Slow Cooker Ham & Cheese Hashbrown bake

2lbs shredded frozen hash browns
1 stick melted butter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c. chopped onion (I cooked it first in some butter so it was soft)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
2 cups fully cooked diced ham ( I just used deli meat and sliced it up)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Mix everything together in a large bowl, transfer it to your crock pot. This makes a lot so plan to use about a 6qt size slow cooker or so. Place on med/low heat for 8hrs or high for 4hrs. You could also bake it in your oven for one hour at 375 degrees. We had this for dinner but it could also be served for breakfast!!

Sugar Donut Muffins

Sugar Donut Muffins

3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking power
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk (low fat is fine)
1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or vegetable oil.

In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg until light in color.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Pour into egg mixture and stir to combine. Pour in vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract.

Divide batter evenly into 10 muffin cups or ~24 mini-muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.

Bake for 15-18 minutes for standard-sized muffins or 11-12 minutes for mini-muffins, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

While muffins are baking, melt butter and pour sugar into a small bowl.

When muffins are done, lightly brush the top of each with some melted butter, remove from the pan and roll in sugar. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: ~10 standard muffins or ~24 mini-muffins

PW's Baked French Toast

• FRENCH TOAST
• Butter, For Greasing
• 1 loaf Crusty Sourdough Or French Bread
• 8 whole Eggs
• 2 cups Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
• Topping
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/2 cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• Freshly Grated Nutmeg, Optional
• 1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
• Warm Syrup, For Serving
• Butter, For Serving
• 1 cup Fresh Blueberries, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

For the French toast: Grease the baking pan with butter. Tear the bread into chunks, or cut into cubes, and evenly distribute in the pan. Crack the eggs in a big bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover the pan tightly and store in the fridge until needed (overnight preferably). Or you can make it and bake it right away---delicious no matter what!
For the topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and some nutmeg in a separate bowl. Stir together using a fork. Add the butter and with a pastry cutter, and mix it all together until the mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.
When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the fridge and sprinkle the topping over the top. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture or for 1 hour-plus or more for a firmer, crisper texture.
Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with warm pancake syrup and sprinkle with blueberries.

Eggs Benedict

Don't be scared of Eggs Benedict.  It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought.  We had this with breakfast potatoes for dinner the other night.  Yum!

Ingredients

• 3 whole English Muffins
• 3 slices Canadian Bacon
• 3 whole Eggs (plus 3 Egg Yolks)
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 whole Lemon, Juiced
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

First, bring a pot of water to a boil. While the water’s boiling, place a few English muffins halves and an equal number of Canadian bacon slices on a cookie sheet. Lightly butter the English muffins and place them under the broiler for just a few minutes, or until the English muffins are very lightly golden. Be careful not to dry out the Canadian bacon.
Now if you do not have an egg poacher you can poach your eggs by doing the following: With a spoon, begin stirring the boiling water in a large, circular motion. When the tornado’s really twisting crack in an egg. Or two. Or three. The reason for the swirling is so the egg will wrap around itself as it cook, keeping it together. Cook for about 2 ½ to 3 minutes.
In a small saucepan, melt 2 sticks of butter until sizzling. But don’t let it burn! Separate three eggs and place the yolks into a blender. Turn the blender on low to allow the yolks to combine, then begin pouring the very hot butter in a then stream into the blender. The blender should remain on the whole time, and you should be careful to pour in the butter very slowly. Keep pouring butter until it’s all gone, then immediately begin squeezing lemon juice into the blender. If you are going to add Cayenne pepper this is the point at which you would do that.
Place the English muffins on the plate, face up. Next, place a slice of Canadian bacon on each half. Vegetarian variation: you can omit the Canadian bacon altogether, or you can wilt fresh spinach and place it on the muffins for Eggs Florentine, which is divine in its own right. Place the egg on top of the bacon and then top with a generous helping of Hollandaise sauce.
Note: To ensure that everything is hot at the time when it’s ready to serve plunge the poached eggs back into the hot water just before serving, and make the Hollandaise at the very last minute.

Breakfast Potatoes

 

Ingredients:

• 4 whole (to 5) Large Potatoes
• 1 whole Onion
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Or Canola Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Bacon Fat
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Red And Green Bell Peppers, Diced (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover entirely with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. You can also bake them in the oven at 375 for about an hour.
When they are ready, place the potatoes on a cutting board and dice them into 1-inch pieces.
Next cut up an onion into a large, rough dice.
In a large skillet heat oil and bacon fat over medium-low heat. Put the onions in the skillet and sauté until they start to turn brown. (You can also use red and green bell peppers diced up. If you do, throw them in at this point).

Next, throw in the diced potatoes. Stir well and then slightly press/pack then. Now you will cook them without stirring for several minutes. You want the pan to be hot enough to crisp the potatoes but not hot enough to char them. (Optional step: sprinkle a bit of flour over potatoes as they cook). Cook for several minutes and then flip them with a spatula. Salt and Pepper them as they cook. Cook until desired brownness.

PW's Cinnamon Rolls

Another recipe from the Pioneer woman. I admit I coped it exactly from her website. Anton made these for breakfast this morning (snow day #3!) He cut the recipe in half and didn't put in as much salt as it calls for. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 quart Whole Milk
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Plenty Of Melted Butter
2 cups Sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
_____
MAPLE FROSTING:
1 bag Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
½ cups Milk
¼ cups Melted Butter
¼ cups Brewed Coffee
⅛ teaspoons Salt
Preparation Instructions
For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.
Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pan/bowl. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.
To make the filling, pour 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar over the butter. Don’t be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal.
Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log.
Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. One “log “will produce 20 to 25 rolls. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.)
Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown.
While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.
Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor. They only get better with time… not that they last for more than a few seconds.

Maple Morning Polenta

This recipe is out of "Family Feasts for $75 a Week," a cookbook I pull off the shelf often.  It is a nice alternative to oatmeal or cream of wheat if you want a hot breakfast.  The recipe makes a lot, but does reheat well.

3 cups cold water
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup pancake syrup, plus more for serving
2 Tbl butter
raisins

Combine water, milk, cornmeal, and salt in a pot, stirring briskly to combine.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to boil, about 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to low.  Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is thick.

Remove from heat.  Stir in syrup and butter.  Ladle into bowls.  Serve with extra syrup and raisins.

Biscuits and gravy

Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) can refrigerated jumbo buttermilk biscuits
1 (9.6 ounce) package Pork Sausage Crumbles
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Bake biscuits according to package directions.
Meanwhile, cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat 5-6 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Stir in flour. Gradually add milk; cook until mixture comes to a boil and thickens, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Split biscuits in half. Place 2 halves on each of 8 plates; top with about 1/3 cup gravy.

French Toast

This french toast recipe is also from the "Family Feasts" cookbook. I usually don't put flour or sugar in my egg mixture, but the addition made the toast extra good.

Combine:
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup milk
4 large eggs 1/2 tsp vanilla

Dunk Texas Toast (thickly cut bread) and cook on a griddle. (Really, I'm sure everyone knows how to cook French Toast....)

Simple Granola

Many homemade granola recipes have extras in them, like coconut or nuts or fruit. My kids, however, just want the straight granola. I combined a few recipes and came up with this:

4 cups old fashioned oatmeal (not the 1 minute)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbl honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Put oatmeal into a large glass bowl. Microwave for two minutes, stirring halfway. (Not sure why, maybe helps to dry out the oats?)

Combine the other ingredients in a small bowl. Pour onto oatmeal. Stir until well blended.

Microwave for 4 minutes, stirring at each minute. Pour onto wax paper to cool. Spread thinly if you want little pieces, or thickly to break into big chunks. (And have less little crumbies all over the floor.)

Or alternately, in the oven, bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring every 5.

I have only done the microwave method, because it is so fast and turns out well.

Rice Cooker Oatmeal

I found this idea in the cookbook "Family Feasts for $75 a Week" by Mary Ostyn. I picked it up from the library and then ended up buying it. It not only has good recipes, but just lots and lots of great basic ideas for how to save money in the kitchen.

I tried this today, and had four kids eat it all up. Anything that everyone will eat gets 4 stars around here! Plus it took about 15 seconds to get ready, and then was done right as the last kid drug himself out of bed.

The basic idea:
Put 4 cups cold water and 2 cups quick-cooking oats into a rice cooker and turn on.

When it is done cooking (mine takes about 20 minutes) you could add whatever you wanted to.

Her recipe suggests:
Stir in 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 Tbl butter and 1 tsp vanilla.

I added some cinnamon, too. The kids said it tasted like the Quaker "cinnamon roll" oatmeal.

Egg-o-muffins

The egg-o-muffin is a critical part of the Willamette University experience. I ordered this meal at least once a week at the "Cat Cavern" diner where my friends and I would always eat lunch. The big draw was that they served breakfast all day.

to prepare this must-have staple, cut an English muffin into 2 and put the two sides face down on the pan, fry in margarine or oil. This is a crucial step. If you just toast them in the toaster you miss that crispy yet greasy goodness part. Meanwhile, scramble an egg in a bowl, then fry thin and flat. Fold it over to fit the English muffin and add a slice of cheese on top. (To melt the cheese faster, take the lid from a large pan and place it on top of the egg for a few moments.) Put the sandwich all together, and don't forget the hash browns on the side... the other important part of the egg-o-muffin meal!

It's a breakfast fit for a princess...