Sausage and Egg Casserole

1 lb Sausage
2 cups shredded cheese (mixed yellow & white)
1 can Crescent Rolls
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
any other seasonings: Italian, oregano etc

Preheat oven to 425. Crumble and cook sausage in medium skillet until browned. Drain. Line bottom of 9x13 baking dish with crescent roll dough, firmly pressing perforations to seal. Sprinkle with sausage and cheese. Combine remaining ingredients in medium bowl until blended; pour over sausage. Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into squares; serve hot.

Adapted from Bob Evans. Nan always serves for brunch on Christmas Eve for us. Easy and delicious. 

Cranberry Orange Muffins

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups yogurt  (or sour cream works)

1c cranberries, I like dried

1 orange zested

1/2-1orange freshly squeezed

 

  

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 375°F Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.

2 Mix eggs and yogurt. Add to the dry indgredients until just mixed with a spatula.

3. Add butter, cranberries, orange zest, and juice. Mix with spatula

4.Spray twelve-cup muffin tin (or more) with vegetable cooking spray with flour 

5.Use large ice cream scoop to divide batter evenly among cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tin.

I like to use mini muffin tins too and bake about 20min.

Can be frozen too.

Classic Pancakes

• 2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

 Recipe is from American Test Kitchen.

Notes: This is our current favorite pancake recipe. Better than you'll ever get from a box!

1. Whisk milk and lemon juice in a medium bowl and set aside to let thicken. (unless you have buttermilke use that instead of lemon and milk)
2.  In a separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients together - flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
3.  Whisk the egg and melted butter into the milk mixture.
4.  Create a little "well" in the center of dry ingredient bowl and pour the milky mixture in the center.
5.  Whisk gently until just combined, there should still be lumps.
6.  Heat a pan or griddle to medium heat and coat with butter or vegetable oil (we like spray).
7.  Pour pancake mixture by 1/4 cups and heat until large bubbles come to the top (about 1-2 minutes).
8.  Flip the pancake and wait another 1-2 minutes.

Creamcheese filled Strawberries

Ingredients:
1 container whole strawberries
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (half of a brick)
1 tsp. good vanilla or 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup confectioners sugar (aka powdered sugar - adjust to taste)

Directions:
Combine cream cheese, vanilla or lemon (which ever one you are using), and sugar. Mix to combine and refrigerate until ready to use.
Carefully wash strawberries and pat dry with paper towels. Remove the stems from the berries.
Using a small paring knife, core the center of each berry being careful to leave the bottom intact. Fill a plastic baggie (or icing tool) with the cream cheese filling. Fill each berry with the cream cheese filling.
Notes: Recipe is adapted from my MIL. Super easy and yummy. Adjust the ingredients to your tastes.

Easy Donuts

Ingredients

Peanut oil, for frying
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
2 cans large buttermilk biscuits

Icings
2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
5 tablespoons milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Colored sprinkles
Chocolate sprinkles

Directions

Heat 2 inches peanut oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to 350 degrees F.

In a shallow bowl, stir together the ground cinnamon and sugar and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, set aside. This is the vanilla icing. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of milk and set aside. This is the chocolate icing.

Lay out the biscuits on a cutting board and with a 1 1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out a hole from the middle of each biscuit. Fry them in the oil until golden and then flip with tongs to fry the other side. You can even fry the donut holes. Drain on paper towels and then toss in the cinnamon-sugar or ice and decorate with sprinkles, as desired.

Tips/Notes: I typically just use cinnamon-sugar and powder sugar in paper bags and shake the donuts in there to coat them and skip the icings. A nice, hot breakfast treat for when we are out working on the Christmas tree farm.

Recipe is from Paula Deen. 

Banana Crumb Muffins

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
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter


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

2.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.

3.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.

4.Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.
 
Recipe is from Allrecipes.com

Oatmeal Pancakes

Not the prettiest, but a yummy alternative to the common pancake.

1/4c flour
1c quick-cooking oats
1T sugar
1/2t baking powder
1/2t baking soda
1/4t ground cinnamon
1c buttermilk (or 2T lemon juice and add milk to make 1cup)
2T butter, melted
1 large egg

Combine the first 7 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Combine the rest in another bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
Cook on skillet.

Tips:

•  Soymilk, almond milk etc. with lemon juice is a suitable substitute for the buttermilk.
•  Serve with fruit or add berries to the batter.

Recipe is from Cooking Light Magazine Sept. 2010

Clone of Cinnabon

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

1.Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2.After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3.Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4.Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.
 
Recipe taken from Allrecipes.

Pancakes

2c flour
1T baking powder
1/2t salt
1T sugar
1 or 2 eggs
1 1/2 - 2c milk

Mix dry ingredients. Beat the eggs into the milk and add to dry ingredients. Mix just enough to moisten the flour. If batter is thick add a little more milk.
Cook on skillet until brown and flip.

Tips:

• Can make dairy free using soy, rice, almond milk
• Can freeze pancakes and reheat in toaster or microwave.
• Place the batter in a squeeze bottle and you can make letters, numbers, and whatever else your heart (and kids) desire. (Jim's Pancake Art)

Recipe is from How to Cook Everything - the Basics Cookbook.

Pumpkin Muffins

4 eggs
2c sugar
16oz pumpkin
1 1/2c oil (or combination with applesauce)
3c flour
2t baking soda
2t baking powder
1t cinnamon
1t salt
1 pkg choc. chip (or less depending on your preference)

Mix all together. Makes 24-30 muffins. Bake at 400 for 16-20min.
These can be frozen to be thawed and eaten later.

Notes: These are some of the best muffins.

Recipe is from my friend Ellen.

Granola Bars

1/3c oil (olive, canola whatever you prefer)
3/4c brown sugar
2T honey
1t vanilla
1 egg
1c whole wheat flour
1t cinnamon
1/2t baking powder
1/4t salt
1 1/2c oats
2c cereal (form of Cheerios, crisp rice, or granola type)

Optionals: 1-2 cups of: nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, dried fruit, peanut butter chips, etc.

Combine oil, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, and egg.
Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
Stir in rest.

Spray a 9x13 pan. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan.
For chewy bars: 350 for 20-30min, until ightly browned on edges.
For crunchy bars: 300 for 40-50min until brown all over.

These can be frozen to be used for later.

Tips:
This is  a great base for granola bars so feel free to experiment and make it even more healthy with flax seed, bananas etc.

Recipe is from 30 Day Gourmet Cooking Manual.