This was so simple and cute! I have been in love with Annie's Eats lately! I could browse her blog all day. Several of the recipes I'm doing this week I found on her site! She cooks the things that I love. And she loves to bake cupcakes. What more could you want? You should definitely play around her site if you haven't done so already. This recipe was yummy. It took a little more maneuvering that I expected to get the bacon and the bread tucked into the muffin cups but its worth the extra couple of minutes. I ate 2 and really could have had 3. If you have more than 2 adults to feed I would recommend making more. You could just make as many as you need. The recipe is easy to adjust up or down. I think it would be great served with some grilled asparagus to round it out. I didn't think that far ahead tonight. Ella had her first ballet class this evening. She was so stinkin' cute! It brought back so many memories of my dancing days. I told her that we would have to pull my ballet shoes out of the attic so we could "twirl" together. She loved that idea. But she's in bed and the ballet shoes are still in the attic. There's always tomorrow, right?!
6 slices of bacon (I used turkey bacon)
6 slices of bread
1/4 cup shredded cheese
6 eggs
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease 6 wells of a muffin tin with cooking spray. In a frying pan or the microwave, cook the bacon until partially cooked, but not cooked through. If you're using turkey bacon is fully cooked already. I just put mine in the microwave for about 1 minute to warm up. If using real bacon, drain on a paper towel lined plate.
Cut out rounds of bread using a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass. Mine cut it out just shy of the crust. Press the bread rounds into the greased muffin wells. Curl a piece of bacon around the edge of the piece of bread, tucking it between the bread and the muffin tin. Divide the shredded cheese among the center of each piece of bread.
One at a time, crack an egg, removing about half of the white and dropping the remaining white and yolk over each piece of bread being careful not to break the yolk. Save your egg whites for breakfast the next day...that's what I'm doing! Once all of the bread pieces have been topped with eggs season each one with salt and pepper. Bake until eggs are cooked through to your liking (about 6-10 minutes) and the bacon is crispy. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Annie's Eats)
There is nothing like ending the day on a sweet note. I have missed out on making this recipe the last two times I put it on the Menu. The first time my youngest daughter was sick and got put in the hospital. Not only did I miss out on it, but Shannon from The Bargain Buggy and Aubrey from Eastern Shore Mom missed out as well. I was supposed to go to Destin for a girls weekend and make this for breakfast one morning! Totally bummed. Then, last week I was exhausted from baking cupcakes and completely forgot to make it Saturday night for Sunday morning. I was determined to get it made today! I assembled it this morning before work and baked it this evening. Clay and I were happy with cereal for dinner because we got to have this for dessert! If you've been hiding in a closet and have never heard of The Pioneer Woman, you must go now to check out her site. I've made several recipes of hers and loved the results of all of them. The Chicken Scallopine I made last night was the most recent. I found this recipe because I was looking for things that used pita chips. They were on sale that week at Publix and I have several bags in my stockpile. I LOVE bread pudding and I couldn't wait to see how this turned out! The salt on the pita chips balances out the sweetness of the custard and topping. The blueberries give it a nice tart pop. And you guys know how much I love maple syrup! Either for breakfast or dessert, you can't go wrong with this recipe from The Pioneer Woman.
1 Family Size Bag Stacy's Pita chips
7 large eggs
2 cups whole milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup heavy cream (can use half-and-half)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
6 oz. fresh blueberries (optional)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (plus a tad more)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter
Grease 9 X 13-inch baking pan with butter. Pour in bag of pita chips and arrange evenly. In a bowl mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over pita chips. Cover pan tightly with foil and place in refrigerator overnight, or at least 6 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove pan from refrigerator. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over the top. Mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Slice butter and add to bowl, then use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks crumbly (I used my mixer to do this).
Sprinkle flour mixture over the blueberries and make sure its evenly distributed. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Chips on top should be crispy and crunchy. Remove from oven and cut into squares. Drizzle with blueberry or maple syrup and serve warm.
Note from The Pioneer Woman: "If you're feeling naughty, top with whipped cream. Just don't say I told you to do it!"
Enjoy!
(adapted from The Pioneer Woman)
I saw Paula Deen make this casserole on the Food Network several years ago. It looked awesome. We made it that year for our Christmas morning breakfast at my parents house. I've made it several times since then and adapted the recipe some. I found that when I made it as written with the sliced bread the casserole was too soggy. It had all of the components of bread pudding (which I love) so I decided to make it as such. I cubed the bread instead of slicing it and I formed mini loaves in my "mini loaf pan". The results were outstanding. Another reason I love this recipe is because its made the night before and kept in the fridge. Just make the topping in the morning and bake. I love serving it with sliced strawberries and maple syrup. Heaven in my mouth! This is definitely one you are going to want to make. I think this is one of my signature dishes!
1 loaf french bread, cubed in 1-inch pieces (6-8 cups of bread)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of salt
maple syrup
strawberries
Praline Topping:
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Cube bread into 1-inch pieces (I use a whole Italian loaf from the bakery). Allow to sit for a few hours on the counter to stale. The drier the bread, the better it will soak up the egg mixture. spray the mini loaf pans with cooking spray (I use 2 pans making 16 total loaves). Evenly distribute the cubed bread among the cups. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread cubes, making sure all are covered evenly with the egg mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the Praline Topping: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well (I use my fingers). Crumble the praline topping evenly over the bread and bake for 30-35 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. If you make this into a bigger casserole just adjust your baking time. Serve with maple syrup and strawberries.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Paula Deen)
This is another brunch recipe that's quick and easy. Its prepared the night before and stuffed in the fridge overnight. English muffins always go on sale in the grocery stores. This is the time of year for asparagus and if you have leftover Easter ham try it out on this (that is, of course, if you didn't make this for Easter!) I roasted my asparagus to get the most flavor out of it. Trim off the tough ends, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper, and roast in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If you like asparagus, try it out in a dish like this!
4 English Muffins, torn into bite size pieces (4 cups)
2 cups cubed cooked ham (10 oz)
2 cups cut up fresh cooked asparagus (I roasted mine)
4 oz. shredded Swiss Cheese (I used Mozzarella)
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sour cream
1-1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion (I omitted this)
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard (I omitted this)
In greased 2-qt casserole square baking dish spread half the muffin pieces. Top with ham, asparagus, and cheese. Top with remaining muffin pieces.
In bowl, whisk together eggs and sour cream. Stir in milk, onion, mustard and salt and pepper. Pour over layers in dish. Cover and chill for 2-24 hours (I did mine overnight).
Bake, uncovered in a 325 oven (mine was set to 350. If you do this watch the baking time) for 60-65 minutes or until internal temperature reads 170 (I see if its golden and it its set in the center). Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
These are SO yummy! Really a favorite with the men. My brother said its like his favorite Waffle House meal all combined in one little package. Everybody wanted leftovers to take home, but these were the first to go! If you have some of the eggs and sausage leftover, wrap them in a torilla with cheese for a breakfast burrito the next day.
1 20-oz. package refrigerated hash browns
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives (I omitted these)
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 eggs
1/2 lb. Jimmy Dean sausage
2/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (mine was at 350, so I left them in longer) Grease a large baking sheet; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together potatoes, the 2 beaten eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used more salt than that...those potatoes are bland!) Shape mixture into 12 mounds (about 1/3 cup each) on prepared baking sheet. I only got 9 mounds out of it. Press the back of a tablespoon into each mound, making a nest. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and set.
Meanwhile, beat together the 12 eggs, milk, the 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper (If you only get 9 nests like I did, 8 eggs would work). In a 12-in skillet melt butter over medium heat; pour in egg mixture. Scramble the eggs with a spatula over medium heat. Fold them around the pan until they are cooked through, but still glossy and moist. Remove from heat.
In another skillet, cook sausage over medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spatula. Cook until no longer pink. Drain on paper towels. Add to the eggs and mix in about 1/2 of the cheese. (I still used the 12 eggs and 1 whole roll of Jimmy Dean, but I had lots leftover. I just wrapped them in a tortilla and make a breakfast wrap the next day!)
Spoon about 1/3 cup of egg mixture into each potato next. Sprinkle cheese over eggs. Return to oven; bake about 2 minutes or until cheese melts. If desired, garnish with chives.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
I really liked this one! I love cooking with eggs and this was a fresh change for dinner. This would be great served at a brunch though. The colors are very pretty. I did half the recipe below though but used 7 eggs (instead of 6). I also sauteed the tomatoes and spinach for about 2-3 minutes before adding them. This is perfect for Spring. Publix has bacon and eggs on sale this week. I grabbed the produce from my local farmers market. And I got some beautiful plants too. Let's see how long it takes me to kill them!
8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 medium red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups, 1 lb.)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (the only salt I use)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (yes, mine comes from a can)
1 cup baby spinach, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes (or 1 medium tomato, chopped)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
12 eggs, slightly beaten
parmesan cheese
additional bacon and tomatoes for garnish
In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, cook bacon pieces until crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towels. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from pan.
Carefully add potatoes, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until potatoes are just tender. Remove from heat.
Top potatoes with bacon, spinach, tomatoes and mozzarella. Pour eggs over mixture. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 15-17 minutes or until center is just set.
Place on wire rack; immediately sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Let stand 10 minutes.
To serve, cut into 8 wedges. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with additional bacon and cherry tomatoes.
Enjoy!
(adapted from a Publix publication)
I love it when things turn out better than expected. Expectations usually equal disappointment for me. Not this morning! The idea for these pizzas has been brewing in my head and finally came together this morning. I knew I didn't want to use tomatoes or regular pizza sauce. I use the Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo for another pizza I do, so I thought I try it with this version. The result was fabulous! The english muffins make a nice crisp crust, and the scrambled eggs are creamy dotted with smoky bacon. Perfection. These are great for a weekend breakfast, but could also be served for brunch with company. There is a great coupon on Coupons & Things by Dede for Free Classico pasta sauce WYB Classico Alfredo. That's a great site to order clipped coupons and whole inserts. Regardless of the coupon, the alfredo sauce is $1.98 at Wal-mart so get some and make these at your house!
4 English Muffins, halved
6 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
salt and pepper
4 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce (Classico brand)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Half English Muffins with a fork and lay on a baking sheet. Place baking sheet in the oven to allow English Muffins to crisp slightly while the eggs are cooking (about 8 minutes).
Meanwhile, cook bacon in microwave. When done chop and set aside.
In a bowl, beat 6 eggs with 2 tablespoons of milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Scramble in a large skillet over medium heat until done. Add in chopped bacon. Take English Muffins out of the oven and spread 1 tablespoon alfredo on each half. Evenly distribute the egg mixture on the 8 halves. Top with the shredded cheese. Bake in the 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.
Enjoy!
Spinach is not something that I eat often. I don't dislike it, its just not something that I'm full of ideas for! But, it is Super healthy and should be eaten more often. So, to pull myself in, I combined it with pasta, eggs, and bacon! Pasta Carbonara is a pasta dish made with spaghetti, bacon, Parmesan cheese and eggs. Tonight I used fettuccine because I had some Buitoni left over from a previous sale that needed to be used. There are many different ways to make this. Just about everybody has a recipe for it. I chose one from Cooking Light tonight. The original recipe called for the bacon to be cooked in a skillet, and then the onion sauteed in the bacon drippings. I saved a little bit of "healthy" and cooked the bacon in the microwave, and sauteed the onions in a teaspoon of olive oil. The eggs and Parmesan cheese essentially become the "sauce". Very Yummy! I ate this as-is tonight, but it could be served with grilled chicken or asparagus. You could also leave the spinach out (its not traditionally in Pasta Carbonara) and serve a spinach salad on the side!
1 6-oz. package baby spinach
6 slices bacon
1 cup onion, finely chopped (I used about 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 oz. spaghetti (or whatever long pasta you have on-hand)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Heat large skillet over medium heat. Saute spinach and a pinch of salt in 1 teaspoon olive oil for 1-2 minutes, until wilted. Remove and set aside.
Cook bacon and set aside. (I cooked mine in the microwave while the onions were sauteing)
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in same skillet and saute onion and garlic until tender, about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken broth; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat. (I read the recipe wrong and added in 1 cup of chicken broth. I reduced it a little longer and it turned out fine!) Once reduced, remove from heat; keep warm.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well, reserving 1 tablespoon of cooking liquid. Immediately add pasta and 1 tablespoon reserved cooking liquid to onion mixture in skillet. Add spinach and bacon; stir well to combine. Place skillet over low heat.
Combine cheese, egg, egg white, salt and pepper (to taste) and stir with a whisk. Add to pasta mixture, tossing well to coat. Cook 3 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat. Add salt and black pepper if needed. Black pepper is really good on this!
Enjoy!
(adpated from Cooking Light)
I came up with this one night when I had some leftover grilled chicken breasts and wanted to change up dinner a bit. I happened to have some flour tortillas in the fridge and I figured if Chick-fil-a mixed chicken and eggs, then so could I! It turned out great. I've even made this in the morning before work, wrapped it in cling wrap, and warmed it up for lunch. This is a quick meal to throw together for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I made the chicken tonight, but you can certainly use leftover chicken breasts. Make sure you get some chicken breasts at Publix for $1.99 lb. before the sale ends Tuesday!
For two wraps:
1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced
4 eggs, scrambled
shredded cheese
light mayonnaise
2 flour tortillas
Spread mayo on two flour tortillas. In the center of the tortilla, layer chicken, eggs, then cheese. Fold up the bottom over the filling, then fold over the sides and roll. Wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 34-45 seconds to melt everything together. If you make this to take to work for lunch, wrap in Glad wrap or Saran wrap and microwave right before eating.
Enjoy!
I love bagels. I love them plain, with cream cheese, or jelly. I love the chewy texture. And, now I love them baked in a souffle style casserole with eggs, bacon and cheese. This is great for a weekend breakfast because you assemble it the night before and bake it in the morning. Try it this weekend or make it for an easy Christmas Morning breakfast. This week Publix has Thomas' Bagels B1G1 and 18 pk. Eggland's Best Eggs 2/$5. Yummy!
1/2 lb. bacon
4 bagels, plain
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
12 eggs
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
Cook the bacon and cut into small pieces. Set aside. Cut the bagels into large chunks and put in a greased 9 X 9 casserole dish. Cover with the bacon and cheese. Mix slightly.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt & pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the bagels. Mix slightly making sure the bagel chunks are covered. Cover, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Uncover the chilled bagel dish and bake in the preheated oven 30-35 minutes, or until eggs are firm in the center. If the top begins to brown too quickly, cover with foil until done. Serve warm.
My family really enjoyed this one this morning. I will definitely be making this again. It looks like its time to get more bagels at Publix!
(adapted from AllRecipes.com)
This is a great way to jazz up that packaged flavored rice that is always on sale at Publix. Those packages are a great template for flavor. Throw in fresh veggies and you've changed the whole tune. I had the carrots and onion leftover from the Shepherd's Pie, so I decided to add some egg and make fried rice. The zucchini is always my favorite when we go to a Hibachi grill, so that was added for color as well.
1 package Knorr Rice Sides (I used chicken)
3/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon stir fry sauce (Kikkoman)
3 eggs
2 small zucchini, in chunks
chicken broth (optional)
In a large skillet, saute onion and carrot in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add rice packet and 2 cups of water. This is where you can take the opportunity to add more flavor and use chicken broth instead of the water. Cook according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a smaller skillet saute zucchini in extra virgin olive oil until tender-crisp. About 5 minutes. Put aside and wipe out skillet.
Scramble 3 eggs in same skillet in a touch of butter. Set aside.
When rice is done, add the soy sauce and stir fry sauce. Stir in egg and zucchini right before serving.
You can add chicken or pork with this, or enjoy as a vegetarian main dish. My leftovers are already in the fridge for lunch tomorrow!
Enjoy!
Can you tell that I'm trying to use the opened bacon in the fridge? This kind of dish is perfect for late nights, or nights when you forget to thaw some meat out. Bacon and pasta are both B1G1 this week at Publix. I always have eggs and cheese on hand. I tweaked this recipe from Rachael Ray and made it more "pantry-friendly". You can eat it hot or cold. I slice up the leftovers and put it in zippy bags and eat it cold for breakfast on the way to work.
8 oz. spaghetti noodles (about half of the 14.5 oz box)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded cheese (I used marbled cheddar)
8 large eggs
6 slices bacon
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Add pasta and cook until al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in frittata. Drain and reserve.
Cook bacon, crumble or chop, and set aside. (I cook mine in the microwave)
Heat a large nonstick skillet with oven safe handle over medium high heat. If all of your skillets have rubber handles, cover handle tightly in foil to protect it. Add oil and butter to the skillet and melt together. Add milk and heat for about 3 minutes. Add cheeses and salt and pepper. Keep stirring so the cheese melts, and doesn't clump together too bad. (Some clumps are good because it creates pockets of cheese when the frittata is sliced). Toss sauce with cooked pasta to coat. Add beaten eggs to the skillet and stir gently to combine. Allow the eggs to set up on the bottom of the pan and become firm. Sprinkle the top with the crumbled bacon. Transfer pan to hot oven and bake 10-14 minutes, until golden. Serve from the pan or transfer to a platter. Serve hot or cold, cutting frittata into wedges.
**Be very careful when removing the pan from the oven. The handle will be HOT! I try to cover it with an oven mit to remind myself. I cannot tell you how many times I have burned myself trying to move the skillet, forgetting that it just came out of the oven. I did it tonight, in fact!
(adapted from Rachael Ray on Foodnetwork.com)
Enjoy!
