Savory Bacon & Egg Cupcakes

My kids can be so insanely picky when it comes to "new" breakfast foods.  My boys in particular, pretty much always balk at every new breakfast casserole that I try.  When we have a big breakfast, they want the old stand-by's: french toast, pancakes, waffles, and bacon and eggs.  When I made these bacon & egg cupcakes a few weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find that everyone really enjoyed them!  This is a great, easy way to serve breakfast to a crowd without spending all morning over the stove.  I will be making them again!  So simple, yet so delicious!

I apologize for my bad picture!

Savory Bacon & Egg Cupcakes

Makes 8 servings

16 slices bacon

1 can (16.3 oz) Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

8 eggs

Salt and pepper, if desired

Shredded Cheddar Cheese, optional  {I skipped it  but I might give it a try next time}

Heat oven to 350°F. In 10-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat about 4 minutes or until cooked but not crisp, turning once. (It will continue to cook in the oven.) Set aside.

Spray 8 jumbo muffin cups or 8 (6-oz) glass custard cups with cooking spray. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Place 1 biscuit in each muffin cup, pressing dough three-fourths of the way up sides of cups. Place 2 bacon slices in each biscuit cup, and crack an egg over each.  Top with a light sprinkling of cheese, if desired.  Season with salt and pepper.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until egg whites are set.  You might want to place a baking sheet on the rack under the muffin tin to catch any drips from the bacon.  

 Run a small knife around cups to loosen. Serve immediately.

Egg Drop Soup

My family, as you well know, just loves Chinese food.  One of my kids' absolute favorites is Egg Drop Soup. It is just so dang easy to make and it is something we typically have the ingredients on hand for, so we have it very frequently as a first course to a Chinese meal.  I have made many, many different recipes but I do think this was my favorite to date.  I really liked the taste of the ginger in it & the way the cornstarch thickened it, just a touch.  Give this a try!  You won't regret it!

Egg Drop Soup

5 cups chicken broth (low-sodium is best), divided

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 green onions, finely chopped (chives are even better & what I like to use when I have my summer herb garden)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 eggs

Reserve 3/4 cup of chicken broth, and pour the rest into a large saucepan. Stir the salt, ginger and green onions or chives into the saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining broth and cornstarch until smooth.  Stir in the cornstarch mixture gradually until the soup is the desired consistency.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs using a fork.  Add eggs slowly, stirring soup in clockwise direction with a wooden spoon.   Egg should cook immediately. 

Enjoy!

One Year Ago:  Pork Medallions with Olive-Caper Sauce (A family favorite!)

Italian Zucchini Bake

True to my word, here I am with another zucchini recipe.  I still have a counter-full, so I am guessing I will be back again with even more.  I do think that I am going to try shredding and freezing some zucchini, I have heard that has worked for many people.  I made this one last week, and it was very good.  I do believe it is my new favorite zucchini recipe (at least main course-wise!)  I made this for dinner, but I also think it would be a delicious served at breakfast.

Here are the ingredients that you will need:  I know a visual always helps me, so I thought I would try to start doing that on here.

Italian Zucchini Bake

4 c. Zucchini

1 c. Onion

2 Tbsp. Butter

2 Tbsp. Parsley Flakes

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp. Basil

1/2 tsp. Oregano

3 Eggs

8 oz. Mozzarella or Italian Blend Cheese, shredded

1 1/2 lb. Italian Sausage, browned & drained

1 package Refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough (I use reduced fat)

2 tsp. Dijon Mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  

Thinly slice zucchini, leaving peel on.  Dice onion.  In a large skillet, melt butter.  Add zucchini and onion.  Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir in parsley and other seasonings.  

In a large bowl, beat eggs.  Blend in cheese.  Stir in veggie mixture.  Add well drained, browned sausage to this mixture.  

Spread crescent roll dough out evenly in an ungreased 9 x 13 baking dish.  Press seems together, making a crust.  Spread mustard evenly on crust (basting brush works great for this).  Add vegetable mixture to the top of the unbaked crust. 

Bake 30 minutes, or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.  Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Source: Tasty Kitchen