Week of May 13
Monday: tacos w/ refried beans & Mexican rice
Tuesday: breakfast for dinner
Wednesday: thai chicken noodle soup
Thursday: Mom’s Lasagna [can.not.wait!!!!]
Friday: homemade pizza
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: roasted chicken
Since this week has been all about breakfast so far, why not continue the trend? For Friday, this meal is a little less sweet than the waffles and oatmeal I shared before, but less sweet does not equal less tasty. No, no, no. Sweet Potato and Kale Egg Bake is a hearty, cheesy, veggie-filled breakfast that you do NOT want to miss!
This easy egg casserole can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is just so good! I filled the classic bread-egg-milk bake with healthy kale, tangy red onions, and two kinds of potatoes! I personally thought the shredded sweet potatoes added a ton of flavor, while the roasted white potatoes [I used Russet, but use whatever you have on hand] were a great base for all the yummy veggies. Oh! And what egg bake doesn’t get better topped with a big handful of sharp cheddar cheese? This one is no exception.
We enjoyed this egg bake for dinner one night, then saved the leftovers for breakfast over the next few days. It heats up beautifully and is a great start to your day! Enjoy! 
Sweet Potato and Kale Egg Bake [a TPC original]
click to print
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Place cubed Russet potatoes on a large baking sheet. Season with freshly ground black pepper, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Roast in oven for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.
In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Then add kale and toss to coat with oil, then cover for 2-3 minutes and cook until wilted.
In a large bowl, gently stir together eggs, milk, seasonings, bread cubes, and sweet potato. Pour mixture into prepared pan, then add roasted potatoes. Top with onion and kale mixture, pressing into the eggs. Cover with shredded cheese and more pepper as desired.
Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through.
Time: 75 minutes [10 minutes active].
Yield: 8-10 servings.
Now that it’s getting warmer out, I’m needing some interesting cold breakfasts. After a morning run in the heat, curling up with a hot bowl of oatmeal sounds like absolute torture! There are so many cold breakfasts that are actually good. Cereal is delicious but kinda boring, and in my opinion, things like yogurt and granola bars are only tolerable so many times before I get sick of them. They’re better for snacks or lunch, I think. Smoothies are one of my favorite breakfasts, but I just don’t want to get the blender out everyday, you know? Enter: overnight oats.
I first tried overnight oats a few years ago and felt kinda ‘meh’ about them. But recently, I decided to give them another chance. I went with the amazing flavor combination of maple berry, and let me tell you… this is pretty much the best creamy, sweet, cool breakfast ever!!
Overnight oats, like the name implies, are made the night before you want to enjoy them. Oats are mixed with milk and yogurt so they get all soft and delicious. With the addition of vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup, along with the sweet pop of fresh berries, they just taste SO good!! I can’t wait to experiment with other kinds of berries as the summer goes on.
Enjoying them on the porch is optional, but highly recommended.
Maple Berry Overnight Oats [from Tartlet Sweets]
Ingredients:
Directions:
In a medium bowl, stir together oats, milk, yogurt, vanilla, and cinnamon. Sweeten with maple syrup to taste. Divide between two bowls or Mason jars. Top each bowl with about 3/4 cup berries. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or about 8-12 hours. Serve with additional milk as desired.
Time: 5 minutes plus overnight.
Yield: 2 servings.
I love breakfast food! So much in fact, that we had breakfast for dinner at our wedding. True story, one I’ve told too many times on this blog. It should come as no surprise then I immediately look at breakfast recipes on whatever blog I am assigned to for the Secret Recipe Club each month. If a good looking breakfast recipe is there, you can bet I’ll make it!! Okay, that’s not always true… there are so many good recipes on SRC blogs these days! But I do try my best to find yummy breakfast recipes whenever I can.
If you’re new, you might be a bit confused. SRC? What’s that? Let me explain. It’s a pretty amazing blogging club. Basically, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog… all while keeping your assignment a secret! Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.
This month I was assigned to The Keenan Cookbook, a fun husband and wife food blogging team. They have a great system down: he cooks, she photographs, they enjoy. Love it!! Chris and Rachel seem like such a fun couple, and they have the most adorable little boy. Seriously… he’s so cute! I first “met” them in SRC awhile ago, and I loved that they chose one of my favorite desserts when they had my blog back in November.
I was really torn between three recipes–these waffles, Mint Orange Couscous Salad [ultimately nixed because my mint hasn't grown enough yet... and I didn't want to pay $5 for some at the grocery store], and Chocolate Coffee Cake. Though I’m sure all those recipes are great, these waffles are incredible!
Ben though they were the best waffles I ever have made, and I must say I was pretty impressed myself. They are crispy and light and airy all at once. It’s a miracle! A carbonated miracle! Apparently it’s an old-timey recipe… I did a little google-investigation and saw that it might have originally been featured in the Hints from Heloise newspaper column. But I’m not an expert on the history… have you ever heard of these waffles? I am so glad that Chris and Rachel introduced me to them… they are perfect for those times when you’re out of milk but still want waffles, or need to be dairy-free [obviously taking the butter into account too]. Delicious! Be sure to check out The Keenan Cookbook for more great recipes! Thanks guys.
Club Soda Waffles [waffles from The Keenan Cookbook, Bisquick substitute from Unsophisticook]
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat waffle maker.
In a large bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. Add cubed butter and cut in with two knives or a pastry cutter until fully incorporated. Then add egg, oil, and club soda and stir gently until combined. Do not overmix!
Spoon batter into hot waffle maker in ~ 1/2 cup* increments. Cook until crisp.
Serve with powdered sugar, fruit, and yogurt, or your desired toppings!
Time: 20 minutes.
Yield: 6 waffles [may vary based on your waffle maker].
Notes:
Can substitute 2 cups Bisquick mix or the like for the flour, baking powder, and butter. The original recipe advises that uncooked batter does not keep because of the club soda, so make all the waffles at one and then reheat if necessary. I always use my toaster or toaster oven to do this.
Check out other SRC recipes here!
Week of May 6
Monday: black bean burgers
Tuesday: pork chops
Wednesday: cilantro lime white bean soup
Thursday: pasta with vodka sauce [from the freezer]
Friday: dinner with family
Saturday: out to eat
Sunday: leftovers
