Tator Tot Breakfast Bake

Ingredients:
- 6 slices of bacon, chopped
- 3/4 lb of frozen Tator Tots
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp, drain half the fat.

3. Chop bacon.

4. Add the frozen tator Tots, bacon, cheddar and garlic and then toss until combined.

5. Transfer to baking dish.

6. Whisk eggs with milk and pour over the tator tot mixture.

7. Season with salt & pepper.

8. Bake until eggs are set and tator tots are golden brown, about 45 minutes.

9. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

 

Tropical Banana Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcake:
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tbls butter, melted
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 8 oz of crushed pineapple, drained
- 2 large bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cup)
- 3/4 cup cup coconut, toasted

Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbls butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- milk (as needed)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper baking cups. (I use silicone liners.)

2. Combine first 5 ingredients (flour, sugar, nuts, baking soda and salt) in a large bowl, stirring well. 

3. Whisk eggs with butter and orange zest in a separate large bowl. 

4. Stir in pineapple and bananas. 

5. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, stirring until well blended. 

6. Pour batter evenly into prepared cups. 

7. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean. 

8. Cool in pans 5 minutes, and then place on wire rack to cool completely. 

 

Meanwhile:

9. Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. 

10. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla; stir well. 

11. If frosting is too thick to spread, thin with milk, adding 1 teaspoon at a time until frosting reaches desired consistency.

12. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting over cupcakes. 

13. Sprinkle evenly with coconut flakes.

 

Mashed-Browns

This is a my little spin on Mashed Potato Pancakes and Hash Browns!

Ingredients:
- 2 cups of left over *loaded mashed potatoes
- egg
- 1/4 cup of flour
- 1 - 2 tsps olive oil
- sour cream, optional

Directions:
1. Add olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium.
2. Mix the mashed potatoes with the egg and flour.
3. Add a little flour to your hands.
4. Scoop a large spoonful of potatoes into your palm and roll into a ball, then flatten into a pancake.
5. Place pancakes into the skillet.  Cook for 2 - 3 minutes and then flip over and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes.
6. remove from skillet and serve right away.
7. Top with sour cream or eat plain!

* I made loaded mashed potatoes with butter, cheese, bacon bits, and cream cheese, and of course, boiled potatoes.

Roasted Carrot and Cauliflower Curry Ginger Soup

Ingredients:
- 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
- 4 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbls olive oil, and 1.5 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 6 cups chicken broth
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400*.
2. Toss the cauliflower and carrots with 1 tbls of olive oil in a large bowl until well coated.  Place on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 60-70 minutes, turning at the halfway point.
3. Caramelize the onion in 1.5 tsp olive oil. Add minced garlic and saute a bit longer.
4. Add chicken broth to a pot over medium heat. Whisk in the curry  powder and ground ginger. Add the onions and the garlic mixture and set to low until roasted are tender.
5. Add the veggies to the broth. Turn the heat to medium-high. Once the soup come to a boil, reduce to simmer and place a lid on the pot. Simmer for 10 minutes. 
6. Blend to puree the soup.  For thinner soup, add wter 1/2 cup at a time. If you add water, remember to adjust the seasonings with more salt and pepper.
7. Garnish with Greek yogurt and cilantro.
 

  

Apple Pie Bread

                                               Ingredients:
- 1 can apple pie filling, mashed
- 1 yellow cake mix
- 4 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 cup *self rising flour
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 med apple, peel & chop
- 2 tbls of brown sugar


Note:  I used one loaf pan and then a regular muffin tin.  For muffins, I reduced time to 15 minutes.


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325*.  Grease 2 bread loaf pans.
2. Whisk all dry ingredients, then add apple pie filling and eggs and mix well.
3. Fold in apples.
4. Pour mixture into the two loaf pans.
5. Sprinkle brown sugar on top.
6. Bake at 325* for 35 - to 45 minutes. Bread is done with cake tester (or knife) comes out clean.

 

* If you do not have self rising flour, you can make your own by mixing 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1.5 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.

Tahoe Meals - 2014

So, this year, I've been pretty sick.  I am finally better, but I did not plan like I usually do, and I've been so tired, that this year's meals will be less exciting.

We got up here really late on Sunday night, so the meals are starting today (Monday, 7/21).  Breakfast was just oatmeal, and then we had to create our menu for the week (yes!!  it's usually done by now in an excel sheet with the menu & a list of the ingredients.with crazy  -I've just been TOO tired).  Lunch was a hodgepodge of sandwiches, fruit, cheese, etc.  Dinner was tacos and the girls are planning to make chocolate quesadillas, but the recipe of the day was Pull Apart Ranch Bread (called "Crack Bread" by most because it's so addicting.)

Recipe to follow…

Monkey Bread & Breakfast Enchilada Casserole

Tahoe Meals: Day 6, Breakfast

This breakfast (at least the Monkey Bread) is dedicated to Debbie Bradley, from our church.  Debbie put together a mentoring program for our pre-teen & teen girls at the church.  Each girl that chose to participate received a "secret mentor" - a Godly woman from the church who would pray for her girl, send little notes of encouragement, give little gifts, etc.  After a couple months, Debbie and the girls put on a beautiful brunch for their mentors at the church.  Debbie prepared so much food!!  What a beautiful woman she is...  Debbie was one of the first women I connected to at this church - there was something so welcoming about her, so accepting, so loving. She is someone who I feel really understands me.  She has sat with me while I cried,  she's heard my whining, she knows my faults - yet loves me anyway! How fortunate both Emily and I are to have Debbie in our life!

One of the recipes that Debbie made for the brunch was Monkey Bread.  Emily was in HEAVEN...  but then again, she was eating one of her favorite things...  BISCUITS & SUGAR!!  We asked Debbie for the recipe so that we could fix it up here in Tahoe.  I have to admit, even for a non-sugar lover, I really enjoyed the Monkey Bread this morning.  And of course, as with so many other recipes, it's more about the memories that come flooding through that bring the most enjoyment from a dish.

From now on when I make Monkey Bread, I will remember the difference that Debbie Bradley made in my teenage daughters life in the spring of 2012...  Debbie took time out of her crazy, busy schedule to create and coordinate this amazing mentoring program, connecting our teens to beautiful mentors, and then, took a day out of her life to bring these girls together with their Mentors so that the girls could put a name to the face of these wonderful ladies who took time out of their lives, as well, to shower love on our girls!  What an amazing church we belong to!

Emily's slice :)

 Ingredients:

• Refrigerator Biscuits (2 cans, 16 biscuits)
• sugar, 1/2 cup
• cinnamon, 1 tsp
• butter, 3/4 cu. melted
• brown sugar, 1 cup, packed
• walnuts or pecans, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*.
2. Spray fluted pan with cooking spray. (I only had an angel food cake pan - it worked!)
3. Cut biscuits into quarters.
4. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a large baggie.
5. Put biscuits and shake well to coat.
6. Arrange biscuits in prepared pan. (Layer nuts if using.)
7. Combine butter and brown sugar, then pour over the the biscuits.
8. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes.
9. Cool slightly. Invert pan onto serving plate.

#5

#6 & #7

Deeee-lish!!!

Not sure anyone liked them!  :)

 Breakfast - Day 6

 

 The second dish was my breakfast enchilada casserole.  This dish is SOOOO good.  Sweet and savory this morning.  But this dish was my favorite!  This recipe was blogged last summer - look for Breakfast Enchilada Casserole if searching for it!

Bacon Wrapped Hamburgers, Rosted Potatoes, Mexican Caesar Salad & S'mores Indoors

Tahoe Meals: Day 5, Dinner

Most of what I made tonight, I've blogged in the past, so I figured I would just post the whole meal here...

Not a great picture!  The burger is hard to see (left side)

Mexican Caesar Salad:

Ingredients:

• Romain lettuce
• Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• El Torito Cilantro Caesar Dressing
• Crunchy Tortillas Chip Strips
• Avocado, cubed

Directions:

1.  Mix it all in a big bowl!

Roasted Rosemary & Garlic Potatoes

Bacon-Wrapped, Feta Hamburgers

Ingredients:

• hamburger meat
• teriyaki sauce
• feta crumbled
• bacon

Directions:

1. Mix first 3 ingredients and form patties.
2. Wrap bacon around patty and bbq.

S'mores Indoors

This has been blogged before, but we made it a little differently.  We used flat marshmallows!  

S'mores Indoors

Lil' slice of YUM!!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Tahoe Meals: Day 5, Lunch

This may seem like a silly thing to blog.  After all, who doesn't know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich? But do you know how to make it like my dad???  I bet not.  This sandwich is made with mustard (yep - you heard it right) and I normally do not like mustard...  but I put it on my sandwich every time because that's how my dad made it when I was growing up!  And yep... makes me think of him every time I make it!!

Ingredients:

• Sourdough bread, 2 slices
• Butter, softened
• American cheese slice
• Mustard

Directions:

1. Spread mustard on one slice of bread.  
2. Butter the outside of both pieces.
3. Heat in skillet over medium high heat.
4. Flip sandwich over and brown second side.
5. Cook until cheese is melted and sides are golden brown.

Zero Nutritional Value Meal - Brown Sugar Biscuits

Compliments of Emily, Amanda & Alyssa...

Tahoe Meals: Day 5, "Breakfast"

LOL....  One day to totally "junk it" for breakfast!!  Today is that day!  (For the kids, anyway!)

This is the kind of breakfast the I grew up on!! Why I shared this with my kids, I'll never know....  but it brings back memories every time we eat these sugary delights!  When the kids added Nutella to a biscuit this trip, it reminded me of "chocolate gravy".  I'll have to blog that recipe soon.  Not sure my kids have ever had that one, but it's my Gramma Clark's recipe.  My mom made it all of the time.  (Actually, she told my dad what to do and he made it!!  Dad did about 90% of the cooking in our house...  Mom did 90% of the "telling him how to do it". LOL.  Actually, he didn't need directions most of the time.  Just a deep fryer!!  :)  Anyway, I don't like chocolate, but I'd eat the Chocolate Gravy Biscuits just to bring the memories flooding back!  Ok, ok - so I got off topic!!  I'll blog that another day, but now, let's get to our Zero Nutritional Value Meal!!!

Ingredients:

• refrigerator biscuits
• butter
• brown sugar

Directions:

1. Cook biscuits according to directions.
2. Butter each biscuit while hot.
3. Add brown sugar.
4. Enjoy!

For today's breakfast, Alyssa had Nutella on her biscuit instead of brown sugar.  All the girls had the Nutella croissants, too...  blogged earlier!

Yummy!! (for chocolate lovers!)

Alyssa's "perfect" croissant

Breakfast Souffle

Tahoe Meals: Day 5, Breakfast

This recipe is compliments or our visitor this year.  Emily's friend, Polina, joined us and made breakfast for us (well, for Dione and I...  our kids are too picky.  They had the "zero nutritional value breakfast"...  recipe in separate post, but don't laugh.... It's silly and simply - but fun!)

Ingredients:

• butter, 4 tbls
• flour, 1/4 cup
• milk, 1 cup
• cheese, 1 cup
• eggs, 4, separated (using both egg whites and yokes)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*.
2. Melt butter in medium saucepan.  
3. Add flour, mix.  
4. Add milk and cook until thick, stirring occasionally.
5. Lower heat to low and add cheese. Stir until melted.
6. Separate egg whites from egg yokes, set whites aside.
7. Add egg yokes to saucepan, stir and remove from heat.
8. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry.
9. Add egg whites into egg mixture and fold gently until combined.  Do not over-stir.
10. Coat baking dish with cooking spray, add souffle (about 3/4 full to allow for rising). 
11. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes.  Do not open oven door while baking.
12. Serve immediately. You can add toppings: ham, cheese, salsa, etc.

This was a yummy dish.  I think I will try it and add small cubed ham and green chilies!  Looking forward to trying this dish at home!

Coconut-Pineapple Coffee Cake

Tahoe Meals: Day 4, Dessert 

This is one of the most moist coffee cake I've ever had.  I made it for Easter this year and took it to my brother and sister-in-law's house (Sam & Melanie).  Sam said that this was his new favorite of my recipes!  It's really great.  I'm thinking about adding mashed bananas and pecans next time....  I'll let you know how that goes!! 

Ingredients:

• blueberry muffin mix
• egg, 1
• milk, 1/4 cup
• pineapple, 8 oz. crushed & drained
• coconut, 1/2 cup
• butter, softened, 1/3 cup
• brown sugar,  packed, 1/3 cup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400*.
2. Mix muffin mix, egg, milk & pineapple.
3. Pour into a greased 9 X 9 baking dish
4. Sprinkle coconut evenly over the mixture.
5. Combine the brown sugar and butter, then spoon over the coconut.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutella Croissants

Tahoe Meals: Day 4, Dessert

This dessert is similar to the Chocolate Quesadillas...  but with a croissant shell!

Ingredients:

• crescent dough
• Nutella
• butter, 1 tbls, melted

Directions:

1. Lay the crescent dough out on flour dusted work space.
2. Spread Nutella over triangular piece.
3. Roll from the pointed end up.  Tuck sides in.
4. Brush with melted butter.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Feta & Brie Tart with Caramelized Onions in a Brown Sugar and Balsamic Vinegar Bath

Tahoe Meals: Day 4, Dinner

Ok - long name, I know, but this is the tastiest caramelized onion tart, that just saying "Caramelized Onion Tart" simply does not do it justice!  There are many variations to this, so I will list a few at the bottom.  Here is the recipe for the picture below!

Ingredients:

• pastry dough*, room temperature
• onion, 1, sliced
• olive oil, 1 tbls
• balsamic vinegar, 2 tbls
• brown sugar, 1 tbls
• Feta, crumbled, 1/2 cup
• Brie*, 1 oz, cut into little pieces
• apple, 1/4, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large skillet.
2. Caramelize sliced onion (about 15 minutes).
3. Mix balsamic vinegar and brown sugar then add to the onion mixture.  
4. Reduce heat to low and cook gently for another 20 - 25 minutes, then cool.
5. Preheat oven to 400*.
6. Roll pastry dough out on parchment paper.
7. Lay sliced apple evenly over the dough.
8. Add the cooled onion mixture.
9. Sprinkle the feta evenly over the onions.
10. Dot the brie through the tart.
11. Cook for 18 to 20 or until crust is golden brown.

#2

#3

#7 - #10

#11

Variations:

• Use filo dough instead of pastry.
• Leave apples off.
• Add very thinly sliced potatoes as first layer (with or without apple slices)
• Use crumbled Gorgonzola in place of Brie.
• Use crumbled Blue cheese.
• Sprinkle pine nuts over the top.

Baked Ham & Cheese Spirals

Tahoe Meals: Day 4, Lunch

Ingredients:

• crescent rolls, 8
• flour for dusting
• rolling pin
• ham slices, 9
• shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup
• butter, 2 tsp, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*.
2. Dust counter space with flour and roll the crescent dough out on counter.
3. Layer ham slices across dough (3 rows of 3 pieces).
4. Sprinkle cheese on top of ham.
5. Roll long side in.
6. Brush butter along "log".
7. Slice logs into 16 equal pieces. 
8. Place on baking sheet and brush butter across the top of each one.
9. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes until dough is cooked through and color golden brown.

8 crescents sections - #2

#3, #4, & #5

#6 & #7

 
Variations:

YUM!!  I'm going to add some pesto to it next time.  Maybe even some pine nuts and feta, and leave off the cheddar.  It was so good!!

Nutella/Chocolate Quesadillas

Tahoe Meals: Day 3, Dessert

I've blogged my chocolate quesadillas already (last summer), but when we left here last year, Dione went home and tried "Nutella" in her recipe instead. I have to admit - I will NEVER make this for myself (it did not taste so good to me - but that is because I really do not like chocolate, and I discovered that I like Nutella even less!! But everyone else LOVED them.) Dione does not use the cinnamon-sugar mixture or chocolate chips in hers - but this recipe below is Emily's version!!

Ingredients:

• Flour Tortillas, 4
• Nutella, enough to spread layer on two tortillas (about 2 tbls each)
• Chocolate chips, handful for each one (about 1/4 cup)
• Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp
• Sugar, 1 tbls
• Butter, 1/2 tbls (or cooking spray to go healthier!)
• powdered sugar
• ice cream or whipped cream, optional

Directions: 

1. Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat.
2. Spread Nutella over one tortilla.
3. Place tortilla in skillet.
4. Sprinkle about half of the chocolate chips evenly over tortilla.
5. Mix the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
6. Spoon about a teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the chocolate chips.
7. Top with second tortilla.
8. Cook for about 2 minutes and flip over.  Tortilla should be a beautiful, golden brown and lightly crispy.  Cook on second side for about 2 minutes. Chocolate chips should be melted.
9. Remove from skillet and let cool slightly.
10. Slice quesadilla into quarters and sprinkle with powdered sugar. (I use a pizza slicer - works like magic!!)
11. Serve warm for best results! (Dione and her girls added whipped cream to theirs, while Emily added ice cream, on the side!)

Taco Lettuce Wraps

Tahoe Meals: Day 3, Lunch 

Soooo....  I'm trying to eat better and get healthy.  Some of the recipes in my blog clearly do not help in this process!! But Tahoe is my week of cooking non-stop: trying new recipes and revising old ones!!  So as long as I control my portions, I'm headed in the right direction. However, some recipes are moving toward healthier!!  This is one of those (at least in my mind).  Removing the taco shell saves you about 100 calories per taco!! This is very similar to Chicken lettuce wraps which I've been eating a lot of lately.  I need something crunchy when I'm eating, so the crispy lettuce leaves fulfill that craving!! And I'm not going to stop eating tacos, so I was trying to figure out how to make them just a little healthier for me.  The lettuce "shell" does the trick!

Ingredients:

• taco meat (used left over meat from last night's dinner)
• romaine lettuce leaves
• cheese
• sour cream
• cilantro
• hot sauce
• olives

Directions:

1. Spoon meat into lettuce leaf.
2. Top with any toppings you desire.

Sausage-Cream Cheese Bites & Bacon-topped French Toast Muffins

Tahoe Meals: Day 3, Breakfast

Ok - I've made this before...  This is my sister-in-law, Bonnie Brown's, famous "Sausage Cream Cheese Crescent Bake".  Actually, I don't know if she has a name for it.  We just always called it the "sausage cream cheese thingy".   Anyway, I call it "Sausage Croissant Bake", but now I make a bite-sized version.


For today's breakfast, I also made the French Toast Muffins (blogged last summer - got the original "French Toast Bake" recipe from my other sister-in-law, Melanie Shelley Brown), but this time, I sprinkled bacon on it first! I simply cut the bacon into little piece and fried it, then drained, cooled and sprinkled over the top before baking.  Sometimes, I mix it into the mixture, then sprinkle extra on top before baking.  (Don't laugh - I am trying to make the lighting work, so I have two pictures of the muffin & the "bites" below! Next summer - I think I'll focus on the photography!!  Maybe I'll take a class!)

Bacon-topped French Toast Muffin (outside lighting)

 

Bacon-topped French Toast Muffin (inside with flash)

Ingredients:

• crescent dough (8)
• Jimmy Dean's Maple Ground Sausage
• cream cheese, 4 oz
• mini muffin tin (I use a mini-mini muffin tin! It's smaller than the mini tin.)
• maple syrup, 1 tbls
• cooking spray
• flour for dusting 
• 1 tbls butter, melted

  

  Sausage - Cream Cheese Bites (outside lighting)

Sausage Cream Cheese Bites (inside with flash)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*.
2. Brown sausage over medium high heat.  Drain. Cool.
3. Dust flour on your cutting board or counter top and roll out the crescent dough and press the perforated seams together. 
4. Use a pizza cutter to cut dough into 24 equal squares. (I separated the 8 pieces into two, so I'm only working with 1/2 the roll at a time.)
5. Spray your muffin tin with cooking spray.
6. Place the dough squares into each section of the tin.
7. Cut the cream cheese into equal parts (24 pieces) to place in the dough cup.
8. Drizzle the syrup into the cooled the sausage and mix. 
9. Sprinkle the sausage over the cream cheese.
10. Pull the sides up over the top of the sausage to enclose the meat and cheese.
11. Use pastry brush to coat the tops with butter.
12. Bake at 375* for about 12-15 minutes.



#6, #7. #9, #10

#11