Easy Breakfast Egg Sandwich

When your kids are old enough to help themselves in the kitchen, it helps you out too, right? I recently showed my soon to be 11 yr old little boy how to make microwaved egg sandwiches. He's been making these quite often since!

Easy Breakfast Egg Sandwich

1 large egg

1 slice of ham

1 good pinch of cheese

Splash of milk

1 english muffin

Large enough mug, non stick spray, microwave, toaster

Toast english muffin, while toasting make the egg.

In a large mug (preferably one that'll fit the size of the english muffin), spray with non stick spray, add egg and a tiny splash of milk, mix.

Microwave for 1 minute.

Add pinch of cheese and ham, microwave for 30 seconds more.

Top with 1 piece of english muffin and invert onto a plate, top with 2nd piece of english muffin. Enjoy!

Ingredients ready to go!

He's making this by himself while I coach him.

Spray your mug, it's no fun to clean otherwise!

Get toasting your muffin while your egg cooks.

Break your egg into the mug (this old soup mug fits the muffin nicely!)...

add a tiny bit of milk...

whip it up!

nuke it...

for 1 minute!

It becomes nice and fluffy!

Add some cheese...

and then the ham (we used 2 thinly sliced slices)...

nuke it for 30 more seconds...

top with 1 english muffin piece...

invert onto a plate...

and it'll all stack up...

top with last piece of english muffin...

and enjoy!

enjoy,
Rachelle

Overnight Blueberry Waffle Bake

I treated myself to this breakfast bake while working a long work week. I love my overnight french toast bakes so when I saw this, I thought Hello!! Waffles! How more perfect for a busy week. This came out delicious, I love how the tops of the waffles became crunchy and sweet.

Overnight Blueberry Waffle Bake 
adapted from A Dash of Sanity

10 (gluten free) frozen waffles
1 pint fresh blueberries (or other fresh fruits)
1 ½ cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon light brown sugar
Pinch nutmeg

Crumb Topping 
½ cup (gluten free) flour
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Glaze 
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons milk

Let waffles sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Cut waffles in half. In a 9x9 (or which ever they fit best) baking pan place each waffle half cut side down. Pour the blueberries over the waffles, stuff berries in between waffles.

In a bowl combine milk, vanilla, brown sugar, beaten eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined. Pour egg mixture over prepared waffles, lightly press down waffles into the egg mixture, so that each part of the waffle gets wet. Cover and set in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350'. Make the crumb topping. In a small mixing bowl melt butter in microwave, stir in maple syrup. Add in flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix together until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over waffles.

Place uncovered dish in oven and bake 50­-55 minutes. While it is baking make glaze. In a small bowl combine the ingredients and stir together until smooth, set aside. When bake is done, remove from oven and drizzle glaze over the bake. Serve.

I used these gluten free frozen waffle brands. The Full Circle ones I found at Stater Bros. and the Eating Right I found at Albertson's. 

enjoy,
Rachelle

Banana Baked Protein Oatmeal

These baked oatmeal bars have been a lifesaver for mornings I'm trying to hurry on my "lunch hour" (I come home from work on my break) while I'm trying to get kids off to school too. I grab a piece from the fridge, nuke it for like 30 seconds and smear with some peanut butter and greek yogurt. Delicious! It's almost like a banana bread. Today I made my 3rd & 4th batch since finding this recipe, I actually doubled it and baked it in a 9x13 (baked for about 40-45 mins), to freeze pieces for later.


Banana Baked Protein Oatmeal
inspired by Southern In Law

1 cup gluten free oats
1/2 cup protein powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 TBL chia seeds
1/4 cup chopped nuts
2 medium bananas
1 TBL vanilla extract
4 large egg whites
1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350' and grease an 8x8 (or pie plate) glass baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, mash your banana and add in all of the other ingredients, mix until combined.
Pour oatmeal mix into the baking dish and bake for about 35 minutes, or until cooked through. Once baked, allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving, or serve chilled. Keeps well for a few days or freeze for later.

If desired, serve with peanut butter mixed with greek yogurt as a topping.

enjoy,

Baked Egg Nests

My new favorite baked egg cups! I've made other egg cupcakes before but when I tried this recipe, this was it! There's a bottom layer of delicious sweet potato, topped with an egg that is soft baked with your favorite add ins on top. I'll eat a couple for breakfast or grab one for a snack, heat it up for 20 seconds and it's good to go! These are a great meal prep idea, because you don't want to fail your food options when you're hungry!


Baked Egg Nests
Lexi's Clean Kitchen

12 eggs
1 medium sweet potato
1 tsp coconut oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
5 slices bacon, cooked
Blanched veggies of choice (I used asparagus)

Preheat oven to 350 and grease muffin tins extra good!
Grate sweet potato, squeeze out excess water. Mix 1 tsp oil, salt, and pepper with sweet potato. Press a little of the sweet potato mixture into the bottoms of the muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes then remove muffin tins. Crack egg into the muffin tins over the sweet potato, add a few bacon and veggie pieces. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing and serving.
Store in air-tight tupperware in refrigerator, heat u p for 20 seconds in the microwave if desired.

enjoy,

Overnight Protein Oats

 I have been eating these Overnight Protein Oats almost every morning (or for lunch) for like 6 weeks now! I just love them!! If you've never had overnight oats before imagine a delicious breakfast pudding, like a decadent dessert almost, for breakfast! The oats breakdown overnight and adding chia seeds helps thicken it all up into a nice thick consistency. Add your favorite flavors and you almost feel guilty for eating it in the morning! One morning, my son saw my glass all nice and pretty and oohed and ahhed over it, then I mentioned it was oatmeal and he turned his nose up at it lol. They are not big on oatmeal, silly kids. 

I love this in the morning because it will fill me up long enough until lunch. Sometimes I'll have something else for breakfast (for a change) and eat this for lunch! 

Overnight Protein Oats 
inspired by Daily Burn , serves 6

3 Cups gluten free oats
4 Cups unsweetened plain almond milk
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
2 TBL chia seeds
1/2 Cup slivered almonds
3 Cups nonfat plain greek yogurt, set aside
Toppings of your choice, berries, peanut butter, almond butter, bananas, nuts etc.

Combine and stir all ingredients except the greek yogurt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, grab a pretty serving dish and add 3/4 Cups of overnight oats, top with 1/2 Cup greek yogurt and topping of your choice. Oats are great in the fridge for up to 6 days.

My favorite flavor is peanut butter or almond butter!

enjoy,

Gluten Free Biscuits and Gravy Casserole

Mr.'s favorite is biscuits and gravy so when I saw a recipe for a casserole version I just had to give it a try, gluten free of course. You can certainly make it regular by using a regular biscuit recipe  and country gravy. Feel free to even make your own gravy if you like. As a working mom, now even I cut corners. I don't get as much time in my kitchen as I like to. This will be a great dish to reheat and eat at the track when we do sleepovers! My family loves this dish as I've made it a few times since and I am finally getting around to sharing here.

Gluten Free Biscuits and Gravy Casserole

1 recipe for gluten free biscuit dough (I use this recipe)
7 medium eggs
1 pkg gluten free powdered country gravy pouch
1 lb breakfast sausage
1 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese blend
1/2 C.  milk
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350'.
Spray a 13x9" glass baking dish. Make biscuit dough according to recipe link above. Flatten dough out a little with your hands and break into 1" pieces, place in the prepared dish. Brown the sausage and drain. Scatter the sausage over the biscuit pieces, then top with shredded cheese. Whisk eggs and milk with a little salt and pepper and pour over the biscuit mixture. Make gravy according to instructions (for that I add 2 cups hot water and 1/2 cup of milk to thin it out), and pour over the prepared layers in dish. Bake, uncovered for 45-50 minutes.

broken biscuit dough in dish

pouring on the gravy, then it's ready to bake

I used this Pioneer gluten free country gravy mix found at my grocery store (my amazon link)

this is the powdered buttermilk I used (my amazon link)

enjoy,

Fluffy Gluten Free Pancakes

I have many recipes here for pancakes, but these are my newest favorite gluten free ones. They are fluffy like my regular recipe I make for my family and this uses one of my favorite GF flour blends! Here I've made blueberry and pecan pancakes with eggs.


Gluten-Free Pancakes 
adapted from Art of Gluten Free Baking

Note: this recipe uses the gluten-free flour mix:

Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix 
(mix all together and store in fridge): 
1 1/4 C. brown rice flour 
1 1/4 C. white rice flour 
1 C. tapioca flour 
1 C. sweet rice flour (also known as Mochiko) 
2 scant tsp. xanthan gum 


Pancake Ingredients 
1 1/2 C Jeanne’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix (see above)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 TBL sugar
2 large eggs, lighten beaten
3 TBL melted butter
1 1/4 C milk, warmed
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients in medium bowl.
Mix together wet ingredients in another bowl (I actually use a large measuring cup to heat the milk and then add all wet Ing. to that).
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing until just blended. The batter should be kind of lumpy.
Heat a griddle or pan with nonstick spray over medium heat and scoop 1/3 cup scoops of batter for each pancake. Cook on both sides (about 3 minutes each) until golden brown. You may also add fresh berries, fruits or nuts after you scoop the batter into the pan.
Makes about 9-10 pancakes.

 

Mmm, happy weekend!

Please share this post if you liked it. =)

enjoy,

Asparagus Ham and Swiss Egg Casserole

Baked eggs are a time saver as you're rushing around in the morning. You can add in your favorite veggies or meats to make them extra special. Throw these in the oven and get ready while they bake for about 30 minutes. These were another item I made for my Eggland's Best breakfast. I loved them so much, I made them again to have during the week for a quick breakfast, just warm in the microwave. They turn out fluffy and delicious.

Asparagus Ham and Swiss Egg Casserole
inspired from The Perfect Pantry and here
Serves 5-6

1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup chopped asparagus
1/2 cup roughly chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup cooked chopped ham
8 large eggs
2 Tbsp nonfat milk
7 oz shredded swiss
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a medium skillet, saute asparagus in a little oil, butter or spray (or steam in a little water) until just tender. Set aside. Add mushrooms and a little spray, oil or butter and saute mushrooms until tender and golden.

Spray a 2.5 qt. glass casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread the vegetables and ham in the dish, and allow them to cool slightly while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until slightly frothy. Add the milk, and whisk to combine. With a rubber spatula, stir in the shredded cheese, salt and pepper.

Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables in the casserole dish. Draw the spatula through the mixture to bring some of the vegetables to the surface.

Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes, until the eggs are puffy. Serve hot, warm or cold.

I ran out of non stick spray this time, parchment worked fine

Please share this post if you liked it. =)

enjoy,

Lemon Ricotta Crepes

Funny how I've never made crepes before, and now I've made them a few times. They're really easy and you can fill them with anything. I made these for my Eggland's Best little breakfast. The lemon and ricotta were a lovely addition.

For these lemon crepes I used a gluten free recipe from a cookbook I blogged about here. I added in the lemon juice and zest. There are many GF recipes on the web if you'd like to search around otherwise I have a regular glutened recipe linked below or use the one posted with this recipe.


Lemon Ricotta Crepes
adapted from Real Simple

Crepes
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the skillet
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Glaze
1 thinly sliced lemon
1/2 cup plus
1 tablespoon sugar

Filling ( make ahead of time so flavors can combine)
1 cup ricotta
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey, plus more for serving

I have a wonderful glutened Crepes recipe here, you can add the lemon juice/zest to the batter. OR use this recipe posted above:
In a blender, blend the milk, eggs, flour, butter, salt, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar until very foamy, about 1 minute. Transfer to the refrigerator and let rest, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, boil 1/2 cup of water and the remaining ½ cup of sugar, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon slices and simmer until tender and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes; let cool.

Wipe a (8") medium nonstick skillet with butter and heat over medium heat. Add ¼ cup of the crepe batter and swirl the skillet so the batter completely covers the bottom of the pan. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently loosen the edge of the crepe with a spatula and, using your fingers, flip the crepe. Continue to cook until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate, layer between wax paper pieces. Repeat with the remaining batter.

In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, ricotta, and honey. Dividing evenly, spread the ricotta mixture on the crepes (about 1 tablespoon each) and roll up. Serve topped with the lemon slices and drizzled with additional honey.

The crepes will keep layered between wax papers in a large baggie for a few days in the fridge. Just warm up in the microwave and add filling.

my gluten free lemon crepes, layered between wax paper

roll them or fold them

Please share this post if you liked it. =)

enjoy,