The Award Winning Bacon and Green Onion Breakfast Tart

This is the breakfast tart that I made at the www.justapinch.com cooking showcase. I won the grand prize! I love the smokiness of the bacon and the tanginess of the cheese. The tart sounds fancy but it is super easy to make.

INGREDIENTS:

butter, for greasing the pan, flour for dusting the pan
 1 unroll-and-bake refrigerated 9-inch pie crust
 1 egg white, lightly beaten
 4 oz thick bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
5 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
 1/2 c ( 4 oz) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
 2 c shredded gruyere cheese
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

 MASCARPONE CHEESE SUBSTITUTE:
If you can not find marscarpone cheese at the store here is an easy sub
 4 oz cream cheese room temp ( do not use light or fat free)
1 Tbsp sour cream ( do not use light or fat free)
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS:

1) You can use a 9 in tart pan with a removable base or a 9 in Spring Foam pan.

2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan.

3) Unroll the pie crust and arrange it in the prepared pan. Gently press the crust into the bottom and sides of the pan. Trim any excess crust from the top of the pan. With the tines of a fork, prick the pastry in several places. Using a pastry brush, coat the crust with the beaten egg white. Put the pan on a baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven until the egg white has set, about 10 minutes. Allow the crust to cool for 10 minutes.

4 ) In a medium skillet, add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring frequently over med-high heat, until brown and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

5)  In a medium bowl, combine the beaten eggs, mascarpone cheese, Gruyere, green onions, salt, pepper, and bacon. Mix until smooth. Pour the mixture into the cooled crust and bake until the mixture has set and the top is golden, about 18-20 minutes. Cool the tart for 8-10 minutes then remove it from the pan to a serving platter. Cut the tart into wedges and serve warm.

 TIP: If you don't like the smoky taste of bacon, you can substitute it with pancetta.
Also if you like a little kick you can add half a chopped jalapeno pepper to the mix.

Praline Bacon, Egg and Swiss Cheese Sandwich

I decided to concoct a Breakfast Sandwich with my Praline bacon. I took that first bite and crossed my eyes it was so good. I looked over at my husband and told him I felt like I was cheating on him with this! He laughed and took a bite and said, " yes I can see that". LOL I hope you enjoy this cheating on your man (or woman) breakfast sandwich.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 slc	of praline bacon (please refer to my praline bacon recipe on how to make it)
2 slc	Texas toast
1	egg, fried over easy
1 slc	Swiss cheese
	butter or margarine for toast

DIRECTIONS:

1) Cook the Praline bacon according to my previous recipe post ( or you can also find it here)

2) Heat a frying pan over med-heat. Butter one side of each Texas toast. 

 

3) Place both Texas toast butter side down in pan. Place 1 slice of Swiss Cheese on one of the toast. Toast the bread until cheese in melted and the bread has a good toast on the butter side. Take off the pan and place open faced on a plate. 

 

4) Fry an egg on med-heat over easy. Place the fried egg on top of melted cheese. Cut the bacon in half and place the 3 strips in rows. Place the other slice of bread on top of bacon slices to make a breakfast sandwich. ENJOY!

Praline Bacon.... yes that is what I said!

I went on a search to find something unusual but yummy to make. The birth place of Praline Bacon is at a place in New Orleans called Elizabeth's. I have tried different recipes trying to find which I think is the best and I came up with this one. It is salty and sweet and oh so good! It is great for Breakfast or for a sweet little snack.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb	good thick cut bacon
4 Tbsp	dark corn syrup
3/4 c	brown sugar
3/4 c	pecans, chopped fine
	**for an even sweeter twist you can dip these in some semi sweet melting choclate!

DIRECTIONS:

1) Place pecans and brown sugar in a food processor and chop till the nuts are chopped fine but not powdered. Set aside.

2) Place the bacon on a foil lined cookie sheet. Cook the bacon in the oven at 425 degrees for 12-15min. Take the bacon out and place on a paper towel to drain.

3) With a pastry brush, brush the dark corn syrup generously on the slices of bacon.

 

4) Pile the pecan brown sugar mix on top of the bacon and press into the corn syrup. 

 

5) Place the bacon back in the oven for an additional 5-10min. If you like a crisper bacon you can cook longer. 

 

6) Remove the bacon from the oven and drain on a paper towel. Enjoy!

Easy Chocolate and Butterscotch Stuffed Croissants

I made these for breakfast today. The kids and I loved them! These are a really easy and delicious breakfast or dessert. I like to switch it up and put chocolate chips in some and butterscotch chips in others. If you like mint then you can add the Andes chips and make them that way too. The possibilities are endless!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Package of ready rolled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
Chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, Andes chips, etc..

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Unroll the sheet of pastry and then cut it into 4 squares.Cut each square diagonally to give 2 triangles (they will appear quite small). If using both sheets of puff pastry then you will end up with 16 triangles.Put the triangle with the wider part facing you and the point away from you.

2) Place the chips inside the triangles about 1/2 inch up from the wide end nearest you.
Then carefully roll from that chocolate loaded end towards the point of the triangle.

3) You should now have something resembling a straight croissant, seal it slightly with your fingertips and curl it around into a crescent.

4) Place the croissants on a lined baking tray and brush with the beaten egg. Bake for 15 minutes until golden and puffy and, miniaturely, croissant-like.

5) Melt some of the chips in the microwave at 30 sec intervals till all is melted. Add few drops of oil to the melted chocolate and mix. Drizzle melted chocolate on top of the croissants.

Grilled Steak and Eggs with Homemade Lager BBQ Sauce

My little netbook died a couple of weeks ago and I had to send it off to be fixed, so that is why I haven't posted a recipe lately. But it is all good now and working great! So I thought I would start my next post off with a bang! So here is the most amazing breakfast. This is by far my most favorite Breakfast! Who says you can't have Steak and beer for breakfast?! The sweet and tangiess of the sauce brings out the flavor in the steak and eggs. Serve this for breakfast the next time you have company and they might never leave! Great served with a side of hashbrowns or seasoned home fries. (FYI for those that don't drink, no fear the alcohol cooks out of the bbq sauce while it cooks. So don't let that ingredient stop you from making this delightful dish!)

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SUACE
1/2 tsp	unsalted butter
1/2 md	onion, finely diced
1 clove	garlic, minced
1 c	ketchup
1/2 c	1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 c	apple cider or apple juice
2 Tbsp	sugar
1/2 c	lager-style beer
1 1/2 tsp	yellow mustard
2 tsp	lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp	worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp	cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp	teaspoons paprika
1/2 tsp	salt
1/8 tsp	pepper
FOR THE STEAK AND EGGS
4	new york strip steaks
	salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp	vegtable oil
8	grilled eggs

DIRECTIONS:

1)To make the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients; bring to a boil, then simmer until the sauce is reduced to 2 cups, about 30 minutes.

2)Meanwhile, preheat a grill to medium-high. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and rub with the oil. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Let rest for 10 minutes. 

 

3)Grilled Eggs:
Place a cast-iron skillet on the grill; add butter, oil or bacon drippings. Crack in eggs and season to taste (I like to use a blend of paprika, sugar and onion powder, plus salt and pepper). Cook until the edges are crisp but the yolks are still runny, 2-3 minutes. Plate the egg on top of steak and drizzle the bbq sauce on top of steak and eggs.

*Tip: Any extra BBQ sauce that is left can be sealed in an air tight container in the fridge and can be used at a later date.

Light n Krispy Belgian Waffles

Growing up we would always have breakfast for dinner on Sunday nights. I continue that tradition with my family. I came up with this yummy little waffle recipe that my kids love! There are so many kinds of mix-ins you can add to it! This makes 6-7 Belgian waffles.

Ingredients:

2	egg yolks
2 c	milk
2 c	all purpose flour
1 Tbsp	baking powder
1/2 tsp	salt
1/3 c	oil
1 tsp	vanilla
2 Tbsp	cream of coconut
2	egg whites, stiffly beaten

Directions:
1)Preheat waffle maker.

2)Put all ingredients except egg whites in large mixer bowl. Beat on low until moistened. Increase to medium, mix until smooth.

3)By hand, gently fold in beaten egg whites.

4)Spray the waffle maker with cooking spray.Pour 3/4 cup batter over grids. Close waffle maker, bake until steam no longer escapes, about 3-5 minutes or until your light goes off on your iron. Repeat. Serve hot with your favorite topping.

*Optional mix-ins: Blueberry Waffles: Fold 2 c. fresh blueberries into batter. Pour 3/4 cup batter over grids. Bake until golden.,Chocolate Chip Waffles: Fold 1 cup chocolate chips into batter. Bake as directed. I also like to use blueberry or strawberry syrup! YUMMO!

Ham, Egg, and cheese muffun cups

So I know what your thinking what the heck is that?  Well I'll tell you... its just a little bit of goodness in your mouth to start the day off right. I promise you will like these.  If you have 2 or more kids then make sure you do all 12. They go fast!

12 lg eggs

12 slc ham, smoked and deli-sliced

1 bx 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and strained

2 c shredded cheese

a pinch salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Press a slice of ham into each muffin cup. Evenly distribute spinach between muffins cups. Evenly distribute cheese between muffin cups. Crack 1 egg to each muffin cup. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 min or until done.
 
Now the 25 minutes in my oven cooks them all the way through. If you want the yolk a little runny then try cooking them for 20 minutes. You can also scramble the eggs instead of doing them sunny side up. Or mix it up a bit and do half the batch scrambled half sunny side up. You can also use tomatoes instead of spinach or even salsa with the spinach. Anyway I hope you enjoy this yummy breakfast treat!

Breakfast Lasagna

Difficulty: Easy
Preheat: 350
Cook time: 20 min
Serves: 6

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup milk
6 egg Yolks (no whites)
1 1/2 tsp French vanilla extract(you can use vanilla but french vanilla is sooo much better)
6 frozen waffles (thawed)
6 frozen pancakes (thawed)
1 small container of blue berries
3 cups of fresh strawberries (sliced)

Directions:
1. In a 2 quart sauce pan combine the sugar, flour, salt and milk over medium heat. Cook stirring until mixture thickens, about 5 min.

2. In a small bowl beat the egg yolks slightly and slowly add to milk mixture. Stirring constantly, cook till thickened. Remove from heat and add vanilla and stir; set aside till ready to use or you can chill it it in the fridge.

3. TO ASSEMBLE: Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Place a thin layer of pastry cream in 9x13 pan.

4. Add waffles and cover with 1/2 of cream spreading evenly.

5. Mix 1/2 strawberries with half of the blueberries and layer on top of cream.

6. Top with pancakes and spread the rest of the strawberries and blueberries on top.

7. Top with remaining cream evenly spread.

8. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.