Category: Breakfast

Sausage-Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

This recipe is from Southern Living, that I just happened to find online one Christmas. My family thinks it is delicious, and I love that it can be prepped ahead and baked the next morning!

  • 1 pound mild ground pork sausage – preferably, Owen’s
  • 1 pound hot ground pork sausage – preferably, Owen’s
  • 1 (30-ounce) package frozen hash browns – sometimes I use the refrigerated hash browns too.
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups whole milk

In a large skillet, brown both pounds of sausage well and drain on paper towels. Prepare the hash browns according to the package directions, using 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper.

Stir together the sausage, hash browns, and cheese. Spread the mixture into a greased 9 by 13 baking dish.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and remaining tsp. salt. Pour evenly over potato mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until the eggs are set and casserole is nicely browned.

Best Ever Banana Bread

One bowl, one whisk, and the best banana bread ever, the name of this recipe says it all! Another super quick breakfast or snack idea, and perfect for a friend in need or to take to a new neighbor, this is the one banana bread recipe that I come back to, over and over. It is found in Barbara Fairchild’s brilliant cookbook, The Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook.

2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts, delicious with or without the nuts
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup plus 1 T. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 by 5 by 3 inch metal loaf pan (mine is ceramic and it seems to work fine, plus I just spray it with Baker’s Joy for greasing the pan.)

After mashing the bananas in a large bowl, whisk banana and eggs to blend in the same bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and stir to mix well.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake bread until top is golden brown and splits slightly and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. (Be sure and check it earlier though, ovens vary and you don’t want to overcook it.)

Cool in pan on rack 20 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ONE AT A TIME – Barbara says this recipe doesn’t double well. To make two loaves, you’ll need to make two separate batches of batter.

Cinnamon Breakfast Puffs

Now that school’s out for the summer, that means that I can no longer rely on the lovely school cafeteria ladies to feed my kids twice a day…. Soooo, I am going to be finding quick and yummy ways to feed these growing love bunnies of mine, so they stay full and happy all summer! Cinnamon Breakfast Puffs from Roxie Kelley are first up and these little swirly whirls are delicious! Grab the milk!

1 (11 oz.) package refrigerated soft breadstick dough
4 T. butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1 T. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tin with a vegetable oil spray. Melt butter in a shallow bowl. Mix sugar and cinnamon in another shallow bowl. Open breadstick dough. The dough should separate into 8 “pinwheels”. Unroll each pinwheel, dip into melted butter, and then into cinnamon sugar mixture. Wind back up into pinwheel again. Place into greased muffin tin. Repeat with all eight pieces. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Serve while warm. (My breadstick dough made exactly one dozen.)

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Coconut-Pecan Cereal Bars

These cereal bars are some of my favorite treats! They are good for breakfast, after school snacks, or dessert. In fact, I always love to make these for dessert when we grill hamburgers! Toasting the coconut and pecans really brings out their best flavors. I found this recipe in the July/August 2007 edition of Everyday Food.

1 (7 oz.) package sweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
nonstick cooking spray
1 (10 oz.) package marshmallows
4 T. unsalted butter
4 cups cornflakes

Preheat the oven to 350. Spread coconut on one side of a large rimmed baking sheet, and pecans on the other side, keeping them separate. Toast until fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Meanwhile, coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray; line with a strip of wax paper (leaving an overhang on two sides). Spray paper.

In a large nonstick pot over medium-low, heat marshmallows and butter until melted, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in cornflakes, coconut, and pecans. Transfer to prepared pan; press firmly with a metal spatula (coated with spray to prevent sticking). Cool until firm, about 2 hours. Remove from pan; peel off paper. Using a serrated knife, cut into squares.

Yield: 16 bars

Buttermilk Pancakes with Caramelized Bananas

This is my absolute favorite buttermilk pancake recipe! It takes no time to throw this yummy breakfast together and you will be oh, so, loved for it. For extra love, throw on some chocolate chips while they are cooking up!

For the pancakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 T. butter, melted
1 large egg

For the caramelized bananas:
3 bananas, sliced horizontally and then cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup pure maple syrup

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, and egg. Add the dry ingredients too the buttermilk mixture. Mix until just combined. The batter should be a little lumpy.

Grease a nonstick skillet or griddle and heat to medium-high. Pour about 1/3-cup batter per pancake onto the griddle. When small bubbles begin to form on the tops of the pancakes, they are ready to be flipped, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile, heat the maple syrup and bananas in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook until hot and bubbly, about 4 minutes. Serve the pancakes immediately with caramelized bananas on top or along side.

Yield: 12 (4 1/2 inch) pancakes (4 to 6 servings)

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Chocolate-Banana Bread Puddings

The last time I made this recipe, my son Creed was 4 and he is now 12. That has been waaaay too long! My, how the time slips away. This is from a 2011 December issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine. These would make a great breakfast or afternoon snack with coffee, and the caramelized bananas baked in the rich vanilla-E, eggy, bread-E, custard, with melty bits of Hershey bars are just…..mmmmm, mmmm, yumm-E. What’s not to love?! My mom was an English teacher. I’m sorry mom, my English is getting all jacked up! And Lucky, if you’re out there, I still need help with my commas…. Love ya’ll!

1 tsp. unsalted butter
2 T. brown sugar
3 bananas, sliced 1/3 inch thick
1 cup milk
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
10 slices of white bread, lightly toasted
6 (1.55 oz.) Hershey milk chocolate bars, broken into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners. (I used Baker’s Joy to spray my pan and didn’t use liners.)

In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter with the brown sugar over moderately high heat. Add the banana slices and cook, turning once, until caramelized, about 3 minutes. the banana should be softened and sticky. Remove from the heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla.

Stack the toasted bread, slice off the crusts and cut the bread into 4 triangles.

Add the bread to the custard and let soak until the custard is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooled caramelized bananas and the chocolate. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin cups. Bake the puddings until puffy and golden, about 25 minutes.

I garnished mine with a bit of powdered sugar mixed with milk to make a thick glaze to make them pretty. But they certainly don’t need it.

Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

My daughter, Fallon, and I made this peanut butter cup smoothie for lunch today. With it being January 2nd, I want to resolve to make more smoothies and healthy type foods throughout the year! That being said, the title to this recipe tells you where my heart truly is! This is quick, delicious, healthy (at least in my book), and totally yummy! Happy New Year!

3/4 cup whole milk
2 T. peanut butter
2 T. hot cocoa mix, I used Sillycow Farms Hot Chocolate
1 cup frozen banana chunks

Place all the ingredients into the blender, and blend until smooth.

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Crescent Breakfast Casserole

A super simple breakfast casserole, make this when you accidentally buy the sheet of crescent roll dough instead of the cutout rolls. You’ve done it, haven’t you? I know I have, more than once! Truth be known, this recipe is good enough to intentionally buy that sheet of crescents. Pop this in the oven quickly and enjoy your coffee!

1 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage
1 (8-count) can crescent rolls
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, mild works well too
6 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk

Brown the sausage in a skillet, stirring until crumbly; drain. Unroll the crescent roll dough. Place in a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, stretching the dough to cover the bottom of the dish. Layer the sausage over the dough. Sprinkle with the Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese. Beat the eggs, milk, and a little salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour over the layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until set.

Cooking the books, y’all!

Breakfast Enchiladas

Ok…admittedly, this recipe takes some time, but it is so worth it! The yummy, cheesy tortillas filled with delicious eggs and topped with a creamy sauce will make you forget all that! I promise. These enchiladas are great to make in advance and bake when you need them, so they are helpful if you are expecting weekend company. And I like it too as an option for the “not so crazy about meat” eaters, as well. This is a Southern Living recipe out of their Make Ahead Meals collector’s edition magazine.

2 T. unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
12 large eggs
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 T. water
1 (16 oz.) jar salsa verde (I just use regular salsa here)
12 (6-inch) flour tortillas
10 oz. shredded colby jack cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
Cheese Sauce, recipe follows
Toppings: halved grape tomatoes, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped avocado

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onions; sauté until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir together eggs and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add egg mixture to bell pepper mixture, and cook, without stirring, until eggs begin to set on bottom, about 1 to 2 minutes. Draw a spatula across pan to form large curds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggs are thickened, about 6 to 7 minutes. (Do not overstir. Also, remove the eggs from the stovetop while they’re still wet; they’ll finish cooking in the oven.)

Spread 2 T. salsa in center of each tortilla. Spoon about 1/4 cup egg mixture over salsa; sprinkle with 2 T. cheese and 1/2 tsp. cilantro. Roll up, and place, seam side down, in lightly greased 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Add Cheese Sauce and remaining cheese.

Bake in preheated oven until sauce is bubbly, 30 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.
Serves 6

To Make Ahead: Complete the recipe, but don’t bake it. Cover and chill the casserole. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking.

CHEESE SAUCE

Melt 1/4 cup salted butter in heavy saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk in 1/4 cup flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Increase heat to medium. Gradually whisk in 2 cups milk; cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and whisk in 6 oz. shredded colby jack cheese ( 1 1/2 cups), 1 (4.5 oz.) can chopped green chiles, and 1/2 tsp. table salt. Use immediately.

Brown Sugar Baked Oats

I’ve never really been much of a fan of cooking oats. All of that waiting for the milk to boil and hoping that it doesn’t scorch, just isn’t the first thing that I want to babysit after rolling out of bed. It gets in the way of my coffee drinking, you know? But this recipe changes it up for me. Just mix all the ingredients well in the baking dish and pop it in the oven. Yep, no babysitting here! One can continue drinking coffee, plus, no extra bowls get dirty. Gotta love that! And it’s delicious too! This recipe comes from my Gooseberry Patch Hometown Favorites cookbook.

1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
3 cups quick cooking oats, uncooked
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 t. vanilla extract
1 T. cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

Mix all of the ingredients together in a greased 9 by 9 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.


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