Bacon and Hash Brown Egg Bake

We were having over-night guests, so I wanted to make a breakfast casserole that I could prepare the day ahead and bake in the morning.  Of course, this was the perfect opportunity to try a new recipe.  This one sounded a bit different because of the Dijon mustard and vegetables, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I found this recipe on Pinterest, but originated at BettyCrocker.com.  How could I go wrong with a Betty Crocker recipe?  The preparation was easy and it was a hit with everyone who partook.  This dish got 7's and mostly 8's on the Melnarik rating scale.

To begin, I cut the bacon into 1-inch wide strips and cooked them over high heat in a medium skillet until crisp.

I removed the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and placed it on several layers of paper towels to drain and cool.

After removing all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings, I added the onion, red bell pepper and sliced mushrooms to the skillet.  I cooked the vegetables over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables were tender.

I then stirred in the salt, pepper and Dijon mustard.

In a large bowl, I combined the eggs and milk, using a whisk.

The mixture should be fully blended, but not whipped until it is foamy.

After greasing a 9- x 13-inch baking dish, I evenly placed half of the thawed hash brown potatoes on the bottom.

Then, I evenly distributed the vegetables.

On top of that, I added half of the cheese.

The rest of the hash browns were added as the next layer.

I poured the egg mixture evenly on top and covered the baking dish in plastic wrap.  I placed it in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

I placed the remaining cheese and the cooled bacon in bowls, covered them with plastic wrap and placed them in the refrigerator also.

About 1 1/2 hours before serving breakfast, I preheated the oven to 325°F.  I removed the baking dish from the refrigerator, took off the plastic wrap and placed it in the preheated oven to cook for about an hour.  When it came out of the oven, the egg was nicely cooked and the cheese was melted.

Taking the leftover cheese from the day before, I sprinkled it evenly over the dish.

I then added the bacon I had reserved, sprinkling it as evenly as possible over the cheese.

Back into the oven it went for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese and heat the bacon through.

The dish was easy to cut into squares for serving and pared with some wheat toast, it was a hearty breakfast.  It was a nice way to serve some vegetables at breakfast, and who doesn't love bacon!  Enjoy!

Bacon & Hash Brown Egg Bake (Betty Crocker)

1 pound bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (3/4 cup)

1 package (8 oz.) sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

¾ cup milk

12 eggs

1 package (2 lb.) frozen hash browns, thawed

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 oz.)

In a 12-inch skillet, cook bacon until crisp.  Using slotted spoon, remove from pan to small bowl; cover and refrigerate.  Drain drippings, reserving 1 tablespoon in pan.  Add onion, bell pepper and mushrooms; cook 4 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Stir in mustard, salt and pepper.  In large bowl, beat milk and eggs with wire whisk.  Spray 9-x13-inch baking dish (3 qt.) with cooking spray.  Spread half of hash browns in baking dish.  Add onion mixture evenly on top.  Sprinkle with half of the cheese; refrigerate remaining cheese.  Spread remaining hash browns over top.  Pour egg mixture over entire casserole.  Cover; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. 

Preheat oven to 325°F.  Uncover baking dish; bake 50 to 60 minutes or until thermometer inserted in center reads 160°F.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and the bacon.  Bake 3 to 5 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean, top is puffed and cheese is melted.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Turkey Club Sandwich with Avocado Aioli

I tried this recipe for the first time recently and think it has become one of the favorites of my family.  One reason is the bread, which is embellished with parmesan cheese and oregano.  Another reason is the marinated vegetables, which give this sandwich a fresh taste.  Then, of course, the addition of bacon makes everything better, according to my guys!

I found this recipe in a Pillsbury Bake-Off recipe magazine, which indicated that Helather Halonie of Webster, WI was the person who submitted this recipe.  This sandwich received 9's from everyone on the Melnarik rating scale.

I began by opening a tube of Pillsbury refrigerated Crusty French Loaf and putting it on my baking sheet seam side down.  Mine has a wonderful non-stick surface, so I didn't need to use any cooking spray, if yours does not have a non-stick surface, you'll want to cover it with baking parchment paper or use a no-stick cooking spray where the bread will sit.

With a sharp knife, I cut five diagonal lines into the dough, piercing the top about 1/4 inch.

In a small bowl, I combined the Parmesan cheese and oregano.

After spraying the top of the dough with a mist of oil (no-stick cooking spray or butter may be used here), I sprinkled the cheese mixture as evenly as possible.  Into the oven the bread went to bake at 350°F  for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, I began cooking my bacon (sorry no photo) until crisp.  Also, in a medium bowl, I combined the shredded lettuce, onion, tomatoes, oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes and oregano.  Instead of shredding my own lettuce, I bought the pre-shredded lettuce that is found in the produce section of the market near the other bagged lettuces.  This mixture then went into the refrigerator  for 20 minutes to let the flavors blend and to slightly wilt the lettuce.

The kitchen was smelling great at this point.  When the bread was finished, I brought it out of the oven and left it to cool completely.

In a mini food processor, I combined the mayonnaise, garlic and avocado.

I processed this mixture until smooth, scraping the sides once.

When the bread was completely cool, I sliced it lengthwise and pressed down the bread on the bottom half to flatten it so it would hold the vegetable mixture.  Then I spread the avocado aioli on each half.

On the bottom half, I piled the marinated vegetables that I had put in the refrigerator earlier.

Then I added the thinly sliced deli-style turkey.

I then added sliced provolone cheese.

The next layer was the crisp bacon.

I placed the top half of the bread over the bacon and it was ready to slice and serve.

Just looking at this picture is making my mouth water!  There is another sandwich I make where the bread is "dressed" similarly and my oldest son refers to it as the "Jesus Sandwich."  It used to be his favorite sandwich.  When he tasted this one, he declared this one just a little bit better and called this one "The Holy Spirit Sandwich."  When I asked him why, he said it was because it spoke to him!  Enjoy!

Turkey Club Sandwich with Acocado Aioli

1 can (11 oz.) Pillsbury refrigerated Crusty French Loaf

1 tablespoon fresh grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, divided

1 ½ cups shredded lettuce

¼ cup chopped red onion

2 medium plum (Roma) tomatoes, chopped

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ avocado, pitted, peeled and roughly chopped

8 oz. thinly sliced cooked turkey from deli

5 slices provolone cheese

8 slices bacon, halved, crisply cooked

Heat oven to 350°F.  Spray large cookie sheet with no-stick cooking spray or line with cooking parchment paper.  Place loaf of dough, seam side down, on cookie sheet.  Using a sharp or serrated knife, cut 5 diagonal slashes about ¼ inch deep on top of dough.  In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon of oregano.  Spray top of loaf with no-stick cooking spray or oil; sprinkle with cheese/oregano mixture.  Bake 26 to 30 minutes or until deep golden brown.  Cool completely on cookie sheet – about 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix lettuce, onion, tomatoes, oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes and remaining 1 teaspoon oregano.  Refrigerate about 20 minutes to blend flavors and slightly wilt lettuce.  In a food processor, cover and process mayonnaise, garlic and avocado until smooth.  Cut bread in half horizontally.  Press inside of bottom half of bread to flatten slightly for filling; spread both bottom and top with avocado aioli.  Place lettuce mixture in bottom half.  Top with turkey, provolone cheese and bacon.  Place top of loaf over bacon; cut and serve.

Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Wraps

On a hot day, if you ever need to have something cool or cold to eat that you've prepared ahead of time, then this recipe is for you.    I've found this to be a favorite choice of sandwich at home on those days when everyone has a different schedule and we won't be eating dinner together or for our second day on our beach trip.  I prepare the filling and keep it in Tupperware until it gets wrapped in a tortilla with a bit of lettuce.  Hint:  If taking this dish in a cooler, store it in a piece of Tupperware with a round seal.  All Tupperware is guaranteed to be air-tight, but the containers with round seals are guaranteed to be liquid tight!  That way as the ice melts in your cooler, none of the water will get into your food.

I like using the rotisserie chickens in different dishes because the combination of dark and white meat tends to give more flavor and the smoky goodness of the bacon just adds that extra touch to this recipe.  My guys and everyone else I have served this to, give it 8's and 9's when rating it.  I also love how easy it is to serve when my guys are ready to eat.

As it take a while to cook, I begin by cooking the bacon.  When a recipe calls for crumbled bacon, I like to cut the raw bacon into 1/2-inch pieces and throw them into a saucepan to cook.  This way the pieces are more uniform in size and they seem to cook faster without running the risk of overcooking.

In the first photo, you can see how the pieces are still clumped together as I cut them, but in the photo above, you can see that as they cook and I stir them occasionally, the pieces break apart nicely.

Once the bacon is fully cooked, I remove the pieces to a paper towel to soak up any extra fat.  I line a small bowl with foil and pour the bacon grease from the pan into it.  This way, when it hardens, I can remove it in the foil and throw it away and I don't even have to wash the bowl!

I like to always have on hand the meat of a rotisserie chicken.  I usually buy one every time I go to Costco, let it sit on the counter to cool for an hour or so, then remove the skin and take the meat off the bones.  I then freeze it in a zip lock bag.  This way, whenever I have a dish I want to make using a rotisserie chicken, all I have to do is defrost the chicken and I'm ready to use it.  For this dish, I placed the chicken in a large bowl and added the green onions, tossing to combine.

I then shredded the Monterey Jack cheese and added it to the chicken and onions, tossing to combine.

By that time, the bacon was cool enough to add to the chicken mixture.  Again, I tossed to combine.

The Ranch dressing was the last ingredient to be added.  I'm not a huge fan of Ranch dressing, so the first time I made this dish I only added enough dressing to coat the other ingredients.  It really lacked flavor, so I kept adding more dressing until it tasted good.  The second time I made it, I used the cup of dressing the recipe called for and that was perfect.  It wasn't dry and it was flavorful, but didn't scream Ranch dressing.

That's all there is to it.  It's ready to be placed in a flour tortilla with a bit of lettuce!  On the beach, each person takes a tortilla, places it in their hand and I scoop some of the chicken mixture on to each one.  The recipe had a tip that it can also be heated in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds after being placed on the tortilla, but we've only eaten it cold.  It's a refreshing cold sandwich on a hot day!  Enjoy!

Chicken-Bacon-Ranch Wraps

  

1 rotisserie chicken, coarsely shredded

1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (6 oz.)

8 slices cooked bacon, chopped (about ½ cup)

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1 cup Ranch dressing

1 pkg. flour tortillas, soft taco size

shredded lettuce, optional

In a large bowl, gently mix all ingredients except tortillas and lettuce.   To assemble sandwich, place approx. 1/3 cup of chicken mixture in the middle of one tortilla, add lettuce to your liking.  Roll up burrito style and enjoy.

The chicken mixture can be kept in the refrigerator for quick snacks for the kids.

Almost a Dagwood Sandwich

When it's so hot outside that I don't feel like turning the oven on inside to make dinner, I often turn to one of my tried and true recipes for a good healthy sandwich.  I'm not using the word healthy in the way it is used commonly these days.  I'm using it the way my wee, Irish mother would use it - to say that it is piled high with yumminess.   A healthy portion of anything means no scrimping on ingredients and nobody leaves hungry!

I call this sandwich the Almost Dagwood because of it's height; it's pretty tall, but I can still get my mouth around it!  The combination of two different spreads, two kinds of meat, plus sweet onions, tomatoes and lettuce is to die for.  WhenI made this the other day, my husband cut his portion in half, thinking he couldn't eat it all, but returned for the second half because he couldn't help himself, it was that good!  

I found this recipe in one of those small cookbooks you find at the checkout stand in the market.  This one was published in 2010 and put out by General Mills.  I did alter the ingredients a little from the original recipe, so the recipe below is how I make it now.

The only cooking step is to fry some strips of bacon (no picture available), so I get that going first.  As I'm keeping watch on the bacon and turning the pieces as necessary, I begin the assembly process.  The original recipe called for an herb-flavored or cheese-flavored bread, such as Focaccia, Ciabatta or Asiago.  I think a Focaccia works best for this sandwich, so I get the Tomato & Olive Focaccia bread from Trader Joe's.

I begin by placing the bread on a cutting board that is big enough to hold both pieces side-by-side when cut, as they both will get topped with a spread.  I cut it open and add the herb cheese to the side that will be the bottom of the sandwich.

Then I begin layering the filling ingredients.  The turkey (left) goes on first, followed by the mozarella cheese (right).

Next is the Italian dry salami (left) followed by the fresh basil leaves and bacon (right), which was cooked and drained on paper towels.

The sweet onion (left) is next.  I want to make sure there is onion flavor in every bite, but not to the point of overwhelming the taste, so that is why I apply my rings like this as opposed to using slices!  Silly me!  The tomatoes (right) are next.  I have to cut them almost paper thin, using a mandoline, to get my youngest son to eat them in a sandwich, otherwise he picks the tomatoes out because he things they're "totally gross!"

The lettuce is the final stackable ingredient.  The top of the bread that has been waiting patiently gets spread with a prepared pesto.  I've got to tell you my mouth is watering right now!

Put the top on the sandwich and cut it into the desired size pieces.  If you want the pieces fairly small, putting a long pick in what will be the middle of each piece will help keep the sandwich together as you cut it.  This sandwich can be made ahead of time and stored in an air-tight container for up to 24 hrs.  This makes it perfect for a picnic, or for eating any leftovers the next day!

As my wee, Irish mom would say, "Doesn't it look good enough to eat?"  Enjoy!

Almost a Dagwood Sandwich

1 loaf Focaccia bread (approx. 1 lb. and about 1 inch thick)

1 small container garlic-and-herbs spreadable cheese

1/2 lb. thinly sliced smoked turkey

4 oz. sliced mozzarella cheese

4 oz. sliced Italian dry salami

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

8 slices bacon, cooked

1/2 of a sweet onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, thinly sliced

Green leaf lettuce leaves

4 oz. prepared basil pesto

In a frying pan, cook bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels.  In the meantime, on a large cutting board, cut the bread horizontally, laying each piece side-by-side as if opening a sandwich.  Spread the garlic-and-herb cheese on the bottom half.  Layer with the turkey, mozzarella, salami, basil, bacon, onion rings, tomatoes and lettuce.  Spread top half with basil pesto; place on top of stacked sandwich ingredients.  Cut sandwich in to desired size pieces.