Breakfast

September 3, 2017

Mini Quinoa Veggie Cups

laura.smoak@gmail.com Breakfast, Freezer Friendly, Veggies 9 Comments

Well, here it is. Not the glorious return to blogging post I had imagined, but c’est la vie. Seriously, I’ve only got two pictures (taken on my phone) that were never intended for a post. However, after several friends and moms in a Facebook group requested the recipe I decided it best to write it down and get it out there before I forget.

Before Mollie was born I thought I’d be back at the weekly post thing after a week or two, but then momming just took over and I literally could not. I’m still not back for good, but am trying my best to get there. I’m working on a “Meet Mollie” post, but I’m struggling with what to say – I could write for days about motherhood, but maybe y’all just want a few details and heavy on the pics? I don’t know. It’s hard to pare down all the feels.

But to suffice until that post: Mollie is now four months, is practically perfect in every way and Anna Ruth is handling the big sister role like a pro.

Now back to the food. Guys, if you’ve read basically any of my posts you know that I thrive on having easy, healthy food options at the ready for my family. Now that I’m back to work, Andy’s new school year has started and we have to get everyone out of the house as close to 7 as possible, we often have to eat on the run. Sadly, that includes AR. After way too many mornings of peanut butter bread, I decided she needed something a little more protein packed. I’ve been making egg cups for Andy and me, but those aren’t ideal for her to eat in the car.

Enter these mini quinoa veggie cups. If you’re like me and love lists, this is for you.

Why I love these mini quinoa veggie cups:

AR loves them
Protein protein protein
Freezer friendly
Quick to make
Makes a ton
Hidden veggies (though AR is generally good about eating veggies)
These will be perfect for M in several months

I’m showing the before picture so you can see the texture before they go into the oven. You’ll think it seems a little runny, but the moisture cooks out and the texture is perfect. I really don’t have much more to say about these, so let’s just get right to it.

Mini quinoa veggie cups

Ingredients:

¾ cup dry quinoa
6 eggs (beaten)
1 zucchini – grated (my zucchini was about ½ lb)
½ cup shredded carrots (I used shredded from a bag, but you can grate your own)
½-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (your choice here!)
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (from the green container is fine here)
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
Cook the quinoa according to package directions, and let cool.
Prepare the remaining ingredients:
- Grate the zucchini
- Crack and beat the eggs
- Put carrots in a microwave safe bowl with about 2 tbsp water (break up any long pieces). Microwave for 2 minutes to soften. Drain the water.*
In a large mixing bowl combine quinoa, zucchini, carrots, eggs, both cheeses and salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon the mixture into the mini muffin pan – fill em up!
Cook in the oven 13-15 minutes, or until set.
To freeze: allow to cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to freezer bags. When ready to eat reheat in the microwave on a paper towel (30 seconds for one, 45 seconds for two).

*If you grate your own carrots I’m 95% sure they’ll be small enough that you won’t have to cook in the microwave. Just use your judgement.

February 6, 2017

Turkey Chili Southern Scramble

laura.smoak@gmail.com Breakfast, One Pot Dishes 1 Comment

Tater tots + turkey chili + eggs + cheese = Turkey Chili Southern Scramble. You’re welcome.

This one goes out to all of my savory breakfast lovers. I don’t have much time because I’m writing this on Super Bowl Sunday and we have ten adults and seven kiddos coming to our house in just a few hours. Since our team didn’t make it all the way this year, the food is the real event of our party. I’m serving up last week’s turkey chili over cheese grits, and everyone else is bringing other appetizers. It’s going to be so amazing.

In order to save myself some time, I made the turkey chili yesterday and will just reheat it while I make the grits. However, since it was already there, we decided to try something relatively new to us for breakfast: a turkey chili southern scramble.

If you live in Greensboro, you’ve probably heard of a newish restaurant called Scrambled. I think Andy and I may have been the last ones to try it, but we finally got the chance to do so a few days before Christmas. You guyzzzzzzzzzz. We both went with one of the “scrambles” and found a new love for breakfast. <– And we already held a deep deep appreciation for the best meal of the day, sooo if that tells you anything. Generally when we go out to eat, we’re all about the experience, and Scrambled brought it. The scrambles at Scrambled all come in (uuuge) individual cast iron skillets and are out of this world delicious. The skillet presentation was so fun, and it meant the base of hash browns was crispy on the bottom and melt-in-your-mouth yummy on the top.

Well, after making the turkey chili and eating it over cheese grits (an option for your scramble at Scrambled), I thought “why not make that at home?” So off we went. Instead of hash browns, which I’m sure would work perfectly, we went with a fun base of tater tots (mainly because that’s what we had in our freezer). You just cook the hash browns in the skillet, then load them with cheese and turkey chili, and then crack several eggs over the entire situation. Since I love a good food evolution photo sequence, here’s how the assembly goes – in 3…2……..

Tots, cheese, chili, eggs, cheese. Easy peasy. Dunzo bunzo.

Turkey Chili Southern Scramble

Ingredients:

1 tbsp canola or corn oil
Frozen tater tots (enough to have an even layer in your skillet)
2 cups turkey chili (heated but not too hot) recipe here
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4-6 eggs (as many as you want)

Directions:

Heat your oven to 450 degrees.
While your oven heats, wipe your cast iron skillet with the oil and arrange the tater tots in a single layer.
Cook the tater tots in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn. Cook for another 10 minutes.
Sprinkle half of the cheese over the tater tots, and spread the turkey chili over the cheese.
Using the back of a spoon, make 4-6 wells in the turkey chili (depending on the number of eggs using).
Gently crack one egg into each well.
Return the skillet to the oven and cook for 13-16 minutes or until the whites are set and the yolk is to your desired doneness*.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining half cup of cheese. Enjoy!

*We’re currently out of pasteurized eggs, so we let ours go for the full 16 minutes so the yolks weren’t runny. Generally we would lean closer to the 13 minute mark. When you cut into the runny yolk and it seeps down into the dish it continues cooking a little (so good!).

December 7, 2016

Christmas Breakfast

laura.smoak@gmail.com Breakfast, Prep Ahead 1 Comment

It’s week two of my four-part Christmas series, and today we’re talking about one of my very favorite parts of Christmas: Christmas morning and Christmas Breakfast.

Growing up, Christmas morning was one of the most special times with my family. It was always the four of us, and we would have a lazy time of opening gifts and then have a special breakfast. Now that Andy and I have our own family, we’ve continued the tradition. The holidays are so full of parties and other obligations, and – while very fun – there’s just not much time for it to just be us. That’s not the case for Christmas morning. Andy and I decided before kids that Christmas morning would always be a time for our family to just be together.

The last two years were great, but Anna Ruth is really starting to get it now, and the joy and wonder you can just tell are going through her heart and mind are incredible to witness. Every house we pass that is decorated, she lets out a squeal of excitement – “Christmas lights!!” Every present I wrap – “is this for me??” (No, sweet girl, it’s not.) Randomly singing “Happy Birthday to Jesus” because they’ve been practicing at play school. All of these little things leading her up to the big day. We’re even getting together with friends in a couple of weeks for a birthday party for Jesus (stole that idea from my sister, and I am probably more pumped for that than anything else we have planned). She’s loving this time of year and we haven’t opened a single present yet.

I admit I need to check myself with all of the Christmas hoopla we’ve got going on, and make sure to keep our focus on the birth of Jesus. It is just so hard to find that balance, though, when your child shows so much joy in the festivities of the season – lights, parties, treats, gifts. I want her to love this time of year, and the meaning behind it for our faith. Any traditions you do with your kids to give them a sense of wonder during this time that keeps the focus on Jesus? Please share!

In the meantime, I’ve got your Christmas breakfast covered. This is an overnight casserole that is almost like a savory overnight French toast. The thing I love most about this is that it goes straight from your refrigerator into the oven. Most breakfast casseroles I see have you pull it out of the refrigerator an hour before baking for an additional hour <– ummmmm, who in the world wakes up two hours before they’re going to eat breakfast?? Not us.

Guys, this is easy peasy to put together the night before, and is perfect for Christmas morning…get the casserole in the oven -> open gifts -> eat breakfast. You can easily cut this in half, but then you will be missing out on leftovers for days, and that would make us very sad.

I hope you are all enjoying this season, and taking time to find joy in the little things. Thanks to this little overnight wonder, Christmas breakfast is covered, giving you one less thing to have to plan – you’re welcome 😉

Ingredients:

1 lb breakfast sausage
10 slices white bread – torn
8 eggs
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
3 c milk
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt

Directions:

Cook the sausage and set aside to drain off excess fat.
In a greased baking dish, combine the torn bread pieces and cheddar cheese. Mix to evenly combine.
Sprinkle the sausage over the top in a single layer.
In a bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over the bread/cheese/sausage.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, remove the cover and place in the oven BEFORE preheating. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees, and bake uncovered for one hour or until completely set.
Enjoy!

November 30, 2016

Aunt Peggy’s Cranberry Apple Casserole

laura.smoak@gmail.com Breakfast, Prep Ahead, Sides, Sweets 4 Comments

With Thanksgiving behind us, the Christmas season is in full swing in our house. Today I’m starting a four-part Christmas series, and I hope you’ll join us as we work our way through some of my favorite recipes for this time of year. Up first is my Great Aunt Peggy’s Cranberry Apple Casserole.

First, let me introduce you to my Aunt Peggy. Aunt Peggy was my mom’s aunt (grandmother’s sister), and she lived in small-town North Carolina about 45 minutes from our house. When my grandmother passed away my freshman year of high school, Peggy became like a surrogate grandmother. The bond wasn’t quite the same because there’s just no replacing Mima, but having her made the loss more bearable. We didn’t see her as much as my grandmother, but we always made a special trip to visit with her on Christmas Eve. Peggy also passed away about five years ago, and I miss those trips and visits.

Fast forward to today. I was reading through an old church cookbook Peggy gave to my mom years ago, and came across this recipe. I remember the first Christmas Eve I went to her house when she was making it. I was in high school, and she had the apple/cranberry/sugar mixture in the casserole dish and was finishing up with the topping. We (my mom, sister and I) immediately got her recipe and made it for several years after. For no real reason we just stopped making it, I guess because we would have other recipes to try out. Once I came back across her recipe, I knew I wanted to bring it to the blog to share with all of you.

You know the church cookbooks I’m talking about. The ladies of the church submit their recipes and it’s all compiled into a little bound book. The recipes involve lots of margarine, canned soup, sugar and any other processed food you know isn’t good for you, but it’s grandma’s recipe so OF COURSE I’M EATING IT. You may not know this about me (though I’m sure it won’t be a surprise), but I love reading cookbooks for fun. Like cover to cover. I’ve never actually read through a church cookbook like this, so when I saw it out on my mom’s counter I decided to check it out. Mainly because I wanted a laugh at how absurd some old recipes can be.

Back to the cranberry apple casserole. Guys, I have to admit. It’s a stretch to call this a casserole. I would categorize it under a crisp or somewhere else in the dessert category, but Peggy called it a casserole, so that makes it a side dish mmmmkay? The reality here, though, is that this is perfect as dessert with whipped cream or ice cream on top, but it also makes for a really really good breakfast…not that I’ve done that, but – ya know – I’m just thinking it could…okay, fiiine, I make this with hopes that I have leftovers for days, so I can have this for breakfast. Apples, cranberries and oatmeal make it a 100% justifiable morning meal.

This cranberry apple casserole is perfect for your Christmas table. In my not-so-surprising fashion, I’m going to list the reasons why:

I mean LOOK AT HER. She’s gorgeous, and that red is perfect for the season.
This can be made a day in advance and just reheated before serving.
It can be served hot or room temp. If you have a bunch of dishes to make for the big day, do this first. Once it’s done you can just leave it until mealtime.
It’s reallllllly good with vanilla ice cream on top.
^^that is worth mentioning again.
The leftovers last for days.

There you have it. I hope you’ll add this into your Christmas menu along with any other recipes that make you nostalgic for the past. Here is Peggy’s recipe as written. If you want to double the topping, I won’t be mad about it.

Cranberry Apple Casserole

Ingredients:

2 large (or 3-4 small/medium) sweet apples* – unpeeled and chopped
1 bag fresh cranberries
1 ¼ c sugar
1 stick butter – melted
½ c chopped pecans
½ c brown sugar (light or dark is fine)
¾ c quick-cooking oatmeal
1/3 c flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Mix the chopped apples, cranberries and sugar and pour into a 9×13 baking dish.
Combine the melted butter, chopped pecans, brown sugar, oatmeal and flour, and spread evenly over the cranberry apple mixture.
Cook uncovered in the oven for one hour, or until the apples are soft and the mixture is bubbly.
Enjoy!

*I generally use Fuji, Honeycrisp or Gala apples

October 12, 2016

Saturday Brunch Surprise

laura.smoak@gmail.com Breakfast, Prep Ahead 0 Comments

Happy Wednesday, folks! Today we’re talking about one of my favorite things: Saturday Brunch.

First off, let’s get right to the elephant in the room: that *obnoxious* name. The truth is I really don’t know what to call this dish. The inspiration came from Andy. When he was in college he worked at a little coffee shop that would make something similar to this whenever they had leftover hardboiled eggs. The owner of the coffee shop had a different name, but my mama raised me to not be crude, so Saturday Brunch Surprise it is! (Also, I’m open to any name suggestions you think would be more fitting, please and thank you.)

Now that that’s out of the way, back to business…Fall Saturdays (and really any Saturday if we’re being totally honest with ourselves) are made for a good brunch. Wake up, put on your warm slippers because Fall temps are starting to settle in, pour yourself a cup of coffee and have a leisurely morning topped off with a delicious meal. Have your people over or don’t – you, bae and the kid(s) can enjoy brunch before getting on with whatever Fall activity you have planned that day, and it’ll tide you over into the football-watching-snack-eating afternoon.

We enjoyed this particular brunch a few weeks ago with my family on the morning of my birthday, and everyone loved it. The “surprise” can be made ahead, so there is very little work involved the morning of. The gist here is you have a mixture of egg, bacon and cheese served over a bread of choice. Think of this as sort of a breakfast egg salad (surprise!), but with way way less mayo than would go into an actual egg salad. Side note: the bread of choice obv needs to be a halved biscuit, but I won’t judge you for using English muffins or plain toast. As written the recipe makes quite a lot, but it is easily halved. Whatever plans you have this weekend, make sure to include these. You seriously won’t regret it.

Ingredients:

12 hardboiled eggs – peeled and chopped
1 lb bacon – cooked and chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste
Bread of choice*
Sliced cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Gently mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
Spoon the mixture onto the bread* and top with sliced cheese (if using).
Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

* We buy the biscuits with pull apart layers, bake according to package directions, then split in half and put the filling on the halves.

** These make great leftovers. Even if you’re planning to eat on these for days, go ahead and bake them with the cheese on, then just refrigerate until you’re ready to eat and then microwave for about 30 seconds.

April 27, 2016

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

laura.smoak@gmail.com Breakfast, Freezer Friendly, Prep Ahead, Veggies 4 Comments

Raise your hand if you love breakfast! Raise your hand if you find yourself with no time to make breakfast on busy weekday mornings! Keep that hand up if you are reallllly not into the whole “overnight oats” movement…well haaay there savory, hot breakfast loving friends!

Andy and I are major lovers of breakfast. More specifically –> savory breakfast. Sure we’ll make waffles or French toast every now and then, but given the choice we’d take a biscuit sandwich over just about anything else ever. While we rarely eat biscuits (why oh why do they have to be loaded with all the fat and calories?!?!?), we love a good savory hash. Saturday morning at the Peascoe house is MADE for hash.

Scrambled eggs + diced potatoes, onions, peppers + black beans + spicy sausage + a liiittle cheese = perfect way to start a Saturday.

While we don’t have time to make the “perfect way to start a Saturday” hash on busy weekday mornings, we can take the time to pull out one of our pre-made breakfast burritos filled with the exact same mixture and eat it on the go because that’s just how we roll.

Y’all these breakfast burritos are so super simple and delicious. The best part is that once made, you have at least 12 days of breakfast ready to go when you need it. The second best part about these breakfast burritos is that they’re completely customizable. Want it vegetarian? Leave out the sausage. Want greens? Wilt some spinach into the eggs as you scramble them. Want to use a whole wheat tortilla? Go for it. Not a fan of veggies in the morning? Leave them out. You do you, my friend.

The third best part about these breakfast burritos is that they’re GREAT to take to friends with new babies. I often have people ask me for ideas on what to take new parents, and these have moved to the top of that list. Dinner is always helpful and VERY appreciated, but I remember having so much dinner stuff that we ran out of fridge space. However, one thing that still sticks out and was extremely helpful was when someone would also bring muffins or some other breakfast food that could be eaten with one hand. There were so many days in those first few weeks after Andy went back to work where I would look at the clock and realize it was 2 p.m. and I hadn’t had a single bite of food all day. Taking these to a new mom means she has 12 hearty breakfasts that she can heat (and reheat and reheat) and eat with one hand while holding her newborn that refuses to be put down <– not exaggerating.

I have to be honest, though, I very rarely actually have them for my breakfast. Here’s the thing. My office has a really reallllly good cafeteria. We have visitors from around the world that spend $$$$ to hang out with us, so they, therefore, expect great food to be part of that experience. Working there means I also get to eat great food…mmmmmm. With that, I prefer to save my calories and eat 1-2 servings of fruit in the morning and then have a heartier lunch. However, while I generally don’t eat heavy breakfasts on weekdays, Andy still does. Bud is 6’5” and stands up to teach all day, so it’s understandable he needs a little more fuel. Most mornings he’ll take time to make a power packed smoothie, but sometimes he just wants the convenience and warmth that comes with popping a frozen burrito in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Basically, I make these all for him and get major points because I know he has a happy belly everyday on the way to work. Happy belly = happy husband = happy wife = happy life. It’s the little things, y’all 🙂

Wow – I realize this post has been all over the place. There was just so much to share about these awesome, simple, flavorful breakfast burritos that I couldn’t NOT share one bit of it with you because you’re like me and want to know alllll the deets and that’s why we get along so well. I’ll finally get to the recipe, so you too can enjoy the happiness that comes with the knowledge that you have a freezer full of delicious breakfast just waiting for you. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium potatoes (russet or Yukon gold work best) – small dice
1 red bell pepper – small dice
1 medium yellow onion – diced
1 (15 oz) can black beans – drained and rinsed
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper
1 lb sausage
18 eggs
12-14 burrito size flour tortillas*
Sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and cook until they start to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the bell pepper, onion, spices, salt and pepper (to taste), and cook until the potatoes are done. Stir in the black beans, then move the mixture to a bowl to cool.
Wipe out the skillet and return it to the heat. Cook the sausage, then move to another bowl to cool. Drain the fat, leaving 1 tsp behind.
Scramble the eggs, then cook over medium-low heat until done. Transfer to another bowl to cool.
Assembly: lay one tortilla on a piece of plastic wrap. Add a heaping 1/3 cup eggs, 1/2 cup vegetable mixture, 1/4 cup sausage and 2 tbsp cheese. Roll one side over the filling, then fold in the two ends and finish rolling the burrito. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. Once assembled, place into a freezer bag and freeze up to three months.
To heat: remove from the freezer and take off plastic wrap. Wrap in a paper towel and microwave on high for 1.5-2.5 minutes depending on your microwave.

*I don’t always get the same number of burritos out of this (weird, right?). It’s usually in the 12-14 range, and there is generally at least one that ends up being all veggies and eggs.