Baked Oatmeal Cups

5 cups rolled oats 

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon (opt)
2 large egg
3 cups milk

1/2 cup pure maple syrup
Optional mix ins: chopped apples, bananas, berries, nuts, mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease 2 12-cup muffin pans (you can also use silicone muffin cups). Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin pans (make sure you get equal liquid in each cup so none are dry).

Bake for about 25 minutes, until light golden brown on top and completely set.

Let them sit for 10–20 minutes before removing them from the pan and putting them on a wire rack to cool completely before storing.

Makes 24 muffin cups. May be refrigerated or frozen.

Egg Muffins

72 Tater Tots

1 lb ground sausage, cooked and crumbled (or diced ham)
1/2 cup diced peppers (optional)
13 eggs
1/4-1/2 cup milk
shredded cheese
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.
Grease 2 muffin pans liberally, or use silicone or regular cupcake liners.
Place 3 frozen tater tots in the bottom of each muffin tin and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove and press the tots down to form a base using a glass or measuring cup.
Return to oven and bake for 5 more minutes.
Remove from oven.
Reduce oven temperature to 350.
Top each cup with a little sausage (or ham), and peppers if desired.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into each muffin tin nearly to the top.
Sprinkle each with a little shredded cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes or until egg is cooked.

Makes 24 muffins. May be frozen.

Adapted from midwestmodernmomma.com

Apple and Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup brown sugar
2 ½ cups milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons butter, melted
2-3 large tart sweet apples, (like Honey Crisp or Gala), peeled, cored and diced

INSTRUCTIONS 

Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and brown sugar.

In a large liquid measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and vanilla.

Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients and add the melted butter or coconut oil. Stir or whisk to combine.

Arrange the diced apples evenly over the bottom of the baking dish and pour the oatmeal mixture over the top. You can cover and refrigerate overnight at this point or bake right away (uncover before baking the next morning).

Bake for 35-45 minutes at 325* until the top is golden and the mixture is setup and not super jiggly.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a little milk poured over the top, if desired.

recipe and image from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Cream Cheese Crepe Filling

Avery introduced us to this delicousness! Now we won't be able to enjoy our crepes without it! It is especially good with strawberries on top.

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon juice with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.

Refrigerate until serving. 

Recipe and image from letsdishrecipes.com

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

2 lb frozen southern style hash browns
seasoning salt
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 large onion, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
2 lb ground sausage
24 eggs
salt and pepper
shredded cheese
30 10-inch tortillas

Place hash browns on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Sprinkle generously with seasoning salt. Stir to combine. Bake at 400* for 30 min, stirring every 10 min.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add peppers and onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent. Remove from pan.

Brown sausage in pan. Drain grease. Remove sausage from pan.

Add eggs to the pan and scramble with salt and pepper.

In the skillet, combine hash browns, peppers, onion, sausage, and eggs. Place 3/4 cup of mixture in line down the center of a tortilla. Top generously with shredded cheese. Fold in sides of tortilla and roll up. Wrap in plastic wrap. Place burritos in a large ziploc and freeze. Makes about 30.

Image from damndelicious.net

Grandma's Buttermilk Pancakes

My mom's pancakes really are the best in the whole wide world! She's been making them as long as I remember.

2 eggs
2 cup buttermilk
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 cups flour

Combine. Heat griddle to 350* and pour 1/4 cup of batter at a time to form pancakes. Makes 16-20 pancakes.

Baked French Toast

This is our traditional breakfast on General Conference Sunday!

The night before:

1 loaf of French bread

8 eggs

1 pint of heavy cream

2 t of cinnamon

1-2 t of vanilla

Add-In: 1 bag frozen mixed berries OR

    blueberries, apples and raisins/craisins, etc. (anything you want)

  

Grease a 9x13 pan. Cube the loaf of French bread and place in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, cream, cinnamon, and vanilla then pour over the cubed bread and mix well. Fold in the fruit.  Place the mixture into pan and cover with plastic wrap.  Put in the fridge for 8-10 hrs.

In the Morning:

2 cups of brown sugar

2 TBSP of karo syrup

1 ½ cups butter

Take the pan out of the fridge and let it get to room temp for 30 mins and preheat the to 350.  In a pan melt the brown sugar, karo syrup, and butter and bring to a boil. Let it boil for about 5 mins and then pour over the bread and mix it.  Bake for 30-45 mins or until firm.

Serve with whipped cream.

Overnight Steel Cut Oats

Night before:
1 1/2 c. steel cut oats
4 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt

Bring water to a boil. Add oats and salt and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and leave overnight.

In the morning:
1 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. brown sugar

Reheat oats over medium heat, adding in milk, vanilla, and brown sugar (or any other desired sweeteners or mix-ins). Serves 6-8. This refrigerates and reheats well, so make extra for another easy breakfast!

Perfect Morning Oatmeal

3 c. old-fashioned oats
6 c. water
1/2 tsp. (heaping) salt
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. dried cranberries or raisins
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. ground flax seed
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Heat over medium heat until desired thickness.  Serves 6-8.

German Pancakes

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Whisk the eggs, add the milk and salt, then add the flour slowly, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Pour the melted butter into an ungreased 13 x 9 baking dish; add the batter. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. While baking, mix up a batch of buttermilk syrup.  Serve hot!

Utah Scones (French Beignets)

1 cup warm water

1 cup warm milk

1 Tbsp. dry active yeast

3 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1/4 cup melted butter, cooled

1 Tbsp. salt

5 – 6 cups bread flour

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Combine warm water and warm milk (think baby-bottle warm).  Stir in the sugar.  Add dry active yeast and stir lightly.  Allow yeast to activate, about 10 minutes.  In a stand mixer, fitted with a bread hook, add milk mixture and melted cooled butter.  Add the salt.  Start the mixer and add the flour one cup at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  Dough should be slightly sticky but workable.  Cover the dough in the bowl with a towel.  Set in a warm place and allow to rise until double (about 1 - 1 1/2 hrs.)

Pour your oil in a large pan (with sides deep enough to fully immerse the scones) or a deep fryer and heat slowly over medium heat.  While the oil is heating, roll the dough out onto the counter, without flour, into a large rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.  You may choose to butter the counter lightly.  Using a pizza cutter, cut into 12 squares, then 1/2 each square to make 24 triangles.

Heat oil to between 350 – 360 degrees and cook scones until golden brown on each side. Drain on a paper towel. Serve immediately, but don't burn your fingers!  Original beignets are tossed in or sprinkled with powdered sugar (Mmm!), or try it Utah style and serve with honey butters.  But don't miss enjoying them with buttermilk syrup!

Recipe slightly adapted from www.make-it-do.com

Honey Butters

Basic Honey Butter:
1/2 c. soft butter
1/2 c. honey

Blend with a mixer, or simply by hand.


Variations:
Any-Berry Honey Butter:
1/2 c. soft butter
1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. raspberry, strawberry, huckleberry, etc. jam

Cinammon Vanilla Honey Butter:
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup honey
3/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Recipes slightly adapted from www.preparedpantry.com

Potato and Bacon Breakfast Casserole

4 c. Southern/country-style hash browns (cubes), thawed

1 12-oz. package bacon
1 1/2 c. pepper jack cheese*
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese*
   *(I just used 3 c. cheddar cheese)
1 bunch (about 6) green onions, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
3 eggs
2/3 c. milk
about 1/2 tsp. salt
about 10 turns freshly ground black pepper

Cook bacon.  When the bacon is done cooking, drain it on a paper towel and reserve 4 tablespoons of the drippings. Sauté the potatoes in 2 Tbs. bacon grease until partially cooked.  Place potatoes in a 9x13" baking dish.  Mix the cheeses together and sprinkle over the potatoes. Cook the onions and garlic in 2 Tbs. of the bacon drippings for 2-3 minutes or until they’re tender and fragrant. Spread the onions over the cheese mixture and then sprinkle everything with crumbled bacon.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper then pour the egg mixture evenly over the potato mixture.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or for 7-8 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350.  Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly but not brown. Allow to stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Recipe adapted from www.ourbestbites.com

Yogurt-Bran Muffins

2 cups bran cereal
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups vanilla yogurt
3 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup fresh raspberries or blueberries*

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Fill 2 muffin pans with 24 muffin cups or grease cups.  Crush the bran cereal in a plastic bag.  In a bowl, stir together eggs, oil, and yogurt.  Add cereal, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Stir until moistened.  Gently stir in berries.  Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full.  Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. 

*I think these are great even without the berries.  They would also be good using some mashed banana in place of some of the yogurt.

Gingerbread Waffles

This is our traditional breakfast on Christmas Day!

⅔ cups brown sugar
2 whole large eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 ½ cups buttermilk
½ cup molasses
6 Tbs butter, melted
2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ginger
1½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp nutmeg

In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and egg yolks until smooth and creamy. Stir in buttermilk, molasses, and butter.

Into a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg.

In a glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks have formed.

Add liquid mixture into sifted dry ingredients and stir together. Fold in egg whites.

Cook according to waffle iron instructions. Serve with Buttermilk Syrup!

Buttermilk Syrup

1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbs corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda. Bring to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes, or to 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla. Makes 1 pint.

Whole Grain Pancake Mix

4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned or rolled oats
3 Tbs sugar
3 Tbs baking powder
1 Tbs salt
1 Tbs baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil

To make the mix:
1) Grind the oats in a food processor until they're chopped fine, but not a powder.
2) Put the flour, oats, and all other dry ingredients into a mixer with a paddle. Mix on slow speed, and drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running.
3) Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature, or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make pancakes:
1) Whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup of buttermilk or milk, and 1 large egg. Don't worry if it seems thin at first: the oats will soak up the milk, and the mix will thicken a bit as it stands. Let the batter stand for at least 20 minutes before cooking.
2) Heat a lightly greased griddle to 350°F (or med-high on the stove). Drop batter in 1/4-cupfuls and cook.

Yield: A batch using one cup of the mix will make about eight 4" pancakes.  This recipe makes enough mix for 8 single batches of pancakes.

Tips:
*Buy buttermilk and freeze it in the portion you need so you always have it on hand.
*Try adding 1/4-1/2 cup of milled flax as part of the whole wheat flour.

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

1 quart Whole Milk
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Sugar
2 packages Active Dry Yeast
8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Plenty of Melted Butter
2 cups Sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a large pan. “Scald” the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in each of seven round foil cake or pie pans. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.  (You could use any size and number of pans here, the round pans are good for gift-giving!)

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 375 degrees until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.  Top with cream cheese frosting.

Makes a gazillion cinnamon rolls (50+ depending on size).  Also worth a gazillion weight-watchers points.  :o)

Click HERE for original recipe, pictures, and instructions.

Granola

6 c. old fashioned oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
1 c. coarsely chopped almonds
1 c. coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 c. milled flax seed
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 c. honey
1 c. raisins, craisins, or dried blueberries

Put the oats in a large bowl, stir in salt and cinnamon. Add the nuts and then pour the syrup over all. Stir to combine, then add the fruit and mix it in. Spread on 2 large cookie sheets sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes. Let it cool, and then put it into an airtight container.

Mountain Man Breakfast

1 lb sausage
1/2 lb bacon (cut into small pieces)
1/2 chopped onion
clove garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 jalapeno pepper (more if desired)
4-6 potatoes diced
about 1 tsp. salt (season to taste)
about 1/4 tsp. pepper (season to taste)
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Brown sausage and bacon. Drain. Stir in onion, garlic, and jalapeno and let cook about 3 minutes. Add potatoes, salt, and pepper, and place in a 9x13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 375, or until potatoes are done. Pour eggs over potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered for 5 more minutes or until eggs are cooked through.
*This is an excellent dutch oven dish!