Bacon, egg & cheese "cupcakes"

How cute are these little guys!?!  I saw these HERE and decided to give them a try.  I love when I see something online and I go into my kitchen and discover I have everything to make it.

So I'm not sure if you noticed, but I have a soft spot for cupcakes.  What's not to love about individual treats that are cute and tasty??  Well this is all of your favorite things about breakfast in a cupcake costume.  When Mr. B took a look at his plate he was like, "well what are these little goodies?"  Once he cut one open he actually gasped, "It's even more spectacular when you cut it open!"  Yeah, that much enthusiasm out of him & I know it was a success!  

These don't really require a recipe, just some assemblage and preparation of ingredients.  The amount you need will vary depending on the number of mouths you are feeding:

Biscuit Dough - Homemade, from a boxed mix, or premade will do.  If you are going the easy route (why not go that route??) and want to use premade, do me a favor... STOP buying the canned refrigerator biscuits.  The frozen ones are SO much better!  They taste almost like homemade (unlike the canned ones) and you can pull 2 or 10 out of the bag and back into the freezer they go. *For this recipe pull them out and let them defrost while you get the rest of the ingredients together.

Eggs - Prepair however you usually make your breakfast scrambled eggs.  My tip, low and slow makes soft creamy eggs.  No hard rubbery eggs here!

Breakfast meat of your choice - You can use bacon, ham, or sausage, or even a combination.  I went with bacon.  Chopped and fully cooked.

Cheese - Use any chees you have on hand.  I chose grated colby jack.

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll out one biscuit, and top with your prepared toppings.  Crimp seams together creating a stuffed dough ball.  Place in lined cupcake pans seam side down.

I sprayed the tops with a little bit of olive oil and a light sprinkling of sea salt.  Bake 15 min or until golden brown.

How cute is this!  Give them a try, your Mr and/or your littles will be glad you did! Enjoy!

Breakfast Casserole

Question: What to feed a house full of people for breakfast when you've had less than 4 hours of sleep?

Answer:  Something you prepared ahead of time!

This past weekend 11 of us headed up to Tahoe for a 30th B-Day celebration.  I like to have something warm and hearty for breakfast after a night of celebrating, but don't always feel up to spending hours in the kitchen that morning.  I tasted a Breakfast Casserole about a month ago & was determined to recreate it.  These things I knew for sure:

1.) It was prepared in advance & traveled well
2.) It contained those little diced breakfast potatoes you find in the freezer section
3.) The "secret" ingredient was cottage cheese

After a couple of failed attempts to retrieve the recipe, I went ahead and winged it.  And let me just say, I was MORE than pleased with the outcome!  I was so thrilled in fact that in my haste to taste it, I forgot to get a photo.  Lucky for me, my bestie was ready with iPhone in hand to snap a picture of the last pieces before they were totally devoured!

Here's the recipe as I made it.  It was outstanding and received rave reviews.  PS: if you are thinking about omiting the cottage cheese, don't!  No one will know it's in there, not even the picky eaters who "hate cottage cheese".

Breakfast Casserole
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup diced ham

8 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups frozen diced potatoes
1 bunch green onions, green & whites chopped
1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (plus additional for topping - Optional)
1 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (plus additional for topping - Optional)
1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1 tsp onion powder
salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix well.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Cover and refridgerate until ready to cook.  Place in 350 degree oven, covered, for 30 min.  Remove foil and continue cooking for 30 min.  Top with cheese for the last 10 min if desired.  Remove from oven and let set for 10 min before serving.  Enjoy!

Breakfast Time

My bestie over at Delish Life told me abut this quick & tasty breakfast.  Not only is it quick & tasty, but it is a great low cal breakfast option!

Baked Egg Cups
From The Simple Delights

12 Eggs
12 slices of deli ham
1/2 Cup of your favorite cheese (I used Parmesan)
1-2 Sliced green onions
Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400.  Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.  Lay a piece of ham in each hole creating a little ham cup.  Crack one egg into each hole and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Once the egg is cooked to your desired level of doneness, remove from oven and top with grated Parmesan cheese and sliced green onions.  At around 100 calories each, this breakfast is hard to beat!  Serve with toast, in an English muffin or on their own.  Enjoy!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Every time I go into the grocery store and see lemons prices at 2 for $1.00 I cringe!  Especially when I realize those things hardly ever have any juice in them.  Then I walk over to the organic section and see them priced at $1.38 each.  $1.38 for ONE lemon... are you KIDDING me???  Oh those lovely little lemons, they drive my mad!  Grocery store are definitely not the place to get lemons.

Imagine my delight when my bestie hands me a bag of BEAUTIFUL lemons freshly picked of her very own giant lemon tree!  Oh the joy one must feel having their very own lemon tree, I could only dream.  At least I can share in her good fortune!  So off to the kitchen to whip up something lemony and delicious!

I decided lemon ricotta pancakes were just what I was in the mood for.  So I perused the blog-o-sphere a bit and of course found a yummy looking recipe over at The Noble Pig.  I wish I would have had blue berries so I could have topped them with her Blue Berry Sauce!  It looks DEVINE!!

If you're in the mood for something a little different in your pancake routine give these a try.  The best part, they're low fat! But they are so delicious, you'll never know.  Enjoy!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese (do not substitute fat-free)
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 Tablespoon canola oil, more for brushing on the griddle/skillet

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, egg, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest and canola oil. Fold this mixture into the dry ingredients to make a thick batter.
Brush a nonstick skillet with canola oil and heat over medium-low. With a 1/4 cup measure, drop the batter onto the skillet, spreading it slightly.
Cook the pancakes until browned on the underside and beginning to set, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the second side and cooked at the center, about two minutes longer.
Transfer the cooked pancakes to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. Brush the griddle or skillet with the remaining oil and repeat with remaining batter.

Stuffed French Toast

For Sunday brunch I was looking to do something a little different.  I found a recipe on Noble Pig that seemed to fit the bill just right.  I made a couple of ever so slight slight tweeks to the filling and was oh so pleased with the final outcome.  It was quick and easy to make.  I prepped the bread the night before, so that morning it came together in no time.  If you are looking for an addition to your brunch buffet or just something that extra tasty for breakfast, give this one a try.  Enjoy!

Stuffed French Toast

Adapted from Noble Pig via Everyday
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar plus more for dusting
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
12 slices sandwich bread, crusts removed
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl mix powdered sugar, ricotta cheese, cream cheese, vanilla & salt.  (I used a hand mixer, to get it nice and smooth.) In a medium bowl, beat together 2 eggs and 1/2 cup milk.

Trim the crusts off 12 slices of sandwich bread and using a rolling pin, roll out the bread to flatten. Add 1 Tablespoon of the sweetened ricotta cheese to each slice, fold over and pinch the edges together. (The edges will seal during cooking.)

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive over medium heat. Working in 3 batches, dip the stuffed bread slices in the egg mixture and transfer to the skillet. Cook, turning once, until puffed and golden, about 3 minutes. Dust with more confectioners' sugar before serving. Syrup is good too.

Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake

Raise your hand if you LOVE pumpkin as much as I do!!!  This was the perfect weekend for the sweet aroma a fall wafting through the house.  It was storming outside, so I got to baking inside!  I saw this recipe on one of very most favorite blogs, Noble Pig (check it out, you'll LOVE it!) and knew I had to give it a try.  It was certainly a winner.  And if you're lucky, you'll have all the ingredients on hand.  My dearest stated, "Wow babe, I think this might be the best baked good you've ever made for breakfast!"  That's a big, even if I haven't made that many baked goods for breakfast.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake

Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

Cake:2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 15 ounce can pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
For the topping, in a bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add butter and combine with fingertips until mixture is crumbly. Refrigerate while making batter.
Preheat oven to 350o F. Butter and flour a 9 x 13 cake pan. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, applesauce, pumpkin, vanilla and both sugars until well mixed. Whisk in eggs. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined; do not overmix. Pour batter into cake pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with reserved topping.
Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Allow to cool in pan on a wire rack at least 20 minutes.

When life hands you banana bread, make french toast!

Thursday night we went to the Farmers Market and tasted some amazing pumpkin cranberry bread that I just had to have.  I was so excited to have a slice of it when it got home.  I opened the pesky little plastic container, sliced off a piece and thought well this looks odd... wait!  That's not pumpkin!  That is banana bread.  Boo!  Not that I have anything against banana bread, usually... but I was a little angry at this banana bread.  See I had sampled it and it was OK, tasty but just OK in comparison to the amazing pumpkin cranberry bread.  So, instead of sitting around and being angry as a loaf of banana bread I decided to turn it into something lovely, french toast!  Who says you need to use boring ole bread for french toast??

Oh yes, weekend breakfast time, not really the time for a light and healthy meal in our house.  This one was sweet, decadent and oh so delicious!  Topped with a dash of powdered sugar, a dab of butter and some homemade syrup.  Don't forget to slice up some fresh fruit for the side so you feel like there's something healthy on the table.  Enjoy!

Fluffy French Toast
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I also added 1/2 of a vanilla bean)
1 tablespoon white sugar
12 thick slices bread (I used 6 slices of banana bread)
 
Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth.


Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat.

Soak bread slices in mixture until saturated. Cook bread on each side until golden brown. Serve hot.

Homemade Pancake Syrup

It's Sunday morning, what's for breakfast?  Well not much in the fridge since it's grocery day.  There's pretty much always ingredients to whip up some homemade pancakes in the cupboard, but what if there's no syrup?  No worries!  If you have these few things on hand you can turn out a batch of your own syrup that will have you wondering why you ever shelled out so much money for Mrs. Buttersworth and all her mystery chemicals!  Don't worry if you don't have any maple flavoring on hand, just double the amount of vanilla and Enjoy!

Homemade Pancake Syrup
3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tbls butter

In a saucepan, combine the sugars, water and corn syrup; bring to a boil over medium heat. Broil for 7 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in maple flavoring and vanilla. Stir in butter. Cool for 15 minutes. Serve over pancakes, waffles or French toast.

Frozen Oatmeal??

So my dear friend Rachel has been telling for quite some time now that I simply must try this stuff.  It's pre  cooked Steel Cut Oatmeal from Trader Joe's.  If you've ever tasted Steel Cut oatmeal you know how much better than the regular mushy ole instant stuff it is & if you haven't, um, well you should!  Usually if you make it the old fashion way it takes like 30 min or something silly like that.  Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind spending 30 min or more on breakfast, but definitely not on a weekday, and definitely not on oatmeal!  So I usually opt for the good ole instant mush on my M-F word day breakfast.  However, I finally made the trip to Trader Joe's Stockton this weekend and was finally able to get my hands on a couple boxes of this stuff.  It's in the freezer section and has 2 individual servings for about $1.50.

Simply pop your frozen block-o-oatmeal in a bowl, toss it in the microwave & you're done.  You can spruce it up to suit your taste.  I sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on mine.  Enjoy!