Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

My new role as mom has taught me many things, which isn't that hard to believe. Planning each day now revolves around R and his needs. Breakfast before being a mom was always a grab whatever you could find or quickly put together and run out the door to work. Learning my new role of staying at home and making sure R has a well balanced diet brings a different kind of morning routine. One of R's favorite foods are blueberries. I always keep a big bag of frozen blueberries around the hours for recipes such as this one or to put in pancakes or waffles. After trying this baked oatmeal, its hard to eat from the pre-made oatmeal packets. The oatmeal has layers of flavors and textures and is also a very adaptable. Add in raspberries or substitute for other fruit or nuts you have on hand. If you are short on time in the mornings, make a batch on the weekend and reheat throughout the week. The leftovers are just as good and it is definitely a hearty, healthy, and filling breakfast.

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir with a fork to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla. Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries. Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and blueberries over the top. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson via Annie's Eats

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Over the weekend my in-law’s were out of town and I promised my bro-in-law, the lover of all things pumpkin, I would make and bring him so pumpkin pancakes in their absence. I will admit that I wasn’t crazy about making them. I thought they would be good, but nothing I would request a second time and never as good as my buttermilk pancakes. Sometimes I love to be surprised! While I think it’s hard to compare a buttermilk pancakes with something so different, the pumpkin pancakes were quite good. You could really taste the pumpkin and the spices in each bite. I will definitely be making these again, however next time I plan to double the recipe. I got about 8 pancakes from the batter, which for some families would be fine, but with ours…we each require around 3 or 4 pancakes a piece! I also added chocolate chips to my bro-in-law’s pancakes, which he loved.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

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1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash of ground ginger

Dash of ground cloves

1 cup milk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices and stir with a fork to combine. Mix together the milk, pumpkin puree, egg, and oil or butter in a liquid measuring cup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together just until combine.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Have an oven safe plate or serving dish ready. Heat a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add a 1/3 cup scoop of batter to the pan. Let cool until bubbles begin to form on the top surface. Carefully flip with a spatula and cook the second side until golden brown, a couple minutes more. Transfer the cooked pancake to the oven safe dish, and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the batter until it has been cooked, regreasing the pan as needed. Serve with cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, and/or whipped cream.

Source: Annie’s Eats, originally from Joy the Baker

One Year Ago Today: Almond Coffee Cakes

Yeasted Waffles

I have been wanting to try yeasted waffles for a while, but never found the time. Had I known how good they were I would have definitely made them sooner! You can smell the yeast as the waffles cook, leaving your mouth watering for a taste. The yeast flavor is also present in the waffle. The waffle itself has a crispy bite, but a soft center. As you can see, the waffle iron itself is in need of replacing (hence the half browned sections), but the waffles still manage to shine in flavor. I have made/tasted several types of waffle batter and while each give you and different taste and texture, this is by far my favorite waffle.

Yeasted Waffles

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1/2 cup warm water

2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

2 cups whole milk, warmed

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Combine the water and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Let yeast stand to dissolve 5 minutes before proceeding. Add the milk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour to the bowl. Whisk until well blended and smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight.

When you are ready to make waffles, preheat the waffle iron. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and place a plate in the oven. Just before making the waffles, whisk the eggs and baking soda into the batter until smooth. The batter will be very thin. Fill batter in waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Cook until crisp and golden. Transfer finished waffles to a warmed plate in the oven while you cook the rest of the batter. Top as desired with butter, syrup, etc.

Source: Annie’s Eats, originally from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham

One Year Ago Today: Aloha Burgers

Buttermilk Pancakes

So there has long been a battle between myself and my father-in-law between waffles and pancakes. He loves waffles, I love pancakes. We try to share Saturday morning breakfast together every week. Sometimes we fight over pancakes and waffles. My mother-in-law had to step in and designate an every other Saturday rule, so that we switch off between waffles and pancakes in an effort to make both of us happy. Since she does the breakfast cooking, I didn’t really have a go-to, from scratch recipe for pancakes. My brother recently asked me to find a pancake recipe for him…so I was on a mission! I knew right away I would want a recipe made with buttermilk (only the best) and it didn’t take long to find rave reviews with this particular recipe. The recipe makes a lot, which I didn’t mind. I like to cook all the pancake batter and freeze any leftovers for a quick breakfast solution when I’m running short of time. This recipe is a keeper for me!

Buttermilk Pancakes

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2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups buttermilk

4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

½ teaspoons vanilla extract

oil or cooking spray (for cooking)

In a large bowl beat eggs. Add buttermilk, butter and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until mostly smooth.

Heat griddle or pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spray with cooking spray. You can test to see if the pan is hot enough by adding a few drops of water, if or when the drops start to dance its hot enough.

Pour batter onto the griddle. Cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop. You can also gently lift up the pancake to make sure the bottom is not overcooking, if it is the pan may be too hot and you will need to adjust the heat. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is gone. Let cooked pancakes rest on a heat proof plate in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

Source adapted from: Joy the Baker

Muffin Melts

This dish could best be described as a breakfast egg salad with a couple of unexpected ingredients. I don’t normally think of Dijon mustard, garlic powder, or Worcestershire sauce with breakfast, but after tasting the ingredients all together, the dish would not be as good without it! The Dijon mustard especially adds a great flavor. For those that might be skeptical, give it a try before ruling it out…I think you will be pleasantly surprised! The egg mixture can be made the night before for a quick prep the morning of. You can also add in extra spices such as cayenne pepper or paprika for those that enjoy an extra special kick of flavor. This is a great dish for feeding a crowd, but can also be halved for a smaller crowd.

Muffin Melts

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12 whole Hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

6 whole English muffins, split

Combine eggs with cheese, mayo, bacon, mustard, garlic powder, and Worcestershire . Fold together gently. At this point, the mixture could be covered and stored in the refrigerator overnight.

Spread mixture on English muffin halves, then broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Serve immediately.

Source: Pioneer Woman

Banana Bread Waffles

 

I finally tried making yeasted waffles over the past weekend and it was a success! My husband’s family tradition growing up was homemade waffles every Saturday morning. It is pretty hard to top the flavor of his mother’s waffles, but I wanted to try a different method and also add in some different flavors. The batter is made the night before so that the yeast has time to rise, which was actually really nice. Saturday morning was almost effortless. The taste of the waffles had a lot of banana flavor with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, which makes it taste like banana bread! I’m not sure if this is an Oklahoma thing, but I have always put peanut butter on waffles and/or pancakes. My husband thinks I’m crazy, but I love it. The only thing better than a waffle with peanut butter is adding bananas to the mix! Since I was only cooking for two, I cooked all the batter and let the waffles we weren’t eating come to room temperature. You can then wrap the waffles individually in saran wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag for later use.

Banana Bread Waffles

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4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash of ground ginger

Dash of ground clove

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 whole bananas)

2 tablespoon sour cream (or Greek yogurt)

In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, warm milk, and vanilla extract. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, yeast, salt, and spices. Whisk together to blend. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl and whisk just until smooth. Whisk in the eggs until incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, and up to 24 hours.

When are you ready to make the waffles, remove the batter from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. It should be about double in size and there should be small bubbles on the surface.

Add the mashed bananas and sour cream (or yogurt) to the batter. Whisk lightly to incorporate into the batter. Cook in a preheated waffle maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve as desired with maple syrup and banana slices.

Source: Annie’s Eats, originally from Seven Spoons

Bacon, Egg, and Toast Cups

I’m not quite sure why I waited so long to try out this recipe, but it was so much fun to make and so good to eat! The only thing missing from this breakfast was grits! Making eggs for multiple people can sometimes be a pain, everyone prefers their eggs cooked a certain way, but not to worry as the cooking time can be controlled to each persons preference. My hubby likes his yolk runny, while I scream at any yolk that is not cooked all the way through. The solution with this recipe is to pull the cups out at each stage, ensuring a variety of cooked eggs.

Bacon, Egg, and Toast Cups

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6 slices of bacon

6 slices of bread

Shredded cheese

6 eggs

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease 6 wells of a muffin pan with butter.

In a frying pan, cook bacon about 3 to 5 minutes, until partially cooked but not completely crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Cut out rounds of bread, using a cookie cutter or the rim of a drinking glass. Press the bread rounds into the greased muffin wells. Curl a piece of bacon around the periphery of each piece of bread, positioning it between the bread and the muffin tin to help keep in position. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese in the center of each piece of bread. One at a time, crack an egg, removing about half of the white, and dropping the remaining white and yolk over each piece of bread, being careful not to break the yolks.

Bake until eggs are cooked through to your liking (about 6 to 10 minutes) and bacon is crispy. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin well and pop the egg cups out. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Source: Annie’s Eats, originally from The Noshery

Fruit Bruschetta

I have been trying out some new breakfast/brunch dishes lately and wanted to share a couple of new favorites! This could not be any simpler to make, as long as you don’t burn the bread! I love cinnamon  toast. I am also a big fan of bananas, strawberries, and kiwi together in a fruit salad. I had never thought to combine the two into one dish, but what a crowd pleaser! The dish is good enough to eat every morning for breakfast and is pretty healthy too.

Fruit Bruschetta

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1/4 pineapple, diced

6 oz strawberries, hulled and diced

2 kiwis, peeled and diced

1 banana, diced

Sliced bread rounds (I used challah)

Butter

Cinnamon Sugar (Combine 1/4 cup sugar with 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon)

Yogurt (I used strawberry, but vanilla would also work)

Combined diced pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, and banana in a small mixing bowl. Toss and set aside. Butter top side of thinly sliced toast. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place toast under a broiler to crisp. Spoon the fruit mixture on top of each round. Drizzle lightly with yogurt.

Source adapted from: Annie’s Eats, originally from The Way the Cookie Crumbles

Sausage and Grits Casserole

Given all the events that have transpired in the past week I have been in the mood for some major comfort food. This is my favorite breakfast casserole which I normally only get to eat once a year. This casserole also happens to be a Scales Christmas tradition, only made on Christmas morning by the Mama Scales. Usually Michael and I switch off Thanksgiving and Christmas between our two families, so we were in Oklahoma this past Christmas and missed out. I did however convince my MIL to make a halved portion for us once we got back! This is such a creamy, cheesy, delicious casserole. Sausage and grits are a great combination and mixed with all the other ingredients the casserole becomes a creamy, hearty breakfast that I could feast on all day long!

Country Grits and Sausage Casserole

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2 pounds mild ground pork sausage

4 cups water

1 1/4 cups quick-cooking grits, uncooked

4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Paprika

Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs

Brown sausage in a large skillet, stirring until it crumbles. Drain well, and set aside.

Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan, and stir in grits. Return to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add cheese, milk, thyme and garlic powder, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in sausage and eggs.

Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish; sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until golden and heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired.

To Make Ahead: Prepare grits mixture as directed above, but do not bake. Cover and chill overnight. Remove from refrigerator; let stand, covered 30 minutes. Uncover and bake as directed.

Source: Christmas with Southern Living 1999, Oxmoor House, January 1999

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

I am officially the proud owner of Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. After 3 check outs from the library I finally decided to ask for the book for Christmas and my brother and SIL surprised me with a copy!!  I absolutely love this book and have made several of the recipes, all of which were fantastic. Last week I was craving something tart and thought this muffin would fill the need. Secretly I think I wanted to be transported to summer, with a slice of of key lime pie, sitting on the beach somewhere, cooling down and relaxing, but the muffin was all good despite the cold January weather.  Honestly I have had lots of poppy seed muffins before, but I don’t know that they have ever included an icing on top, but the addition was a nice compliment to the muffin itself. The lemon provides the muffin with its distinct flavor and makes it all together yummy!! Happy Monday everyone.

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

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2/3 cup sugar

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 tablespoons poppy seeds


For the Icing:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter of spray a 12 mold muffin tray or place paper muffin cups inside mold.
In a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of lemon is strong. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and melted butter together until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or rubber spatula, gently stir to blend. Stir in the poppy seeds. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold. Cool on wire rack completely before icing.


To Make the Icing: Put the confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Stir with a spoon to moisten the sugar, then add enough additional juice, a dribble at a time, to get an icing that is thin enough to drizzle from the tip of a spoon. You can drizzle lines of icing of the tops of the muffins or coat the tops entirely.

Source: Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, 2006

Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is very near and dear to my heart. Each time I go home to visit my folks, my mom always knows to make me these cinnamon rolls. Some things are always better with the places and people nearest to you, but I think you will learn to love this quick and easy recipe as much as I do. My mom doesn't really have measurements for this, so I made sure to take lots of pictures of the process and I made guesses as to the amount of each ingredient used.  

Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls

2 cans of Pillsbury un-perforated crescent rolls

About 4 to 6 tablespoons softened butter

About 4 to 6 tablespoons sugar

About 4 to 6 teaspoons cinnamon

About 4 to 6 tablespoons of pecans (if desired)

Lightly flour working surface. Unroll one can of crescent rolls to working surface.



Spread about 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter to cover top of roll, repeat process with 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 to 3 teaspoons cinnamon, and 2 to 3 tablespoons pecans, as shown above.



Begin to roll dough lengthwise, placing seem side down. Slice into 1 inch rolls, making around 19 rolls per sheet. Repeat steps with second roll of crescent dough.



Place rolls in a round baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 23 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Let rolls sit for 5 to 10 minutes to cool. In the meantime, making icing.

Icing

2 cups powdered sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Combine powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency.



Spread icing all over rolls. Serve immediately.

Breakfast Empanadas

The winter weather is officially upon us which is usually when I start overstocking the fridge and pantry just in case the weather gets bad and I can't make it to the store. Two weeks ago was the first of school delays and closings due to ice and snow. The only good thing I find about this kind of weather is that it gives me an opportunity to make a "Big Breakfast," which I happened to have all ingredients on hand on this particular morning. The empanadas were heavenly. Filled with the creaminess from the cheese mixture, scrambled eggs, and crispy bacon. Oh I need to make these again...and soon! The great thing about this recipe is you can use whatever you have on hand in order to create. Switch out the bacon for sausage or create a vegetable empanada. For those that might not have as much time in the morning, but still want to recreate this dish, try rolling out the biscuits the night before, as this was the most time consuming part. You could also mix up the cheese mixture and cook your bacon the night before, just make sure to store everything accordingly.

Breakfast Empanadas

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6 oz Cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons butter

5 large eggs, beaten

1 (17.3 oz) can refrigerated jumbo flaky biscuits

8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Cooking spray

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, parsley, salt and pepper until blended; stir in cheese.
Melt butter in a 9 inch skillet over medium heat, add eggs, and cook without stirring, until eggs begin to set on bottom. Draw a spatula across bottom of skillet to form large curds. Continue cooking until eggs are slightly thickened but still moist. (Do not stir constantly.) Remove from heat, and let cool.

Flatten each biscuit into about a 5 inch circle. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over tops of dough circles, leaving a 1/2 inch border around edges. Top evenly with scrambled eggs and bacon.

Fold dough circles in half over mixture, pinching edges to seal; place 2 inches apart on a jellyroll pan or cookie sheet, coated with cooking spray. Brush tops evenly with egg white and press sealed edges with tins of a fork.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.


Source: www.myrecipes.com

French Toast Casserole

Who doesn’t love to wake up in the morning and start your day with a piece of French toast? One of my complaints about making French toast is that, in general, you can only make a few slices at a time, so if feeding a crowd you are not all eating at the same time. This recipes allows you to cook and serve each slice all at once. I found this recipe a while back and have made it each time we have company stay overnight. Everyone seems to really enjoy it, and I enjoy being able to prep everything the night before. This is a must try dish for anyone that loves French toast!

French Toast Casserole

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4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 loaf brioche or challah bread, sliced 1 1/2 inches thick (about 1 1/2 pounds)

8 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Confectioners’ sugar

Sorghum, cane, or maple syrup (optional)

In a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, combine melted butter and brown sugar. Arrange bread slices evenly in baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Pour over bread, letting egg mixture soak in. Top evenly with pecans. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Let chilled casserole stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Bake until browned and set, about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool slightly. Sift confectioners’ sugar over casserole. Serve hot or warm with sorghum, cane, or maple syrup, if desired.


Source: Bon Appétit, Y’all by Virginia Willis, Ten Speed Press, 2008