Savory Ham, Cheese, and Scallion Muffins

So this recipe calls for Corn Flakes, which is a bit strange, but they add some delicious texture to these muffins!  I made these twice this weekend (Thank you 4-day weekend!), the first version a sweet version with vanilla and this version, which I based on the original recipe. 
These are super tasty!  I'm always looking for easy breakfasts which I can grab and take with me.  I've been making different kinds of muffins lately and these might be my new go-to. 
Don't worry if the batter seems thick, it will bake up just fine! 
Also, normally I'm lazy and try to make everything in one bowl for less clean up.  This recipe you HAVE to have everything ready to go because if you don't the cereal will get really soggy and you will lose all the texture.

Savory Ham, Cheese, and Scallion Muffins

Savory Ham, Cheese, and Scallion Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups + 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 cups Corn Flakes
1 1/4 cups milk (whatever kind you already have, I used Almond milk)
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cheese
1 scallion, sliced
1/2 cup ham, diced

Recipe:
Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; set aside.
Stir together egg, cheese, and oil; set aside.
Stir together ham, scallions, and 1/2 Tbsp. flour; set aside.  (The flour will assure your ham doesn't all sink to the bottom).
Combine crushed corn flakes and milk in large mixing bowl.
Let stand about 2 minutes or until cereal is slightly softened. (DO NOT let corn flakes soak in milk any longer than 2 minutes!).
Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined.
Add ham mixture, stirring only until combined.
Portion batter evenly into 12 greased 2 1/2-inch muffin pan cups.
Bake at 400° about 18 minutes or until lightly browned.
Serve warm.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Genius Kitchen

Cranberry Scones

If you've read my blog before, you know my aversion to baking.  I don't like that you have to use exact measurments and I never quiet know how things are supposed to look before they go into the oven.  I've been watching the British Baking show lately and gave myself false confidence.  "Oh, I can do that!" I said.  Nope.
Well, I shouldn't say I couldn't do it because these scones turned out good... it was just the making them that wasn't great.  The dough was far stickier than it should have been and subsequetnly I couldn't really shape them into scones.  A more accurate description would be cranberry blobs.  I'm sure that if you have baked in your life (more than just a box of brownies) you probably would fair much better than I did.  I also increased the amount of cranberry for my version because I didn't think it had enough.

Cranberry Scones

Cranberry Scones

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl stir together flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in dried cranberries.
Make a well in center of flour mixture.
In a small bowl combine eggs and the 1/2 cup buttermilk.
Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.
Using a fork, stir just until moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Divide dough in half. Pat or lightly roll each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick circle.
Cut each circle into six wedges.
Place scones 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 12 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack; cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm with butter.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Greek Yogurt Lemon Muffins

So it's actually a total coincidence that I followed my recipe for Greek yogurt Pancakes with this other Greek yogurt recipe.  I don't know about you, but I always have Greek yogurt in the fridge and this recipe probably uses ingredients you already have on hand.  1 container Greek yogurt, 1 cup water, and 1 box lemon cake mix.  Don't have lemon?  Use a different kind of cake mix.  Boom.  Easy!  These super easy muffins came together in about a half hour between making the batter and baking them off.  Perfect for a quick weekend breakfast!
The other perfect thing about these muffins is that they're super healthy!  At only 92 calories per muffin, what could be better?

Greek Yogurt Lemon Muffins

Greek Yogurt Lemon Muffins (22-24 Muffins)

Ingredients:
1 5.6 oz. vanilla yogurt
1 box lemon cake mix
1 cup water

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well blended.
Spray two muffin tins with butter nonstick spray.
Scoop batter into muffin tins until about 3/4 full.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, until knife inserted in the middle of muffin comes out clean.
Let cool on baking rack.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Penny Pincher Jenny

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

I make these pancakes all. the. time.  In fact, I don't even make regular pancakes anymore because these are so easy and because they are much healthier than regular pancakes.  They are only 4 ingredients and you can go from deciding you want pancakes to eating breakfast in about 10 minutes.  Perfect!  These can be made with any kind of Greek yogurt, but be warned that if you use any fruit flavor the pancakes will turn slightly that color; I make these with mixed berry a lot and they always turn kind of blue, which is not super appetizing, but they are good.
These yield about 4 pancakes so if you have a family or really like pancakes, this recipe is easy to double or triple.

Greek Yogurt Pancakes 

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 5.3 oz. container Greek yogurt (I used vanilla, but you can use whatever flavor you like)
1 egg
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 Tbsp. butter
Optional toppings: butter, syrup, fruit

Preparation:
Mix yogurt, egg, baking soda, and flour in a bowl, until well incorporated.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
Add butter and heat until melted.
Add scoops of batter until you have 4 even pancakes.
Cook until golden brown on the bottom.
Flip. Cook until golden brown.
Top with butter, syrup, or fruit.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Everyday Belle

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins

Matt wanted muffins since Friday, so today I decided to bake some instead of buying them at the store.  I found this recipe for gluten free cinnamon muffins and I didn't need to buy any ingredients to make them (which is good, because it's Sunday and I didn't want to change out of my pajamas).  These were super easy to make and turned out very delicious!  Though the texture is changed from a regular muffin because of the almond flour, they are still yummy and I would definitely make them again.
Full disclaimer: I thought I had enough almond flour to make these, but I was short about 3 tablespoons, whoops!  So, there's about 1 tablespoon of regular flour in the muffins and the whole topping is regular flour.
These all happen to be dairy free, so all of you with lactose issues can eat them too!  Pair them with some cold brew coffee for a great breakfast!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins

Gluten Free Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients:

Batter
2 eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil, cooled
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cinnamon Swirl
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil, cooled
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. almond flour

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
In a large bowl, make the batter by whisking together the eggs, coconut oil, water, honey and vanilla.
Mix in the almond flour, salt and baking soda.
Fill each paper liner about 3/4 full.
Next make the Cinnamon Swirl by mixing the coconut oil, honey, cinnamon and almond flour.
Spoon the topping on top of each muffin then use a toothpick or the tip of a sharp knife to swirl the cinnamon mixture into the muffins.
Bake 15-20 minutes and let cool.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Almond Flour

Cold Brew Coffee

Though it's the end of summer, it's not cooling down enough for hot coffee yet, which means cold brew is my go-to in the morning.  Though I love Dunkin and Starbucks, I do not love the price tag that comes with cold brew there.  If you make your own, it's much more economical and just as delicious!
I think this is easiest in a French press, but if you don't have a French press you can strain the coffee grounds out using a coffee filter instead of plunging the press down.

Cold Brew Coffee

Cold Brew Coffee

Ingredients:
1/2 cup ground coffee
Water
Ice
Cream, optional
Sugar, optional

Preparation:
Put coffee in French press.
Fill with water to the bottom of where the lid would go, about 2 1/2 cups.
Stir. (DON'T press the coffee down yet).
Place in fridge and wait. (I usually do 8 hours, but you can go up to 24 if you like the strong stuff).
Pour into a cup with ice and add cream, sugar, or whatever you like.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Farm Fresh to You

Breakfast Enchiladas

Now, you guys definitely know how much I love enchiladas by now. (Need proof, check out some of my favorites: Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas, Cheesy White Chicken Enchiladas, Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas, and Vegetarian Crockpot Enchiladas.  Now, I found a way to have enchiladas for breakfast too!  (Not that I didn't eat the aforementioned as leftovers for breakfast).  These are great because I can see myself putting whatever I want in them... I was thinking bacon and leeks next time!  They would also be SUPER easy to make vegetarian as well!
Note that these enchiladas soak in the egg mixture overnight, so if you want to eat enchiladas immediately, try a different recipe!

Breakfast Enchiladas

Breakfast Enchiladas

Ingredients:
2 cups cubed and cooked ham
½ cup chopped green onions
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
8 flour tortillas (6-8 inches)
1¼ cup half-and-half
4 whole eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour
salsa, sour cream, and additional green onions for serving

Preparation:
In a medium bowl stir together ham, green onions and 1 1/2 cups of cheese (save the remaining ½ cup for later). Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place a good amount of ham mixture onto a tortilla, careful not to over fill them. Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in the baking pan. 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 covered for 30-40 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining ½ 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, and additional green onions.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

French Toast Casserole

The pope being in Philly means one thing... 5 day weekend!  To celebrate, I decided to make French toast... we had to have something with our mimosas!  I ended up going a little easier and translated French toast into a French toast casserole.  We topped ours with strawberries, which was a good thing because it was so sweet! (Syrup would definitely have sent us to the dentist).  Bacon on the side made this a wonderful brunch!

French Toast Casserole 

French Toast Casserole

Ingredients:

French Toast:
1 loaf Crusty French Bread (I actually used regular wheat, but French bread would have been much better)
8 whole Eggs
2 cups Whole Milk
1/2 cup Whipping (heavy) Cream
3/4 cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract

Topping:
1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
1/2 cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
Fresh Fruit (Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, etc.)

Preparation:
Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Tear bread into chunks and evenly distribute in the pan.
In a medium sized bowl mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover tightly and store in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add butter pieces and cut them into the dry mixture until mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a Ziploc in the fridge.
When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat oven to 350 F. Remove casserole from the fridge and sprinkle crumb mixture over the top. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture. Bake 1 hour or more for a firmer, less liquid texture.
Scoop out individual portions. Top with Fresh fruit.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Ree Drummond

Denver Frittata

Today I decided to clean out all of the leftovers in the fridge, and that amounted to all the ingredients for a Denver omelet.  However, with my new pots and pans, I have not figured out how to properly cook an egg.  (They're stainless steel, how do you work those things!?)  Anyway, I figured since it was the weekend I would use the oven and bake it up.
I also only had a yellow pepper, but I would normally use a green pepper in this dish, as per a traditional Denver omelet.  (Though it was still very good!)
The best part about this meal is that it is great for any meal of the day!  Though we served it for dinner, it could be a great breakfast or lunch.  I served mine with homemade bread.  Yummy!

Denver Frittata

Denver Frittata

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 cup ham, diced
8 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400.
Spray a 9 or 10 inch round pan with cooking spray.
Over medium heat, add butter to a large skillet.  Once the butter is melted, add onion and peppers.  Cook 3-4 minutes, or until the onions get soft.  Add the ham, and cook until warmed through.
Meanwhile, add the eggs and milk to a large bowl.  Whisk until combined.  Add ham mixture and cheese.  Stir well. Add to greased pan.
Cook 20-25 minutes, or until the egg is no longer runny (when you insert a knife in the middle, it should come out clean).
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes!

Today, being Sunday, I decided to make pancakes from scratch for Matt and I!  I found a recipe in Glamour Magazine called "Love You Pancakes," so I decided to try those.  Well, they were supposed to be made with berries, however, when I took my raspberries out of the fridge, they were super moldy.  Boo.

Absolutely NONE of these were salvagible.  How sad!  

The recipe said that I could substitute peaches instead of berries, but I didn't have them, and since fall is upon us, I decided to cook down some apples.  I put some Smart Balance in a pan with the apples, cinnamon, and some sugar.  I cooked those until they were mushy.

Apples and cinnamon!  

After that, I added the apples to my pancake mix. The recipe also called for ricotta cheese, but I substituted cottage cheese, because that's what I had, and it worked out well.  I didn't have baking powder, so I just left it out... it didn't do anything to the taste, they were just a little flat.  Oh well, they were still yummy!

My delicious pancakes... from scratch!  

I haven't used a hand mixer before, so I whipped it out today to whip up my egg whites... which I expertly seperated from the yolks!

Look at those peaks!  

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 lemon
1 tsp. butter
3 apples, cored, diced
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups Flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 cup cottage cheese
1 1/4 cup milk
4 large eggs, seperated

Preparation:
Over a bowl, use a grater to zest the lemon.  Cut the lemon into wedges, set aside.
Heat butter in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the apples, cinnamon, lemon zest, and 1/4 cup of sugar.  Heat until apples are slightly mushy.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, 1 Tbsp. sugar, and baking powder.  In another bowl, beat the cottage cheese with milk and egg yolks.  Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.  Let batter sit for 10 minutes.
Beat egg whites with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.
Gently fold in apples into batter followed by folding in the egg whites.  (Make sure you don't overmix!)
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium low heat.  Melt 1/2 tbsp. butter at the center of the skillet.
Spoon batter into the hot skillet, directly onto the butter.
Cook until each pancake until the bottom is golden brown and the bubbles on the surface begin to break, about two minutes.  Flip the pancake and cook until golden brown, about one more minute.
Serve with maple syrup and lemon wedges.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Glamour