Cheeseburger Pie

While I was putting this Cheeseburger Pie together I was very skeptical of how it would turn out. It looks like it's just a pie crust filled with hamburger and it seemed as though it would be heavy and blah. Well, I was completely wrong! The egg oozes down from the cheese topping, settling on the bottom, creating an unexpected richness. The oregano is a surprise flavor that works nicely with the hamburger, onions and green peppers. In general, it's a great dish and one my husband declared should be added to the recipe box.
I actually prepared most of this dish during nap time. I did wait to assemble it until just before baking because I wasn't sure if the crust would get too soggy if I let it sit for a few hours. Even if you were to do all the prep work right before baking it doesn't take long to put Cheeseburger Pie together.

Cheeseburger Pie
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Source: St. Paul's Cookbook, Fairmont, MN
Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 pie crust (I like to use this one)
Filling
1 lb hamburger
1/4 c chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Cheese Topping
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp mustard
2 cups shredded cheese

Directions:
   1.  Bake pie crust at 425 for 8 minutes.
   2.  While pie crust is baking, brown hamburger, onions and green pepper; drain grease as necessary. Add bread crumbs and seasonings; pour into baked pie crust.
   3.  In a small bowl, beat eggs and milk; stir in cheese and seasonings. Pour over meat.
   4.  Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.

Tropical Waffle Bake

The tropical part might sound a little off-putting but this dish comes together in a delicious way. All three of us love this breakfast and it's wonderful, tasty combination. There's just the right amount of sweetness, balanced perfectly by the waffles and eggs.
I like pulling this recipe out when we have just a few waffles in the freezer, it does a great job of stretching them to make a full meal.

Tropical Waffle Bake
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Yields: 4-6 servings
Source: Pillsbury

Ingredients:
4 waffles, ripped into 2 inch pieces
1 or 2 bananas, sliced
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 can crushed or chunk pineapple, drained
1 cup granola {mine has cranberries in, a nice addition for this recipe}
1/4 cup applesauce
2 T brown sugar 

Directions:
   1.  Place waffle pieces in a 9x9 baking dish; top with sliced bananas.
   2.  In a small bowl combine eggs and sugar; pour over waffles. Place pineapple over top.
   3.  Combine granola, applesauce and brown sugar; sprinkle over top.
   4.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes; let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Broccoli Ham Quiche

 

When I went to make dinner I knew I wanted to make some sort of egg dish in a pie shell but I wasn't quite sure what exactly it was going to turn into. I pulled out a couple of egg recipe I already had and in the end decided to adapt my Cheese Quiche recipe. That turned out to be an excellent choice as we loved this dish!
Since the ham and green pepper I used were both from the freezer there was very little prep work involved in making this dish. Also, this recipe can definitely be adapted even more to accommodate whatever is on hand.

Broccoli Ham Quiche
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Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped, cooked ham
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded cheese, divided
pie crust

Directions:
   1.  In a medium bowl mix eggs and milk. Add broccoli, green pepper, ham, onion, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and 3/4 cup cheese.
   2.  Pour into pie crust and top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
   3.  Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes. Let set 5 minutes before cutting.

 

This is linked to Joy in my Kitchen.

Sweet Potato Muffins

These muffins have quickly moved to the top of our list for muffins. There is just something about them that is absolutely wonderful. Technically, they would probably make an excellent fall muffin but we've been loving them in the summer as well! My only complaint is I'm out of sweet potato puree so no more of these for us for a while.
These muffins are no harder to put together than any other muffin. The only possible additional step is the topping but don't skip the topping! It really adds to the muffins and since I eliminated the butter and extra sugar when I modified it from the original recipe I don't feel it's too unhealthy. :)

Sweet Potato Muffins
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Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
Muffins
1 cup flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
Topping
2 T oats
1 T brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger

Directions:
   1.  Preheat oven to 350.
   2.  In a large bowl, combine flours, sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda. Add eggs, sweet potatoes, water and oil; mix just until moistened.
   3. Fill muffin cups, dividing batter evenly among 12 cups.
   4.  In a small bowl combine topping ingredients. Spoon 1 T of topping over each muffin; gently press down with back of spoon.
   5.  Bake at 350 for 18 minutes or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean.

Adapted from: Taste of Home 

This is linked to Tasty Tuesday and URS.

Cheese Quiche

I don't know why exactly but it truly surprises me how much we like this Cheese Quiche. Maybe it's the fact that a big component of the dish is spinach which in frozen form is not exactly the most appetizing looking thing. Whatever it is we like it! At first our daughter was a little hesitant about it but then she attacked her serving with gusto!
This is a ridiculously easy meal to put together. If you use a store bought crust (which I did this time) it doesn't take much time at all and it's a dish you can feel good about putting in front of your family.

Cheese Quiche
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Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 small onion, chopped
1 10 oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and drained
4 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese
1 9 in pie crust
1/4 cup bacon bits (optional; not pictured)
1/4 tsp nutmeg (not pictured)
1/4 tsp paprika (not pictured)
salt & pepper (not pictured)

Directions:
   1.  Preheat oven to 375.
   2.  In a skillet cook onions in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat until tender.
   3.  In a large bowl beat eggs and milk until blended. Add spinach, onions, cheese and spices and mix. Pour into crust; top with bacon bits (if using).
   4.  Place crust tin on a cookie sheet and bake 50 minutes or until center is set.

Source: Kraft Foods

This is linked to Good Cheap Eats.

Butterscotch Bran Muffins

The original recipe calls for raisins which I don't have right now. I always mean to buy some but always forget. Anyway, I knew that I wanted to substitute something for the raisins. My first thought was chocolate chips but when I looked in the cupboard I had two bags of butterscotch chips and two bags of white chocolate chips but no chocolate chips. So butterscotch chips ended up being the substitute for the substitute and with great results! My husband and I decided that they worked really well. One of these muffins makes a quick, filling, hearty breakfast.
The recipe is like a typical muffin recipe with the addition of one 5 minute rest time in the middle. My daughter and I used the time to brush our teeth. I tried lighting spraying my muffin tin bottom as recommended in the cook book. It worked great but didn't make it too greasy, a problem I've occasionally run into.

Butterscotch Bran Muffins
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Yields: 15 muffins

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups All-Bran Original cereal (twig shaped bran)
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 T molasses
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
6 T butter, melted and cooled
1 3/4 cups sour cream
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:
   1.  Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
   2.  Grind half of the bran cereal in a food processor until finely ground.
   3.  In a large bowl whisk sugar, molasses, egg, egg yolk and vanilla until thick. Add melted butter, sour cream and processed and unprocessed bran cereal and stir until combined. Let rest until cereal is moistened, about 5 minutes.
   4.  Add flours, baking soda, and salt to cereal mixture. Fold gently until just combined. Fold in butterscotch chips.
   5.  Fill muffin cups about 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 400 for 16-20 minutes or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins cool in tin for 5 minutes and then remove.

Adapted from: The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

This is linked to Tasty Tuesday, Good Cheap Eats and URS.

Bunsteads

This is a recipe I remember fondly from my childhood. A few months after we were married I made Bunsteads for my husband and now he too thinks fondly of them. They are filling, warm and tasty.

Bunsteads are a relatively easy sandwich to put together. The mixture can be made ahead of time and refriegerated until closer to dinner time. This leaves only the simple task of filling the bread and putting them in the oven.

Bunsteads
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Yields: 6 servings 

Ingredients
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 can tuna or chicken, drained
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped sweet pickle or pickle relish
1/2 cup Miracle whip
1/2 tsp paprika
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
bread or hamburger buns (not pictured)

Directions
   1.  Lightly mix all ingredients, except bread.
   2.  Fill bread or buns. Seal in tinfoil and place in 350 oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
   Alternative: Microwave mixed ingredients until warm then fill bread or buns.

Eggs in Rolls

We wanted to try something new for Saturday brunch. I was looking for a recipe that was different but not too crazy. I knew I had found it when I saw this. It was in a cookbook that doesn't have pictures for everything so I had to read through it and imagine what it would be like. I was intrigued and knew immediately which rolls I was going to use. Walmart always has these awesome rolls on the clearance rack that we love and they worked perfectly.
These rolls are going to be a great addition to our brunch rotation. All the flavors melded so well. It was amazing how the bread and egg complemented each other in every bite. This is definitely a keeper!

Eggs in Rolls
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Yields: 3 servings

Ingredients:
3 rolls
2 T butter, melted
4 eggs, separated
1/8 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
dash pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheese
3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Directions:
   1.  Preheat oven to 425. Hollow out rolls, leaving a 1/2 inch wall. Place rolls on a cookie sheet. Brush insides of rolls with melted butter.
   2.  Mix egg yolks, 2 egg whites, milk, salt and pepper. Stir in cheese and bacon. Cook in a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat until just under done. Spoon eggs into rolls.

   3.  Beat remaining 2 egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff. Spoon over cooked egg mixture. Bake at 425 until golden, about 8 minutes.

Adapted from: Betty Crocker 1988 Cookbook

Waffles

When we registered for wedding gifts for some reason we did not register for a waffle maker. We eventually realized the silliness of that decision so last winter we finally bought one. That purchase was definitely well worth it because we love waffles!
The night before we first made waffles we watched Alton Brown's Good Eats episode about waffles. We learned some tips from that and got an excellent recipe. One time, I didn't have whole wheat flour like the recipe calls for and instead only used all purpose flour. Big mistake--the waffles were missing the crispness that we were used to. Lesson learned: use whole wheat flour!
Also, if you scroll down and look at the picture at the bottom of the post you'll see that my daughter was very anxious to get her hands on some waffles. :)

Waffles
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Yields: 8-9 waffles

Ingredients:
1 T white vinegar
1 T lemon juice
~2 cups milk
1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
4 T melted butter

Directions:
   1.  Put vinegar and lemon juice in a 2 cup measuring cup. Fill with milk. Let sit for 5 minutes.
   2.  While milk is resting mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
   3.  In a separate bowl, beat eggs then add melted butter. Whisk in milk; beat smooth.
   4.  Add wet ingredients to dry and fold gently with a spatula, leaving lumps. Let rest for 5 minutes.
   5.  While batter is resting, preheat waffle iron. Spray with cooking spray. Pour ~1/2 cup batter onto hot waffle iron; cook until done.
Notes:
   To reheat frozen waffles: Preheat oven to 250. Put waffles on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Cook 2-3 minutes; flip and cook 2 minutes longer.

Source: Food Network

Pancakes

I've been using the same pancake recipe for years. I have no idea where I got it from. I always thought the pancakes were pretty good. This week I decided to try a new recipe because I was just in the mood to try. Well, I am so glad I did. That old pancake recipe is out the door and replaced with this one!

I've always wished I could make pancakes that were fluffy like at a restaurant and these are pretty close. They were easy to throw together, puffed up nicely and tasted excellent!

Pancakes
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Yields: 8-9 pancakes

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1 T sugar
2 T butter, melted
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
   1.  Preheat griddle.
   2.  In a medium bowl beat egg with hand mixer until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients just until smooth.
   3.  Grease griddle (if necessary). Pour 3 T batter per pancake onto hot griddle. Cook until bubbles start to appear; turn. Cook until golden brown.
   4.  Keep warm in low oven until ready to serve.

Source: Betty Crocker 1988 Cookbook

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie holds a "special place" in my husband's heart. That's probably because this recipe is from his mom! When we got married he wanted to make sure that I had this recipe because he loves it so much.
The first time I made this it took me forever. I realize now that had a lot to do with me not reading the recipe through the whole way before starting (a bad habit of mine). Now it goes much quicker. I put a note at the bottom of the recipe about what I've learned to help speed up the process.
To sum up this recipe it's all the elements of spaghetti in a pie. But you could probably guess that from the name.

Spaghetti Pie
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Yields: 3 pies, 6 servings each

Ingredients:
1 lb spaghetti
4 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
2 cups sour cream
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 lb bulk pork sausage
2 cups water
1 can (12 oz) tomato paste
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
   1.  Cook spaghetti; drain and place in large bowl. Add eggs and Parmesan cheese and mix. Transfer to three 9 inch pie plates, pressing onto bottom and up sides to create a crust.
   2.  In a medium saucepan, melt butter and saute onion until tender. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and Italian seasoning. Spoon into crusts.
   3.  In a skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink; drain. Stir in water and tomato paste; simmer, uncovered, 5-10 minutes or until thickened. Spoon over sour cream mixture.
   4.  Sprinkle with mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.
   5.  Cover and freeze two pies. Cover and bake third pie at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.
   To use frozen pies: Completely thaw in refrigerator (overnight). Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed.
Notes:
   I've found the easiest way to make this is to start steps 1, 2, and 3 at the same time. That way each layer is ready at about the same time, making it easy to assemble the pie.

Source: My mother-in-law, Joan

French Toast

This is one of our favorites for Saturday brunch. French toast is incredibly easy to make and tastes so wonderful. I love how you can take bread that is a little past its prime for sandwiches and not be able to remember that when you take a bite of this french toast.
One trick I've picked up on is to keep the oven at a low heat and keep the cooked french toast in there until it's all ready. This is especially handy when you're making larger batches.

French Toast
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Yields: 7-8 pieces

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 T sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
7-8 slices bread

Directions:
   1.  Preheat griddle or frying pan.
   2.  Combine all ingredients, except bread, in a medium bowl. Mix well, being sure the eggs are completely incorporated.
   3.  One at a time, dip slices of bread into the egg mixture, flipping to coat both sides. Fry at once until browned on both sides.
   4.  Serve warm with maple syrup or powdered sugar.

Source: St Paul's Lutheran Church, Fairmont, MN Cookbook

This is linked to Ultimate Recipe Swap.

Cheesy Salsa Meatloaf

This is definitely a winner! My husband and I were talking about this recipe before we had tasted it and he was commenting how so often meatloaves are dry and require a sauce on top to balance it out. Well, that is not the case here. This is such a wonderfully moist meatloaf that there is no need for a sauce.
My theory is two things are working together to create this delightful taste: the salsa and cheese mixed in and the fact that they're muffin size and therefore don't need to bake as long. Whatever it is, it works!
The one downfall to this recipe is the pan was a little disgusting to wash even though I had greased it well. Even so, this will make a frequent appearance in our house.

Cheesy Salsa Meatloaf
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Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
1 egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup salsa
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

Directions:
   1.  Preheat oven to 375.
   2.  Mix ground beef, onions, egg, bread crumbs, salsa and 1 cup cheese.
   3.  Grease 12 muffin cups. Divide meat mixture evenly between muffin cups pressing to compact.
   4.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Top with remaining cheese.

Source: Kraft Foods