It is no secret that I am downright obsessed with mashed potatoes. It’s not something I hide. I embrace my addiction. So when I had leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving I did the next best thing to sitting on the couch with a bowl of them on my lap watching a Lifetime movie: I made them for breakfast. And sat on the couch and watched a Lifetime movie.

This recipe assumes that you have leftover mashed potatoes which, in all honesty, is a rarity in our home. But leftover mashed potatoes are essential because fresh mashed potatoes would result in gooey pancakes. And no one would eat the gooey pancakes. And if no one ate the gooey pancakes then you wasted mashed potatoes. And to waste mashed potatoes is blasphemy. So if you don’t have mashed potatoes in your fridge, make them ahead of time then make these pancakes the next day.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated romano cheese
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Transfer to paper towel lined plate.  Reserve pan drippings but remove from heat so that it doesn’t burn while you prepare the pancakes.
2. Combine bacon, mashed potatoes, eggs, green onions and romano cheese. Mix well.  Form into 4 – 6 hamburger sized patties.
3. Combine panko, garlic powder and kosher salt on a plate.  Press potato pancakes into the panko mixture.
4. Return the bacon drippings to medium heat. Once hot, place pancakes into drippings. Cook until browned on both sides and warmed through. About 3 minutes each side.
5. Serve.

Enjoy!

Fried. Pork. Honestly there is not much more that needs to be said about it.  I could say how crispy the perfectly seasoned panko breading is. I could say how tender the pork is. I could say how it took all of me to refrain from eating it while Ryan was taking the picture. And I could say how Ryan and I loved this so much the only thing muttered over the table during dinner was “Mmmm….good”. But, I’m not going to say any of that. Instead all I’m going to say is Fried. Pork.

This is a breading technique that I have used for a really long time without ever realizing that there was actually a name for it. I  always use panko bread crumbs when I fry, or bake, things because they make for a much crispier crust. And when I’m frying something or even baking something my favorite part is always the crispy outside that crunches with the first bite. Once you try the pork, you’ll want to try it on other things too. Some of my favorites are chicken and zucchini.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 4 boneless pork chops 1/4 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling on pork
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for sprinkling on pork
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• canola oil for frying

1. Lightly season both sides of the pork chops with kosher salt and black pepper.
2. Set up an assembly line with flour, egg and panko bread crumbs. Season the flour with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Use the remaining salt and pepper to season the panko bread crumbs.
3. Dip one pork chop into the flour, then into the egg and finally into the panko bread crumbs. Be sure to coat completely. Set aside. Repeat until all pork chops are coated.
4. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop a couple panko bread crumbs in the oil, if they sizzle the oil is hot enough. Cook pork chops until cooked through and golden brown, 3 – 4 minutes per side.
5. Slice and serve.

Enjoy!

I will be the first to admit that I’m not really a breakfast fan. I never really have been. I didn’t eat it much while I was growing up and that bad habit followed me into adulthood. When I do make breakfast it is usually the same ol’ same ol’: eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast. Frankly it was getting a tad bit boring. I felt I need to burst out of my boring breakfast shell a little bit and try something with a little more flavor, something with a little kick, something like these huevos rancheros with chorizo refried beans.

For the record, I know that usually huevos rancheros does not involve chorizo and in its purest form doesn’t even have refried beans. But I felt like shaking things up a bit. It was a little bit of a risk but what can I say, I live on the edge. OK maybe not really, but I do like experimenting in the kitchen and unlike my apple pie (more about that in a couple weeks), this experiment actually turned out really really good. I was eating the chorizo refried mixture by the spoonful as Ryan was taking pictures.

You will notice that this recipe calls for 4 – 8 eggs. Some people like 1 egg on their huevos rancheros and some people like 2. Do what ever suits your fancy.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 12 ounces ground chorizo
• 1 (15 ounce) can refried beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 corn tortillas
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 – 8 eggs

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 of the diced onion and cook just until softened. Stir in chorizo. Cook 5-7 minutes or until chorizo is cooked through. Stir in refried beans. Cook 5 more minutes. Reduce heat to low and let simmer.
2. In another skillet heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Add in remaining onions and cook just until softened. Stir in fire roasted tomatoes and kosher salt. Allow to cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and let simmer.
3. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in another skillet. Cook tortillas 30 seconds on each side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. In the same skillet that you cooked the tortillas, melt butter over medium heat. Cook eggs 3 – 4 minutes or until yolk is set and white is cooked.
5. To assemble: place 2 tortillas on a plate. Spread chorizo refried beans on tortillas. Place one egg on the top and spoon tomatoes over plate.
6. Serve.

Enjoy!

When I told Ryan that I was going to blog about scrambled eggs he scoffed at the idea and said ” Scrambled eggs? Isn’t that one of those things that you don’t need a recipe for?” Maybe or maybe not but the recipe for scrambled eggs that I am sharing with you today isn’t for just any run of the mill scrambled eggs. No, not at all.  Sure the ingredient list includes butter, eggs and milk. But it also includes cream cheese and truffle salt. The result is the creamiest, most flavorful scrambled eggs ever to grace your breakfast plate and it is the perfect recipe for the Truffle Salt winner to try.

Since this was my first giveaway I wasn’t really sure how I wanted to pick the winner so I did it the good ol’ fashioned way. To pick the winner we actually printed the comments, cut them into equal sized pieces (and in this case when I say “we” I mean Ryan) and placed them in a bowl. Then I put on a blindfold and picked the winner.  In other words it was totally random.

And the winner is….

Congrats Melanie! I’ve emailed you at the email address you provided with all of the details.

Thank you to everyone that entered the giveaway. I really enjoyed reading all of your entries regarding your favorite things about Thanksgiving. Since I asked you all to share, I thought that I would too. My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is spending time with the family and friends that I don’t get to see that often since we’ve moved away from home. The mashed potatoes aren’t half bad either.

Now, on with the eggs.

Serves 2

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 5 large eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 ounce cream cheese, softened cut into small cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon truffle salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• fresh parsley, chopped

1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
2. In a bowl whisk together eggs and milk. Once butter is melted, pour eggs into the pan. Cook for 2 minutes. Add in diced cream cheese.
3. Cook eggs for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until eggs are fluffy and cooked through.
4. Remove eggs from heat and sprinkle with truffle salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
5. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

It’s finally Friday! I am very much looking forward to this weekend, not that I am doing anything too out of the ordinary. I plan to just relax, maybe spend some time in the sun, catch up on some reading and maybe even a Mariner game. But no matter what we decide to do, I will probably make this breakfast at least one of the days. I love this because it’s a one pan dish that incorporates many of my favorite flavors: eggs, bacon, mushrooms, onions and spinach.

I struggled with whether or not to call this an omelet or a frittata, but as you can see frittata won. I chose this because, it is more similar to a frittata then an omelet, the only difference being that for this breakfast I didn’t broil it like you would normally do for a frittata, I actually cook it in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are set. Then like a frittata, I cut it into wedges and serve. But regardless of what you call it, it is a delicious and filling breakfast. :)

Serves 2

You will need:

• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 5 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup packed spinach leaves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. In an 8-inch skillet, fry bacon. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 1 teaspoon pan drippings.
4. In the same 8-inch skillet with the pan drippings, cook onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook 3 more minutes. Add spinach leaves and cook just until the spinach wilts. Return the bacon to the pan.
5. Pour eggs over the spinach mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the eggs are set.
6. Remove from the oven, allow to cool 5 minutes, the eggs will continue to cook. Cut into wedges, serve immediately.

Note: It is important to use an 8-inch skillet, I used a bigger one once on accident and although it was scrumptious, my frittata was very flat.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and if you have a special occasion like an anniversary or birthday coming up, make this for your sweetie, I am sure they will appreciate it. Enjoy!

Standard weekday breakfasts in our house consist of some fresh fruit and cereal, but on lazy weekend mornings I like to treat Ryan and myself to a nice hot breakfast. We usually have the traditional breakfast of eggs, bacon or sausage, potatoes and toast, but this last weekend I wanted something a little different. I happened to have a couple of potatoes, some onions, green bell peppers, sausage, cheddar cheese and eggs and I decided to throw it all together in the skillet to cook. It was so delicious that I thought I would share it with you just in time for the weekend.

Skillet breakfasts like this are nice because you can throw in whatever you have on hand.  I have made them before with a few diced tomatoes, mushrooms and fresh baby spinach leaves. Bacon or some spicy chorizo would also be great in here.

Serves 2:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 small russet potatoes, diced
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 sausage patties, crumbled
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• salt and pepper
• shredded cheddar for garnish

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the potatoes 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same skillet cook onions and bell pepper until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add crumbled sausage. Cook until sausage is cooked through. Return the potatoes to the skillet.
3. Beat eggs and milk together in a bowl. Pour eggs over mixture. Cook for 2 minutes or until the edges of the eggs start to cook. Stir and cook until the eggs are cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Serve hot.

So go ahead make a pot of coffee or hot chocolate and treat yourself to a nice warm breakfast this weekend. Enjoy!

So there is an ongoing joke in my house about what to do with overripe bananas. Ryan eats bananas pretty regularly but every once in awhile a few bananas are left on the shelf and start to turn. He says “Des, I am going to throw these bananas away,” and I always say “NO! I am going to make banana bread with them.” And you know what, despite the fact that Ryan and I have had this exact same conversation about 10 times…I never do. They always sit there and rot until I eventually throw them out. Well this time, I beat Ryan to the punch. I saw the bananas and thought OK I am going to make banana bread this time. And in my opinion, one of the only things better than banana bread is banana bread with chocolate chips in it.

Makes: 1 loaf

You will need:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 overripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, buter and bananas. Whisk in flour mixture gradually. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Grease a 9 1/2 x 5 1/2 loaf pan with a little butter and pour in mixture. Cook 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Bread will be golden brown.
5. Remove from oven, cool in pan for about 30 minutes. Remove from pan, place on cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.

With just the right amount of banana flavor and a sprinkling of chocolate chips, this bread was perfect for breakfast and dessert.  Enjoy! Oh and one last thing…

Before I go, I also wanted to take a minute to send a big THANK YOU to Rita at Pink Bites for awarding me my first blog award, The Adorable Blog award! :) In addition to her adorable blog, there are a couple of blogs that I am passing it along to:

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With Christmas day less than a week away I thought I would share a breakfast recipe inspired by the season.  I got the idea for this french toast when my mom made something similar to this a few years back. It is the perfect Christmas morning breakfast, combining traditional french toast with the seasonal favorite, eggnog. 

Serves: 4

You will need:

• 2 cups of eggnog
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 slices of french bread
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• Powdered sugar
• Maple syrup

1. Whisk eggnog, egg, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium sized bowl.
2. In a shallow pan melt butter over medium heat.
3. Dip the french bread in the eggnog mixture. Be sure to coat both sides.
4. Cook the coated bread on one side until it is golden brown and then flip and cook until the other side is golden brown. About 5 minutes.
5. Transfer to a plate, drizzle maple syrup  and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Now I can’t promise that this french toast will pull anyone away from the presents on Christmas morning, but it will be a breakfast that truly fits the season. It could even become a tradition, I know it is something I look forward to. Enjoy!