Overnight Easy Breakfast Casserole

This is super easy and can be made 1-2 days in advance. This is great to make for a holiday breakfast, brunch or when you have guests stay overnight. 

Ingredients:

1 lb. Breakfast sausage (I use turkey)
1 med. onion, diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup (fat free)
6 oz. seasoned croutons
12 eggs
2 c. milk
12 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Brown sausage with onion. Drain well. Mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup with sausage and onion mixture. Place seasoned croutons in 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle meat over croutons.Beat 12 eggs with 2 cups milk and pour over meat. Top with 12 oz. cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Recipe adapted from cooks.com

Pancake Bites with Turkey Sausage

I saw this idea on Pinterest and got so excited. My kids absolutely love pancakes (and sausage!) and these are perfect for busy school mornings! You just pull them out of the freezer, pop them in the microwave for 1 minute and you have an easy homemade breakfast. I can't keep up with the demand in my house.

These bites are very versatile so you can use frozen sausage patties (I like turkey), blueberries, sliced strawberries or even mini chocolate chips.

Fluffy pancake with a bite of savory turkey sausage - yum!



If you're feeling ambitious, you can make a homemade pancake mix or use a pre-made mix. My go-to is Heart Smart Bisquick mix. (Follow the recipe on the side of the box for pancakes).

Here is my favorite pancake recipe:

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg - I use egg substitute

1 cup milk, plus more if necessary - I use 1%

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon all natural sugar - I use pure cane

 

Directions:

 

Whisk together egg and milk. Slowly stir dry ingredients until moistened.

 

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Take a frozen turkey sausage patty and break it into bite sized pieces. Place a piece on the bottom* of each muffin tin.

 

Cover with about 1 tbsp of pancake batter.

 

*If using fruit, put pancake batter in tin first, then top with fruit. The fruit tends to stick to the bottom of the muffin tins.

 

Cook bites for 12 minutes. Serve with maple syrup for dipping!

 

To Freeze: Let bites cool completely. Place on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for 10 minutes. Place them in a freezer safe container or freezer bag.

Pumpkin Pie French Toast

I had planned to make breakfast for dinner tonight, but I wasn't sure what to make. I recently made pumpkin pancakes that everyone really enjoyed so I decided to make french toast with the same theme. They were so tasty and melted in our mouths. I made a homemade maple butter glaze to drizzle on top of them, too!

Ingredients:

1 C egg substitute (or 4 eggs)
1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
8 slices of whole wheat bread (You can use french or challah, too)

 Ingredients for Maple Butter Glaze
1/2 cup of butter (I used Smart Balance Spread)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

In a sauce pot, combine butter, syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Heat on low until combined. Serve warm drizzled over french toast.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, cream, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.

Heat skillet to medium-heat, spray with cooking spray. Quickly dip bread on both sides into the egg mixture, allow excess mixture to drip off. Place on hot skillet. Heat 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining bread.

4. Serve immediately with maple butter glaze.

Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

This isn't as sugary sweet as most iced coffee's I have had, but it's full of the pumpkin flavor and super easy to make. Another benefit, it uses the Pumpkin Spice Syrup that isn't full of artificial flavors.

Ingredients:

Ice
1/2 C Pumpkin Spice Syrup
1 C cold coffee
1/2 C milk (I used 1 %)
Whipped Cream (optional)

Instructions:
Fill blender half way with ice (about 2 1/2 cups). Add remaining ingredients and blend. Top with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup (for Lattes)

This pumpkin spice syrup is pretty close to crack. I have made 2 batches in 3 days and I have been drinking coffee nonstop. I have no issues forfeiting sleep for this delicious treat. I also double the recipe to be sure I don't run out too quickly!

Ingredients:

3 cups water
3 cups sugar
4 cinnamon sticks or 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (If you use ground cinnamon, be sure to make it into a bundle using a coffee filter and string. The cinnamon changes the syrup into a muddy color and makes it thick and grainy)
1 teaspoon whole cloves (will be strained at the end)
1teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 10 tablespoons pumpkin purée

Directions:

Combine water, sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook until sugar has completely dissolved.

Whisk in remaining ingredients. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not allow mixture to come to a boil. Strain syrup through cheesecloth into a large glass measuring cup. Transfer to bottle of your choice and store in the refrigerator. You can store this up to 3 weeks.

Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons to your coffee and enjoy!




Recipe adapted from here

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Nothing says fall like these delicious muffins! The recipe makes close to 40 so you can freeze a bunch or hand them out to your friends, if you're feeling generous!

Ingredients:
3 c sugar
1 c oil (1/2 oil and 1/2 applesauce works fine)
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2/3 c milk
1 15 oz can of pumpkin (NOT pie filling)
1 bag (1 1/2 cups) semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin tins well and set aside. In a bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until blended. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually add the egg mixture to the flour mix and blend. Add 1/2 the milk and 1/2 the can of pumpkin and mix. repeat. Fold in the chips and spoon the batter into the tins (about 2/3 full)

Bake for 20 min.

Yields about 3 1/2 dozen

Frugal Caramel Frap

Here is a recipe for mom's on a budget (especially this mom) who can't always afford the $5 fraps from those fancy chain stores.

Warning: This recipe has no actual measured ingredients. Just wing it and enjoy. At least you'll be getting some coffee in your system!

Ingredients:
Blender filled with ice
cold coffee you never got to drink (thanks to the kids)
caramel sundae syrup in the easy squeeze bottle
nonfat milk
sugar, optional depending on your sweet tooth level

Directions:

Squeeze caramel over ice, about 2 to 3 tablespoons
Add about 1 1/2 cups of coffee
Add a splash or more of milk, until the color looks like caramel

(This is where you would add that sugar if you desired. I'd say no more than 2 tsp. The caramel sauce is pretty sweet.)


Turn on your blender and make the magic happen.

Get a glass, bucket, old yogurt container and drizzle the caramel sauce all over the sides and bottom. Pour the mixture into the glass, throw a straw in it and yummmmm.

*Tip! Roll into pre-school pick-up with that bad boy and make all of the other mom's jealous.

Zucchini Crab Cakes - Baked

These crab cakes are absolutely amazing!  They are nice and light, without a ton of filler. The zucchini picks up the crab flavor stretching the meat to make more cakes. It's baked and not fried so it's a much healthier version than most. You can also freeze them to use later!



Ingredients

1 large zucchini, grated (2 cups)



2 tablespoons mayonnaise or plain yogurt

OLD BAY® Seasoning to taste

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard



1 cup seasoned whole wheat plain dry bread crumbs

1/2 pound backfin crabmeat (I used closer to a lb)

1 tablespoon EVOO



Directions

1. Squeeze dry zucchini in a large clean kitchen towel. Mix mayonnaise, OLD BAY, and mustard  in large bowl until well blended. Add zucchini, bread crumbs and crabmeat; mix well. Shape into 8 patties, about 1/3 cup each.

2. Preheat oven to 425. Place crab cakes into a well oiled dish and bake until golden brown. Flip and bake other side until brown. Serve Hot!


Tips
OLD BAY® Zucchini Pancakes: Prepare as directed, omitting crabmeat and decreasing OLD BAY to 2 teaspoons.

*courtesy of Old Bay.com

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I had this salad at a friend's house and just HAD to get the recipe. It's so light, refreshing and super tasty. It's a great salad to take along to a cook-out or serve for either brunch or lunch. Really, I'd eat it all day long.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced onion
10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Cover, and chill for one hour.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Chicken & Pasta with Roasted Garlic, White Cheddar & Wine Sauce

This recipe reminded me of something you could get from The Olive Garden (which I, Holly, thinks is authentic Italian even if it isn't to some of you out there!). The flavor is amazing and it tastes worse for you than it is, who doesn't love that?

Ingredients:
12 oz pasta (I used orecchetti)
1½ tbsp. butter
¼ cup roasted garlic paste*
1½ tbsp. flour
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets and blanched until crisp-tender

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika

Salt and pepper, to taste

*To make roasted garlic paste, peel the outer papery skins off two heads of garlic, leaving the heads still intact. Slice about a quarter off the top of each head so that all of the cloves are partly exposed. Wrap the heads in foil and bake at 350˚ F for one hour. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool enough to touch, squeeze the garlic cloves out of the peels and smash with a fork to make roasted garlic paste.

Directions:

Combine bread crumbs, italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika in a small dish. Dredge chicken in egg and then coat with bread crumb mixture. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake on 375 until cooked through (about 30 to 40 minutes depening on thickness of chicken). I cooked my chicken while roasting my garlic.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the roasted garlic paste and cook just until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Whisk the flour into the mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to turn golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Stir the white wine and broth into the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and stir until melted. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Mix in the broccoli florets and cook just until heated through. Mix in the cooked pasta until evenly coated with the sauce. Serve warm with the baked chicken.

*recipe adapted from Annies Eats 

Blueberry French Toast

Yum, yum, yum! I have made this on a few occasions when entertaining and it was a big hit! It's so easy to throw together and you can even make it the day before and just pop it in the oven in the morning!

Ingredients:

1 loaf of French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (8 ounces)
1-8 oz. package of cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup Stonewall Kitchen Wild Maine Blueberry Jam
6 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup milk

Blueberry Syrup:

1/2 cup blueberry jam or preserves
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. butter
A dash of cinnamon

Directions:

Grease a deep-dish pie pan.
Place half of the French bread cubes in the bottom of the prepared pie dish.
Equally distribute the cream cheese cubes, fresh blueberries, and Stonewall Kitchen Wild Maine Blueberry Jam over the top of the bread cubes.
Top with remaining bread cubes.
In a medium size bowl combine the eggs, maple syrup and milk. Whisk until uniform. Pour over bread mixture.
Place in refrigerator several hours or preferably overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake approximately 30 minutes more, or until the casserole is set and the top is golden.
While the casserole bakes, combine the syrup ingredients in a small sauce-pan and heat over low heat on the stovetop.
Serve the casserole hot with the syrup drizzled over each portion.

Easy Broc Quiche

This quiche is so quick and easy. I use it as one of my 'go to' breakfasts when we have guests stay the night. It takes awhile to cook but the prep time is super fast!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
 1 onion, minced (optional)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli (I food process it after I sauté it.)
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
 Over medium-low heat melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onions, garlic and broccoli. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft. Spoon vegetables into crust and sprinkle with cheese.
Combine eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in melted butter. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until center has set.

Grilled Barbecue Chicken Sandwich with Spicy Avocado Spread

I made this over the weekend and it was AMAZING. My favorite part was the avocado spread.

Ingredients
4 (3-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast cutlets
1/4 cup barbecue sauce (use your favorite or experiment and make your own, it's easy!)
Cooking spray
4 (0.7-ounce) slices 2% reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
Green leaf lettuce leaves (optional)
Tomato slices (optional)
4 (1.8-ounce) white wheat hamburger buns

Spicy Avocado Spread 
Ingredients
1 ripe peeled avocado, coarsely mashed
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
1/8 teaspoon salt

Creamy Grilled Strawberry Sandwiches

Um hello yummy breakfast!! This would make a good snack too!

Ingredients:

1 sm whole wheat pita bread (or you can use sandwich thins)
3 TBSP low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 C frozen strawberries, thawed, thoroughly patted dry


Directions:

Cut pita in half and gently open pockets
Combine cream cheese with strawberries, mashing as you mix. Divide mixture between pita halves.
Warm a cast iron pan or skillet over medium heat; mist with cooking spray. Grill sandwiches until golden, turning once, about 5 minutes total.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Brown Butter

This is sooo good. I got the recipe out of the Taste of Home Magazine and it seriously rocks. Even my 5 year old son couldn't get enough of these. The pancakes are sooo rich, I had one and was full.
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted (I used glazed pecans)
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/3 cups 2% milk
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Directions

• In a small heavy saucepan, cook butter over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add the maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg. Remove from the heat; stir in pecans.
• In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, pumpkin and cheese. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
• Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until the second side is golden brown. Serve with brown butter.
  

Makes about 14 pancakes.

Oatmeal Pancakes

We LOVE having breakfast for dinner around here. Tonight I tried this recipe and we devoured them!

Ingredients: (I doubled this to freeze leftovers)

1/4 C all-purpose flour

1 C quick-cooking oats (I used old fashioned oats and soaked them in the buttermilk for 30 min)

1 TBSP sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

1 C nonfat buttermilk

2 TBSP butter, melted

1 large egg

Directions:

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Combine buttermilk (unless you already added it to the oatmeal), butter, and egg in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

heat a nonstick griddle over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray, or butter. Spoon about 2 1/2 TBSP of the mixture onto the griddle. Turn over when the edges brown and the middle gets bubbly.

Serve with a homemade brown sugar/cinnamon butter:

1 stick of butter (i use smart balance 50/50 spread)

1 TBSP brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Whip together with a mixer and refrigerate to harden.

Breakfast Casserole

This is a great dish to make for a brunch or a holiday breakfast. It has a good bit of steps but it is delicious and filling!

Ingredients:

5 cups rice krispies

2 lbs sausage (use turkey sausage to cut fat)

1 finely chopped onion

2 cups cooked rice

1/2 cup milk

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

6 eggs- beaten

16oz shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Spray a 13x9 baking dish with Pam. Cover bottom with cereal. Fry sausage with onions. Drain and crumble over top of cereal.

Layer with cooked rice, then cheese.

Combine soup and milk and heat in a medium sauce pan.

Cool and add beaten eggs. Mix well.

Pour over casserole. (Make sure it goes to the bottom by pushing cereal around with a knife)

Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

*For 1/2 of the recipe, use 4 eggs.

Banana Crumb Muffins

Oh yum! If you are looking for an easy breakfast muffin, look no further. These were so easy and most of the ingredients should already be in your pantry.The recipe says it makes 10 but you can easily get 12 out of it. They freeze really well too!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten (I substituted 2 tbsp of apple sauce)
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter



DIRECTIONS 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers. 

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. 

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. 
Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.