove each poached egg and transfer them to a small plate.  Blot any excess water from the eggs with a paper towel.

Bring it together:

In a large bowl, mix the cooked grits with the imitation butter and half the cheese (you can be generous with the cheese, too!).  Top with bacon, poached eggs, salsa (or pico de gallo – my fave) and remaining cheese.  Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Breakfast for dinner is definitely something to Smile about!!  :)


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Biscuits and Gravy – A Perfect Prep for a Day at the Lake – Fun in the Sun!

11 07 2011

It’s been hypothesized that biscuits and gravy may cure all ailments.

At least, that’s what I’ve been told…

Before a healthy day of wakeboarding, we have a bit of a tradition, if you will, of some hearty biscuits and gravy to get us ready for the expedition.

It’s never steered us wrong…

But, in the interest of getting to the Lake on time, which is always a dubious endeavor, I’ve tried to find the simplest recipe for biscuits and gravy that I possibly can… Without sacrifice on taste.

Don’t you feel that biscuits and gravy is one of the simplest breakfasts, but one of the easiest to screw up?  Kinda like poached eggs.  Easy on the outside and a minefield for mess-ups on the inside.

Well, I think I’ve got it nipped… At least, that’s what the peeps say.

So, I’d like you to make these, and then head to the Lake (just like we do) for some quality outdoor time – wakeboarding, tubing, day-camping, laughing, playing…  Trust me, it does a body good.

:)

Enjoy, Friends.  Life is better with great friends, and a little bit of good food on the side.

**Serves 4.

**The secret to this recipe is to start a bit early… It’s not a complicated recipe, but the taste lies in the sauce’s ability to simmer for about 30 minutes or so after all ingredients have been added.  You won’t have the same taste if you try to crunch the simmer time…

* 1 package McCormick’s Peppered gravy seasoning, prepared to package directions

* 1 roll Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage, regular flavor

* 2 tsp garlic powder

* 1 canister easy-bake biscuits, Grands or similar

* 1/4 package Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning pack

* 1 cup fat-free half-and-half

* 1 cup (or more as needed) 2% milk

* 1 Tbsp cornstarch (if needed) to thicken

Cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking the sausage into small bits and clumps as it cooks.  Add the garlic powder and mix thoroughly.  Add the prepared gravy mix and combine.  Add the half-and-half, milk, and Ranch seasoning, mixing thoroughly.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, prepare the biscuits according to package directions.

Before serving, evaluate the texture of the sauce.  If you’d like a bit thicker gravy, whisk in the cornstarch.

Serve 2 biscuits, split, per plate and ladle a generous amount of gravy.

Now, who’s wakeboarding??!!

:)


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Categories : Breakfast

Baked French Toast Casserole

7 07 2011

Seriously…

Who doesn’t like French toast?

[Okay, okay, I totally get it if your taste buds don't jive with the yummy goodness of French toast, but that may make me think that you might be just a little bit weird.]

[Whatever.  Kinda like me, right??!  Weird is GOOD!]

[Watch out, I'm a bit punchy today...]

French toast is sooooo good, and this baked version… Well… It’s easy to make ahead-of-time (think awesome Christmas breakfast [yes, I know it's July] or something great for a family gathering, but you get the idea, right?).

Did I mention it feeds an army?  Not even kidding.  You can pare the recipe down easily, though, to fit your loved ones.  As is, I’d estimate this would serve about 6 to 8 people, easily.

Original recipe is courtesy of the amazing and inspiring queen of butter, Paula Deen.  I love her flavors, her recipes and her personality, but her original amount of nuts in the praline was obscene, so I halved them (reflected in the recipe; I’m just not a nutty girl, apparently [insert room for debate here]).  Other than that, I didn’t need to change a durn thang! [insert Southern accent here.]

Enjoy, Friends!  Even with a few less nuts, Life is Delicious!  ;)

** Advance preparation required.

French Toast Casserole

* 1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 oz)

* 8 large eggs

* 2 cups fat-free half-and-half

* 1 cup milk (1 or 2% is just fine)

* 2 Tbsp sugar

* 1 tsp vanilla

* 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

* 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

* Pinch salt

* Praline topping, recipe follows

* Maple syrup, whipped cream and/or bacon (or whatever your heart desires for toppings and/or sides!!)

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each.  Generously butter a 9X13 inch Pyrex dish with butter.  Arrange bread slices in 2 layers in dish, overlapping slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Whisk until well-combined.  Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered (you may need to rearrange slices and spoon mixture on and around to get all of the slices covered).  Cover with foil; refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Praline topping

* 2 sticks butter

* 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

* 1/2 cup chopped pecans

* 2 Tbsp light corn syrup

* 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

* 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, blending well.

Bring it together

Spread/pour the praline topping evenly over the bread.  Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the bread is puffed and lightly crispy.  Serve with maple syrup, perhaps some whipped cream and definitely some salty bacon (balance the salt and sweet!).

Enjoy, Friends!  A nutty life is a great life!  Happy cooking!


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Categories : Breakfast, Complete Meals

Sausage and Cheese Kolache Bites

19 06 2011

Does it get ANY better than cheese, sausage, warm and fresh bread, topped with butter?  Yeah, frankly, I can’t think of anything better!

But what in the heck is a kolache???!

Basically, a kolache is a type of pastry, consisting of various fillings, ranging from fruit, sweets to sausage and cheese.  Kolaches originally came from Czech and Slovak kitchens. They’ve taken up root in many areas of the Heartland, like Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

You might have already guessed, but my absolute favorite is the sausage and cheese kolache!

Kolaches are typically about the size of a hot dog, but I started thinking… Maybe something a bit smaller would be easier to “pop” and eat!  The kolache bite was born!

Smile, Friends!  Life’s delicious!

The Dough:
The best dough I’ve found is Coolrise Sweet Dough from “Stop and Smell the Rosemary,” by the Junior League of Houston, Inc., available on the web at http://www.juniorleaguehouston.org/. I generally love improvising recipes, but it is extremely important that you follow this recipe carefully, just as it’s written (spoken from experience). :)

* 6-7 cups (I use about 6.5 cups) all-purpose flour
* 2 packages dry yeast
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1.5 tsp salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and divided
* 1.5 cups hot water
* 2 large eggs, at room temperature

Combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Stir to blend. Add 1 stick of butter and hot water all at once. Beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 1 cup flour. Beat at high speed 1 minute, scraping bowl occasionally. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that leaves sides of bowl. If dough feels too “sticky,” add a little bit more flour.

Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead 5-10 minutes. Cover inside of metal mixing bowl with about 2 Tbsp olive oil. Rub to coat bowl with oil. Place dough in bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap, then a towel. Let dough rest 20 minutes.

Separate the dough into 12 balls. Roll balls tightly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

* 2 packages Johnsonville “Beddar Cheddar” sausages (6 per pack, about the size of a large hot dog) – found near the sausage and bacon areas in your grocery store.  Cut each of the sausages into 4 equal pieces.

* 1/2 to 3/4 of a medium-sized log of Velveeta cheese (just depends on how much you like cheese)  :)

Split the dough in half, then in half again (you’ll have 4 large balls of dough).  Split each dough in half again (you’ll have 8 balls of dough  now).  Split each ball in half again (you’ll have 16).  Split each ball of dough in thirds now (you will end up with 48 pieces of dough, total).

Cut the Velveeta in half, then in half again (you’ll have 4 smaller logs of cheese).  Cut each log in half again (you’ll have 8 logs now).  Cut each log in half again (you’ll have 16 now).  Cut each smaller log in 3 equal pieces (you’ll have 48 equal-sized cheese chunks, total).

Place 1 sausage bite and 1 small cheese chunk in the middle of each doughball.  Wrap the dough around the sausage and cheese, making sure that no cheese or sausage are peeking out.  Roll the dough around in your hands, forming a small ball.  Pinch together any pieces of the dough that aren’t adhering together and roll in your hands until round and smooth.

You may have to bake these in batches, depending on how many Pyrex dishes you have.

Grease 2 13X9 Pyrex dishes (I used non-stick spray).

Place the balls in the Pyrex dishes, leaving a little space between each kolache ball.

Brush 1/2 stick melted butter onto each kolache. Place pans in oven. Cook 25 minutes. Brush with other 1/2 stick of melted butter. Bake for another 30 minutes or until golden.

These are phenomenal when they’re right out of the oven (okay – watch out – they’re hot!).  Or, you can reheat them for about 20-30 seconds in your microwave.  Jake swears that they’re even good cold!  I think he might be biased… ;)

Kolache bites are definitely something to Smile about!  :)


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Categories : Breakfast, Snacks

Classic Corned Beef Hash with Poached Eggs

19 03 2011

Classic Corned Beef Hash!

Printer-Friendly Recipe

May the luck o’ the Irish be with ya all year long!  :)

St. Patrick’s Day, round 2.

I’ve got this conscious effort going.

Must use leftovers.  Must use leftovers.  Must use leftovers.

Especially in a time where food is becoming increasingly expensive, it’s smart to use what ya got!

So, corned beef hash seemed like a logical choice.

Honestly, this was the first time I’ve ever made corned beef hash, and wow it turned out really good.  I combined ingredients from about six difference recipes that I found.  The most critical taste-amplification (in my humble opinion) came from the leftover corned beef broth and the fresh herbs (thyme and oregano).  If you’re in a pickle, you can use chicken stock to replace the corned beef broth, but I’d recommend against it. If at all possible, stick to the corned beef broth.

I added poached eggs to the top of the corned beef hash (I’m trying to get the poached egg technique down, and I thought the texture of a poached egg went a bit better with this dish), but feel free to swap them out for a good ole’  fashioned fried egg, if you like.

We had the boys over for breakfast, and this seemed to be one of their fave breakfast dishes so far…  Another great thing?  It’s not greasy and over-rich.

Enjoy using those awesome St. Patty’s Day leftovers!  :)

Serves 4 to 6.

* 1/2 stick unsalted butter

* 1 medium onion, diced

* 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press

* 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

* 2 cups leftover corned beef (see my previous recipe)

* 1/4 cup leftover corned beef cooking liquid

* 2 large baking potatoes, peeled, rinsed and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces, blanched (see blanching directions below)

* 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

* 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano

* 1 tsp kosher salt

* 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

* 1 tsp garlic powder

* 8 large eggs, room temperature

* 1/2 cup white vinegar

* 1 tsp salt (for poaching eggs)

* 8 cups water

Blanch the potatoes

Run very cold water in a large bowl (you can also add ice, if you’d like).

Bring a large pot of water and 1 tsp salt to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.  Add the diced potatoes and cook for about 30 seconds.  Drain the hot water, then plunge the potatoes into the cold water (this partially stops the cooking process).  Leave the potatoes in the water; set aside.

Make the hash

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Add the red bell pepper and saute until soft, about 1 to 2 minutes more.  Add the thyme and oregano, and mix thoroughly.

Add the corned beef, corned beef juices, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Increase heat to medium-high, cover, and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove lid and cook until the juices are almost evaporated, another 3 to 5 minutes.

Spray an oven safe dish with non stick spray.  Add the hash mixture and bake, uncovered, until just crispy on top, about 15 minutes.

Poach the eggs

Add the 8 cups water to a large pot.  Add the vinegar and salt.  Bring the water mixture to a gentle boil.  Using a small teacup or ramekin, gently break each egg into the teacup (I worked in batches of four).  One at a time, place the teacup close to the water, allowing the egg to “roll” into the water gently.  Using a spoon, gently separate the eggs into 4 corners of the pot (so they don’t join together while cooking).  Cook until the yolk is congealed, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove each poached egg and transfer them to a small plate.  Blot any excess water from the eggs with a paper towel.  Repeat with remaining eggs.

Ready for servin'!

Remove the hash from the oven, top with poached eggs.  You may want to stick it in the oven for another 3 minutes to make sure everything’s warmed and ready to serve.

Leftovers are awesome!!

Classic Corned Beef Hash!

Enjoy, Friends!  Leftovers are beautiful!  :)


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Categories : Beef Dishes, Breakfast, Complete Meals

Taquitos with Andouille Sausage, Eggs and Cheese

12 03 2011

Breakfast is a favorite weekend tradition of mine.

I love puttering around the kitchen on a Saturday or Sunday morning.  Sometimes I’ve planned out a breakfast, and other times, like this morning, I take stock of what I have and create something.

[So fun!]

And I’m really trying to get better at making use of leftovers.  So, I put my nose to the grindstone to make something where the meal consisted of almost every ingredient from leftovers.

Except 2 ingredients:  eggs and andouille sausage.  I bought those new yesterday.  :)

Here’s what I had “leftover”:

And, here, my friends, is the recipe!  I [LOVE] breakfast!

Serves 4.

* 10 corn tortillas

* Canola oil, for frying

* 4 eggs

* 1 Tbsp heavy cream

* Tapatio (or your fave hot sauce)

* 1 package Andouille sausage (my package contained 3, each about 6 inches long), halved lengthwise, then chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

* 1/2 onion, chopped

* 5 slices Provolone cheese, halved

* Toothpicks

* Pico de gallo and sour cream, for garnish

In a small skillet, add 1/4 cup oil.  Heat over medium-high heat until 325 degrees F (or until the oil looks glassy and has thinned).  Add one corn tortilla, allow to fry for 20 seconds, flip (I use tongs), and fry for another 30 seconds – this softens the corn tortillas.  Transfer tortilla to a paper towel lined plate, and repeat with remaining tortillas.  **Do not skip this step if you’re using corn tortillas.  The tortillas will split.**

Drain remaining oil and wipe out skillet.  Spray with non stick spray.  Add the onion and saute over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Add sausage and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sausage turns a bit golden.  Transfer to a medium bowl.

Whisk eggs, cream, and hot sauce together.  Add the egg mixture to the skillet and scramble, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Add the eggs to the sausage and stir until well-blended.

Lay 1/2 slice Provolone in the middle of each tortilla.  Add about 1/4 cup (or so) of the egg/sausage mixture on top of the cheese.  Roll the tortillas tightly and secure with 1 or 2 toothpicks (1 toothpick is easier to handle while frying).

Add enough Canola oil to a large skillet to be 2 inches deep.  Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees F.  Working in batches, add 5 of the taquitos to the skillet, frying them until just-crisp, flipping half way through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Using tongs, remove the fried taquitos and transfer them to a paper towel lined plate.  Repeat with the second batch of taquitos.

Serve with pico de gallo and sour cream.

Enjoy your awesome breakfast, my Friends, and have lotsa fun making use of leftovers!!  :)


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Categories : Breakfast, Mexican Dishes

Herbed Baked Eggs with Bacon (or Ham)

6 03 2011

Biscuits and gravy are a staple in our house…  As are buttermilk pancakes (a la Joy of Cooking)…  And I can say that I’ve never met a piece of bacon that I didn’t get along with.  :)

I’ve secretly always thought that ramekins were the cutest dish on the planet.  [This does relate to  my story, I promise.]

So, I indulged in a set of red and white ramekins.

So cute!

And then I thought… Well, whatdya bake in these cute lil thangs?

Mostly, I’ve made desserts, but today, I used them for breakfast.

Oh, yeah.  ;)

I like eggs, but my main issue is that they’re sometimes a bit tasteless… A little bland, if you will.

I blended a few recipes together on this one:  Ina Garten’s Herbed-Baked Eggs and Montana Heart Song’s Baked Eggs in Bacon Wraps.

I served them with buttermilk pancakes, and the mix between the herbs, a bit of salt, the pancakes and the real maple syrup was phe-nom-en-al!

[Drooling.]

If you don’t have ramekins, you can make these in a regular muffin pan; your cooking time may shorten just a teeny bit, so keep your eyes open.

Here ya’all go; you’re gonna love these!!  :)

Serves 4.

* 1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic (about 1 large clove or 2 smaller)

* 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves

* 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary leaves

* 2 Tbsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley

* 2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan (I used 1 slice of Havarti, chopping it into small pieces)

* Pinches of kosher salt and black pepper

* 4 extra-large eggs

* 4 tsp heavy cream, divided

* 4 thick-cut bacon slices (you can also substitute your favorite ham; if you’re using ham, skip the pre-cook step that the bacon requires)

Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, pinches of salt/pepper,  and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl (if you’re using Havarti, that comes in later).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium skillet, fry the bacon until it’s soft and transparent.  Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate.  Allow to cool just a bit.

Place 4 ramekins onto a baking sheet.  Line each bacon slice around the inside of each ramekin.  Ends may overlap.

Spray the inner bottom of the ramekin with nonstick spray.  Add 1 tsp cream to each ramekin.  Carefully crack an egg into each ramekin, being careful not to break the yolk.  Sprinkle each top with a bit of the herb mixture.  If you’re using Havarti cheese, place it on top of the herb mixture in each ramekin.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the egg white has set, and the egg yolk has set just a bit.

Remove from oven.  You can serve them in the ramekins (but warn your family they are hot).  Or, using a butter knife, separate the bacon from the inside of the ramekin, and, using a spoon or a small spaula carefully transfer the egg to a warmed plate.

Serve these with hot, buttery toast and fresh berries, or do what I did:  serve them as a side to Mom’s homemade buttermilk pancakes drizzled with real maple syrup.


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Categories : Breakfast

Chorizo Hash Breakfast Skillet

20 02 2011

 

Chorizo Hash Breakfast Skillet!

 

Printer-Friendly Version

Ahhhh… Chorizo.  How I love thee.  Let me count the ways.  :D

I [heart] Chorizo.

Surprise!

Betcha didn’t count on that one!  ;)

There’s nothing like a good breakfast-brunch that includes chorizo!

Original recipe courtesy of crabhappychick.

Enjoy, my friends!

Serves 4-6.

* 1 lb red potatoes, whole, boiled until tender, cooled, diced into bite-sized pieces; you can also use 1 lb of frozen potatoes, thawed

* 1 lb fresh chorizo, removed from casings

* 1/2 large onion, finely diced

* 1 red or orange bell pepper, finely chopped

* 2 Tbsp olive oil

* Sprinkles salt, pepper, and garlic powder

* 4 eggs

* 1/2 cup Colby-Jack cheese, shredded (or your fave cheese)

* Few sprigs cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat ovenproof skillet over medium.  (If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, you can transfer the mixture, after cooking, to an ovensafe dish.)  Add chorizo and cook until brown, breaking it into small pieces.  I have a Pampered Chef sausage masher, but a potato masher works just fine, too.  Add the onion and bell pepper.  Mix and cook for another 3-5 minutes.  Drain chorizo, remove from skillet, and set aside.

Wipe out skillet with a paper towel.  Add olive oil.  Saute potatoes until golden on each side.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Add chorizo mixture and mix thoroughly.  If you’re using a baking dish instead of an ovenproof skillet, transfer the mixture to the baking dish.

Make 4 wells in the hash, and break an egg (carefully keeping the yolk in tact) into each well.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked how you like them.  Sprinkle with a bit of cheese, and garnish with a sprig or two of cilantro.

Enjoy that chorizo, friends!  :D

 

Chorizo yummmmmminess!

Chorizo Hash Breakfast Skillet!

 

 


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Categories : Breakfast, Complete Meals

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