Breakfast for Dinner~

 

 

Tonight we had breakfast for dinner.  We eat this usually once a week. (breakfast for dinner, once a week, NOT this exact meal once a week)  We all love "big" breakfast food, but I'm not much on cooking a hot meal in the morning.  Although toasted breads and Cream of Wheat are both hot, they are in my morning repertoire, but not much else that's hot is.

 

 

Our dinner was really not photo worthy, except that it included 2 of my favorite recipes.  Which I wanted to share with you.  And I usually like a picture to accompany a recipe that I see posted, so I thought I'd do the same for you. 

 

The first recipe came to me 27+ years ago when I was a new bride working at a daycare in MN.  My very first day there, I met my friend Nancy.  Both of us had Elem. Ed. degrees and were unable to find a "real" teaching position mid-year.  We were both newly married (within 2 weeks of each other) and both new to Minneapolis.  

 

She was outside with her class, and I, outside with mine.  I heard a sweet voice call over the fence to me saying, "I've got a really good stuffed green pepper recipe I'd like to share with you."  Yep, that's how we met.  And we still laugh about it today.  Over those first words of stuffed green peppers, a friendship began that has lasted 27+ years. 

 

Tiny, cute, perfectly groomed and dressed Nancy. Nancy from the big family and married to the artist.  And the not so tiny, cute, nor perfectly dressed, only child me, who was married to the "businessman."  We were perfectly suited for each other!

 

Together, we shared the "trials" of early marriage (she being SO worried that she was married to an "artist" and feeling SO poor, and I can't remember what my trials even were, though I'm sure there were plenty) and of being so far away from our families. If Nancy's husband had to be out of town, she slept in our guest room, since she hated to be alone.  We did everything together either as "the girls" or with our husbands. She was by my side as I journeyed into motherhood. I was by her side (although not literally) as her daughter battled cancer while in college. (And praise God, she's a SURVIVOR!)  

 

We were together for only 4 1/2 years in MN.  And then Bill's job took us TX.  And we have never lived near each other since.  There have been numerous family vacations over the years, girl weekends together, visits to each other's houses, and many, many hours on the phone.  As our kids grew older and had  schedules of their own, it became much more difficult to get together, so it's actually been many years now since we've seen each other face to face. But we are still faithful to call. And of course THEY are now empty nesters and WE are not!  Nancy teaches preschool, and I have a preschooler of my own! We've shared the highs and lows of life, and no matter how much time passes between our phone calls, we can pick up right where we left off.  That's how it is with BFFs. Kindred spirits. Friends for life. 

 

Oh, and that "poor artist" husband of hers, well, he's got a name~ Darrell Bush~ and they are not so poor anymore. :)

 

Ok, my ramble is over and back to the recipe....which is from Nancy.  And it's not the stuffed green pepper recipe.  This one is for Potato- Sausage Quiche~

 

Otherwise known at our house as:

 

Egg Casserole

 

1 bag of shredded hash browns

1# bulk pork sausage

2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

2 C shredded cheddar cheese

10 eggs, well beaten

2 C  1/2 & 1/2 

 

Pat thawed hash browns into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 375 for20-30 minutes. 

 

Meanwhile, brown the pork sausage and set aside.  Mix together 10 eggs and the 1/2 & 1/2 and set aside. 
After the hash browns come out of the oven, spread the cooked sausage over the hash browns.  Layer the 2 cheeses over the sausage, and pour the egg mixture on top of all.  Bake for about 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven, making sure the eggs are set.  After taking out of the oven, cover with foil and let stand about 10 minutes before cutting. 

 

This is a simple, not fancy at all, egg casserole that my family loves.  And no, it is not low cal. You can half the recipe and bake it in a pie plate.

 

My next recipe has no long story to it.  Just one I found years ago in a copy of Yankee Magazine.  The recipe is from Chatham Cookware, on Cape Cod.  It also is a tried and true family favorite. These muffins are SOOOOO yummy!

 

French Breakfast Muffins

 

1 1/2 C + 2T flour

3/4 C sugar

2t baking powder

1/4t salt

1/4t nutmeg

1/2 C milk

1 egg, beaten, mixed with 1/3 C melted butter

 

Topping:

1/3 C melted butter

1/2 C sugar

1t cinnamon

1/2t vanilla

 

Combine first 5 ingredients.  Add milk and egg and butter mixture and mix. (by hand)  Fill greased muffin tins about 3/4 full.  Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

 

Remove from pan and dip muffins into melted butter, coating thoroughly.  Roll in mixture of sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, and set on rack.  Serve warm.  (They may be reheated; they freeze beautifully.)

 

Add some sliced (and sugared~ can't wait 'til our local berries are in season~ no sugar needed for those) strawberries, and there you go!  Breakfast for dinner!