Time for Breakfast!

 

Awhile back, I had signed up to bring a breakfast casserole to a church function. It was a crazy week and I didn't have time to go shopping, so I searched through my fridge and cupboards to see what I had on hand and what I could make with it. I found these two recipes and since I had enough in my pantry, I made both of them. They are both similar, yet different. The first baked oatmeal recipe is almost like a streusel or a granola. The second one is creamy, soft oatmeal comfort food. They are both fantastic and I highly suggest that you serve them topped with milk, brown sugar, and even some fresh fruit or berries if you have any on hand.

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
Additional milk, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and butter. Stir into oat mixture until blended.

Spoon into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until set. Serve warm with milk.

Yield: 9 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 serving equals 318 calories, 14 g fat, 78 mg cholesterol, 492 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 78 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home, submitted by Arlene Riehl of Dundee, New York. You can find it here.

Notes: This was so delicious. I got a picture of this one because there was some left over after the church function. The only reason it was left over though was because I got there late. If I had gotten there on time, the whole thing would have been gobbled up. This is so yummy.

 

Above: Still absolutely delicious, even without the berries!



Above: Baked Oatmeal from Quaker straight out of the oven.



Above: You can serve a slice as is...



Above: You can serve it with a little milk or even cream (please, don't skip this! It's soooo good!)

 

Above: Or, better yet, top it with milk and fresh fruit!

Baked Oatmeal from Quaker

Ingredients:

2 cups Quick Quaker Oats, uncooked
1/3 cup white sugar (I used 1/2 cup)
3 1/3 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup egg substitute with yolk (I used 2 eggs)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8-inch square oven-safe baking dish with cooking spray.

In large bowl, combine oats and granulated sugar.

In medium bowl, combine milk, egg substitute and vanilla; mix well. Add to oat mixture; mix well. Pour into prepared baking dish.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until center jiggles slightly. Remove from oven to cooling rack.

Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over top of oatmeal. Using back of spoon, gently spread sugar into a thin layer across entire surface of oatmeal.

Return to oven; bake just until sugar melts, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Set oven to broil. Broil 3 inches from heat until sugar bubbles and browns slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. (Watch carefully to prevent burning. It may be necessary to turn baking dish.) Spoon into bowls to serve.

Recipe Notes:

You can use 2 1/4 cups Old Fashioned Quaker Oats instead of 2 cups Quick Quaker Oats.

You can use 2 lightly beaten eggs instead of 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Quaker Oats. You can find it here.

Notes: As mentioned above, I increased the sugar to 1/2 cup. As recommended in the recipe notes, I also used 2 1/4 cups Old Fashioned Quaker Oats and 2 lightly beaten eggs as substitutes for what was called for in the original recipe. Finally, I didn't melt the brown sugar by broiling it. I just sprinkled the brown sugar on top and called it good. It tasted delicious that way. I also poured a little milk on top as well. This was a delicious recipe and I had someone ask me for the recipe after the church function...because it's that good!

 

Breakfast For Dinner!

Well, we do this a lot, but we had another "Breakfast for Dinner" night, and as always, it was a huge success. The only drawback being that no one wanted dessert after eating this feast--especially since we had sweet breakfast choices to balance out the savory ones.

 

Amish Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pound sliced bacon, diced
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
6 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp; drain. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients; stir in bacon mixture. Transfer to a greased 13x9-inch baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 piece equals 273 calories, 18 g fat, 153 mg cholesterol, 477 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 18 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: I really liked the taste that the flavor that the Swiss cheese gave this casserole. Yummy stuff!

 

Overnight Country Sausage and Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:

1 package (16 oz) bulk hot pork sausage
10 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 bag (20 oz) refrigerated O'Brien hash browns (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (6 oz)

Directions:

Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. In 8-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes or until no longer pink; drain.

In large bowl, beat eggs, milk, Dijon mustard and pepper with whisk until mixed well. Stir in hash browns, 1 cup of the cheese and the cooked sausage. Pour mixture in baking dish; cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, but no longer than 12 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove dish from refrigerator, uncover and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until center is just set. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Pillsbury. You can find it here.

Notes: Another great and easy breakfast casserole that will really hit the spot.

 

Blintz Brunch Bake

Ingredients:

2 pkg. (8 oz each) Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 container (15 oz) part skim ricotta cheese
5 eggs, divided
3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 tsp zest and 3 tbsp. juice from 1 lemon
1 cup flour
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp. baking powder

Directions:

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

Beat Neufchatel, ricotta, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon zest, and juice in large bowl with mixer until blended.

Whisk remaining eggs, sugar, flour, butter, milk, and baking powder in separate bowl until blended. Spread 1/3 of the batter onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover with Neufchatel mixture, then remaining batter.

Bake 45 minutes, or until center is set.

Recipe notes: If baking in a 13x9-inch metal baking pan, increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving, if desired.

Makes 12-16 servings (depending on how large you would like to cut the pieces).

Source: Kraft recipes. You can find it here. We also originally posted this recipe on our blog here.

Notes: As I mentioned above, I initially served this warm and that was all wrong for this dish. I also mentioned that the original recipe doesn't specify what temperature to serve it at, but it is much better at room temperature or chilled. Be sure to have a group to serve this for because you don't want to feel guilty after eating the whole pan by yourself!

This time, we served it with sliced strawberries on top as well as the powdered sugar. Delicious!

Dutch Baby Pancake

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium cast-iron or ovenproof nonstick skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat; set aside.

In a blender, combine eggs, milk, flour, salt, vanilla, and 1/4 cup sugar. Blend until foamy, about 1 minute. pour batter into skillet; bake until pancake is puffed and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Working quickly, dot pancake with 1 tablespoon butter, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and lemon juice. Slice into wedges, and serve immediately.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food, March 2009. You can find it here. We love this one so much that we have also already posted it on our blog here and here.

Notes: This is really similar to a German pancake. However, this one has sugar inside and on top of it, so you can serve it as-is. No need to add syrup or any other toppings (or you still can, if you like!).

Yeasty Waffles

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup(s) whole milk (at room temperature)
1/2 cup(s) unsalted butter (melted, plus more melted butter for the waffle iron)
2 1/2 cup(s) sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon(s) (from 2 envelopes) active dry yeast (at room temperature)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon(s) agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon salt
Syrup, for serving

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the milk, 1/2 cup melted butter, flour, yeast, eggs, agave, and salt, and whisk until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until the batter is very puffy, about 2 hours at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Preheat a waffle iron and brush it with melted butter. Gently stir the batter to deflate it. For each batch, fill the waffle iron about two-thirds full (the batter will spread and rise); brush the waffle iron with melted butter as needed.

Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Transfer the waffles immediately from the iron to plates, or keep them warm in the oven. Serve the waffles with syrup, fresh fruit, and softened butter.

Source: Food and Wine. You can find it here.

Notes: Regrettably, I did not get a picture of these! What a pity! I will have to make them again soon and add a picture. These were fantastic. So tasty and such an amazing texture.

Breakfast for Dinner

Ahhh, breakfast for dinner. I love it, though not everyone does. So, if you aren't a fan of having breakfast for dinner, just make these recipes in the morning and voila! Problem solved. Heads up though...you're going to need a lot of 9x13-inch pans for this dinner night!

 

Charleston Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

12 slices bacon
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 cups croutons
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
1 bell pepper (any color), diced
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Melt butter in microwave, or in a small pan on the stove over low heat. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with vegetable spray. Place croutons in the bottom of the dish, and drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese.

Crack the eggs into a bowl, whisking to break up the yolks. Add milk, peppers, mustard, salt, and pepper, and beat until well-combined. Pour over the croutons and cheese, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to stand 10 minutes before servings.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Scott M. You can find it here.

Notes: You have to have some savory breakfast choices! This was a good one to throw into the mix. It was also fun to use croutons instead of cubed bread.

 

Overnight French Toast

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1/2 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, sliced

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine the corn syrup, butter, and brown sugar in a small saucepan and simmer until the sugar has melted. Pour this mixture over the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch casserole dish. 

Place the bread slices over the sugar-butter mixture in the dish. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt; pour this mixture over the bread. Cover the dish and let it stand in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Uncover the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Serve while hot or warm or French toast will harden in the pan. It can be reheated.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by BOBSROAD. You can find it here.

Notes: BOBSROAD wasn't just whistling Dixie. This stuff really does harden in the pan if you don't consume it quickly...to the point of making it really difficult to get out of the pan! We originally made this for our Christmas brunch, but we tried it again tonight and changed things up by cubing the bread instead of slicing it. It made it much easier to serve and eat.

 

Oven Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
24 eggs
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour melted butter into a glass 9x13-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and salt until well blended. Gradually whisk in milk. Pour egg mixture into the baking dish. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir, and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until eggs are set. Serve immediately.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Erin. You can find it here. We also originally posted it on our blog here.

Notes: It's so nice to have these eggs baking in the oven rather than rushing to scramble them perfectly on the stovetop in the midst of all of your other dinner prep.

 

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

12 Pillsbury Grands Biscuits
Cinnamon, to taste (1-3 teaspoons)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream

Directions:

Place rolls in lightly greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar, then cinnamon. Pour cream over the top. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes, or until brown.

Source: My mom got it from a lady in her ward. It is similar to this Pillsbury recipe, though ours is much easier. We also love this recipe so much that we have already posted it here, here, and here.

Notes: On the last link above, we accidentally bought refrigerated cinnamon rolls instead of the Grands Biscuits. We just followed the recipe above with the cinnamon rolls and found another fantastic way to prepare these rolls! We just can't get enough of these!

Breaking From Tradition: Part 2

With our crazy schedules, my mom made a Christmas brunch for people to partake of as they came and went on Christmas day morning.

 

Kielbasa and Hash Brown Egg Casserole

Ingredients:

1 package (14 oz) cooked Polska kielbasa
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 cups packed fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
6 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed (from 30-oz package)
2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend (8 oz)
10 eggs
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons country Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup sliced green onion
Prepared horseradish

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 3-quart oval or 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Slice Polska kielbasa in half lengthwise, then in 1/2-inch slices.

In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook Polska kielbasa over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes or until browned; remove from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. In same skillet, cook onion and garlic 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly softened. Add spinach to skillet; cook about 1 minute or until starting to wilt.

Layer half of the hash browns in baking dish. Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, the Polska kielbasa, spinach mixture, and remaining hash browns. In large bowl, beat eggs, and milk with whisk; beat in mustard, salt, and pepper. Pour over hash browns; top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.

Bake 50-55 minutes or until golden brown and center is just set. Let stand 15 minutes; top with sliced green onions before serving. Serve with horseradish.

Source: Betty Crocker. You can find it here.

 

Grandma's Peach French Toast

Ingredients:

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons water
1 (29 ounce) can sliced peaches, drained
12 (3/ inch thick) slices day-old French bread
5 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 pinch ground cinnamon, or to taste

Directions:

In a saucepan, stir together the brown sugar, butter, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for a 10 minutes, stirring requently.

Pour the brown sugar mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish, and tilt the dish to cover the entire bottom. Place peaches in a layer over the sugar coating, then top with the slices of French bread. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla. Slowly pour over the bread slices to coat evenly. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove the dish from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bread is golden. Spoon out portions to serve.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by SUDEMERS. You can find it here.

Notes: Oh, this was good stuff. Besides, I'm always a fan of canned or frozen fruit in recipes like this because it kind of kills me to use fresh fruit in a recipe that is just going to be cooked anyway.

 

Overnight French Toast

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1/2 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, sliced

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Combine the corn syrup, butter, and brown sugar in a small saucepan and simmer until the sugar has melted. Pour this mixture over the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch casserole dish. 

Place the bread slices over the sugar-butter mixture in the dish. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt; pour this mixture over the bread. Cover the dish and let it stand in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Uncover the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Serve while hot or warm or French toast will harden in the pan. It can be reheated.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by BOBSROAD. You can find it here.

Notes: BOBSROAD wasn't just whistling Dixie. This stuff really does harden in the pan if you don't consume it quickly...to the point of making it really difficult to get out of the pan! However, it's super delicious and if you can eat it fast enough, it is worth it.

Easter Leftovers, Part 1

 

I only buy a big ham about once a year at Easter. I love the leftovers and look forward to finding new recipes with ham in them to use up the ham that we can't eat plain. I found some good recipes this year (and some that I can't wait to try next year when I have more ham!). Here's the first of the bunch.

Ham 'n' Cheese Strata

Ingredients:

12 slices white bread, crusts removed
1 pound fully cooked ham, diced
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup crushed cornflakes

Directions:

Arrange six slices of bread in the bottom of a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with ham and cheese. Cover with remaining bread.

In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir in onion and green pepper; pour over all. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Pour butter over bread; sprinkle with cornflakes. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 serving equals 375 calories, 19 g fat, 197 mg cholesterol, 1,081 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 23 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here.

Notes: This was really good. Plus, it was nice to throw it together the night before and then just pop it in the oven the next day.

Easy--Yet Fun--Breakfast

If you want to make a breakfast that is a little fun and fancy without being time-consuming, this incredibly easy recipe is for you.

Chocolate-Filled Crescents

Ingredients:

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips
Powdered sugar, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Separate dough into 8 triangles.

Place one tablespoon of chocolate chips on wide end of each triangle. Roll up, starting at shortest side of triangle, rolling to opposite point. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Source: Pillsbury website. You can find it here.

Notes: These were so easy and I love that this recipe is so basic and simple, yet it has so many possibilities. I mean, you don't have to use mini chocolate chips. You could use regular sized chocolate chips...and therefore, you could use different flavors of chips...white chocolate chips, butterscotch, peanut butter, etc.

I mean, think of how good these would be with white chocolate chips and a teaspoon of raspberry or strawberry jam rolled up with the chips?

You could even drizzle these with melted chocolate chips instead of, or in addition to, the powdered sugar.

Let it Cool

 

When I tried this at first, the recipe didn't specify what temperature to serve it at and I tried it when it was still warm out of the oven (actually, it was still pretty piping hot), and I thought, "Meh." However, after it cooled completely, this dish came into its own. I would definitely be sure to serve this dish at room temperature or even chilled. It is almost cheesecake-like when it is served at the right temperature.

You can serve this topped with a little powdered sugar, fresh fruit, canned pie filling, or jam (preferably homemade).

Blintz Brunch Bake

Ingredients:

2 pkg. (8 oz each) Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 container (15 oz) part skim ricotta cheese
5 eggs, divided
3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 tsp zest and 3 tbsp. juice from 1 lemon
1 cup flour
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp. baking powder

Directions:

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

Beat Neufchatel, ricotta, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon zest, and juice in large bowl with mixer until blended.

Whisk remaining eggs, sugar, flour, butter, milk, and baking powder in separate bowl until blended. Spread 1/3 of the batter onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover with Neufchatel mixture, then remaining batter.

Bake 45 minutes, or until center is set.

Recipe notes: If baking in a 13x9-inch metal baking pan, increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving, if desired.

Makes 12-16 servings (depending on how large you would like to cut the pieces).

Source: Kraft recipes. You can find it here.

Notes: As I mentioned above, I initially served this warm and that was all wrong for this dish. I also mentioned that the original recipe doesn't specify what temperature to serve it at, but it is much better at room temperature or chilled. Be sure to have a group to serve this for because you don't want to feel guilty after eating the whole pan by yourself!

 

Above: It keeps its shape better after it has cooled too. Yummy stuff! We particularly liked it topped with homemade strawberry freezer jam.

Breakfast For Dinner...mmm

 

Breakfast is great any time of the day. Take this recipe for example.

Overnight Tex-Mex Egg Bake

Ingredients:

12 oz bulk spicy pork sausage
5 cups frozen southern-style has brown potatoes (from 32-oz bag)
1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles, undrained
3 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (12 oz)
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup salsa

Directions:

Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Drain on paper towel.

Spread frozen potatoes in baking dish. Sprinkle with sausage, green chiles, and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese. In medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, and salt with fork or wire whisk until well blended. Pour over potato mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours, but no longer than 12 hours.

Heave oven to 350 degrees F. Bake uncovered 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into swuares. Serve with salsa.

Makes 10 servings.

Source: Betty Crocker. You can find it here.

Notes: This is so good. You can serve it with sour cream too, but it is great with just the salsa, so it isn't necessary.

Applesauce Inspired

 

 

This was one of those recipes that I had marked to try for a very long time...and for one reason or another, it just kept getting put off. Now, I wish I had tried it sooner. Try this one...and don't put it off!

Applesauce Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus more for cake pan
3 large apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and cut into chunks
1/2 cup light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Confectioners' sugar (optional), for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8-inch round cake pan. In a medium saucepan, bring apples and 1/4 cup water to a simmer over high. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until apples are very tender, 12 minutes. Mash apples with a whisk, stirring to dry mixture slightly, 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk brown sugar into apples, then oil. Whisk in eggs, then flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Transfer batter to ban and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes. Invert and let cake cool on rck. To serve, dust top with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Recipe notes: This recipe makes great muffins, as well. Simply reduce the baking time to 15 minutes.

Source: Martha Stewart, Everyday Food magazine, April 2010 issue. I can't actually find this online anymore. There is another applesauce cake recipe on the Martha Stewart website, but it isn't this one. I will have to hunt some more, and if I find it, I will post the link.

Notes: This was slightly time-consuming, but not intense or difficult, so it is definitely worth the extra time. This cake is SO moist! I need to try this in muffin form, as suggested as an alternative for the recipe. Definitely a keeper.

 

Above: Yummy without powdered sugar...

 

Above: Yummy with powdered sugar too! 

Above: Check out those delicious chunks of apple!

More Breakfast For Dinner!

 

We have to do breakfast for dinner as a family every few months or so. It just doesn't get old! Here is the newest edition:

Candied Bacon

Ingredients:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound thick-cut bacon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix brown sugar, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and black pepper in a small bowl.

Place bacon slices on cooling rack set over a baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, turn slices, and bake another 5 minutes.

Remove bacon and brush both sides with brown sugar mixture. Return bacon to the oven and bake another 5 minutes. Repeat basting every 5 minutes until bacon is browned and crisp, about 35 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Chef John. You can find it here.

Notes: Ooooh, this was good.

Cheesy Ham and Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:

1 (32 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes
8 ounces cooked, diced ham
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of potato soup (do not substitute cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup)
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix hash browns, ham, cream of potato soup, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese. Spread evenly into prepared dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly brown. serve immediately.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by POOBOO. You can find it here. It is currently rated 4 1/2 stars with over 1,400 reviews.

Notes: This was really good. You can used shredded hash browns or southern style diced hash browns for this recipe. We used diced. The cream of potato soup is what really makes this work as a breakfast casserole. If you were to substitute cream of chicken or cream of mushroom, it would taste more like a dinner side dish.

Brunch Enchiladas

Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped cooked ham (we substituted cooked crumbled sausage)
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced green onions (8 medium)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
10 Old El Paso flour tortillas for burritos (8-inch, from two 11-oz. packages)
6 eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 tablespoon Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Red pepper sauce

Directions:

Lightly spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In large bowl, stir together ham, bell pepper, green onions, and 1 cup of the cheese. Place 1/3 cup ham mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up and place seam side down in baking dish.

In another large bowl, beat eggs, half-and-half, flour and salt. Pour over tortillas. cover; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

To serve, heat oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover dish; sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over top. Cover baking dish; bake 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until set and cheese is melted. Serve with red pepper sauce on the side.

Makes 5 servings (2 enchiladas each)

Recipe notes: The fillings for these enchiladas could be adapted to your taste. Try replacing the ham with cooked sausage or bacon and the bell pepper with mushrooms or other vegetables.

Source: Betty Crocker website. You can find it here.

Notes: These were tasty. You really could get very creative with these.

Ham and Cheese Croissant Strata

Ingredients:

6 croissants, split
6 slices (3/4 to 1 oz each) Swiss cheese
2 cups chopped cooked ham (from deli)
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded (1 cup)
Chopped fresh chives, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 13x9-inch (3 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In baking dish, arrange croissant bottoms, cut sides up, in single layer. Top each with 1 slice Swiss cheese. Sprinkle with ham. Cover with croissant tops, cut sides down.

In large bowl, beat eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper with whisk. Pour over croissants. Sprinkle with Gruyere cheese.

Bake 35 minutes or until browned and set. Garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

Makes 10 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 serving equals 380 calories, 22 g fat, 640 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 21 g protein.

Source: Betty Crocker website. You can find it here.

Notes: I really liked this, but our group was divided on this one. Some people liked it, others didn't necessarily love it. However, I enjoyed it and I also enjoyed the leftovers.

Above: Some things are so good, you have to repeat them! Here is the fruit salad we first made a couple of months ago. You can find that recipe here.

 

Above: We had a serendipitous accident with these rolls. We meant to make this recipe which calls for Grands Biscuits. However, we accidentally got two refrigerated tubes of cinnamon rolls instead. So, we omitted the cinnamon from the recipe and simply added the cream and brown sugar called for in the recipe. It totally worked. These were scrumptious. So, whether you decide to make our Easy Cinnamon Rolls using cinnamon rolls or biscuits, it is up to you. It works both ways!

Strawberries + Pull Apart Bread = Delicious

 

This was a pull apart bread recipe that I found recently that was just too intriguing. We just had to try it. This was fantastic and it got gobbled up quickly.

Vanilla Strawberry Monkey Bread

Ingredients:

18 Rhodes white dinner rolls, thawed, but still cold
1 small box vanilla pudding
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 to 3/4 pound strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter

Directions:

Prepare a bundt pan with baking spray. Place vanilla pudding in a small bowl. Cut rolls into fourths and coat them in the vanilla pudding. Stagger coated rolls inside the bundt pan. Alternately, add slices of strawberries and white chocolate chips. Once all the rolls, strawberries, and chocolate chips have been staggered in the bundt pan, sprinkle any remaining pudding on top of the monkey bread.

Heat the sugar and butter in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until sugar dissolves and mixture is syrupy. Pour around the edges and on top of the monkey bread. Spray a piece of plastic wrap with baking spray and cover the pan.

Set in a warm place and wait until the rolls double in size and almost reach the top of the pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25-35 minutes until browned and the bread is done where the pieces touch each other.

IMPORTANT: Place a baking sheet on the shelf underneath the bundt pan to catch any potential spills. Cover the bread with foil the last 10 minutes, if it is starting to get too brown. Immediately after baking, invert onto plate. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

Source: Rhodes Dough website. You can find it here.