Marvelous Mini Meatloaves & Easy Oatmeal Batter Bread

Here are a couple of easy recipes that I threw together a few days ago to make a hearty "meat and potatoes" kind of meal.  I threw in some steamed broccoli and instant mashed potatoes (I love the Betty Crocker Creamy Butter packages, already flavored, just add water!).  I like these mini meatloaves because it cuts bake time in half and they're convenient and easy for eating and reheating.  The second recipe is my favorite when I'm craving warm, homemade bread.  It doesn't require any kneading and the whole wheat flour and oatmeal help make it a little healthier, too!

Marvelous Mini Meatloaves

Take 1 lb. extra lean ground beef, 1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stove Top Stuffing Mix and 1 cup water and mix & match your recipe from these options (I made the Italian version):

                                   Seasoning               Add-Ins                      Cheese

Italian                    1 tsp. Italian   3/4 c. spaghetti                  3/4 c. shredded

                                    seasoning                sauce                                   mozzarella

Fiesta                     2 tsp. chili        3/4 c. salsa                           3/4 c. shredded

                                    powder                                                                     Mexican

Mediterranean   1 tsp. dried      3/4 c. chopped roasted   3/4 c. crumbled

                                    oregano                    red peppers                             feta

BBQ                         1 tsp. garlic      3/4 c. barbecue                  3/4 c. shredded 

                                     powder                    sauce                                      cheddar

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix meat, stuffing mix, water and the seasoning until well blended.  Press evenly into 12 medium muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray; make an indentation in center of each with back of spoon.

2.  Spoon add-ins evenly into indentations in meatloaves.

3.  Bake 30 min. or until meatloaves are cooked through.  Top evenly with cheese, continue baking 5 min. or until cheese is melted.  Let stand 10 min. before serving.

Makes 6 servings, 2 meatloaves each.

Easy Oatmeal Batter Bread

Prep:  25 min.

Rise:  1 1/4 hours

Bake:  40 min.

Makes:  1 loaf (12 slices)

1 c. warm fat-free milk

1/4 c. honey or packed brown sugar

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1/2 tsp. salt

1 3/4 c. bread flour or all-purpose flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 T canola oil

3/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. rolled oats

nonstick cooking spray

1.  In a large mixing bowl combine milk, honey, yeast, and salt; stir until yeast dissolves.  Let stand 5 min.

2.  Add flour, egg, and oil to yeast mixture.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined.  Beat 3 min. on high speed, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in whole wheat flour and oats until combined.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (45 to 60 min.).

3.  Lightly coat a 9x5x3 loaf pan with cooking spray.  Stir dough down and spoon into prepared loaf pan.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 30 min.).

4.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake about 40 min. until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped.  Immediately remove bread from pan.  Cool on wire rack.

Cake Mix Cookies

This super easy recipe has been a family favorite for years.  You can make it with any cake mix, and I think I've tried them all!  I think my favorite has been butter pecan.  I recently made a batch of strawberry with vanilla frosting, by request from my coworkers.

Ingredients:

1 packaged cake mix, any flavor

1/3 c. oil

2 eggs

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.  You may use an electric mixer if you prefer, but I generally mix by hand with a wooden spoon.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls (or use a cookie scoop).  Bake 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet, flatten slightly.  Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes (my cookie scoop makes slightly larger cookies, adjust times accordingly).

Frost cooled cookies with canned frosting, if desired.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com recently and it baked up into a moist and delicious treat!  I like to have muffins on hand to heat up in the mornings so I actually baked some of mine in a muffin pan and then just poured the rest of the batter into a normal loaf pan (adjusting the cook times accordingly and checking them often).

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 c vegetable oil

3 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 c white sugar (I substituted one c with Splenda)

2 c shredded zucchini

3 c all-purpose flour (I used 1 c all-purpose, 1 c whole wheat, and 1/2 c oatmeal)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 T ground cinnamon

1 pint fresh blueberries

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease 4 mini-loaf pans.

2.  In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar.  Fold in the zucchini.  Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Gently fold in the blueberries.  Transfer to the prepared mini-loaf pans.

3.  Bake 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool 20 minutes in pans, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Crepes

While vacationing in Paris earlier this year, I fell in love with crepes.  I ate them every chance I got and, lucky for me, you can find them just about anywhere in Paris.  There are crepe stands on the street, they are on restaurant menus, and there are dozens of creperies that serve nothing but crepes.  My favorite was Nutella and banana, but I tried all different types.  You can even have crepes as a meal, as they don't limit the fillings to just sweets.  Before leaving Paris, I swore that I was going to learn how to make this delicious treat and recreate them at home.  And today, I did just that.  :)

I found this recipe in my trusty Better Homes & Gardens cookbook.  I mangled my first attempt, but after giving it another go, I was a pro by the time I finished the batch.  In fact, once I got the hang of it, I discovered they're nearly impossible to mess up.  I was busy doing other things so I left them in the pan for varying amounts of time and none burned or were dark at all.  In fact, the longer I let them cook, the easier they were to remove from the pan.

I didn't have any bananas here, so I made mine with Nutella and served them with fresh strawberries on the side and they were pretty good, if I do say so myself.  Even Johnathon gave them his approval.

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 c. milk

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 T cooking oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1.  In a medium mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, flour, oil, and salt; beat until combined (if you've never seen crepes made, don't expect this to look like pancake batter, it's going to be very thin).

2.  Heat a lightly (very lightly) greased 6-inch skillet; remove from heat.  Spoon in 2 tablespoons batter; lift and tilt skillet to spread batter.  Return to heat (the recipe doesn't specify, but I found that a relatively high temperature worked best); brown on one side only.

Makes 18 crepes.  To store prepared crepes, layer cooled crepes with sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; freeze for up to 4 months.  Thaw at room temperature 1 hour before using.

Saturday, Pancake Day

On Father's Day, Brittany shared a post (here) which explained the pancake tradition for our family. In my home, Saturday is officially known as Pancake Day (I'm just not willing to get up early enough to make them before church on Sundays). My girls LOVE pancakes as much as their Aunt Brittany and they're often asking if it's Pancake Day yet by Wednesday.

I don't very often make pancakes from scratch so I'm not sharing a recipe here, but I love to customize our pancakes by adding a variety of ingredients. The basic mix that I start with is Aunt Jemima's Whole Wheat Blend. They are very good as is, but I rarely leave them that way. I almost always add some vanilla when I mix them up. From there, I choose from a number of add-ins based on what sounds good for that morning. Some of my favorites include: oatmeal, canned pumpkin, applesauce and mashed banana. With most of these I throw in some cinnamon as well. The stack pictured above was perfected by adding a personal favorite: grated zucchini along with cinnamon. Hope you'll try playing with your pancakes, too!

Easy Summer Cupcakes

I got this recipe from my cousin during my recent trip home.  She made it in cake form but I wanted to try cupcakes for us.  I made these for 4th of July weekend and they were perfect for a light summery treat!  This is actually a Weight Watchers recipe, so they're guilt-free!

1 white cake mix

1 can 7up or Sprite

Light Cool Whip

strawberries, hulled & halved

Mix the cake mix and soda in a large bowl.  I just used a whisk but you could use a mixer if you like.  Pour into greased cake pan or use paper liners for cupcakes.  I baked mine according to the directions on the cake mix, but just tried to keep an eye on them when they got towards the end.  I think I ended up pulling mine out a little early and they were done.  They didn't really seem to brown like a cake normally would, perhaps the absence of eggs?  This made about 18 cupcakes for me, but I tend to fill them pretty full.

Let cool completely.  Frost with Cool Whip.  For mine, I spooned the Cool Whip into a large Ziploc bag, cut off a generous tip and piped it on.  I had the whole batch frosted in no more than 3 minutes.  Place one strawberry in the center of each cupcake and you're done!

Obviously this can be altered in whatever way you want.  I originally intended to use blueberries and strawberries for my July 4 theme, but the blueberries were too expensive that day!  You could use lots of different fruits, or none at all.  Top with nuts or chocolate chips or sprinkles, whatever your heart desires.  You can also do this with any type of cake mix, so you've got endless options!  It makes a really moist cake that is oh-so-delicious.

Pumpkin Loaf

Here it is, the final pumpkin treat.  I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com and it was definitely a keeper!

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans because it's what I had on hand)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
2. Put softened cheese, butter, and sugar in mixing bowl. Cream together well. Beat in eggs one at a time until blended. Mix in pumpkin.
3. In another bowl combine flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and walnuts. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour all at once over batter. Stir just enough to moisten. Turn into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 60-70 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove to rack to finish cooling.

Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Pancakes

Didn't I promise you more pumpkin recipes?  Well, here was a yummy yummy breakfast treat.  To make it extra amazing, I made mine up extra special with banana slices in between two pancakes, then topped it off with butter, syrup, Cool Whip, and chopped pecans.  Mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk (I added some extra because I thought the batter was a little thick for my taste)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I substituted with chopped pecans)

Directions

1. Stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate large bowl, lightly beat together the milk, egg, pumpkin, and oil. Stir flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture, blending just until moistened.
2. Heat a lightly greased griddle over medium high heat.
3. Pour batter, 1/3 cup at a time, onto the prepared griddle. Make a jack-o-lantern face in each pancake with the chocolate chips. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, then flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 5 minutes per side.

Monica's Pasta Salad

This is a super pasta salad recipe that I got from a church friend. What's unique about it is the dressing - it's slightly sweet like the classic cucumber stuff, but it has way more seasoning. I'm sharing my tweaked version because the original had far too much dressing (and sugar) for the amount of salad.

Salad (mix together):
1 pkg tri-color rotini pasta, cooked and drained
desired vegetable ingredients, suggested:
diced cucumber
grape tomatoes
green/red peppers
sliced black olives

Dressing (whisk together):
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp each: parsley, seasoned salt, garlic powder
1/2 tsp each: pepper, salt

Pour dressing over salad mixture and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.

Serves: 10-12

Southwest Eggrolls & Cool Avocado Dip

Source: Taste of Home, Dec/Jan 09

I LOVE these southwest egg rolls. The are very similar to the ones that Chili's had (has?). This is intended as a party appetizer so it makes a lot. I usually make a full recipe of the filling, make enough egg rolls for supper, then freeze the remaining filling for future use. Last week I morphed some leftover filling into an excellent variation on jambalaya by adding rice and smoked sausage. Bonus: one-year-old son eats it!

2-1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1-1/2 cups Mexican cheese blend
2/3 cup frozen corn, thawed
2/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
5 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp grated lime peel
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pkg (16 oz) egg roll wrappers
oil for frying

In a large bowl, combine first 10 ingredients (through cayenne pepper). Place 3 Tbsp filling in the center of one egg roll wrapper. (Keep remaining wrappers covered w/ damp paper towel.) Fold bottom corner over filling. Fold sides toward center over filling. Moisten remaining corner with water; roll up tightly to seal. Repeat for desired number of egg rolls.

In deep skillet or deep fat fryer, heat oil to 375. Fry egg rolls, a few at a time, for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Dip:

1 cup ranch dressing
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and mashed
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp grated lime peel

Mix together and serve with egg rolls.

Smarter Fettuccine Alfredo

This one's a favorite that I've had for several years now.  It's good just as the pasta alone, or I've added chicken, broccoli, or here, shrimp (I just tossed some frozen cooked shrimp in with the pasta while is was boiling).

8 oz fettuccine, uncooked

1 1/4 c fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

4 tsp flour

1/3 c light cream cheese

3 T grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp garlic powder (optional)

2 T fresh chopped parsley

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, combine broth and flour in medium saucepan.  Stir in cream cheese, 2 T of Parmesan, nutmeg, pepper, and garlic powder.  Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with whisk until mixture boils and thickens.

Drain pasta.  Toss with sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and parsley.

4 servings

Pumpkin Pie Muffins

So with Moving Day quickly approaching, I've been trying to clean out the freezer and the pantry.  I located one very large can of pumpkin and, even though I usually wait until fall, I've been whipping up some tasty pumpkin treats that I'd like to share.  The first:  Pumpkin Pie Muffins.  Sorry for all the substitutions, but I'm trying to clear out the pantry, not fill it up, and they turned out de-lish anyway!

Ingredients:

cooking spray

1 c. flour

1 c. whole-wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp nutmeg

3/4 c dark brown sugar

3 T unsulfured molasses (though to be honest, I just used maple syrup instead)

1/4 c canola oil

2 large eggs

1 c canned pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 c lowfat buttermilk (again, I just used regular skim milk)

1/4 c unsalted raw pumpkin seeds (which I substituted with chopped pecans)

Preheat oven to 400.  Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.  (Note:  I think this recipe is for jumbo-size muffins.  I couldn't fit all the batter in my normal muffin pan, so I just baked the excess in a small Pyrex dish.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda, salt, and spices.  In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, molasses, oil, and one of the eggs until combined.  Add the other egg and whisk well.  Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla.  Stir in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk, just until combined.  Pour the batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each about 2/3 full, and sprinkle the tops with the pumpkin seeds.  Tap the pan on the corner a few times to remove any air bubbles.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy warm or let cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Tip:  I like to have muffins for breakfast even during the week so I use that freezer trick.  When I bake muffins I put the whole batch in a plastic container in the freezer and just pop one in the microwave for 35 seconds in the morning before work.

Lite Sausage Primavera

This dish has become a favorite go-to meal in our house.  When I don't know what to make, this is it.  When I'm going to be gone and need something easy for Johnathon to heat up and not get tired of, this is it.  When my brother and his girlfriend visit and I need to think of a meal on the spot, this is it.  I make it enough that I already know what to buy, what I have on hand, and that no matter what, we'll both enjoy it.

Ingredients:

16 oz. pkg spaghetti, uncooked (I like to use half whole wheat)

1 lb. pkg Hillshire Farms Lite Smoked Sausage, sliced (I usually can't find Lite so I get the turkey sausage and it's just as good)

dash cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried basil

2 tsp chicken flavor instant bouillon

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small zucchini, cut into strips (or slices, that tends to be easier for me)

1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips (I've tried with any color bell pepper, they're all good!)

3 T olive oil  (it seems like a lot, but remember this is your sauce)

1 small onion, but into wedges

Directions:

1.  Prepare spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain.

2.  Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat oil.  Add remaining ingredients.  Stir-fry until sausage is browned and vegetables are tender (I usually hold off on adding the veggies until the sausage has started to brown so the vegetables don't get too soft).  Add spaghetti.  Toss to coat.

summer chicken salad

Another favorite summer recipe from another cousin. I love this stuff!

I'm listing ingredients but not amounts because this is one to throw together based on your own taste. If it looks good to you, it will be!

cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
chopped celery
chopped walnuts
red grapes, halved
light mayonnaise
sugar (optional)
dill

Mix all together gently. Serve on croissants, bread, bun or on its own.

Broccoli Salad

This is an example of why it is worthwhile to ask for guests to bring a favorite recipe for your bridal shower. It came from my cousin Lori (in addition to a Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe that is guaranteed to be posted in the future). I LOVE this salad. You can find it in my fridge regularly from May through September. It just says "summer" to me.

In salad bowl, combine:

1 bag broccoli slaw

3 stalks celery, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

½ c sunflower kernels

¾ c slivered almonds

Dressing; whisk together:

*Note: This is the full recipe, but I usually make half for the amount of salad above.

½ c oil (sunflower preferred; I usually use canola)

2 tsp soy sauce

½ c sugar

¼ c white vinegar

Garnish:

1 can rice noodles or 1 pkg ramen noodles, broken

Pour dressing over salad and stir gently. Refrigerate. Add noodles just before serving.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I've been craving cookies for the past couple of weeks so I finally caved in this weekend and made these Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.  I've had this recipe for several years now and it is a favorite for both of us.  There's an extra bonus because as far as cookies go, these really aren't all that bad for you.  Johnathon is not a raisin fan so I usually mix up the dough and get half of them baking before mixing raisins in the other half of the dough.  You'll want to make at least 2 batches, trust me.  :)

1/4 c. butter

1/3 c. low-fat cream cheese

1 c. brown sugar

1 egg yolk

3/4 tsp vanilla

3/4 c. flour

1 1/2 c. oatmeal

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c. raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat a baking sheet with canola oil.

In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese and brown sugar.  Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix briefly.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Add to creamed mixture and mix until all dry ingredients are moistened.

Portion heaping teaspoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet 1 1/2 inches apart.  Bake for 7 minutes, lightly flatten with finger, and bake an additional 4 minutes.

Makes about 24 cookies.

Scrambled Egg Pizza

1 16 oz. loaf frozen bread dough, thawed

1 c. chopped zucchini or green pepper

1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 T cooking oil

8 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1 T butter or margarine

1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

2 strips bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, & crumbled

1.  Grease a 13-in pizza pan; set aside.  On a lightly floured surface, roll bread dough into a 14-in circle.  If dough is difficult to roll out, stop and let it rest a few minutes.  Transfer dough to prepared pan.  Build up edges slightly.  Prick dough generously with a fork.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until light brown.

2.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook zucchini, mushrooms, and, if desired, crushed red pepper in hot oil 5 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender.  Remove zucchini mixture and drain.

3.  In a medium bowl beat together eggs and milk.  In the same skillet melt butter over medium heat; pour in egg mixture.  Scramble eggs over medium heat 2-3 minutes until mixture is cooked through but is still glossy and moist.

4.  Sprinkle half of the cheese over the hot crust.  Top with scrambled eggs, zucchini mixture, bacon, and remaining cheese.  Bake for 5-8 minutes more until cheese melts.

As you can see, I'm still into the breakfast for dinner mode.  I'm not a bacon fan so I usually make this vegetarian.  Today I had some leftover cubed ham in the fridge, so I added that and it was tasty too.  For a shortcut, you could also use canned mushrooms or whatever toppings you like.  This is really easy and I love using the frozen bread dough for the crust.  I've used it for other homemade pizzas many times and it always turns out good!

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Spiced Sweet Potatoes

For the chicken....

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup dry bread crumbs

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a bowl, blend the olive oil and garlic. In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, and pepper. Dip each chicken breast in the oil mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish, and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.

Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

6 servings

....and the potatoes....

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Smucker's® Apricot Preserves

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into eight wedges

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a heavy saucepan, combine SMUCKER'S® preserves and water. Over medium high heat, bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove mixture from heat and stir in lemon juice, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Arrange sweet potatoes in a baking pan. Using a pastry brush, baste potatoes thoroughly with sauce, using about half the sauce. Bake about 40 minutes, or until tender, basting with remaining sauce about halfway through cooking time.

8 servings

Ham 'N' Egg Skillet

Here's a great breakfast-for-dinner (or breakfast, or lunch) recipe that I've made a couple of times and we really like.

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 T butter or margarine

1/4 c. chopped onion

1/4 c. chopped green pepper

1 c. cubed fully cooked ham

6 eggs, beaten

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

salt & pepper, to taste

In a skillet, saute potatoes in butter until tender and golden brown. Add the onion, green pepper, and ham.  Continue to cook until potatoes and ham are nicely browned and vegetables are crisp-tender.  Add salt and pepper to your taste.  When potatoes, ham, and vegetables are nearly done, scramble eggs in a separate skillet.  To serve, pile potato mixture on top of eggs and top with shredded cheese (as you can see, I like lots!).

Here is the original recipe.  You'll notice I think the egg ratio was a little low, so I increased the amount, and I also changed the instructions to my liking.  I usually just make enough eggs for what we'll eat in one sitting, then scramble more when I'm heating up leftovers of the potato mixture.  We've also used this to make a yummy breakfast burrito and I think you could make a lot of tasty variations by playing with the ingredients (think bacon, sausage, mushrooms, yum!).

Serves 4.

Baked Potato Bar

This will take you back to your childhood days.  One of my favorite days in the St. Joe School cafeteria was baked potato bar day.  I don't think of it often, but it's fun to recreate that little buffet of goodies at home from time to time.  One of my friends was telling me the other day that she'd been craving baked potatoes and it sounded so good I immediately added it to my shopping list.

You can use whatever toppings you like, but since there's just the two of us, I wanted to keep it under control.  We decided on the following:

steamed broccoli

cubed, browned turkey ham

cheese sauce

butter

sour cream

salt & pepper

and of course, potatoes

Easy and delicious!