Chile Tortilla Eggbake

Sometimes I really like breakfast for dinner. I also like make-ahead meals that allow me to just pop a dish into the oven. I'm a big fan of stratas and this Chile Tortilla Eggbake sounded great.

I had to modify the recipe slightly because my taco-size tortillas didn't cover the bottom of a 9x13 dish. I used a smaller dish and it was filled to the brim, which meant it took longer to cook, so I'd recommend sticking with the 9x13 and just using more tortillas. We all enjoyed this but I felt like it needed something. I think adding some breakfast sausage or cooked bacon to the egg mixture would be good.

Chile Tortilla Eggbake
As seen on Jenna’s Cooking Journey, originally from Spoonful

8-10 flour tortillas, soft-taco size
3-4 small cans of chopped green chiles, drained and rinsed in a sieve
1 pound grated Monterey Jack cheese
5 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)

Toppings:
Pico de gallo
Sour cream
Guacamole

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Cover the bottom of the dish with tortillas, overlapping as little as possible. You can tear them in half, if needed. Top with 1/2 of the chiles and 1/3 of the cheese, then add another layer of tortillas and top it with the rest of the chiles and another 1/3 of the cheese. Add the final layer of tortillas, top with the remaining cheese. Whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt in a bowl, then pour over the casserole.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 and take the casserole out of the fridge. Let it come to room temperature (about 2 hours). Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 35 to 45 minutes. It's done when it's browned around the edges and doesn't jiggle. Let it sit for 10 minutes before cutting it so that it has time to set up. A little bit of clear liquid that separates as you slice it is normal.

Serve topped with pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole or any other toppings you prefer.

Sausage and Spinach Egg Bake

I've had my eye on Melissa's Sausage and Spinach Breakfast Sandwiches ever since she posted them a year ago. Melissa makes a batch of this egg bake every Sunday for her and her husband to enjoy for breakfast during the week. It sounded like a great idea and something we'd love, but every Sunday would roll around and I wouldn't have enough eggs or it would be 9pm when I remembered I wanted to make a batch. After Melissa mentioned them again recently I figured enough was enough and I needed to have these sandwiches in my life, so I added an extra dozen eggs to my shopping list.

I whipped this up on a Sunday afternoon and, seriously, this could not be easier. It's such an easy method it's almost ridiculous - all you need to do is cook your add-ins (if necessary, see below), whisk up some eggs and bake it off. I portioned out 4 servings for SP and I to eat during the week and froze the other 6 squares (see method below). SP ate his plain, I made mine into a sandwich and added some hot sauce with each bite.

The possible variations are only limited to your imagination. Bacon, ham, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, different cheeses like feta or goat cheese, the possibilities sound delicious. I'll definitely be experimenting soon. Thank you so much for this one, Melissa!

Breakfast Sandwiches
As seen on Alosha's Kitchen, originally from Foodie with Family

3/4 lb breakfast sausage
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 to 1 cup chopped cooked spinach
2 cups shredded cheese, divided
10 eggs
1/4 cup milk
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

For serving:
1 slice of bread, toasted
Hot sauce or ketchup

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into small chunks with a wooden spoon as it browns. Cook until no longer pink, then add the minced onion and garlic and saute until slightly browned and fragrant, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Be sure to get the corners and sides well, too. Evenly distribute the sausage mixture over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Scatter the spinach, if using, over one or both sides and top with half the cheese.

Crack all of the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add the 1/4 cup of milk and freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste. Whisk to beat together until the mixture is an even color. Pour gently and evenly over the contents of the baking dish. Top with the rest of the cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the eggs are set in the center (just a little jiggle to them) and golden brown around the edges.

Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before using a thin spatula to run around the edges and loosen the cooked egg. Using two spatulas, gently pull out the egg bake in once piece onto a cutting board. Allow it to cool for 10 more minutes before slicing into 10 pieces.

Eat immediately on toasted bread with hot sauce or ketchup OR:

To Refrigerate:

Place each piece of egg bake in a small Tupperware or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to eat, toast the bread, microwave the egg bake on high for 30 seconds to one minute depending on your microwave, assemble on toast and serve.

To Freeze:

Place a single layer of plastic wrap on a baking sheet. Arrange the pieces of egg bake on the plastic wrap with a little space between them. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in the freezer until solid. When they are firmly frozen, wrap each piece of egg bake with plastic wrap. Transfer the wrapped pieces to a resealable freezer bag. Mark the date and contents and freeze for up to 6 months. When ready to eat, unwrap the egg bake and microwave on high for 1 1/2 - 3 minutes, depending on your microwave. Assemble on toasted bread and serve.

Hot Ham or Roast Beef Sandwiches

I'm on a sandwich kick lately. I can't get enough of them and the possibilities are endless. The Pioneer Woman recently posted these Hot Ham or Roast Beef Sandwiches as yet another version of the ham and Swiss sliders that have been making the rounds lately. SP loves roast beef so I figured I'd make a combo of ham and roast beef sandwiches for dinner.

While SP enjoys the Sweet Ham and Swiss Sliders, he doesn't really like the sticky, sweet glaze (which happens to be my favorite part). He was a big fan of these because they were individually wrapped, which does make them easier to heat and allows you to make only as many as you need, and the fact that the glaze was turned into a spread that goes on the inside of the sandwich. I made 9 sandwiches plus a mini one for Baby Girl using a leftover slider roll. We ate five for dinner and lunches the next day and the rest went in the freezer for another time.

I forgot to take a photo when we originally had these for dinner and since then I've taken to defrosting a ham sandwich and adding one egg, usually scrambled sometimes fried, for a quick breakfast sandwich that's incredibly delicious (see photo). The mustard-mayo is a great compliment to the egg. I've got some leftover Easter ham in the freezer that I'm planning to use to make more of these.

Hot Roast Beef/Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
As seen on The Pioneer Woman

12 dinner rolls or small sandwich buns
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 pound thinly shaved roast beef or ham (or both)
1 pound cheese (provolone, Swiss, mozzarella, cheez whiz)

Slice rolls in half. Mix together mayo, onion powder, poppy seeds, mustard, horseradish, and Worcestershire. Taste and adjust to your personal preference.

To assemble, spread mayo on top and bottom buns. Layer on roast beef or ham, then one or two slices of cheese. Wrap each sandwich in a foil square, and either keep in the fridge, freeze or bake right away.

To bake the sandwiches, put them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The buns should be slightly crusty and the cheese should be melted.

Overnight Ham and Cheese Breakfast Enchiladas

My mom warned me there would be a lot of leftover Easter ham this year so I figured I'd better have a game plan in place. As luck would have it, this recipe for Overnight Ham and Cheese Breakfast Enchiladas showed up in my blog reader right before the holiday. I love make-ahead casseroles and this was intriguing because it involved tortillas instead of bread.

I was worried the egg mixture would turn the tortillas into mush like a typical strata but I needn't have worried. This was so easy to prep since there's no cooking involved, just chopping/grating.

Since I was serving this for dinner I assembled it in the morning and then baked it off that night. Delicious, filling and a great way to use up some of the leftover ham. I'll definitely be making this one again.

Overnight Ham and Cheese Breakfast Enchiladas
As seen on The Girl Who Ate Everything

2 cups cubed and cooked ham
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
8 flour tortillas (6-8 inches)
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
4 whole eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour
salsa, sour cream, diced avocado and additional green onions for serving

In a medium bowl stir together ham, green onions and 2 cups of cheese (save the remaining 1/2 cup for later).

Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Use a 1/3-cup measuring cup to scoop out cheese mixture onto a tortilla. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in the baking dish. Roll up all tortillas and place them into the baking dish with the sides touching.
Whisk together half-and-half, eggs, salt, and flour. Pour over tortillas. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 350º. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over enchiladas. Bake for 10 more minutes or until tops are golden brown and the egg mixture is set.

Serve with salsa, sour cream, avocado and additional green onions.

Cheesy Pearl Couscous with Roasted Broccoli

A lot of the women on my cooking board are pregnant or recently gave birth so at some point over the last few months the topic of make-ahead meals came up. You know, the meals people bring to new parents so they don't have to cook while sleep-deprived and learning how to deal with their new reality. One of the meals suggested was Cheesy Pearl Couscous with Roasted Broccoli. We all love pearl couscous but I hadn't been able to find it for a long time, which meant this recipe fell to the back of my to-make pile. Then the day came when the pearl couscous reappeared in the supermarket and this dish was back on my radar.

This is a great make-ahead meal that reheats beautifully. I cooked this during the day on a Tuesday (the night I have my exercise class) and separated it into four portions plus a small bowl for Baby Girl. A few minutes in the microwave and we all had a creamy, cheesy, delicious dinner, albeit eaten and enjoyed at different points in the evening.

The original recipe calls for gouda but I had some leftover havarti and cheddar so I made the swap. It was perfect, but use whatever cheese you like, something that melts well but has a nice, distinct flavor. The creamy couscous with the slightly crispy roasted broccoli and the little nuggets of corn was addictive. Such a great, comforting meal.

Cheesy Pearl Couscous with Roasted Broccoli
As seen in Everyday with Rachael Ray

5 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
8 oz. bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 box (6 oz.) Israeli or pearl couscous
8 ounces frozen corn, thawed
4 scallions, chopped
2 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper
8 oz. grated cheddar

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, melt 3 tablespoons butter in the microwave, then stir in the garlic. Spread the broccoli in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; drizzle the the garlic butter. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 10 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve the skillet, discarding all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the couscous until just al dente, 5 to 6 minutes; drain.

Add the corn and scallions to the reserved skillet and cook over medium-high heat until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Add the couscous and chicken stock and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the broccoli, cheese and reserved bacon.