Tag: Breakfast

picture of caramelized onion and spinach breakfast strata

another breakfast bake

Published on by Holly Spangler1 Comment

caramelized onion and spinach strata

we’re all about the breakfast bakes right now apparently. mostly because i’ve been looking for more recipes that i can bake up at the beginning of the week and we can heat it up for multiple days. that makes things so much easier when you have two toddlers to cook for in the morning, especially since ryan just left on a month long training. #militarylife. i like this strata because it’s easily customizable, you can add whatever you have on hand… next time ryan suggested i add potatoes and i’m definitely going to try that. eggs have so much nutrition, and it’s s fun way to get veggies in in the morning, as well as helping me use up yesterdays stale sourdough, which i always feel like gets wasted. homemade bread goes stale so fast because there are no preservatives, and this is an amazing way to use that up. you can use whatever bread you have laying around! i find a crusty loaf works really well with this recipe though, because it stands up to the egg mixture and retains some chewiness rather than becoming all soggy. hope you enjoy this as much as we did! 🙂

ingredients

9 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped or just ripped into pieces
half a loaf of crusty bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (about 2-2 1/2 cups)
1 cup shredded cheese of choice
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon, but adjust based on your preferences)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
cooking spray or extra butter to coat baking dish

instructions

preheat your oven to 350 degrees. slice the onion thinly, add the butter and olive oil to a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. sauté the onions until they start to caramelize and brown, about 7-10 minutes. add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute, then take off the heat to cool slightly. honestly, you could caramelize these fully and it would add a more complex flavor, but i was being lazy and just got a little dark brown color on them knowing they would cook all the way through in the oven. while the onions are cooling, slice up your bread into 1 inch cubes, and set aside. whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, shredded cheese, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and cheese. fold in the spinach and onion/garlic mixture and the bread cubes. spread evenly into a 9×13 baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray or lined with butter. bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the bread is a golden brown, and it’s completely set in the middle. then enjoy for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner!

make-ahead [or day of] breakfast

Published on by Holly SpanglerLeave a comment

mixed-berry baked oatmeal

this easy baked oatmeal honestly turned out way better than i expected it to and my kids were both big fans. especially delicious with a dollop of homemade whipped cream (or out of a can), it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser. this oatmeal can be made ahead and thrown in the oven the next morning, but honestly it’s super quick to whip up in the morning and takes only 35 minutes in the oven. i know a lot of people are in the camp of sugar is sugar, but i also love that this recipe uses coconut sugar, it makes me feel like i’m using a little bit of a more natural/less processed sugar option. i love the fresh burst of sweetness from the berries, but you could totally make it without them or substitute another fruit like peaches, apples, etc. it’s also really good warm or room temp. let me know what you think!

ingredients

3 cups old fashioned oats
1/2-3/4 cup of coconut sugar or brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

instructions

preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prep a 9×13 baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray, or coating with butter on the inside. whisk together the oats, coconut sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. add in the mixed berries and combine. in a separate bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. add in the wet ingredients to the oat mixture and mix until fully combined. pour the whole mixture into the 9×13 baking dish and bake for 35 minutes, or until fully set. serve warm or room temperature. enjoy!

picture of egg and potato pie

savory breakfast pie

Published on by Holly Spangler1 Comment

egg and potato pie

i made this for the first time last christmas… josie was a newborn and it was our first christmas as a family of four. i prepped it the night before, added the eggs the next morning and popped it in the oven. it’s super easy to put together and store in the fridge overnight until ready to use or even just prep the morning of. great for breakfast or brunch, and usually a hit with the whole family (except my children who decided today they don’t eat potatoes or eggs).

ingredients

3-4 large yukon gold potatoes
1/2 yellow onion
6 large eggs
1/2 cup half and half
shredded cheese of choice, about 3/4 cup
1 tsp kosher salt, plus 1/4 tsp separated
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/8 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp olive oil
butter or cooking spray to oil pan

instructions

preheat your oven to 350. wash and slice the potatoes thinly. a mandolin would make this step much easier but i don’t have one so i just sliced them by hand. thinly slice the onions, or dice them, whichever you prefer, and saute them over medium heat with the tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 tsp salt until they soften and begin to turn golden brown, about 5-7 minutes then set aside. spray a pie pan with cooking spray, or butter and layer the sliced potatoes, onions, and cheese, making sure to end with potatoes then cheese on top. in a medium sized bowl whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, ground mustard, and smoked paprika. pour the egg mixture evenly over the layered potatoes, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour. then increase the heat to 375, remove the foil and bake for 15 more minutes. the top should start to turn golden brown, and check the potatoes in the middle with a fork to make sure the potatoes are soft. if they are still crunchy, check after another 10 minutes.

easy overnight breakfast

Published on by Holly Spangler1 Comment

overnight oatmeal bowls with roasted strawberries

honestly… my kids didn’t go for the roasted strawberries and ended up having theirs with golden raisins. more for me 🙂 i am not an oatmeal person and every time i try to make myself eat it i end up hating it even more. however, i can do overnight oats if i eat them cold like cereal, and have yummy fresh toppings. the kids like theirs warm, so i just popped their serving in the microwave for a few seconds. this bowl is topped with juicy roasted strawberries mixed with a little strawberry jam, creamy peanut butter and some crushed up cheerios for a nice crunch. i would have done granola, but it’s what we had on hand. turned out amazing and super filling!

ingredients

overnight oats
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups milk of choice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of kosher salt
honey to taste (i used about 1.5 tablespoons)

roasted strawberries
1 lb of strawberries, all green parts removed and sliced in half
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or regular granulated sugar)
1 teaspoon olive oil
pinch of salt
squeeze of lemon juice (about half a lemon)

instructions

mix together the oats, milk, cinnamon, salt and honey in a medium sized bowl the night before, cover tightly and put in the fridge. so easy! i also roasted my strawberries the night before so they would have time to cool in the fridge. mix together the strawberries, olive oil, coconut sugar, salt and lemon juice, and spread over a sheet pan covered in parchment or foil. roast them at 375 for about 15-20 minutes and store in an airtight container. in the morning enjoy the oats cold, or heated up with whatever toppings you like!

Blueberry ricotta muffins.

i’m on a blueberry kick

Published on by Holly Spangler2 Comments

blueberry lemon muffins with ricotta

this recipe makes a small batch, and is easy to make with just two bowls, a whisk and a rubber spatula. perfect for littles to help with, as they’re pretty forgiving. they’re light and fluffy with plenty of lemon zing and a juicy kick from all the blueberries.

ingredients

1 cup flour
5 tablespoons sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
zest of one lemon
1 egg
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon, depending on how juicy it is)
1 tbsp milk
about 1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup of frozen wild blueberries

instructions

preheat oven to 350. add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, lemon zest, and salt into a small bowl. whisk together to incorporate. in a separate larger bowl whisk together the egg, ricotta, lemon juice, milk, honey, oil, and vanilla. add the dry ingredients and the blueberries to the wet. fold together until just moistened. either spray muffin tin with cooking spray or line with muffin liners. fill each muffin cup to about 3/4 and bake for 15-20 minutes depending on how your oven cooks. Mine are usually done at 19 minutes but i always start checking them at 15. cool in the pan for at least ten minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. enjoy!

Blueberry bagel french toast with blueberry syrup and cream cheese icing

have dessert for breakfast

Published on by Holly SpanglerLeave a comment

blueberry bagel french toast

i’ve had blueberry bagels sitting around not getting eaten for about a week… stale bread = french toast. the cream cheese glaze is a nice nod to a traditional bagel, and the chewy bread stands up well to the custard.

french toast
blueberry bagels
3 eggs
1/4 cup coconut milk, half and half, or regular milk
1 tsp sugar
dash of cinnamon, to taste
pinch of salt
splash of vanilla extract
butter, for cooking

blueberry syrup
1 cup frozen wild blueberries
½ cup water
½ cup of sugar
juice of half a lemon
cornstarch slurry (about 1 tbsp of cornstarch and 3 tbsp cold water)

cream cheese glaze
¼ block of softened cream cheese
2 tbsp softened butter
½ cup powdered sugar
pinch of salt
splash of milk

instructions

whisk together the eggs, milk, 1 tsp of sugar, vanilla, pinch of salt, and cinnamon. split bagels in half, sit two of them in the custard to soak. i put the custard mixture in a large flat pasta serving dish so i could fit two at a time. since bagels are much denser than bread, i let them soak for about five minutes each. heat a nonstick skillet or pan to medium. melt some butter in the pan and cook each French toast piece for about 4 minutes on each side or just until golden brown. meanwhile in a sauce pan, heat blueberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice on medium until bubbling. reduce for about 3-5 minutes. mix together cornstarch and cold water to create a slurry, then add to blueberry mixture. this will thicken and become nice and syrupy. before serving, whisk together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and salt. add a splash of milk to thin out the glaze (about a tablespoon, give or take). enjoy dessert for breakfast!