Breakfast for Dinner

BREAKFAST FOR DINNER

This can be done in the oven or in a Dutch oven when camping.

2 lb. bag frozen, shredded hash browns, thawed
1 lb. cooked sausage or bacon cut into pieces
10 eggs mixed with 1/2 cup milk
shredded cheddar cheese

Mix meat and potatoes together then place in a 9 x 13 pan. Pour egg mixture over potatoes. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove and stir cooked areas into the center of the pan. Cook 10 minutes more until egg is cooked. Remove and top with cheese. Additions you could include would be green peppers, onions, or celery

Crepe Filling II

Have I mentioned before that I love crepes? I started thinking about these crepes early one Saturday morning and started making them before I realized that I didn't have enough bananas or whipping cream. My wonderful husband offered to go to the grocery store early on a Saturday so I could finish cooking up our breakfast. He likes them too so he wasn't too annoyed about the last minute dash to the store. Making something yummy to eat is never a hassle at this house.

I got this recipe in a handout from a church meeting several years ago. The recipe called for strawberries but I used a mixture of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. If you wanted to substitute peaches for the berry mixture that would work also. Just use what's in season or in your freezer and whip up a yummy breakfast or dessert.

CREPES

Go here for my basic crepe recipe.

Cream Filling:

1 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 block cream cheese (4 oz.)
3 T. cottage cheese (I eyeball it, if it looks like you need more, add a little more.)
3 chopped bananas

1. Let the cream cheese come to room temperature. Beat until smooth, add sugar and mix well.
   
2. In a separate bowl, whip the cream. Stir in vanilla. Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture.
   
3. Add cottage cheese and chopped bananas to the cream.
4. Chill until ready to fill crepes.

Topping:

1 1/2 c. cut-up fresh or frozen fruit (Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are a good combination. You could also use peaches.)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1 T. cornstarch
1/4 t. almond extract

1. Heat water to boiling.
2. Stir in sugar until dissolved.
3. Whisk in cornstarch and almond extract.
4. Stir in fruit and cook until slightly thickened.
5. Serve over filled crepes.
   

Blueberry Muffins

Not only are these muffins beautiful, they taste fantastic! You will never want to make muffins from a box again. I love the struesel and toasty nut topping. And you can't beat the fresh blueberries. What made these even more appealing was the great deal I got on the blueberries. Smith's had an 8-hour sale on Friday afternoon. The blueberries were priced at $1 per carton. Of course when I got there they were gone so the nice clerk gave me a raincheck and Monday morning, I got a phone call saying they were in. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. The photo above is the result. We loved them!

Blueberry Muffins-Mad About Muffins Cookbook

6 T. softened butter
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
2 c. fresh or frozen blueberies

Streusel Topping:

2 T. softened butter
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. chopped nuts (I used slivered almonds, you could also use pecans or walnuts.)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs.
4. Add the vanilla, baking powder, and salt.
5. Mix in half of the flour and the milk alternately, mixing gently by hand.
6. Add the remaining flour and milk.
7. Stir in the blueberries.
8. Fill greased muffin tins or foil baking cups.
9. To make the streusel topping, cut the butter into the brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts. I used a pastry blender. If you don't have one cut the butter into small pieces and press into the sugar and nuts until crumbly.
10. Sprinkle the topping over batter before baking the muffins.
11. Bake 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.
12. Yield: 1 dozen regular sized muffins.
    

Mini Bacon & Egg Quiches

These mini quiches are a simple, unique breakfast that your kids will love. Just a warning, they will disappear in seconds so my suggestion is to double the recipe if you are using it as a meal. I used a mini muffin pan. If you want larger quiches, use a regular muffin tin, just cut the biscuits larger.

MINI BACON AND EGG QUICHES

1 can crescent rolls
1 egg, beaten
3/4 c. evaporated milk
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce (a little more if you want a stronger flavor)
3/4 c. shredded Swiss cheese
6 - 8 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
   
2. Roll out crescent dough and cut enough circles to fill your muffin tin. I used a biscuit cutter. If you don't have a biscuit cutter, use the rim of a glass. One can of rolls will fill one mini muffin pan (24 biscuits.) Press into prepared muffin tin.
   
3. In a small bowl, combine egg, milk, Worcestershire, and cheese. Pour into prepared biscuits. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the egg has set. Let cool and serve.
   

Ham-Chive Brunch Bake

My kids think this is a different version of pizza. I let them think that because then they eat it. I like that fact that it has veggies (tomatoes, mushrooms), dairy (cheese, milk), and protein (eggs and ham.) It's an all in one dish that I can use to sneak a little of everything into their diet. (I told you I was a sneaky mom!) Frequently I make this as a dinner dish but it is also a delicious, flavorful breakfast and is something unique you could take to a potluck. I hope you enjoy it!

HAM-CHIVE BRUNCH BAKE-Taste of Home 2002

3 green onions, sliced (or 1/2 c. chopped onion...I like the flavor of green onions and they look prettier sprinkled on top.)
1 T. butter
3/4 c. chopped ham (You could use 1, 5 oz. can chunk ham, sliced deli meat, or leftover ham. I always make this dish after I've cooked a ham.)
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 c. Bisquick
1/2 c. water
1 c. shredded Swiss cheese
2 eggs
1/4 c. milk
1/4 t. dill weed
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
3 T. minced, fresh chives (If I don't have fresh I just sprinkle dried chives over the top.)
Sliced mushrooms (if you like them.)

1. Melt butter in a skillet. Saute onions until tender. Stir in ham, tomato, and mushrooms. Set aside.
   
2. In a bowl, combine biscuit mix and water. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
   
3. Spread ham mixture over the crust. Sprinkle with cheese.
   
4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, milk, dill, salt, and pepper. pour over the cheese. Sprinkle with chives.
   
5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Cut into slices and serve.
   

OATMEAL MUFFINS

What do you do with a couple of 50 pound bags of oatmeal? You sneak it into everything! I bought oatmeal for food storage that no one in this household likes. It's a little different than Quaker so the family wasn't thrilled with the texture of it. However, it works just fine in recipes that call for oatmeal. It came from a ward cookbook and it is yummy! The recipe yields about one dozen muffins. They are perfect for breakfast or use a mini muffin tin for a healthy bite-sized snack.

OATMEAL MUFFINS

1 egg
1 c. buttermilk (I've used regular milk with no problem.)
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. shortening
1 c. quick oats
1 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. soda

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
   
2. Grease muffin tin or line with papers.
3. Beat egg, stir in milk, brown sugar, and shortening.
4. Mix in remaining ingredients just until flour is moistened. Batter should be lumpy.
5. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full
6. Bake 20 - 25 minutes for full sized muffins or 15 - 20 for mini muffins. They should look light brown when done.
7. Serve with butter and jam or honey.
   

Breakfast in a Jiffy

Have you ever noticed how mornings run much smoother when mom is calm and collected? I've discovered that if I'm up and ready before they are and if breakfast is planned and clothes are picked out and backpacks are packed (whew!) we have a much better morning.

I have one child who cannot be rushed and who has never eaten a bowl of cereal or oatmeal. She dislikes milk and so neither of those two meals appeal to her. Her calcium comes from yogurt and cheese. In the morning, she only wants something hot that can be covered in syrup. Well, with school starting at 8:45 a.m., I needed to figure out a way to get pancakes and waffles done quickly. I keep several baggies of pancake and waffle mix in the pantry with the dry ingredients already measured. In the morning, all I have to do is add milk, eggs, and oil. I usually double the pancake recipe and keep some of the pancake batter in the fridge. It keeps for a couple of days and that way your pancakes are fresh each morning. There's nothing worse than dry pancakes. I usually cook all of the waffle batter and then freeze them in a huge Ziploc-my own version of Eggo's. I hope these tips are helpful. Best wishes for a peaceful morning!

PANCAKES-From Where's Mom Now That I Need Her cookbook

3/4 c. whole wheat flour (all-purpose will work)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 T. sugar (White if you put it in baggies, brown if you're going to mix immediately-brown gets too hard sitting in a Ziploc.)
1 egg yolk
3/4 c. milk
4 t. cooking oil
1 egg white, beaten until stiff

Combine ingredients in order listed, folding egg white in last.

WAFFLES

1/2 c. butter, melted
1 T. sugar
4 egg yolks
2 c. milk
2 c. flour
4 egg whites, stiffly beaten
4 t. baking powder

Melt butter, stir in the sugar and egg yolks. Beat well. Beat in milk and flour. Fold in egg whites and baking powder. Bake in waffle iron. Store leftovers in refrigerator or freezer. Reheat in toaster.

BROWN SUGAR SYRUP-Yum-0! You'll love this!

1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. water
1 T. butter
1/2 t. vanilla

Combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.