Breakfast

Breakfast Strata

We should probably get around to rewriting this recipe to the proper one, H...
-M

Ingredients
8 - 10     slices supermarket French bread (1/2-inch thick) or Italian bread (6 - 7 ounces)
3     tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8     ounces bulk breakfast sausage, crumbled
3     medium shallots, minced (about 1/3 cup)
8     ounces white button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
    Salt and ground black pepper
½     cup medium-dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
6     ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
6     large eggs
1 ¾     cups half-and-half
2     tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Recipe
To weigh down the assembled strata, we found that two 1-pound boxes of brown or powdered sugar, laid side by side over the plastic-covered surface, make ideal weights. A gallon-sized zipper-lock bag filled with about 2 pounds of sugar or rice also works. This recipe doubles easily; use a 9 by 13-inch baking dish greased with only 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and increase the baking time as directed in step 4. Feel free to substitute any good melting cheese, such as Havarti, sharp cheddar, or colby.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Arrange bread in single layer on large baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes, turning slices over halfway through drying time. (Alternatively, leave slices out overnight to dry.) When cooled, butter slices on one side with 2 tablespoons butter; set aside.

2. Fry sausage in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking sausage apart with wooden spoon, until sausage has lost raw color and begins to brown, about 4 minutes; add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 1 minute longer. Add mushrooms to skillet, and cook until mushrooms no longer release liquid, about 6 minutes; transfer mixture to medium bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add wine to skillet, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup, 2 to 3 minutes; set aside.

3. Butter 8-inch square baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter; arrange half the buttered bread slices, buttered-side up, in single layer in dish. Sprinkle half of sausage mixture, then 1/2 cup grated cheese evenly over bread slices. Arrange remaining bread slices in single layer over cheese; sprinkle remaining sausage mixture and another 1/2 cup cheese evenly over bread. Whisk eggs and parsley in medium bowl until combined; whisk in reduced wine, half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers; cover surface flush with plastic wrap, weigh down (see note, above), and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

4. Remove dish from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Uncover strata and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over surface; bake until both edges and center are puffed and edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 50 to 55 minutes (or about 80 minutes for doubled recipe). Cool on wire rack 5 minutes; serve.

Pancakes (Hayden Family)

Ingredients
1 cup milk
1 tbsp oil (or butter)
1 egg
1 cup flour*
1 tbsp sugar (can add more if you prefer a sweeter pancake)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
*if using self-rising flour, omit salt and baking powder

Directions
Mix dry ingredients, then mix in wet. You can whisk the wet separately or just dump everything into the bowl like my mom does. Heat griddle over medium heat until drops of water dance, then lower heat a little. Grease with butter or pan psray. Cook until the bubbles pop and stay on top and the edges are slightly dry, then flip. Cook until golden on the other side. Drown in maple syrup and butter.

Waffles (CoA Style)

Source: Heather Hayden
 
Ingredients:
Standard Recipe (~6 Waffles) Half Recipe (~3 Waffles) Double Recipe (~12 Waffles)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
 
1-3/4 cups milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1  1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
 
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp milk
1 egg
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
 
3 1/2 cups milk
4 eggs
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
 
Instructions:
Preheat the waffle maker; Before it is hot, grease with cooking spray or oil if necessary.
 
In a large bowl: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. 
In a smaller bowl or measuring cup: Whisk milk, eggs, and oil. 
Whisk milk mixture into dry ingredients just until dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened.
 
Pour ~1 cup batter onto the center of the bottom grid. Close top and flip waffle maker. Bake until brown, about 4 minutes. (Or follow your waffle maker’s instructions; they may vary.)
 
For best results, serve waffles Immediately.  They will lose their crisp within 5-8 minutes.
 
Waffles can be served with any or all of the following:
 
Recipe Modifications:
Buttermilk: Substitute 1:1 buttermilk for milk
Lemon poppyseed: add lemon extract to taste and 1 tsp of poppyseeds
Orange cranberry: add orange extract to taste and dried cranberries
Banana chocolate chip: add one mashed banana and chocolate chips (You can decrease or omit oil; make sure you spray your waffle iron with cooking spray though; even in a non-stick iron, bananas tend to make waffles stick!)
Cinnamon pecan: add cinnamon to taste and chopped pecans
Blueberry: add blueberries (Not advised: blueberry waffles will always stick to the pan)
 
Cornmeal Waffles:
Ingredients:
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1-1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
 
Prepare in the same manner as the other recipe. Makes about six waffles.

French Toast

Source: Seriouseats.com
 
This easy recipe should be your go-to for basic French toast, designed for when you wake up in the morning and have a craving for French toast but haven't planned for it in advance. It uses only staples like bread, milk, and eggs, and pantry items like cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg. The key to why it's so delicious and custardy is that the ratio of egg, milk, and sugar strikes the ideal balance—neither too wet and soggy nor too firm and eggy.
 
Serves 2-3
 
Ingredients:
Half Recipe (Serves 2-3)
Standard Recipe (Serves 4-8)
  1. 3 large eggs
  2. 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling
  3. Pinch kosher salt
  4. Smaller Pinch ground cinnamon
  5. Tiny Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  6. 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
  7. 1 cups whole milk
  8. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter for the pan
  9. About 4 large slices white bread (or 8 small slices)
  10. Maple syrup & salted butter, for serving
  1. 6 large eggs
  2. 4 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling
  3. Pinch kosher salt
  4. Pinch ground cinnamon
  5. Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  6. 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  7. 2 cups whole milk
  8. 8 tablespoons unsalted butter for the pan
  9. About 8 large slices white bread (or 16 small slices)
  10. Maple syrup & salted butter, for serving
 
Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 200°F. If using very fresh, moist bread, arrange slices in a single layer on the rack and cook in oven, turning once, until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Add milk and whisk to blend.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat, swirling skillet, until foaming subsides, about 5 minutes. Soak 2 slices of bread in egg bath, turning, until saturated. Add soaked bread to skillet and cook, swirling occasionally, until browned on bottom side, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle top side of bread with sugar, flip, and continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until browned on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer French toast to the rack in the oven in a single layer to keep warm and repeat with remaining slices of bread and egg bath.

Serve French toast with pats of butter and maple syrup.
 

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Muffins

Ingredients

MUFFINS

TOPPING (Optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk the first 8 ingredients. In another bowl, whisk eggs, sweet potatoes, honey, coconut oil, olive oil and vanilla until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.
  2. Fill 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Pancakes (simple small batch)

Makes a small batch of pancakes, perfect for a quick breakfast for a dear one.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Whisk together dry ingredients. In another bowl or measuring cup, whisk together wet ingredients. Mix wet into dry just until mixed, some lumps are fine. Cook pancakes (~1/4 batter each is a good amount) on stove and serve with butter and maple syrup.

Nutrient-Rich Porridge (FFXIV)

Adapted from the FFXIV Cookbook

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
  2. Let sit in fridge overnight, stirring occasionally. Serve chilled.