Easy Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast burritos are a favorite at my house for breakfast. I like to serve them to my family because they get a nice little package with protein and they can run out the door with it in one hand. I used to serve breakfast burritos on cool flour tortillas, then I had a friend who added a different step to hers, which made them even better. She fried hers in butter/margarine. I know I know, fattening. but oh so yummy... I believe it gives a plain burrito a step up on the delish factor O'Meter... And oh yea it does. So ever since my dear friend (Helen) - you know who you are... got me hooked on it. I thought I'd share it with you. I do sometimes still serve breakfast burritos on non fried tortillas... but they definitely are heated... in the microwave wrapped in wet paper towels... to help them get flimsy and get yummier... (microwave 3-4 tortillas for 30 seconds wrapped in a paper towel).

This recipe will be one for a family of 5. But can easily be reduced to a single or multiplied higher.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground sausage, browned and drained

8 eggs - scrambled

1 1/2 cup shredded cheese

2 tsp salsa per tortilla

5-10 flour tortillas depending on size

salt and pepper

Brown the sausage, leave in pan add the scrambled egg mixture to the sausage, stirring over high-medium heat. sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Once the scrambled eggs are done, remove from pan, in the same pan, melt some butter/margarine.

Assemble the burrito add about 1/2 a cup of sausage/egg mixture to the center of the tortilla, add cheese and salsa to each tortilla.

Fold the tortilla edges to meet in the middle around the meat mixture, then turn sideways and repeat. you should have a nice box looking tortilla. (getting the proper egg mixture to folding ratio will take a few tries.)

Once the butter is melted, add the folded burrito seam side down in the butter, over medium heat. brown on both sides, remove and enjoy. This is a delicious addition to your quick out the door breakfast, these can also be made ahead of time, placed in a ziploc bag and heated at work. So a great make ahead meal, for pennies on the dollar. Who needs to stop by McDonalds when you can enjoy this great breakfast?

Another good addition is to cut up some bell peppers and onions and cook along with the sausage, and eggs. I have even done lunchmeat and bacon instead of the sausage. A Must Try! :)

Verdict,

DELISH! So tasty and crispy... mmmm so good.

Scalloped Potatoes and Onions

I had a lot of red potatoes to use, and I am trying to do more with the potatoes then just mashed potatoes. I decided that I would try my hand at making homemade scalloped potatoes. I have never made these before. I have had these before and I love them, I just felt like it was a little harder for me to make.. But after tonights experience. I need a different mandolin to slice my potatoes and I will make these again. :)

Ingredients

10 good sized red potatoes - peeled, and sliced thin

1 medium onion - diced

1 stick butter

3 Tbsp flour

4-5 cups of milk

salt and pepper

2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

1/2 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs

First, peel and slice thin red potatoes into cool water (so they don't brown). Then make the sauce...

Second, in a medium sauce pan melt butter, then once the butter is melted and bubbly toss in the diced onions and stir until they are translucent. Then sprinkle the flour and cook about a couple minutes until the flour is incorporated and no more flour taste. Then mix in 1 cup of the cheese until melted, once the cheese is melted then gradually mix in the milk and stir continually. Once the cheese milk mixture is starting to thicken remove from the heat. In the bottom of the 13X9 pan spread approx. 1/4th of the sauce in the bottom, then spread some of potatoes on top of the sauce, in an even layer. Then top with 1/2 of the remaining cheese approx 1/2 cup of cheese. Then top with the cheese sauce and repeat steps until the final layer is sauce. Then top with extra cheese. Bake in a 450F oven for 30 min.

Finally, Top with italian bread crumbs and bake another 5 min.

Serve warm.

Dig in!!

VERDICT?

The best scalloped potatoes EVER!!! My husband and kids... they say EPIC! After dinner there was less than half of a 13X9 pan left, and that was not all we had for dinner. Braeden had 4 helpings! yeah me! This is so good I'm not doing very good at describing how delicious this is. Try it and enjoy! I know this is a lot of cheese and yumminess, but so worth it!

Orange Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Roast with Caramelized Onions

This recipe was a creation and a conglomeration of several recipes that I read when I was looking for something to do with my pork roast. I read several recipes and my mouth was just watering. So, of course, I had to create my own version of these recipes... Unfortunately, I forgot to write down my exact measurements. I also, forgot to properly measure. :( however, I can tell you approximately what I used. I seem to do a lot of my cooking my non exacts except when I baking. That is definitely more precise. Here is what I did.

Ingredients:

1 pork roast approx. 3-5 lbs (keep netting on)

4-5 oranges- fresh squeezed juice (making sure no seeds make it into the glaze)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

4-5 dashes Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp stone ground mustard

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp corn starch

salt and pepper

1 medium onion sliced

Preheat the oven to 350F. Rinse and dry the pork roast, set aside. In a medium mixing bowl blend together the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, mustard, brown sugar, corn starch and salt and pepper. Mix well. In the bottom of a covered roasting pan, place the slices of the medium onion. Then place the pork roast on top of the onions. Then glaze the pork well with the glaze. Then cover and place in the oven on the center rack, and bake for 1 hour, then remove lid and reglaze the pork. Return pork back in the oven with no lid. Then after another 30 minutes reglaze the pork and cook for another 30 minutes. Once the internal temperature reaches 160F then remove from the oven. Reglaze again once after the pork has left the oven. Let rest for 15 min at least. After it's rested, remove the netting and throw the netting away. Cut into the roast, and enjoy.

Verdict, My husband said it was so EPIC that he would even do the dishes anytime I decided to make this again. :) Plus, he's cleaning the kitchen tonight. I really enjoyed eating the roast with the caramelized onions that caramelized on the bottom under the pork roast in the glaze. OH... So yummy! :) my kids even had the onions and extra glaze on their pork.

Cheeseburger Tortilla Pizzas

Tonight I needed to make pizza since tonight is pizza night. I wanted a change from the typical pizza. I didn't feel like making my own pizza dough and I am trying to save money and use what is in my house. I had a few packs of tortillas and some leftover meat and toppings from dinner last night. I thought... Cheeseburger Tortilla pizzas... And then I decided to google tortilla pizzas to see how others made theirs. I read a few that mentioned brushing some olive oil on the tortillas and then bake them in the oven for 400F for 3-5 minutes. So I followed that step. Then I followed my own way. Here is what I did.

Ingredients:

3 precooked hamburger patties roughly chopped

1 tomato

1 diced onion

5 cheddar slices of cheese diced or shredded

1/2 can of spaghetti sauce

1/4 head of lettuce

6 flour tortillas

olive oil

Lightly brush olive oil on flour tortillas and bake in the oven for 3-5 minutes at 400F. (Tortillas will puff up, just keep them from browning). Remove from the oven

and top with spaghetti sauce, tomato, onion, and cheddar dices.

Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 400F. Remove from oven when the and use your pizza cutter and slice into 4 pieces. Top with shredded lettuce and eat.

Verdict..

Very tasty, I had two of these, the tortilla was like a thin crust pizza. Very tasty. I bribed my kids with chocolate ice cream if they eat it without too much trouble... It worked. they ate their own 4 slices of pizza. It was nice. The ice cream was a nice treat too. I hope you try this, I will definitely do this one again, but next time might be Taco tortilla pizzas... Enjoy.

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

For those of you who know me... know that I'm not a huge fan of raisins. I usually eat them sparingly at best. I don't like adding them to many recipes. So for me to make Oatmeal-Raisin cookies is a feat in and of its self. Anywho... I found about half a box of white raisins. They are the only one's I buy... Easier to hide in my kids food. They don't really like raisins either. I guess they get that from me.

So, I decided that I would make some cookies. I needed to use these raisins as they are old. (Do raisins get old?) I don't know. I just know I've had them for a while.

I used my trusty Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook to find a recipe. It is my version of their recipe. I know I can't follow the rules all the time... But this recipe... mmmm so yummy. My oldest who hates raisins the most... didn't even taste or realize he was eating raisins. That is saying a lot... Without further Adu...

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

3/4 cup butter or margarine

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg*

1/8 tsp ginger*

2 eggs (room temperature)

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 cups white raisins

1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and the spices cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Beat till combined, scraping sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs and vanilla till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in the rolled oats and raisins.

2. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375F oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden. cool cookies on a wire rack. Makes about 48 - 54.

*Those are my changes to the recipe... Such a Wonderful Flavor!

Verdict:

These have been such a hit!

Homemade English Muffins

My family LOVES English muffins. I find it funny that sometimes I buy them and they don't realize I have them until they've been in the fridge for a long while, but they are still good. :) They they are gone in a blink of an eye. Yesterday I decided to make some homemade ones. I saw on Diner's Drive-in's and Dives that a place in California makes their own English muffins and they didn't look too hard. So, I decided to take the challenge of making my own homemade ones. I looked up in my Better Homes and Garden's cookbook and found a recipe. It looked easy enough. So I decided to make a single batch... (I should have made a double, since I have 3 left out of 17). I was hoping they would last longer, so I didn't have to make them every day... but they may need to be doubled and some stored in the freezer.. So I can make them every other day. Here is the really easy, amazing recipe... (Mind you,... my husband said they were the BEST he's ever had). He's the English Muffin Authority in our house. :)

English Muffin Recipe (found in Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook)

Prep time: 45 Min Rise: 1 1/5 hours Cook: 25 Min

5 1/4 to 5 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 pkg active dry yeast

2 cups milk

1/4 cups butter, margarine, or shortening

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Cornmeal

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl stir together 2 cups of the flour and the yeast, set aside. In a medium sauce pan heat and stir milk, butter, margarine, or shortening, sugar and salt just til warm (120F to 130F) and butter almost melts. Add milk mixture to the dry mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes total). Shape the dough in to a ball. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface, Cover and let rise in a warm place til double in size.

3. Punch dough down. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll dough to slightly less than 1/2-inch thickness. Using a floured 4-inch biscuit cutter, cut dough into rounds, dipping cutter into flour between cuts. Reroll dough as necessary. dip both sides of each muffin into cornmeal. (If necessary, to make cornmeal adhere, lightly brush the muffins with water). *Cover and let rise in warm place til very light (about 30 min) (*I missed this part...)

4. Cook muffins, four at a time, in an ungreased electric skillet at 325F for 25-30 min or until golden, turning every 5 min. (keep any remaining muffins in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours) Or, cook over low heat on an ungreased large griddle or in several skillets for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown, turning frequently.

Cool on wire racks. Split muffins horizontally. To serve, toast or broil muffin halves... - Makes 12 muffins.

Final Verdict...

I didn't let mine rise until very light... (I didn't notice any difference) Also, I used the large griddle. My first batch wasn't as thick as the rest, probably due to the fact that the dough was not risen as much and it was rolled a little thinner. The muffins turned perfect.

This is a great activity to do with your kids. They will love helping flip the muffins, cutting them out, and helping with everything. :) Enjoy!

No Bake Fudgey Rocky Road Cookies

No Bake Fudgey Rocky Road Cookies

Since today is a rainy/snowy day, I wanted to make hot chocolate... And then I remembered... I had a recipe for some No Bake Cookies. I thought to my self, that would be GREAT with hot cocoa, and a nice treat for Family Home Evening tonight. So, I pulled together all of my ingredients to make sure I had everything. Then all of a sudden... TADA!!! It's done... That simple, that easy. :)

Ingredients

1/2 bag of mini marshmallows

6 cups granola

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 1/3 cup peanut butter or sunflower butter

4 cups sugar

2 sticks of margarine or butter

1 cup milk

2/3 cup cocoa

4 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup peanuts or sunflowers (optional)

set out foil or wax paper on your table or large surface (i.e. countertops). Set aside measured, peanut butter/sunflower butter, vanilla extract, granola, mini marshmallows and oats.

In a large sauce pot combine over medium heat sugar, butter, milk and cocoa. constantly stirring mixture until comes to a rolling boil.

Remove from heat and add in the peanut/sunflower butter, vanilla, granola, mini marshmallows, and oats, the Peanuts/sunflowers if desired.

Stirring quickly incorporating all items. Once incorporated drop by heaping spoonfuls on to prepared surface... foil or wax paper. Cool and store in a cool, dry place.

Makes A TON of cookies. :) this is a double recipe, depending on how big you make your cookies, will depend on yield. Should make at least 4 dozen cookies.

Verdict! these cookies are the BOM Diggity! I know I'm lame, anywho, This is a yummy treat. I tried to make this so those with kids who are allergic to peanuts could still make this yummy treat. Substituting the sunflower butter and sunflower seads.. If you make homemade granola then this is good to use that too. You can substitute quick cooking oats for the granola if you don't have granola. I just thought the crunch of the granola would be delish in this dish. :) Let me know what you think.. :)