Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole

Another breakfast casserole option that's great for a crowd. What can I say, I'm on a breakfast kick!

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
2 cans of cinnamon rolls
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup maple syrup

Directions
- Melt butter and pour into bottom of 9x13 pan, coating entire surface.
- Cut each cinnamon roll into 8 pieces and place it bottom of dish.
- In mixing bowl beat eggs, milk, and vanilla.
- Pour over rolls.
- Pour maple syrup over the top of entire mixture. (This seems strange, I know.)
- Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.
- Let stand about 5 minutes and drizzle with cinnamon roll icing packs.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality
- The original recipe calls for whipping cream which I rarely have-- milk works fine and is better for you anyways.

Blueberry Muffins

My husband loves muffins! They are his breakfast of choice, if he has a choice. So, rather than buy them from the grocery store, I decided I would make them. I was prepared to search for the perfect recipe and do some kitchen experiments until it was really perfect, but I pretty much lucked out on the first try. Giving credit where credit is due, this is adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

< Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put a cupcake liner in each hole in your muffin pan; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Working over the bowl, toss blueberries in a fine sieve with about 1 1/2 teaspoons flour mixture to lightly coat; set aside the flour mixture and the blueberries.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined.

Add milk, beating until just combined. Do not overmix.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries.

Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. If desired, in a small bowl, mix together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle sugar mixture on top of muffin batter.

Bake, rotating pan halfway though, until muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center of one muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips from Kitchen of Reality:

- The original recipe called for 2 cups of blueberries. I prefer a little less, so I reduced it to 1 1/2 cups. You can tweak this however you like.

- Make sure you have FRESH baking powder. This can make a huge difference in baking. Old baking powder will result in short, un-risen, dense muffins.

- I use cupcake papers, but if you don't have them, you can just butter (or Pam) and flour your muffin pan.

- I used frozen blueberries, and they seemed to work just fine. It's just not blueberry season here yet.

- Be sure to flour your blueberries, as called for in the recipe. Don't ask me why, but this helps them to stay suspended in the batter, rather than all falling to the bottom as your muffins bake.

Baked Cheese Grits

A good southern dish that I love to make for a crowd. It is indeed NOT a healthy recipe, but good nonetheless. My sister, who hates breakfast food, claims this to be her favorite. Enjoy.

Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 cup quick cooking grits
- 2 8-oz blocks of cheese, cubed (your choice what kind)
- 1 stick of butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 eggs, beaten

Directions
- Boil broth, salt, and pepper.
- Stir in grits and simmer for 8 minutes.
- Add cheese, milk, eggs, and butter.
- Pour in a greased 9x13 baking dish.
- Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality
- The cheese choice is up to you-- sharp cheddar is what the original recipe calls for. Last time I made it the brother in law and husband voted to throw in some Cabot habanero cheese and it was AWESOME. Mix it up or use what you've got.
- Depending on your type of grits they may not need to cook for 8 minutes-- but stir occasionally so they don't stick while cooking.
- This is a great "make the night before" item-- then just throw them from the fridge to the oven and you're set to go.

Mini Pumpkin Muffins

The above picture is of Madeline's new favorite sample at Sam's Club, Mini Pumpkin Muffins. It's a good thing she's cute because otherwise I'm sure the sample lady wouldn't have given just anyone 4 whole muffins over the course of our last trip. As I picked up the box to see how many were in it for the crazy price of $5.88, Madeline promptly told me to put it back because the muffins were out over there, pointing to Brenda our favorite Sam's sample lady. Too funny!

Needless to say, I did NOT buy 36 mini muffins for $5.88. On our tight budget it wasn't a splurge I was going for. BUT, I knew I could make a cheap version of my own at home, and sure enough, here it is!


Ingredients
1 box Jiffy Oatmeal Muffin Mix
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
2 tsps pumpkin pie spice

Directions
- Mix all ingredients together and spoon into greased mini muffin pan.
- Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of each muffin if desired.
- Bake @ 350 for 12-14 minutes.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I got the oatmeal muffin mix at Wal-Mart for 56 cents a box.
- I used pumpkin pie spice because I had it, otherwise I would have just used cinnamon.
- For my sprinkle topping, I used demerara sugar (the chunky sugar) it makes for a fun crunchy topping, but use whatever you've got.
- This recipe made 20 mini muffins for less than $2.00!! Take that Sam's Club!!
- This is a great recipe for getting picky kids like Madeline to eat some veggies like pumpkin, sweet potato, or carrot. I might be making some more varieties soon!

PS... Madeline LOVES them!!

Bountiful Brunch Pizza

This was originally a Pampered Chef recipe, but I altered it to my liking and my pantry. Be sure to see the tips at the end for what I did, but the original recipe is below.

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 pkg. (24 ounces) frozen shredded hash brown patties, thawed and broken apart
1 egg, beaten
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Egg Topping:
7 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 cup chopped ham
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup green onion slices
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For crust, combine potatoes, egg, salt and pepper; mix well. Spread potato mixture onto pan; pat down with back of spoon. Bake 10 minutes; remove from oven.

For egg topping, whisk eggs and milk in bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Microwave on high 3 minutes; stir. Microwave an additional 3 minutes; stir. Spread cooked egg mixture evenly over potato crust; top with ham, mushrooms, green onion and bell pepper. Sprinkle with cheese.

Return to oven. Bake 10 minutes. To serve, cut into wedges with pizza cutter.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- I used shredded hashbrowns in a bag and only used 16 ounces.
- I don't like eggs cooked in the microwave, so I cooked the egg/milk mixture on the stove top until it was the consistency of runny scrambled eggs. (Remember it gets baked in the oven too, so you don't want the eggs overdone.)
- Use whatever toppings you've got. I made a sausage, mushroom, and cheese instead of onion, peppers, and ham. It's a pizza, so use what you've got.

Strawberry Rhubarb Freezer Jam

While we were up north I got a bunch of rhubarb and decided to try making some strawberry-rhubarb jam. It turned out super yummy! Here's the recipe for anyone who might want to try it.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups fruit (I used 1 cup strawberries and 1 cup rhubarb)
- 4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 box sure jell

Directions:
- Chop, mash, or food process your fruit to the desired "chunkiness"
- In a large bowl, mix fruit with sugar and let stand about 10 minutes
- On the stove, boil water.
- Add the sure jell and boil for one minute.
- Pour sure jell mixture into your bowl of fruit/sugar- and mix well for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour the jam into glass or plastic containers.
- Allow to set for 24 hours without the lids.
- After 24 hours, either put them in the freezer or the fridge. (Keeps up to 1 year in the freezer or a few weeks in the fridge.)

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:
- If you live in Gaston County, Lineberger Farm's Market Stand sells packets of "dutch jell" for $1 that I think works better than the certo or sure jell that you buy at the store for jams and jellies-- and it is WAY cheaper.
- This is the same recipe I use for regular strawberry jam-- just use 2 cups of strawberries and no rhubarb.

Pecan Pie Mini Muffins

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans, chopped
2/3 butter (not margarine), melted
2 eggs, beaten

In a bowl, combine brown sugar, flour and pecans and set aside. In another bowl, combine butter and eggs; mix well. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Fill greased and floured mini muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes, or until muffins test done. Remove immediately to cool on wire racks. Yield: 2 dozen

Pumpkin Muffins

These Pumpkin Muffins are very easy to make and very tasty.

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture.

Combine pumpkin and next 6 ingredients (pumpkin through egg white); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

Combine 1 Tbsp granulated sugar and brown sugar; sprinkle over muffins.

Bake for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in the center. Remove from pans immediately; cool on wire rack.

Yield: 18 servings

Notes from Kitchen of Reality:
-I use my 1.5 oz ice cream scoop to measure the batter and ensure equally sized muffins. I made 21 this way.
-I doubled the topping to give the tops extra crunch. The way it is written now, the sugar melts into the top and doesn't give it any crunch.

Sausage & Mushroom Quiche

This is an altered Paula Deen recipe. It is good with a salad for dinner or for breakfast with muffins. Try it... you'll like it!

Ingredients
1 1-lb. package ground sausage (cooked, drained, and crumbled)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms (sliced or chopped-- depends on how you like them)
1/2 large Vidalia (or other mild) onion, chopped (OPTIONAL-- I don't use b/c I hate onion!)
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1-8oz package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1- 9 inch refrigerator pie crust (or homemade if you're feeling ambitious)

Directions
- Saute mushrooms (and onions) in butter until tender.
- Mix all ingredients together in large bowl.
- Pour into pie crust.
- Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes
- Cool at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality
- I use low fat or fat free sour cream & cottage cheese-- it works fine.
- This is a great recipe to make the night before then pour in the crust right before you bake.

Fruit and Cheese-stuffed French Toast

This breakfast/dinner serves 2. I have made this numerous times and my family LOVES it. We actually eat it more for dinner than for breakfast. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp light cream cheese (Neufachatel) softened (off brand works fine)
4 slices whole-wheat bread
2 Tbsp strawberry jam
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
3 Tbsp fat-free milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sliced strawberries (optional)

Directions:
-Spread the cream cheese evenly on 2 slices of bread leaving a 1/8 inch border. Spread the strawberry jam on the remaining slices of bread also leaving a border. Put the slices of bread together to make 2 cream cheese-fruit sandwiches. Set aside.
-Beat the egg and egg whites in a large shallow bowl or pie plate; whisk in the milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add a sandwich to the mixture and allow to soak for a few seconds. Flip and coat other side.
-Spray a large non-stick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the sandwiches and cook until browned. Serve with a little syrup and fresh berries if you have them.

Notes: One sandwich is not enough for Matt, so I actually make three sandwiches with the same recipe. For us, there is enough egg mixture to generously coat three sandwiches. I just do 1 Tbsp cream cheese and 1 Tbsp jam for each sandwich.

Bonus! If you are on Weight Watchers and eat one sandwich with no syrup this is a 5 point recipe.

Mini Cinnamon Rolls

I'm not even sure where this recipe came from originally, but Mom (Diane) and I have been making these for years. I love them because you don't feel bad about eating these tiny little rolls as opposed to a HUGE cinnamon roll-- but that's just me! :)

Here's the recipe!

2 packages of crescent rolls (off brand works fine)
1/2 cup butter/margarine, softened (not melted, Rachel)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk

- Mix brown sugar & cinnamon in small bowl.
- Separate each tube of crescent rolls into 4 big rectangles-- press perforations closed. (This will make more sense when you open the can of crescent rolls!)
- Roll with a rolling pin to make bigger.
- Spread each rectangle with butter and then generously sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix.
- Roll up each rectangle starting at the short end.
- Cut each roll into 5 or 6 slices.
- Place cut side down onto a greased baking pan. (Put them fairly close together!)
- Bake 20-25 minutes @ 350.
- Make glaze of powdered sugar and milk.
- Let rolls cool slightly before topping with the glaze.


NOTES FROM A KITCHEN OF REALITY:
I usually end up having to add more sugar and cinnamon towards the end-- what can I say-- more is better! I also for the first time this weekend, made these ahead of time. I stopped short of cutting them, just wrapped them in parchment paper and put them in the fridge. I was actually able to get about 8 slices this way.

The best part about them being pre-made and sitting in my fridge you ask?? My husband cut them this morning, threw them in the toaster oven and made me breakfast!! AWESOME right??

Happy Cooking!