Breakfast Cassrole

On Christmas and Easter morning growing up we had a special breakfast casserole, usually paired with something sweet and fruit of some sort. It's a good tradition because the casserole is put together the night before so all you have to do is pop it in the oven in the morning. I'm making a little bit of a different version than my moms, I got it from my aunt, and is more bready than eggy. We'll see if we like it better, we're an egg family so I could see switching back. I'm pairing this with Baked Oatmeal from over at Bless Us O Lord, and probably oranges.

Sausage Egg Casserole

1 lbs browned sausage

6 eggs

6 slices bread - cubed

3 cups milk

2 tsp dry mustard

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions: 

Beat eggs well - stir in milk (beat)

Add dry mustard (bead). Stir in bread

Add sausage & cheese - stir

Let sit covered in fridge overnight

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes  

Mike's Granola Bars

{I'm alive! Sorry I haven't posted in over a month...I started a new job and just haven't had very much free time to just...blog.}

I started making these granola bars for my husband about 6 months ago, and I've been tweaking it ever since. I think we've finally came to a combination that suits him well. He says they are more filling than most store bought granola bars and just taste "fresher". I've just nibbled on a few here and there but every bit I do get is tasty!

Servings: 8 big bars (or 16 regular sized ones)
Adapted from Alton Brown



Ingredients
2 cups old fashion rolled oats
1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 cup peanuts

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 oz chopped dried fruit, any combination*

*I used welch's mixed fruit and I found it in my baking aisle by the chocolate chips.

Directions
1. Spray a 7x 11 glass baking dish with Pam. Preheat over to 350 degrees F.

2. Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and wheat germ onto a sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 5 minutes, stir, and toast for 5 more minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the honey, brown, sugar, butter, extract, and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar is dissolved.

4. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the over and reduce the heat to 300 degrees. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down (I used wax paper on top of the mixture and my peanut butter jar to press). Place in the oven and back for 25 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely and store in airtight container.

Note: When buying the wheat germ, I've found toasted and untoasted. If you can only find toasted, don't toast it in the oven with the oats and nuts. Just add it in when you add the dried fruit.

Enjoy!

Nun's Puffs

"How these light, tender morsels were named is a mystery - but they are heavenly."

1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
3/4 cup flour
4 eggs
Sugar
Honey (optional)

1. Generously grease twelve muffin cups, including the edge and around the top of each cup; set aside. In a medium saucepan melt butter; add milk. Bring to boiling. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball that does not separate. Remove from heat; cool for 5 minutes.

2. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating for 1 minute with a wooden soon after each addition or until smooth. Divide dough evenly among muffin cups, filling cups about two-thirds full; sprinkle with sugar.

3. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 30 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Remove from pan. If desired, serve with honey.

I have nothing more to add from what the original recipes says besides maybe next time I'll add a bacon/spinach combo to make individual breakfast souffle sort of things

Blueberry Coffeecake Scones

I am a big scone lover. They were the first thing I baked from scratch after moving out of my parents house. (Isn't it funny how you remember things like that?)

I'm having some girlfriends coming to visit from home in a couple weeks, so I knew I wanted to make a batch of scones while they're here. Since I haven't made this version before, I wanted to do a test run - and they turned out great!

The 'dough' mixture is really a thick batter (very wet & sticky). The best way to describe it is a free form coffeecake cut into wedges. So it's probably not technically a 'scone' but still good.

Makes: 8 wedges
Source: Simply Scones

Ingredients
For the Scones:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed, drained frozen blueberries (I used fresh)

For the crumb topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Light butter an 11-inch diameter circle in the center of a baking sheet. (I used a baking stone)

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (I was lazy and just put it in the kitchen aid mixer.)

2. In a small bowl, stir together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and lemon peel. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. The dough will be sticky. Gently stir in the blueberries.

3. With lightly floured hands and board, knead a couple times (I used almost 1/2 cup of flour when kneading) and pat the dough into a 9-inch diameter circle in the center of the prepared baking sheet.

4. To prepare the topping: in a small bowl stir together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and distribute them over the flour mixture. With a pastry blender, cut the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the dough to cover. Press crumb topping lightly into the dough.

5. Cut the circle into 8 wedges (but do not separate them). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the scone comes out clean.

6. Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the scones to a wire rack to cool. Re-cut into wedges, if necessary. Serve warm, or cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Cranberry Orange Scones

Just want to say "Hi" to everyone!

I already posted this on my blog, but this is my absolute favorite recipe for scones. I saw it on a Barefoot Contessa episode a couple years ago and have been making them every since.

Ingredients
4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup dried cranberries (I use 2 cups of fresh or thawed cranberries, quartered)
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash (I use any leftover heavy cream)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest.


2. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy!


3. Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.


4. Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead. Divide the dough in half. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 1-inch thick circle. Cut into 8 wedges. Repeat with the second half of dough.


5. Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones.

Pumpkin Cream Muffins

It's our turn to bring snacks to our child birthing class tonight so I thought I'd make a fall treat! They are now one of Dan's favorite.



1-1/3 c. sugar, divided
1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
3 eggs, divided
3/4 c. oil
1 c. canned pumpkin
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

Topping:
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 t. cinnamon
3 T. all-purpose flour
2 T. butter

Combine one cup sugar and flour, along with cinnamon, baking soda, salt, 2 eggs, oil and pumpkin; mix and set aside. In a separate bowl, blend together cream cheese, remaining sugar and remaining egg. Pour pumpkin mixture into greased muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Place a heaping teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each muffin. Sprinkle each with one teaspoon topping mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. Makes 1-1/2 dozen muffins.

This recipe comes from Gooseberry Patch Pumpkin Cookbooklet #15.

Perfect Company Breakfast

Another winner from the La Leche League cookbook Whole Foods for the Whole Family. This morning I made this for Peter. It is super easy, super quick, and can easily be doctored up for company. Oh yeah, and it tastes pretty good, too!

Puffed Oven Pancake
3 T butter
6 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
1 1/2 c flour
Optional Additions:
1 t vanilla
3/4 t salt
dash of ground nutmeg
1/4 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 450. Melt butter in 5 quart baking dish or any pan with 3 inch sides. Process eggs in blender for 1 minute; add milk, flour and optional ingredients. Process for 30 seconds. Pour batter into heated baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 350 and bake for 10 minutes longer - or until puffed and edges are browned.
*Recipe may be reduced using 1 egg, 1/4 c milk, 1/4 c flour, and 1/2 T butter per person.
Also to fancy it up - arrange fruit slices (apples, strawberries, peaches, etc.) or berries in baking dish before pouring in the batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar before the end of baking, if desired.
Serve piping hot with syrup. Other suggestions: sugar and lemon juice, fresh fruit jam, or honey.

*I recommend that you do reduce this recipe as needed because just from looking at my leftovers I don't think they'd be very good. Also, I'm tempted to title this recipe Puffed Oven Egg-Pancake - because there is definitely an eggy taste to it. But it's still quite good - and SO easy.

Mixed Berry Buttermilk Muffins

Last summer, I kept buying berries at Trader Joe's and the Farmer's market, and sticking half of them in the freezer "for the winter". I never ended up using them, and DH has been asking me what I'm planning on doing with ALL. THOSE. BERRIES! So, when my family visited this weekend, I made a batch of muffins for snacking on at the hotel!

Here's the link to the recipe; I followed it ALMOST exactly, except I used 2 cups of whole wheat flour, and a half cup of regular.

This is what they looked like before they went into the oven. I forgot to take an after shot, and now there's only three left, so there's not much point, eh?




As the recipe says, they are simple, but PACKED with flavor! I really love the added zing from the orange zest; you can TOTALLY taste it. (But not in a gross way. I usually hate orange zest, actually!)

Unique Pancake Toppings - Submit Yours!

This morning in our fridge, I discovered that there was leftover blueberry pancakes and sausage from The Pancake House Restaurant. It was my mom's, but she said I could eat it for breakfast. I'm not really a big pancake/waffle fan because it's too much carbs at once for me, and syrup isn't really my thing anymore. Don't ask me why, but this morning I was hungry enough to eat it. My mom has a belgian waffle maker and last time she made them, I ate them with an unusual assortment of toppings. So today I did the same. I thought it would be fun for us to give each other some ideas, just for the sake of something different (and maybe more healthy).

On my blueberry pancakes, I smeared peanut butter and smashed some raspberries onto it. seriously. it's awesome. i dont miss butter or syrup at all with this concoction.

ok, now you!

French Toast Souffle

Souffle makes it sound so official and fancy, doesn't it? Really it is just a casserole that I like to make thru the holidays. We are having friends over for brunch tomorrow and I was making this. It prompted me to post the recipe in case anyone else wants it in time for Christmas.

French Toast Souffle

16 slices of cinnamon bread, cut into cubes
8 oz. low fat cream cheese
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cups half and half
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 TBS powdered sugar

Place cubed bread in bottom of 9x13 dish. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Mix well after each addition. Add milk, half and half, maple syrup and vanilla. Pour mixture over the bread. Chill, covered for 8-12 hours. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Bake 375 for 50 minutes uncovered. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top and serve.

It is so delicious. Hope you all enjoy!

The Assumption

This morning I made sausage gravy and biscuits to celebrate the Assumption. I am well aware that this breakfast has nothing to do with Mary's assumption to heaven, but it was a nice warm breakfast. It took awhile to make and we really enjoyed eating it, so that equals a celebration!
This is how I made it:

Sausage Gravy & Biscuits
Brown 1 lb of ground sausage. Empty sausage from skillet, set aside. Melt a 1/4 cup butter in the same skillet. Add 1/3 cup flour and stir constantly, about 1 minute, until mixture is smooth. Then gradually add 3 1/4 cups milk to the skillet. Continue stirring constantly, until gravy thickens and bubbles (this part takes awhile...plan on standing next to the stove and stirring for 7-10 minutes). Then add 1/4 t Italian seasoning and some salt & pepper to taste. Add the sausage to the gravy, and stir until heated through [you may attempt to recruit husband to stir for you while you get the baby, but be warned: husband will get bored and want to hold the baby instead of stir the gravy]. Serve over warm biscuits.

You can use any sort or kind of biscuits you want. These are what I used.
Mix 2 1/4 cups Bisquick with 2/3 cup milk. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Should make about 9 smallish biscuits. Cook at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

And perhaps someday I will remember to take a picture of my successes in the kitchen...I'm really good at taking pictures of the baby! :o)