Egg, Bacon and Broccoli Bake

We liked this savory casserole, stuffed with broccoli, peppers and bacon. 

Serves 6. Recipe slightly adapted from Kraftrecipes.com

4 green onions, chopped, divided
6 corn tortillas (6 inch), cut in half
2 cups small broccoli florets
3/4 cup finely chopped red peppers
8 slices cooked bacon, chopped
8 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream, divided
1 cup finely shredded cheese (such as cheddar-Jack or Mexican)

Salsa (optional)

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Reserve 1 Tbsp. onions for later use. Place 6 tortilla halves on bottom of 8-inch square pan sprayed with cooking spray; cover with remaining onions, broccoli, peppers and bacon.

Whisk eggs in medium bowl; stir in 1/3 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup cheese. Pour over ingredients in pan; top with remaining tortilla halves and cheese. Cover.

Bake 45 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean, uncovering after 30 min. Sprinkle with reserved onions. Serve topped with remaining sour cream & salsa.

Amish Baked Oatmeal

This is another version of baked oatmeal from my friend Kaly Batson. 

We love the baked apples on top! Serves 9.

3 cups oats (I used instant)

3/4 cup white sugar

2 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a glass 9" casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Combine all ingredients and pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until set in the center. Top with milk & sugar, berries or Baked Apples Topping.

Baked Apples Topping:

3-4 apples, peeled and sliced

Dab of butter or spray butter

cinnamon & sugar

Place apples in a glass dish and top with butter  and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for about 2 minutes. 

Nutritional info (9 servings, without apples):

・494 calories ・16 g fat ・113 mg cholesterol ・619 mg sodium ・77 gms carbohydrate ・5.3 g dietary fiber ・14 g protein

Baked Oatmeal

My sister-in-law Kari gave me this recipe for a yummy, healthy, hot breakfast. It is apparently a Weight Watchers recipe, though I couldn't find the exact recipe online to include the link. Serves 9. 

2 3/4 cup Old-Fashioned oats (or 2 1/14 cup Quick oats), uncooked

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cups raisins or any combo of dried fruit

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 1/3 cups skim milk

4 egg whites, lightly beaten or 1/2 cup egg substitute

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9" glass pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients (oats through salt) and mix well. In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients (milk through vanilla). Mix both combinations together and pour into prepared pan. Bake 40-50 minutes or until center is set and firm to touch. Cool. Top with milk or yogurt or eat alone. (We ate ours HOT). Store leftovers in fridge.

Makes 9 squares @ 2 WW Points+ each.

Nutritional info: ・213 calories・3.5 g fat ・1.9 mg cholesterol ・334 mg sodium ・43 g carbohydrate ・3 g dietary fiber ・8 g protein

Pumpkin Waffles with Warm Buttermilk Syrup

I cannot over-emphasize how AMAZING these waffles and this syrup are. I seriously think they are the best breakfast ever! The waffles are flavorful, with the perfect amount of spice and they bake up somewhat crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I've made them twice and I CRAVE them! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! 

I did double the waffle recipe to yield 8 full-size Belgian waffles (pictured above), cut the butter in half and compensated by adding a little more milk. We had plenty for our family and enough leftovers for the next day's breakfast. Recipe from my friend Paige Smedley.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoons baking powder

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 3/4 cups milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

6 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside. Separate egg yolks (reserve egg whites) and beat yolks slightly. Add milk, pumpkin, butter and vanilla to the yolks. Add to dry mixture. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and fold gently into mixture (do not over mix). Spoon into greased waffle maker per maker directions. Yield: 8 full-size Belgian waffles

BUTTERMILK SYRUP

The syrup will double in size when you stir in the baking soda, so make sure your pan is big enough. Recipe from my friend Polly Yoho.

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Add buttermilk, sugar and butter to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and immediately add vanilla and baking soda. Serve warm over waffles, pancakes or German pancakes. 

Yield: 1 3/4 cups syrup.

30-Day Bran Muffins

My Mom made these for us over the holidays and I've been craving them ever since! These high-fiber muffins make a great breakfast or snack, the muffins freeze well and the batter stores in the fridge for up to 30 days! My Mom often makes a few at a time so they are fresh and hot out of the oven. What's not to love about that? I love them with raisins, but I have one child who prefers them without. We love them with butter and honey. Either way, they are delish! 

There are SO many very similar recipes online.  My Mom uses one from the Favorites cookbook. 

This recipe (below) makes about 8 dozen muffins (use the biggest bowl you have to mix!), so if you'd like to make a half batch, here's the recipe for 4 dozen: Spark People

4 cups Kellogg's All-Bran cereal (looks like little sticks)
2 cup boiling water
1 cup margarine
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
4 cups (1 quart) buttermilk
2 cups Bran Flakes cereal (such as Post Bran Flakes)

1 (15 oz. box) seedless raisins, optional (or dried cranberries. Fresh blueberries would be great too!)

Combine All-Bran and boiling water in a large bowl. Cream margarine and sugar, and add to bran. Add eggs. Mix dry ingredients, and add alternately with buttermilk, then add Bran Flakes. Stir in raisins (or dried cranberries or fresh blueberries) if desired just before baking.

Keeps up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator. I use a large cookie scoop to get just the right amount of batter.

Bake in muffin cups at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Nutritional information per muffin (without raisins): 134 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 3.5 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrate, 2.8 grams dietary fiber, 18.5 mg. cholesterol, 251 mg. sodium

Lightened Up Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

This version of quiche is healthier than most, but tastes naughty:) My family had no idea it was a Weight Watchers recipe!

6 oz. pie crust, 9-inch, refrigerated 
2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup low-fat, shredded Cheddar cheese
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 oz. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well-drained
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Press pie crust into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch, removable-bottom tart pan or a 9-inch pie pan; refrigerate until ready to use.

To make filling, heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer onion to a large bowl and add ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, egg, egg whites, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper; mix well and fold in broccoli. Spoon mixture into prepared crust and level surface with a wooden spoon; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake until a knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Weight Watchers Points Plus: 6 points per serving

Christmas & holiday recipe roundup!

Christmas season is in full swing and we wanted to highlight a few of our favorite holiday recipes. Christmas for me is about Christ, family and friends, giving and generosity and... food! Food always seems to play a part in creating memories, traditions and comfort. So, enjoy baking and giving away yummy treats, making memories over delicious meals, celebrating with friends at a party or giving your children something to get nostalgic about when they think back about Christmases of their childhood.

Happy holidays from all of us at Boy Cheese Sandwich!!!

• For Christmas morning:

Sausage Breakfast Casserole
German Pancakes
Apple Puff Pancakes
Amish Breakfast Casserole
Chile Casserole
Kathy's Coffee Cake
French Toast Casserole

• Christmas cookies and home-baked gifts:

Nana's Caramels
Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Rods
Hot Fudge Sauce
Mom's Sugar Cookies
Waffle Brownies
Earthquake Cookies
Mint Brownies
Meltaways
Sand Art Brownies
Peanut Butter Bars
Easy Pretzel Turtles
Thin Mint Crackers

• Non-food gift:

Christmas Potpourri

• Christmas appetizers:

Cranberry Salsa
Wassail
Artichoke Dip

• Christmas salads:

Christmas Salad
Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
Pear Salad

• Christmas desserts:

Gingerbread White Chocolate Blondies
Mom's French Pear Pie
Eggnog Cupcakes
Cranberry Bundt Cake with Warm Butter Sauce
Apple Torte with Lemon Sauce

• Meals for Christmas day, after presents -or- for Christmas Eve:)  Most are make-ahead, so you can just warm it up or bake it when family is around and hungry!

Three-Bean Christmas Chili
Classic Cheese Fondue
Chocolate Fondue (pictured below)
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Ski Country Pasta
Mom's Minestrone Soup
Cranberry Chicken
Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder with Ham
Mom's Lasagna

Apple Puff Pancakes

German pancakes were always an anticipated breakfast treat when we were growing up. This is a new spin on the original, with the addition of apples, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. I make this occasionally for dinner or for a weekend breakfast. These taste and smell amazing right out of the oven!

3 Tablespoons butter

2 apples, peeled & thinly sliced

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

4 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix the milk, vanilla, flour, sugar, eggs, salt & cinnamon in a blender until smooth and set aside. Place butter in a 9 x 13" pan and bake for 3-5 minutes, or until butter melts. Remove pan from oven and arrange apple slices in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle brown sugar on the apples and pour batter over the top. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until puffed and lightly browned. Top with syrup, if desired.

Serves 6. 

Petite White Chocolate Cranberry Scones

I made these tonight for a church youth activity and couldn't wait to share them with all of you! We had a "tea" party and what's better to serve at a tea party than scones? The original recipe calls for cranberries, but when I got home from the grocery store, I realized that we had eaten the cranberries at Disneyland the week before, so I used Trader Joe's dried blueberries instead (I think they were an upgrade!) I may always make them with blueberries now. These scones are like a shortbread, but are not dry like some scones. Recipe adapted from landolakes.com

Begin by mixing the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, salt and butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until fine. 

Add the cream and mix just until dough holds together. Stir in fruit and white chips with a spoon.

Divide the dough into 4 sections and shape into a rectangle on a floured surface. Begin by cutting into half, then into fourths. Dip your knife into flour each time to keep it from sticking to the dough.

Cut each fourth into 2 rectangles. You will end up with 8 scones for each section of dough, for a total of 32 scones.

These spread quite a bit during baking, so space them out at least an inch (Mine ended up touching after baking!)

After the scones are baked and cooled, finish with a drizzle of white chocolate and you're good to go! 

So pretty!

Petite White Chocolate Cranberry Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour*
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries, coarsely chopped (I used blueberries)
1 1/4 cups white baking chips
2 teaspoons shortening

Heat oven to 400°F. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest and salt in large bowl; cut in butter with a stand mixer and a paddle attachment or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in whipping cream; mix until dough holds together. Stir in cranberries and 3/4 cup white baking chips with spoon. *I added another 2 Tbs. of flour because my dough was too sticky.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead 5 to 10 times or until dough is smooth. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; shape each piece into 8-inch log. Cut each log into 4 (2-inch) pieces; cut each piece in half diagonally to form small triangles. Dipping your knife in flour between cuts will help stop it from sticking to the dough.

Place scones, at least 1 inch apart, onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Cool completely.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup baking chips and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on MEDIUM (50% power) 30 seconds; stir. Continue microwaving and stirring every 30 seconds until chips are melted and smooth. Drizzle scones with melted chocolate.

Each scone has: Calories: 130, Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 95mg, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 1g

Asian Spinach Pasta Salad

Ingredients
16 oz. tri-color spiral pasta
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 bunch green onion-thinly sliced
1 red pepper- diced
1 yellow pepper- diced
1/3 cup sunflower seeds- lightly toasted
1 bag baby spinach

Dressing
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup white vinegar
3 Tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper

Cook chicken and pasta. Combine all dressing ingredients and pour over chicken and pasta. Cover and chill overnight. The next day add onions, peppers, and sunflower seeds. Add spinach and toss  immediately before serving. Hint: I usually make a little extra dressing and add it before serving because the chicken and noodles soak it all up!

Crock Pot Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

These are a fun change from your typical chicken salad sandwiches. They would be great to serve at a shower or brunch. I like to make them on the weekend then eat leftovers for lunches throughout the week 

recipe from the Girl Who Ate Everything 

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (I use tenders or breasts) 
1/2 to 1 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing 
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (if you don't have fresh use around 2 teaspoons of dried parsley)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
slider buns, hamburger buns or croissants 

1. Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker with 1-2 cups of water, cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours.

2. Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon and drain the water from the slow cooker. Shred Chicken 


*TIP: the best way to get perfectly shredded chicken is to throw it in your stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to shred. Saves so much time! 

3. Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until mixture is hot. 


4. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto each slider bun if you are making sliders or more for regular sized buns. Top with extra shredded Parmesan cheese and lettuce to serve.

Kathy's Coffee Cake

I had a brunch with friends this week, so I made my favorite coffee cake. This recipe comes from family friend Kathy Newton and it is DIVINE! I remember being giddy when Kathy would bring this over at Christmas when I was younger.

Cream together:

       1 cup butter or margarine

       2 cups sugar

       2 eggs

       1 cup sour cream (I use reduced-fat sour cream)

       1 tsp. vanilla

Add:

       2 cups all-purpose flour

       1 tsp. baking powder

       1/2 tsp. salt

Spread half of the batter into a greased tube pan. Sprinkle with half of the topping (Below). Repeat with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining topping. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 50-60 minutes. Let cool in pan.

Topping: Mix well:

        1/2 cup brown sugar

        2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Roll Cake

I love cinnamon rolls. My Mom and I have always said that if we had a last meal on Earth, they would be part of it. Believe it or not I have found something I love more...this cake. It has all the gooey flavor of a cinnamon roll with a fluffier cake texture, plus it is a lot easier to make than cinnamon rolls (no rolling pin required, yay.) This is great as a dessert but would also work for a breakfast/brunch. 

Cake:

3 c. flour
1/4 tsp.salt
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted

Topping:
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Mix all the cake ingredients together except for the butter. Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes. 

Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Pour over cake while still a little warm. 
recipe from Life as a Lofthouse

"Hole in Ones"

 These are also known as an "Egg in a Basket" or "Bird in a Nest." My husband grew up eating these and they are a favorite last-minute meal at our house, since I usually have eggs and bread in my fridge...

Bread

eggs

Cut out a small circle of each piece of bread using a biscuit cutter, a small glass or a knife.* Heat a skillet or griddle and spray with cooking spray. It is really yummy if you butter both sides of the bread, but I find that it's fine without. Place the cut bread on the hot pan, then crack an egg in the hole of each slice. Flip over when the egg begins to set and cook the other side.

*I fry the bread circles I cut out as well and my kids love them.

Coconut syrup

**Recipe from my dear friend Jules, whose hand is scooping up this yumminess in photo above!


1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 cup sugar (I usually put in 3/4 c. to make me feel better)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. coconut extract

Place first three ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, then remove from heat and add soda and flavoring. It will fizz, so give it a few minutes to settle down--the foam eventually settles. Store in the fridge--I usually heat it up a little in the microwave before using. YUM!

All Things Strawberry

I don't know about other parts of the world, but where I live, the strawberries right now are huge, beautiful, and relatively inexpensive. We have been eating them in salads, sliced on top of waffles for breakfast, and straight out of the fridge for snacks. So tonight for family night we fixed strawberries in two of my favorite ways.... Chocolate dipped and slathered in brown sugar. These are two very easy and heavenly recipes that I hope you will enjoy!

Perfect Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

1 pint strawberries

6 oz. milk chocolate chips

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 Tbs. shortening

Wash strawberries and lay out on a towel to dry. They need to be fully dried before you dip them or the chocolate won't stick. Combine chocolate chips and shortening in a small bowl and microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between each one. Hold strawberries by the stem and dip into the chocolate, swirling to cover all sides and then lay out on a piece of wax paper to dry. Allow to sit for about 1 hour before serving.

Sweet and Savory Strawberries

strawberries- washed and dried

sour cream

brown sugar

I love to serve this for an appetizer or side dish. Just a small bowl with sour cream and another with brown sugar. Your guests can roll their strawberries in the cream and then in the sugar. It sounds like a strange combination, but it is amazing.

Favorite Fruit Salad

1 large apple- diced

1 banana- peeled, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced

1 large orange (or about 3 clementines)- peeled and diced

lemon juice

cinnamon and sugar

Dice all your fruit and place in a serving bowl. Sprinkle liberally with lemon juice and cinnamon and sugar. Toss and serve.

Zucchini & Potato Pie

I've been making this recipe for several years and it's such a fun, different meal! I love it served with a crisp salad, fruit or steamed veggies.

           1 egg, beaten

           3 cups shredded hash browns

           1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

           1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

           1/4 tsp. salt

           2 1/2 cups zucchini, thinly sliced (about 1/4")

           1 garlic clove, finely minced

           4 egg whites

           2 whole eggs

           3/4 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

           1/2 cup milk

           1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Preheat oven to 400°. Mix together 1 beaten egg, hash browns, onion, parmesan cheese and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray and press hash brown mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Cover the edges with tin foil or use a crust shield to protect the edges from over-browning. Bake for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, spray a frying pan with cooking spray and cook sliced zucchini and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often. While zucchini is cooking, mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl. When hash brown crust is done, take from the oven and remove the crust shield or tin foil. Arrange hot zucchini in the bottom of the crust. Carefully pour egg & cheese mixture over the top and replace the crust shield or tin foil over the edge of the crust. Bake for 25 minutes, or until center is set. Let sit for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve. Serves 6.

Sticky Buns

These are a Whitmore family favorite! We make them for breakfast on Christmas morning and on Conference Sunday (and any other time that we can find an excuse!) Yummy...

20 Rhodes white rolls

cinnamon

1 small package Cook-and-Serve butterscotch pudding (do not use instant!)

1/4 to 1/2 c. diced nuts

1/2 c. brown sugar

6 Tbs. melted butter

Grease and flour a bundt pan and arrange frozen rolls evenly in the bottom. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Sprinkle pudding mix and nuts evenly over the top. Crumble on the brown sugar and pour the butter over. Cover TIGHTLY with tin foil and allow to raise overnight. In the morning, uncover and bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and then invert onto a large plate or serving platter. Enjoy!