Sausage Gravy

Wake up sleepy head!  Biscuits and Gravy will get them up and out of bed!

I found this recipe on my all time favorite site (allrecipes).  The recipe was posted by Bob Evans.  It is a restaurant chain on the East Coast that serves incredible breakfasts. I tweaked the recipe here and there.

Biscuits and Gravy

adapted from Bob Evans recipe on allrecipes.com

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 lb sausage
• 2 Tbsp butter (optional)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• salt and black pepper to taste

additional ingredients:

• 8 prepared biscuits
• 8 fried eggs

Instructions:

Bake biscuits (I used the Bisquick Mix and used the recipe on the box).

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and cook the sausage, crumbling the sausage as you cook it until it is no longer pink.  Move the sausage to the side of the pan and tilt the pan to let the drippings flow to the other side.  Add the flour and about 1/2 tsp of salt to the drippings (oh this is BAD!  But I feel a tingle! I should really not be eating this, but oh it is sooo good for you –oops tasty!)  Stir the flour into the drippings and combine until there is no raw flour left.  I actually added 2 Tbsp of butter to the drippings so the flour was not clumpy.  Heat the milk up in the microwave.  I find it combines better adding a warm liquid.  Slowly add the milk to the flour mixture and whisk it into the pan.  Add the sausage back in.  Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.  Bring the gravy to a boil and allow to thicken.  If it becomes too thick you can thin it out with additional milk.

To serve, split a biscuit in half  Top with a fried egg and ladle sausage over the egg, replace the top of the biscuit and ladle more gravy over the dish.  Soon you will have all sorts of creatures (children) crawling out of the woodwork to eat breakfast (big ones too).

Printable Recipe

Eggs in a Hole

I remember having this several years ago – I don’t want to go into how many years that was, because then I will just get depressed.. let’s just call it several years ago.  Pioneer Woman featured this breakfast in a recent episode on the Food Network and it reminded me of it.  Enough to want to make it again.  So this was breakfast, especially since I have three dozen eggs to use up!  It is really easy enough for a beginner to make!

Eggs In A Hole

Serves 2 (2 eggs size)

• 4 pieces of toast
• 4 eggs
• butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Melt butter in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat.  Cut rounds out from the center of each piece of toast with a biscuit cutter.  Place the rounds and toast into the butter and allow to brown on both sides a little.  Crack an egg into the center of each toast. Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 2 minutes.  Use a spatula and turn the toast and egg over.  Cook 2 more minutes.  Remove to plate.  Serve with toasted bread rounds on the side.

Egg Omlette Sandwich

This morning I was in the mood for a breakfast sandwich.  I made a two egg omlette, seasoned it with salt and filled with deli sliced Black Forest Ham and grated Cheddar cheese.  After folding it in half I put it on a toasted French Roll.  It was a delicious and filling breakfast.

Becky’s Egg Omlette Breakfast Sandwich

Serves 1

• 2 eggs, beaten
• salt, to taste
• 3 slices of deli sliced Black Forest Ham
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 French Roll, toasted

Preparation:

Preheat a non stick pan over medium heat and spray with Pam Cooking spray.

Beat the eggs and pour into the heated pan.  Season with salt, top with ham and shredded cheese.  Cook for 1 minute.  Fold the egg over the filling and heat for 30 minutes.  Turn the omlette over and cook for another 30 minutes to melt the cheese.  Fold the omlette in half again (making a triangle) and gently remove with a spatula to your toasted French Roll.  Place the top over the egg omlette.  Enjoy.

Printable Recipe

Egg Casserole

Here is my favorite egg casserole to bring to functions.  It morphed from a quiche recipe into just an egg casserole without a crust.  With a tweak here and there it became my own.  I often make two casseroles, using up one package of the spinach between both.

Becky’s Egg Casserole

Serves 8

• 1/2 (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
• 1 (4 oz) Feta cheese (with seasonings and tomatoes works nicely)
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 package cooked breakfast sausages (pork or beef), cut into 1/4 inch coins
• 1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, optional
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Spray a 9x13x2″ baking dish with non stick spray.  Layer the bottom of the casserole with the spinach, feta and cheddar cheese, cooked sausages, and mushrooms if desired.
3. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt and pepper.  Pour over the casserole and stir gently to make sure the ingredients combine some.  Bake at 350F for 20-35 minutes.  Check from time to time to ensure the eggs are cooked.  Cover with foil and let stand about 10-15 minutes.  Serve.

Printable Recipe

Eggs Benedict

If I was stranded on a deserted Island– I wish it was desserted 🙂 — this would be the food I would take with me!  Eggs Benedict has been a favorite of mine for years now.  When we eat out for breakfast, and this item is on the menu, I typically order it.  This is my ultimate comfort food.

What is the special occasion?  Well, my husband is working from home today – the kids are back in school– and I wanted Eggs Benedict- so, I made them.  Making my own Hollandaise is intimidating to me, so I cheat and use prepackaged sauce mix and it’s still quite delicious (Knorr Hollandaise Sauce Mix)  It isn’t the most amazing Eggs Benedict in the world, for that you would need to travel to the Bouchon in Vegas.  See Las Vegas Baby!

Eggs Benedict

Serves 2

• 3 English Muffins, split and toasted (6 halves)
• 6 slices of quality Canadian Bacon ( like Boar’s Head Brand)
• 6 poached eggs (I fry mine)

For the Hollandaise:

• I packet Knorr Hollandaise sauce mix
• 1 cup milk
• 4 Tbsp butter (half a stick)

Preparation:

Cook the Knorr Hollandaise Sauce mix according to package directions, using the cup of milk and 1/2 stick of butter.  Bring to boil, whisking constantly.  Cook for 1 minute.  Turn off heat and use the sauce.

Place 3 English Muffin halves on each plate.  Place a slice of Canadian Bacon on each toasted English Muffin half.  Top with a poached or fried eggs. Pour Hollandaise sauce over the Eggs.  Serve with coffee.

Tip: To get the poached texture of fried eggs, I start them in a pan until the whites have set some, then I add a few Tablespoons of water to the edge of the pan and cover with a lid and it will give the yolks a poached look.  Just until the yolks have a film over them, then use them before the yolks cook completely through.  I learned this trick from my fellow blogger Pam at her site: For the Love of Cooking.  Thank you Pam.

Las Vegas Baby!

My husband and I escaped to Las Vegas for the weekend (without children).  For breakfast on Saturday we ate at Thomas Keller’s restaurant “Bouchon” in the Venetian Hotel.  There I ordered their Eggs Benedict Florentine, which was their special for the day.  I must say it was VERY SPECIAL!  I love to cook and I consider myself a good cook, but after taking my first bite of their eggs I realized something:  I cannot cook eggs (like that!)  They were the best I had ever eaten EVER!  I am getting pretty sappy about this love affair I have with eggs and especially eggs benedict.  I have a soft spot in my heart for it!  Their potatoes were also not half bad — not over seasoned, crisp on outside and soft on inside.

If ever in Las Vegas and you have the opportunity to eat at Bouchon, please do!  It’s not cheap, but it is OH so good!

Eggs Benedict Florentine at Bouchon

Potatoes - perfectly cooked

Happy Birthday David Breakfast

My husband had his birthday last week.  Today it is Birthday Observed.

It started with my egg skillet breakfast that was inspired by another picture on foodgawker.  I made my own changes.

Egg Skillet Breakfast

Serves 5

• 4 cups Hash brown potatoes, browned in oil (about 10 minutes)
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 package bacon cut into strips
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 Haas Avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup Colby/Jack cheese, shredded
• 1-2 eggs per serving

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

I prepared the hash brown potatoes in a non stick skillet over high, turning occasionally.  This process took about 10 minutes.  Depending on your taste it may take longer or shorter. Season them with salt and pepper.  When they are golden brown scoop them into a bowl and set aside.  Use the same skillet to cook up the Onion and bacon pieces over medium heat until they are crisp.  Remove the bacon and onion with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a few paper towels.  Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and put the chopped tomatoes in to just cook a minute or two.

Spray a ramekin or cast iron skillet with cooking spray.  Layer the bottom with some hash browns.  Just enough to cover the bottom.  Top with bacon and onion, tomatoes, diced avocado, sprinkle with Colby Jack Cheese.  Crack and egg and put on top (you might want to make a little well so the egg does not decide to go to the side).

Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and put in preheated oven.  Bake for 15-20 minutes to desired doneness.  The egg white should be cooked but the yolk still a little runny.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve. Warn the little ones that the dish is hot.

My husband said it was worthy of a Birthday Breakfast.  That is all I needed to know!

Printable Recipe

Onions, chopped, bacon, sliced

Browned Hash Brown Potatoes

Cast Iron mini skillet with Hash Browns

Top with cooked bacon and onion

Top With Tomatoes

Top With Avocado

Sprinkle with Cheese

Top With Eggs

While the Eggs bake watch my son’s toys joust

Now that is a picture of a satisfied customer.