Cooking During Stolen Moments» Eggs

Baked Eggs with Bacon & Cheese

Kate — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 03:14:08 +0000

Any breakfast that can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge or freezer is always a winner in my book. I think this is largely because I’m not a morning person. I’ve always wanted to be one of those people who springs out of bed at 6:00 am ready and willing to tackle the day. Instead, I hit the snooze button for as long as possible and savor staying up late.

Yet I still like my mornings to go as smoothly as possible once my feet have hit the ground and I’ve downed my first cup of coffee. The breakfast routine can make or break the rest of the morning for me. If I can just grab something and warm it up to give the kids a hot, homemade breakfast they leave the house, everything is good.

That’s why I love making baked eggs. The process is simple and the finished dish can be refrigerated or frozen, either in its original form or repurposed into breakfast sandwiches, burritos or other fun things. Plus, I love the consistency of baked eggs. They are fluffy and creamy without drying out as they would in the microwave. They also don’t get that funky texture that scrambled eggs can get when frozen.

Baked Eggs with Bacon & Cheese

8 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 lb. diced bacon, cooked and cooled
1 c. shredded cheese
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. paprika
PAM cooking spray
Additional shredded cheese, if desired

1. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until foamy. Stir in bacon, cheese and seasonings.

2. Grease a 13×9 casserole dish with New & Improved PAM cooking spray. Pour in egg mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until eggs are fully cooked. Sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired, and return to the oven for a few minutes, just to melt the cheese.

3. Cut baked eggs into squares, strips or circles with a biscuit cutter or glass, depending on how you plan to use them, and enjoy!

I chose this dish to put the new PAM cooking spray to another test because it’s often a dish that sticks to the pan and makes for a difficult cleanup.

Once again, I was very pleased with how this new and improved PAM worked. The eggs lifted out cleanly without leaving anything behind. Even the very first slice I cut came out perfectly, and I’m sure you know how tough that feat can be.

If you want to try out the new PAM for yourself, you can grab a printable coupon. This link expires on November 15th and the printed coupon itself expires on November 30th. That’s plenty of time to stock up for all of your holiday cooking and baking needs.

You can also visit PAM’s facebook page for more info on the new spray.

Disclosure: I am being compensated to write this post. I also received products, including PAM Cooking Spray, to aid in the development of this recipe. Yet as always, both the recipes and the opinions are 100% my own.

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Cheesy Egg & Rice Bake

Kate — Thu, 12 May 2011 00:48:50 +0000

I’m really trying to focus on my personal challenges for the 1/3 Less Challenge this past week since the month is coming to an end soon. So when I had leftover rice the other day and I was tempted to let it languish in the fridge until it was forgotten about, I knew I had to use it up instead. Remember, 1/3 less food waste is one of my primary focuses this month.

My biggest problem with leftover rice is always the quality after it is reheated. I find the safest use for leftover rice is to combine it with something else – in a soup or casserole or even fried rice. If I try to just repurpose the rice as is for a new side dish, it just doesn’t turn out with a texture we enjoy.

So I spent some time brainstorming what to do with that leftover rice since all the usuals just weren’t appealing to me. My original plan for dinner had been a breakfast-for-dinner of some kind. Finally I decided I’d attempt using the rice in a breakfast casserole. It turned out to be a wonderful idea. The texture of the rice gave the casserole a little more bite than a more traditional breakfast casserole. And everything baked together so perfectly. We all really enjoyed this. Our 11 year old asked for the remaining small helping of leftovers for breakfast the next morning and our 6 year old, aka Mr. Picky, cleaned his plate. That was pretty impressive to me considering he’s not usually a big fan of either eggs or rice. This one is definitely a winner and something that I will absolutely be making again. It’s a perfect brunch option!

Cheesy Egg & Rice Bake

5 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 t. salt
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. black pepper
3 c. cooked rice
1 1/2 c. frozen peas (or other veggie of your choice)
2 c. shredded cheese, divided

1. Whisk together the eggs, milk and seasonings in a large bowl. Stir in rice, peas and 1 1/2 c. shredded cheese. Pour into a greased 13×9 baking dish.

2. Top with remaining shredded cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Biscuits with Loaded Eggs & Bacon Gravy

Kate — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:00:12 +0000

Disclosure: I’m writing this post and creating this recipe as part of a partnership between Kitchen Play and The American Egg Board. They have compensated me for my time and cooking expenses but my opinions and tastes are my own.

Over the past few years I’ve developed an affinity for eggs. For a long time, I would only eat hard-boiled eggs or scrambled eggs with cheese. But obviously my tastes have matured and I’ve moved on to bigger and better things when it comes to eggs.

So I was thrilled when I received an invitation to participate in Build A Better Breakfast Sidecar Event hosted by Kitchen Play and the American Egg Board. My job for this event? To create a new breakfast or brunch dish using eggs. I was all over that!

I contemplated many ideas and finally settled on this dish – Biscuits with Loaded Eggs & Bacon Gravy. I started with some homemade biscuits, souped up some scrambled eggs and topped the whole thing with some bacon gravy. Serious deliciousness.

Biscuits with Loaded Eggs & Bacon Gravy

1/2 lb. bacon, diced
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
1 t. black pepper
2 T. butter
1/2 vidalia onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
8 eggs
1/4 c. milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 – 8 biscuits (homemade, canned or frozen)*fully baked
Shredded cheese, if desired

1. Place bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook until bacon is desired crispness, about 10-15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon to drain on a paper towel. Pour out all but 1/4 c. bacon grease. Reduce heat to medium; stir the flour into the remaining bacon grease and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir bacon into the gravy.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a second skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, red pepper, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for 5 more minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/4 c. milk. Pour into the skillet, season to taste with salt and pepper and scramble until fully cooked.

3. Split cooked biscuits and place on individual serving plates. Spoon eggs on top and cover with gravy. Sprinkle with some shredded cheese, if desired.

For years, eggs got a really bad rap. But today, the American Egg Board is announcing some new findings from the USDA – eggs are lower in cholesterol than previously believed. For me, this news comes at a great time since I have been addicted to egg sandwiches for lunch lately! Here’s some more information on this exciting new find:

According to new United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrition data*, eggs are lower in cholesterol than previously thought. The USDA recently reviewed the nutrient composition of standard large eggs, and results show the average amount of cholesterol in one large egg is 185 mg, 14 percent lower than previously recorded. Consuming an egg a day fits easily within dietary guidance, which recommends limiting cholesterol consumption to 300 mg per day.

The analysis also revealed that a single large egg now contains 41 IU of Vitamin D, an increase of 64 percent from 2002. Eggs are one of the few foods that are a naturally good source of Vitamin D, which plays an important role in calcium absorption, helping to form and maintain strong bones. The amount of protein in one large egg - 6 grams of protein or 12% of the Recommended Daily Value – remains the same. The high-quality protein in eggs provides the energy families need to perform their best on important days.

Eggs are all-natural, and one egg has lots of vitamins and minerals all for 70 calories. At less than 15 cents apiece, eggs are an affordable and delicious breakfast option. For more information on cholesterol and the nutritional benefits of eggs, along with egg recipes and cooking tips, visitwww.incredibleegg.org.

*In 2010, a random sample of regular large shell eggs was collected from locations across the country to analyze the nutrient content of eggs. The testing procedure was last completed with eggs in 2002, and while most nutrients remained similar to those values, cholesterol decreased by 14% and vitamin D increased by 64% from 2002 values.

**GIVEAWAY**

The American Egg Board is giving away a year’s supply of eggs (valued at around $100) to 6 winners. There are two easy ways to enter this contest.

Write and publish an original post which provides a favorite breakfast recipe that uses eggs and includes mentions and links to Kitchen Play and the American Egg Board.
Venture into the world of food journalism by writing and publishing an original post discussing the new study which shows that eggs are lower in cholesterol, and how this news affects the way you cook with eggs. Posts must include mentions and links to Kitchen Play and the American Egg Board.

Once you’ve posted one of the two options on your blog, head over to Kitchen Play and leave the post link to be entered in the giveaway. You can find complete rules and details over at Kitchen Play.

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Bacon & Brown Sugar Stuffed French Toast

Kate — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 02:00:00 +0000

Are you ready for a recipe that will change your breakfast life forever? I’m thinking this recipe might have to take top honors of being the best thing I’ve EVER made! (Well, it’s gotta be in the Top 10 at least.)

My recipe for Apple Cinnamon Stuffed French Toast continues to be one of the most viewed recipes on this site, so I know stuffed french toast is a hit with lots of people. When I was planning out our Sunday brunch for this weekend, I kept thinking of that recipe. But I wanted to switch it up a bit and do something different. I had no idea that I’d end up with something so much better than the original!

To me, the combination of bacon and French toast is a no-brainer. I also feel the same about brown sugar and bacon. That salty-sweet combination is always a winner. So Bacon & Brown Sugar Stuffed French Toast combines all those things into one awesome little sandwich. It’s creamy, sweet, crispy and just a little touch salty. Everything blends together beautifully for a mouth-tingling experience!

Bacon & Brown Sugar Stuffed French Toast

1/2 – 1 lb. bacon
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. maple syrup (or 1 t. maple extract)
12 slices bread
4 eggs
1/3 c. milk
2 T. butter

+ about 15 minutes baking time Cut bacon in half and place individual slices on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, until desired crispiness. Drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, combine softened cream cheese, brown sugar and maple syrup in a mixing bowl. Beat until combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes with an electric mixer or about 5 minutes by hand. Refrigerate both bacon and the cream cheese mixture until using. (NOTE – this step can be done the night before, if desired.)

Spread the cream cheese-brown sugar mixture onto one side of each slice of bread.

Add 3-5 slices of bacon on top of half the bread slices. Cover with the remaining slices to make sandwiches.

+ about 10 minutes cooking time Whisk together the eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Melt butter on a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Dip both sides of each sandwich into the egg mixture. Cook about 3-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and toasty.

These stuffed French toast sandwiches are definitely sweet enough on their own. Our kids ate theirs just like sandwiches. My husband and I opted to pour a little syrup on top, which was equally delicious. But if your sweet tooth is a little sensitive, you can absolutely forego the syrup and still get an amazingly sweet and delicious breakfast treat.

I am already counting down the days until I can make this again. While I think I could happily eat it for breakfast every single day for the next oh…forever, I know that’s probably not the smartest idea. Take that as a fair warning. Proceed carefully – addiction likely!

This post is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace and Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

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Ham & Potato Frittata

Kate — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 04:17:54 +0000

We buy a big ham twice a year without fail – for Christmas and for Easter. My husband could honestly eat a platter of ham and nothing else as a meal. For that matter, the kids probably could too. So needless to say, I always buy a ham that is a lot bigger than what I think we will actually need. And every time I end up with fewer leftovers than I had thought we’d have.

So far I’ve made two meals with our leftover ham. I have enough left for probably one more meal. Then I’ll use the remaining meat and the bone to make a big pot of soup. It would be nice if I had more ham to bag up and freeze for future meals, but I guess I should be happy with the leftovers I do have.

Tonight’s dinner was this Ham & Potato Frittata. It was a huge hit with everyone. Part of that might have been because it worked perfectly with ketchup and my family is ketchup lovers! (Seriously, I caught my son licking the ketchup cap and one of the girls eating her ketchup straight up.) Although I ate mine without any ketchup and I still thought it was very tasty. The crispy, cheesy texture was great too.

Ham & Potato Frittata

1 onion
1 green pepper
3 T. oil
3 potatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 – 3 c. cubed ham (from leftovers or packaged cubed ham)
2 c. shredded cheese
5 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. cumin

Dice onion and green pepper. Refrigerate until using.

Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet. While oil heats, peel and dice the potatoes. Add the potatoes, onion and green pepper to the skillet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently until the potatoes are tender and starting to brown. Refrigerate until using.

+ 25-30 minutes bake time Layer ham and cheese on top of the potatoes. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and remaining seasonings. Pour into the skillet. Place in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes, until set. Cut into wedges to serve.

If you do not have an ovenproof skillet, you can prepare this in a casserole dish instead, although you’ll lose some of that crispy texture. Also, if you’re in a big hurry, you can use a bag of O’Brien potatoes in place of the potatoes, onion and green pepper.

If you are in need of some other leftover ham recipes, I compiled a post of my favorite ways to use those leftovers earlier this year. Here is some leftover ham inspiration.

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Sausage & Spinach Quiche

Kate — Thu, 20 May 2010 01:22:46 +0000

I’ve never understood why quiche gets made fun of so much. In our house, it’s always a hit. What’s not to love about a flaky pie crust filled with yummy (usually cheesy) ingredients? I don’t see how it could be anything but a winner!

As the cook, I love quiche because it is the perfect vehicle for leftovers. The options for what to add to a quiche are virtually limitless and scraps of any leftovers work perfectly. I tend to always focus my quiches around a meat, some veggies and cheese. Any combination and quantity of those three seem to work great.

This Sausage & Spinach Quiche combines some of our favorite flavors without requiring many extra ingredients. It’s tasty and definitely budget friendly.

Sausage & Spinach Quiche

1 single-crust pie crust (I use homemade pie crust, but frozen or from a box would work just as well, depending on your preference.)
1/2 lb. bulk or link sausage (if using links, slice first)
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 c. frozen spinach
4 eggs
1 c. milk
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. nutmeg
1 c. shredded cheese (any kind will work)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and prebake empty pie shell in pie plate for 3 minutes.

2. Add the sausage, green pepper and onion to a large skillet. Cook until sausage is fully cooked and onion is tender. Add frozen spinach and cook until heated through. Set aside and cool.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Stir in veggie mixture and sausage. Stir in seasonings and cheese.

4. Pour into pie plate. Bake at 425 degrees for 5-10 minutes, until crust edges are browned. Remove from oven and cover edges with tin foil. Put back in oven and back for 30-40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

So which side of the quiche fence do you sit on – for or against?

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Asparagus Swiss Cheese Strata

Kate — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:29:07 +0000

If you’re in need of a great, last minute side dish to add to your Easter fare, I’ve got one for you! This comes together so quickly, tastes delicious and looks beautiful. Best of all for those of you who will be busy entertaining family and friends, it can be completely prepped the night before.

Asparagus Swiss Cheese Strata

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
6 slices bread
1 6 oz. pkg. shredded Swiss cheese
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1/8 t. nutmeg

1. Plunge asparagus in boiling water for 2-4 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears. Drain and rinse immediately with cold water.

2. Grease a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Layer 6 slices of bread in the bottom of the dish. Top with Swiss cheese.

3. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and seasonings. Pour into casserole dish. Neatly arrange asparagus spears on top of casserole. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 10 hours.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until slightly puffed and golden brown around the edges. If the top starts to get brown too quickly, cover with foil for the remaining cooking time. Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

It really couldn’t get much easier!

This Easter, it will just be our little family of 6 celebrating Easter at home. I know we’ll be having this dish along with a maple-glazed spiral ham and some hard boiled eggs. I’ll probably make a pasta salad, a fruit salad and some kind of bread or rolls to go along with it. Dessert is still completely up in the air.

I know I’ll be missing my mom’s lamb cake. That is probably my favorite Easter food tradition. What’s your favorite Easter food tradition?

NOT my mom’s lamb cake (photo source: jpwchi), but pretty darn close to the way hers usually looks. I suppose one of these days I should invest in my own lamb cake mold. It probably wouldn’t be the same though!

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Handheld Breakfast Pies

Kate — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:58:04 +0000

I mentioned last week that I spent a good portion of a Sunday working on a new idea. It needed a little tweaking before meeting the oh-so-high standards of this family. But, I’m not complaining. I’m actually glad they have high standards. It gives me more confidence when I post my recipes.

This recipe is one that I’m so excited about. I’ve been concocting it in my head for a long time and finally decided to just go for it. The overall concept was inspired by a similar boxed frozen breakfast product. And trust me, if you like those, you will LOVE these.

To be fair though, I should warn you they are quite a bit of work to put together. But I got over 2 dozen with this recipe, so there are plenty for future breakfasts. I also think the process will get much quicker with practice.

Handheld Breakfast Pies

For the pie crust:

5 c. flour
1 T. sugar
2 t. salt
1 1/4 c. butter
1/2 – 3/4 c. ice cold water

1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Place in the freezer for about 10 minutes.

2. Cut butter into small chunks and add to flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture comes together in about pea-sized clumps. (I’ve learned that the trick to flaky pie crust is to leave the butter pieces bigger rather than smaller.) Slowly add just as much ice cold water as needed until the dough is smooth.

3. Place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before rolling out.

For the filling:

1 T. butter
5 eggs
1/4 c. milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb. bulk breakfast sausage
3 T. flour
1 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 t. each – salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika (adjust to taste)

1. Melt butter in a large skillet. In a bowl, whisk together eggs and 1/4 c. milk. Pour into skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook until scrambled. Remove to a large bowl with a slotted spoon.

2. Cook sausage in the same skillet until done. Add to the eggs, using a slotted spoon.

3. Stir flour into drippings in skillet and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in milk, bring to a slow boil and simmer until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add cheese and seasonings. Stir until melted. Pour into eggs and sausage and stir to combine. Let cool.

To assemble:

1. Working with a small section of pie crust dough at a time, roll out on a floured surface. Using a glass or biscuit cutter, cut dough into circles. Spoon some of the filling into the center of half the circles. Cover each circle with another circle of dough and seal the edges with a fork.

2. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

To freeze, cool completely and then flash freeze on cookie sheets for about an hour. Transfer to plastic freezer bags.

These reheat best in the oven, but the microwave will work in a pinch.

This post is being linked to:

$5 Dinner Challenge at $5 Dinners
Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace

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