Hash brown, Egg and Sausage Breakfast Casserole

With a layer of shredded hash browns on the bottom, this simple and easy breakfast casserole was a hit the two times I've made it so far for family and friends. As with most casseroles you can change it up to incorporate whatever you like in your eggs. We used turkey sausage but chopped veggies would also be delicious!

Hash brown, Egg and Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Modified From Allrecipes.com
Printable Version
Ingredients
2 pound package of frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
1 pound sausage
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk 
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
12 ounces shredded cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart baking dish or 9X13 pan. Place the has browns in the bottom of the dish. Heat a skillet over medium and cook sausage until it is crumbly and evenly browned. Drain. Meanwhile whisk together the eggs, milk and spices. Pour over the potatoes. Layer half the cheese and sausage and then the remaining cheese. 

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove foil and return casserole to the oven. Bake for about 10 more minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Egg Muffins

I found these little gems on Pinterest (and Kalyn's Kitchen) a while back and decided to make them for our friends who just had a baby so that they could have a quick, healthy breakfast on hand. I love that these are carb free "muffins" as they only contain eggs, cheese, and whatever veggies you like. They keep in the fridge for a week and can even be frozen! My husband ate them as a snack after work one day and all of the sudden mine were gone. These would be great to serve at a brunch or if you are having a crowd for breakfast because they are quick and a different spin on breakfast!

Egg Muffins
From Kalyn's Kitchen

Printable Version
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients
15 eggs for silicone muffin tins, for metal use 12
1/2 cup milk or half and half
Whatever seasoning you like in your eggs (I always use seasoning salt, garlic salt, ground mustard and pepper)
1 cup grated low fat cheese
3 green onions, diced (optional)
Chopped veggies (I used red pepper but suggest broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes)
Optional: diced Canadian bacon, lean ham, or crumbled cooked turkey sausage

Directions
Preheat oven to 374. Spray muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. In the bottom of each muffin tin layer diced meat (if using), cheese, and green onions. In a large bowl break the eggs and add in milk and seasoning. Whisk to combine. Pour eggs into the muffin tin until it is 3/4 full. Bake 25-35 minutes until muffins have risen and are slightly browned and set. 

Muffins will keep for a week in the refrigerator. Can be frozen but for best results than in the refrigerator first, then reheat for 2 minutes in the microwave. 

Virtual Baby Shower

This might be my most favorite post ever! A month or so ago I asked my favorite  bloggers and food blogging friends if they wanted to participate in a virtual baby shower for me. Since Baby's due date is less than a month away and all I am doing now is waiting for baby to arrive, this is the perfect time for the "shower"! I asked the ladies to contribute their favorite shower/brunch recipe since breakfast foods are my favorite (case in point: tonight's dinner was an English muffin and eggs over easy). 


I hope you will take the time to visit the sites of all of the awesome bloggers that participated in my shower! Give them some love by leaving a comment or pinning one of their drool worthy recipes. Here are dishes that they shared for for my virtual baby shower:


Pina Colada Dip
From Val So Cal

Val says, "This sweet dip is the epitome of what Summer is all about!!  Refreshing and oh so good!  I beg you, Like, pleading with you to make this. Turn on some Jimmy Buffet or maybe Bob Marley and have a little fun." I want to dip my finger into this bowl and have a lick right now, don't you? 


Bacon and Red Pepper Breakfast Casserole
From Greens and Chocolate

Taylor picked a perfect recipe for me because I love egg dishes - especially egg casseroles. Taylor wrote, "When I think of baby showers I tend to think of brunch food, so for her baby shower I made a breakfast casserole.  I ended up making this with ingredients I happened to have on hand including a red pepper, a four-cheese blend, green onions, and bacon and it came out really great."

Peanut Butter Crusted Brownies 
From Vanilla Sugar

Dawn at Vanilla Sugar describes these brownies, "I've always wanted to create a cookie/brownie mix. And for me, peanut butter and brownie go so well together, why not put them together?" I completely agree with Dawn and these brownies look to die for!


The Best Bran Muffins
From Food and Whine

Megan of Food and Whine chose these muffins for the shower because, "...muffins in general have been a popular item in my household since having children. I've baked them for visitors who came to see the new baby, I've baked them for myself when I was too busy nursing babies or chasing toddlers to sit for a proper meal, I've baked them for countless playdates and get-togethers with other moms, and I still bake them all the time for snacks and school lunches. They are the perfect food for moms with busy families."


Homemade Granola
From Beantown Baker

Jen, who is the Beantown Baker, explains why she decided to make this delicious looking granola for my virtual baby shower, "I love recipes like this where it's just a ratio of ingredients. That way you can use whatever you prefer or have on hand. It would be great to serve at a brunch themed baby shower. Especially if you package it in small mason jars with a bit of ribbon tied around the top." Homemade is the BEST way to eat granola. Yum!


Chocolate Eclair Dessert
From Dutch Oven

Elizabeth from Dutch Oven describes this delicious dessert, "It is everything a good dessert should be in my mind, creamy, smooth, and chocolaty but not too rich.  It tastes fancy but best of all is super easy to make.  It is also a great summer dessert because it doesn't

require the oven, and is served cold for a nice hot summer day." I love all the layers in this 

dessert and the combination of chocolate, graham crackers, and creamy filling.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

From Two Friends with Spice

Cheryl, who used to be my next door neighbor and shared many of her delicious creations with me, describes this bread as, "a melt in your mouth party! Amazingly delicious...this is something I will be making again and again!" 

Thanks again to all my blogging friends who were willing to participate in this virtual baby shower! It means so much to me that you ladies took the time to help me celebrate this new life that will soon enter the world! I wish we could all be together to enjoy this amazing looking food!

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Wreath

While my family was visiting us in March I made this incredibly yummy and easy breakfast wreath. Everyone loved it! It takes about 40 minutes because you fully cook the bacon first, so plan ahead when you're making it. This breakfast is just begging for variations - you could add in veggies, switch it up with sausage instead of bacon, or even top it with salsa and sour cream for a southwest flare. 

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Wreath 
From Bacon Time
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 can crescents, 8 count
5 large eggs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 slices fully cooked bacon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Cook your bacon. (I bake my bacon using a method I found from Men's Health. The bacon comes out crispy but not too greasy!) 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Scramble eggs on the stovetop and season to taste with salt and pepper. Lay out crescents on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet as shown below. 

Add your cooked bacon. Layer on about 1/3 of the cheese. Add the scrambled eggs, then the remainder of the cheese. 

Fold crescents over (you may have to fold the bacon again to make sure it fits).

Bake for 17 minutes, or until crescents are golden brown. 

Texas Baked Eggs

During the Holidays when we had family visiting I wanted to make something a little more special for breakfast. These Texas Baked Eggs are super easy but look way more impressive than they are to make. Texas Sized biscuits topped with an egg and sprinkled with shredded cheese, bacon bits, and scallions (I was out of these) are a yummy and filling way to start the day!

Texas Baked Eggs
From The Family Kitchen
Makes 8 servings
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 tube Texas-style refrigerated biscuit dough (the biggest ones)
8 eggs
1/2 cup bacon bits
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 diced scallions
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a standard sized muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray (I realized my muffin tins were too small so I went with individual ramekins instead). Open the tube of biscuit dough and and press one biscuit into eight tins. Make room for the egg by pressing the biscuit all the way up the side of each cup. 

Crack an egg into each biscuit then top with bacon bits, cheddar, and scallions. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. 

Bake for 13-15 minutes. Remove the biscuits from the oven as soon as the edged turn golden brown. 

The World's Easiest Egg Casserole

My family has a go to egg casserole recipe that is exceptionally good. The only problem is that when you're invited in the morning to a potluck brunch in just a couple hours, an overnight egg casserole isn't even an option. This new egg casserole can be whipped up and baked in less than an hour! To top it off it's really fluffy and filling. I added bacon into mine but sausage or veggies would also be yummy. If you find yourself in a breakfast bind or just want a new easy egg casserole you must give this one a try! It'd be great for brinner (breakfast for dinner) too!


The World's Easiest Egg Casserole
Printable Version
Ingredients
8 whole eggs
1 can evaporated milk 
2 cups shredded cheese
1 teaspoon dry mustard 
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon pepper 
A few dashes of Herbs de Provence (optional) 
8 slices of bacon, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9X13 baking pan. Combine eggs, evaporated milk, and spices. 

Whisk until eggs are beaten. Stir in bacon and one cup of cheese. 

Pour into baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes, then take out of oven and top with remaining cheese. Return to oven and bake an additional five minutes. Cool for five minutes before cutting into squares and serving. (I also grated fresh Parmesan cheese on top at this point). 

First Post from Japan: Goya Champuru

Konnichiwa! Hubby and I have been in Japan for 6 days now, 3 of which we have had to spend inside, sequestered to our hotel room riding out Typhoon Muifa! What a welcome to Japan! We are awaiting base housing which has been delayed due to the typhoon, so I haven't been able to do much cooking yet. Thankfully our good friends took us shopping and invited us into their home (and kitchen) where I helped make goya chapuru. Shopping in an authentic Japanese market was an adventure in itself! Of course everything is in Japanese, so we relied on packaging and our friends pointing things out to understand what most items were. 

After we found the items we needed, we checked out and headed home to start cooking. That night we made homemade sushi, miso soup, and goya champuru. I decided to share the goya champuru with you first, since it's not very different from scrambled eggs! Goya is a bitter melon and is a staple in the diet of Okinawans. 

Champuru is an Okinawan term that means "mixture". After doing a little a research, I discovered there are many variations to goya champuru. Some call for garlic and onions, some use tofu, and all are probably very similar tasting. The similarity in all of the recipes are the incorporation of goya, eggs, soy sauce, and salt and pepper. 

I am going to share with you the recipe that we created. Although I realize most of you will not be able to find goya, if you have an Asian market near you it is possible!

As for my blog, I would love your input on where to go from here. Are you interested in seeing more Japanese recipes even if that means you may not have access to the ingredients?  Would you like to see a blending of both American and Japanese cuisines? Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! 

Goya Champuru
Printable Version
Ingredients
1 large goya
2 tablespoons cooking oil
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 eggs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper 


Directions
Wash goya carefully, do not peel. Slice lengthwise and discard seeds and inside with a spoon.

Slice very thinly. Heat oil in a wok or saute pan and add goya, cooking until soft.

In a separate bowl, crack and whisk eggs. 

Add into the wok along with the crumbled bacon. 

Pour in the soy sauce. Scramble everything together, making sure not to overcook. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. 

Meatless Mondays: Mayo-less Egg Salad with Pinenuts and Avocado

I had a HUGE craving for deviled eggs Easter weekend but didn't have the time or energy to put into making them, so opted for egg salad instead. When I got ready to make my egg salad I realized I was out of mayonnaise so whipped up a mayo-less egg salad with sour cream instead. It was creamier and definitely healthier - sour cream has about half the fat and calories of mayo. 

I decided to get a little crazy and mix pine nuts in my egg salad since I love them and had them in my cupboard. It added a nice crunch! Then I got even crazier and topped my egg salad english muffin with mashed avocado. It was awesome! Egg salad + pinenuts + avocado = Meatless Monday Magnificence! 

Mayo-less Egg Salad

An Ashley's Cooking Adventures Original

Printable Version

Ingredients

Makes about 4 servings

10 eggs, boiled and peeled

1 cup sour cream

1 cup celery, diced

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced

Several green onions, chopped with white and green parts

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 avocado, mashed (if you want to go a little crazy!)

Directions

Place peeled eggs in a large bowl and chop finely with serrated food chopper. 

Scoop in sour cream and mustard and mix until smooth. Add in celery, dill, green onions, and pine nuts. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with mashed avocado and enjoy!