Whole Wheat Pancakes

In honor of National Pancake day, I decided to try a new recipe for pancakes...success!!!

What you will need...

• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 tbsps brown sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 4 tbsps butter, melted
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter; pour over the dry ingredients.  Stir well.  Add your choice of fruit or other favorite toppings to the mixture.  On a nonstick skillet that is already hot, pour 1/4 cup of the mixture to make small pancakes.  Stack and top with more fruit or other toppings, and pour on some syrup...YUM-OLA!!!

Sides to think about...great with turkey sausage and eggs made to order.

How many people can eat...makes 20 to 24 pancakes.

Cheesy Bacon Breakfast Muffins

Okay, so this is not healthy, but it is great for the holidays or a special occasion breakfast.  And the best part is that you can add or modify the type of cheese or meat to your liking...

What you will need...

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 2/3 cups milk
• 6 tbsps butter, melted and cooled a bit
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsps baking powder
• 15 slices (1 pkg) of bacon, cooked and diced

Preheat the oven to 400*.  In a bowl, mix all ingredients together until well blended.  Scoop mixture into your muffing pan, top each with a bit of cheese, and cook 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the cheese on top is golden brown...YUM-OLA!!!

You could use ham or sausage instead of bacon, any kind of cheese you want, and even a few vegetables, but be careful putting too much stuff in the muffins.  I didn't use whole wheat flour, as I wanted it to taste more like a bacon, egg, cheese biscuit.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

I am loving pumpkin this season. If you love pumpkin in the Fall, this is a perfect way to start your day...

What you will need...

• 1/2 cup quick cook oats
• 1/2 cup old fashion oats
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup canned pumpkin

In a large bowl, put the uncooked oats, a splash of water, and the spice, cinnamon, and brown sugar.  Mix well. Add the remaining water and microwave (you could do it on the stove, but who has the time, and it is just as good) for about 4 minutes or until your oatmeal begins to rise and almost overflow. Add the pumpkin, stir well, and put back in the microwave for about 30 seconds...YUM-OLA!

How many people can eat...depends on how hungry you are:), but should feed one to two.

Whole Wheat Pancake Souffle

We were watching Secrets of a Bluegrass Chief and saw a chief in Danville make a pancake souffle.  Immediately we wanted to try it because it looked so good...well, it is absolutely one of the best brunch items ever!  We took what he did and modified it to make it our own version.  The best part about this is you could make it sweet or savory...

What you will need...

• 4 1/2 tbsps butter, melted
• 1 cup milk
• 7 1/2 egg yolks
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 9 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 400*.  Place 4 small size non-stick saute pans (or 1 small/medium and 1 large if you have a Jeff in your house!) on the stove over medium heat.  In two bowls, separate the egg yolks and whites.  In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, milk, and yolks and mix well.  Add flour and sugar and mix well.  Wisk the egg whites until peeks form.  Gently fold the egg whites into the mixture.  Butter the pans to ensure nothing sticks.  Pour the mixture, divided evenly, into the the 3 (or 2) pans.  Cook for a minute, add whatever you like to the tops...we used banana slices and dark chocolate chunks.  Cook for a minute more then transfer to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the tops start to turn golden.  They should just slide out onto your plate.  Enjoy with maple syrup...YUM-OLA!!!

How many can eat...this was plenty for Jeff and me, but should feed about 4 people.

Sides to think about...great with bacon (since you have the stove on, just use your broiler pan and cook the bacon in the oven) and fruit. 

Ham and Egg Cups

So it seems the latest craze is to make every meal in a cup...which fits perfect with my love for cupcakes!  Since we had some deli ham on hand and we always have eggs, this was a quick and easy choice.  Perfect for when you have friends and family staying at your home...

What you will need...

• 7 slices of deli ham, thin sliced (we like the smoked ham)
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2% milk)
• salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 425*.  Fold 6 ham slices so that they fit into a muffin pan to form little cups.  Use pieces of the extra slice of ham in the very bottom of each cup.  Mix eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Use your 1/4 measuring cup to fill the ham cups.  Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, then cover with foil for about 15 minutes.  Keep an eye on them and take them out when they are fluffy...YUM-OLA!!!

Sides to think about...would be great with diced skillet potatoes or toast, sauteed spinach, green beans, or sauteed peppers.

How many people can eat...depends on how many sides you serve, but I would give 2 cups per person.

Turkey Sausage Balls

Brought this one back from when I was little...mom use to make these all the time, so I just modified them to make them a bit healthier.  They are great for breakfast, brunch, or an appetizer...

What you will need...

• 1 lb ground turkey sausage
• 1 cup low-fat shredded cheese (cheddar or pepper jack are yummy)
• 1/2 cup bisquick

Preheat oven to 350*.  Mix all items well and roll into small balls.  Place the balls on a jelly roll pan (because it has sides) and bake for 45 minutes. 
NOTE:  next time I make these I will cook them on a cooling rack in the oven to keep the bottoms from getting more done than the rest of the sausage ball.

What to serve them with...I have taken them in a bowl mixed with mini cornbread muffins to a gathering, and we love them for brunch!!!

Cinnamon French Toast

I can't take credit for this one...it is all my fantastic hubby...I don't even try to make the French Toast because it won't be as good.  And yes that is his normal size plate of French Toast with the fruit topping:)...

What you will need...

• bread slices (we prefer Great Harvest Honey Whole Wheat...I like thin slices, Jeff likes thick)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp cinnamon (you can add more or less to your taste preference)

Get your griddle good and hot!!! Mix the eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon into a large enough bowl for the bread to go down into.  Dunk each side of each slice in the mixture and put them on the griddle.  Cook a few minutes on each side, until golden brown.  I like mine with maple syrup and Jeff prefers a bit of powdered sugar...YUM-OLA!!!

Huevos Rancheros Cups

Got the idea from Melissa d'Arabian, and added a bit more to the mix.  Jeff and I absolutely love them!!!  Great for brunch or dinner...perfect for family gatherings too! 

What you will need...

• 10 whole wheat flour tortillas (soft taco size)
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/4 cups chunky cilantro salsa (you could make your own, we just bought a jar)
• hot sauce
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 10 large eggs
• 1/3 lb breakfast turkey sausage, cooked and crumbled (we buy the frozen 1 lb ground breakfast turkey sausage roll)
• 2 slices pepper jack cheese, divided into 10 pieces

Preheat your oven to 450*.  Cut just the very outer edges off each tortilla, and brush both sides with a small amount of the melted butter.  Sprinkle each with salt and pepper.  Use the remaining butter to brush the inside of 10 of the muffin pan spots.  Fold each and fit into the muffin pan to form little cups (I found it helpful to make three folds around the sides of the tortillas).  In a bowl, mix the salsa, beans, a splash of hot sauce, and cooked sausage.  Place a spoonful of the mix in each "cup".  Crack an egg on the top of each (that is right, just crack it and let it sit on top).  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, just long enough for the egg to set.  Take the pan out of the oven, top each with a bit of the pepper jack cheese, cover the pan with foil (to keep the edges of the tortillas from burning), and bake 10 more minutes.  You can simply lift the cups out and place them on the plate...YUM-OLA!!!

Sides to think about...great with diced red potatoes (cooked in a skillet or baked in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper), and sauteed spinach.

How many people can eat...This recipe makes 10 "cups", and 1 or 2 is plenty for one person.