Huevos Rancheros - A Breakfast Splurge

A couple of days ago I showed you a healthy start to the day with my favorite breakfast smoothie. Today I’m going to share with you a breakfast for when you need to indulge a bit. A breakfast for a rainy Saturday morning or that Sunday morning when you’re paying for all the fun you had on Saturday night.

It would go beautifully with a Tequila Sunrise or Bloody Mary. Just saying!

As much as I love Mexican and Tex-Mex, I do not claim to be an authority on it we’ll call this my New England Girl’s version of Huevos Rancheros. It’s simple to make because let’s face it - weekend breakfasts should be easy to make!

I’ve listed several options for toppings so please pick and choose which you prefer. I also think it would be so much fun to do a Huevos Rancheros Toppings Bar for a fun at-home brunch with friends. Cinco de Mayo is less than a month away AND on a Sunday this year.

In fact, I’m making a mental note of that idea right now.

One small FYI: I used flour tortillas today because that’s what I had on hand but corn tortillas are more common. I like them both – the choice is yours!

Huevos Rancheros

*Makes 4

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

-          4 eggs

-          4 tortillas, flour or corn

-          1 cup shredded pepper jack, Monterey jack or cheddar cheese

-          1 1/3 cups refried beans

-          2 teaspoons oil, divided

-          Butter

Suggested Toppings:

-          Enchilada sauce

-          Salsa, red or green

-          Avocado

-          Guacamole

-          Diced tomato

-          Diced onion

-          Pico de Gallo

-          Sour cream

-          Hot sauce

-          Cilantro

-          Scallions

-          Jarred jalapeños

Directions:

1. Start by warming the refried beans in a small pan or in the microwave. Next heat ½ teaspoon canola oil in a pan over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add one four tortilla and brown it on both sides. About 1-2 minutes per side. Repeat until done adding additional oil as needed.

2. Place tortillas on a baking sheet and spread each tortilla with 1/3 cup of refried beans each. Then sprinkle ¼ cup of cheese on each. Place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

3. While cheese is melting start preparing your eggs. Fried or sunny side up are the most common but you can serve them with scrambled eggs as well. For fried or sunny side up egg, use a small sauté pan and bring to medium high heat. Melt a small amount of butter – just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Crack the egg and place it in the center of the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes for a runny egg. Flip once if you want it over easy. Repeat for all 4 eggs.

4. Place one egg on each tortilla. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with salsa or enchilada sauce as well as any additional toppings you prefer. Serve immediately.

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Berry Green Breakfast Smoothie - Start your day with one!

About 5 years ago I became pretty obsessed with yogurt. I started eating it every day for breakfast and haven’t stopped since. I do change it up to keep from getting bored though. Some weeks I eat flavored yogurt and other weeks I’ll use plain yogurt and mix in fresh fruit and granola. And then there are other weeks when I make smoothies.

I think the smoothies are my favorite.

Smoothies have gotten a bit of a bad rap over the last couple of years. I view them like I do any other meal or dish – if you make it at home it will be better for you. Most chains use loads of sugar in their smoothies, and I’m not sure why because fruit is pretty sweet by itself to me.

I personally believe that there is nothing “bad” for me in this smoothie. The ingredients are healthy and have loads of nutritional benefits. This recipe is my go-to smoothie in the morning, and you probably can’t tell by the color but it has spinach in it. I also promise you that you can’t taste the spinach either. Don’t let the oats or flaxseed scare you either! The oats grind up and all that’s left are little bits here and there no bigger than the seeds from the berries. And they really make the smoothie much thicker and filling if you ask me.

One little tip about the berries. I have a firm belief that if you’re adding fruit to a smoothie then you should never need ice cubes, so go ahead and buy fresh whole frozen berries. They are just as good for you as fresh and cheaper usually. Just be sure that the only ingredient is the fruit and no added sugar. If you do buy fresh, prep them by washing and cutting the larger berries in half. Then freeze them on a cookie sheet in a single layer before tossing them in a freezer bag. This will keep them from sticking together once frozen. 

Berry Green Breakfast Smoothie

*Serves 1

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

-          heaping ½ cup mixed frozen berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries

-          ¼ cup uncooked old fashioned whole grain oats

-          ¾ cup low fat milk (1% in cow’s milk)

-          5-6oz Greek 0% fat yogurt, vanilla or  plain*

-          1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

-          ½ cup packed fresh baby spinach

*Most single servings of yogurt are between 5 and 6oz, mine for example is 5.3oz.  Choose plain or vanilla based on your desire for sweetness. You could also use plain yogurt and add a squeeze of honey too.

Directions:

1. In a blender layer the ingredients in this order: spinach, yogurt, flaxseed, oats, milk, and berries. If using a machine where the cup is inverted (such as a magic bullet) reverse the order. When you start to blend you want the heavier items (the berries) on top and the lightest (the spinach) on the bottom at the blades.

2. Blend together for 1-2 minutes or until mixture is smooth and berries are fully blended. Enjoy immediately.

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Lunch this Week: Double Cheddar and Vegetable Frittata

I’m picky when it comes to eggs. I didn’t even eat eggs until I was an adult, and I learned that eggs (specifically omelets) are a great hangover remedy… and are pretty tasty when mixed with cheese, veggies and bacon.

One of my favorite ways to eat eggs is as a frittata. Frittatas are so versatile. They are ready to eat in less than 30 minutes most of the time and are great for cleaning out your produce drawer.

Every week I try to make one thing to eat for lunch for the whole week. I do this because then I don’t have to try and think about what to make every day and it helps keep me on track “diet” wise. I’m not on a diet per say but I’m always trying to eat as healthy as possible. And it is easiest for me to do that when I plan ahead. A lot of people have problems with eating the same thing every day for a week. And I can understand that because it can get boring.  I’ve found the key to being able to do it successfully is to make something you WANT to eat and look forward to eating.

This week I made a frittata! It has two kinds of cheese and all of my favorite veggies. And it was pretty hard to only eat once slice this morning because it is very tasty.

Double Cheddar and Vegetable Frittata

*Serves 6

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

-          8 eggs

-          1/3 cup milk

-          ¼ cup sharp cheddar, small dice

-          ¼ cup mild cheddar, small dice

-          1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms

-          ½ cup diced red onion

-          1/3 cup sliced roasted red peppers

-          1-2 tablespoons canola oil

-          1 ½  tablespoons butter

-          2 handfuls spinach

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat a large sauté pan (10-12 inches and oven safe) to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon canola oil and mushrooms. Sauté for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside.

3. Reduce pan’s heat to medium low and add onions. Add additional canola oil if needed. Sauté for 8 minutes or until onions have softened. Add roasted red peppers and toss together for a few moments then remove from pan and add to separate bowl with mushrooms.

4. Remove pan from heat and very carefully wipe clean with a paper towel. Return pan to burner and add butter. Heat pan to medium heat.

5. In a large bowl whisk eggs and milk until fully combined. Add to pan once butter is fully melted and slightly bubbly. Add mushrooms, pepper, onions, and spinach to eggs. Stir gently to distribute veggies evenly. Cook for 2 minutes and then sprinkle diced cheese over top. Transfer to oven and cook for 10-12 minutes.

6. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

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Banana Nut Muffins

A few months back I posted a Banana Bread recipe that was fantastic – if I do say so myself. I liked it so much that I honestly never see myself making any changes to it. However, I did want to make a version that was a bit healthier.

Now I’m not going to tell you that this is a super healthy banana bread/muffin recipe that you can eat as much as you want of guilt-free, but it is healthier that my other recipe. The best part it is that it’s really just as good. The only difference is this recipe is slightly less sweet and the texture is a tad different.

I like to think of my original version as the kind you make for a special occasion or holiday and this version for anytime. 

Banana Nut Muffins

*Makes 1 dozen muffins

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

-          4 very ripe bananas

-          3 tablespoons softened butter

-          ¼ cup light brown sugar

-          ¼ cup white sugar

-          ¼ cup honey

-          1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-          1 large egg

-          ¼ teaspoon salt

-          ¼ teaspoon baking powder

-          ½ teaspoon baking soda

-          ½ teaspoon cinnamon

-          1 ½ cups wheat flour

-          Heaping ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine bananas, butter, light brown sugar, white sugar, honey, vanilla extract and egg. Smash all ingredients together until well combined. Some banana chunks are ok.

2. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix to incorporate and then slowly add to wet mixture, Next beat on low with hand mixer to fully combine for about 1 -2 minutes. Stir in walnuts.

3. Pour batter into a greased or lined muffin tins (3/4 the way up) and bake in oven for 16-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (Bake 50-65 for a loaf.)

4. Allow muffins to cool for several minutes before removing from pan. Allow muffins to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. 

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Lazy Man's Donuts

Yesterday I posted about low-calorie menu options at Applebee’s, today I’m going to talk to you about donuts.

By the way – if you haven’t entered for the giveaway for a $25 gift card to Applebee’s, CLICK HERE and go enter! The giveaway ends tomorrow at 6PM.

When I was in middle school a friend of mine had an all girl sleepover for her birthday. I think there were about a dozen of us, which I’m sure for her parents it was probably a nightmare. The next morning before we all left to go back home, we made donuts….from a can of biscuits. I’d never seen that done before and was completely amazed that you could make freaking donuts at home.

Remember, I was in middle school.

Anyway, I’ve been making them on occasion ever since. I call them Lazy Man’s Donuts because while they still take a bit of work, they are so much easier than making donuts completely from scratch.

The recipe below makes 8 donuts and 8 “munchkins” as Dunkin Donuts calls them. I’ve included ideas for a chocolate icing, glazed, powdered, and cinnamon sugar donuts. Each will yield enough for two donuts and a few munchkins, so you’ll need to adjust if you want them all glazed or all with chocolate icing accordingly.

Lazy Man’s Donuts Recipe

*Makes 8 donuts and 8 munchkins

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

Donuts:

-          1 16.3oz can of 8 Grand Home-style biscuits (DO NOT buy the layered kind)

-          Enough canola or vegetable oil for about 2 inch deep oil for frying.

Glazed:

-          2/3 cup powdered sugar

-          ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

-          1 tablespoon milk

Chocolate Icing:

-          1/3 cup powdered sugar

-          3 ½ teaspoons cocoa powder

-          2 tablespoons melted butter

-          ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Powdered:

-          3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Cinnamon Sugar:

-          2 tablespoons powdered sugar

-          ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Helpful Equipment:

-          small brown paper bags

-          1 inch biscuit cutter or sharp pairing knife

-          Thermometer for oil

Directions:

1. Start by preparing the donuts “toppings”. For the chocolate and glaze icings, mix them (separately) in two shallow bowls. For cinnamon sugar and powdered, add them (again separately) to two small brown lunch bags.

2. Heat your oil to approx 350 degrees.

3. While oil is heating cut the holes in your donuts. Use a 1” diameter cutter or take a small pairing knife and cut a hole in the center of each biscuit. Remove the center hole and set aside. TIP: Keep the biscuits in the fridge and take them out one by one to cut. They are easier to cut – especially with a knife – if they are cold.

** If you are using a knife, don’t drag it. Bring the knife up and down, moving in a circle. Repeat two or three times to fully cut through. 

4. When oil is ready, take one donut hole and test. The hole should float quickly and bubble. Donut holes take about one minute each and be sure to flip them so they brown evenly. When lightly golden brown, remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate. You can do several of these at a time and repeat until done.

Banana Black Walnut Bread

I like bananas. I also like banana bread or banana nut muffins. But I can't stand banana flavored things or adding a banana to a smoothie.

Like strawberry-banana smoothies? Yuck. I love strawberry smoothies and as I said above, I like bananas. Just please don't put them together. The banana just overpowers it. And banana flavored candies and such are just too sweet.

This banana bread? 

Out of this world. 

Maybe even the universe. It's that good. Brent and I ate the whole thing in less than 48 hours.

The original plan was to make it and take it to his family's Thanksgiving. We were headed up the night before and I thought it would be a great late morning snack while the turkey was cooking.

But the bananas didn't ripen fast enough. Which is the opposite of what happens when I buy them and want to eat them whole. They seem to spoil in like 1.5 days no matter how green they are when they hit my counter.

Anyway, we came back a home a few days later and my bananas were finally perfect for making banana bread.

This banana bread is dense, moist, flavorful and delicious. I don't think I'll ever need another Banana Bread recipe again...well except maybe a "healthier" version. 

I used black walnuts which have a bolder walnut flavor but feel free to use regular or english walnuts, which are more readily available and cheaper. Also, if you'd like the bread to be a bit less sweet, you can reduce the granulated sugar to 3/4 cup instead of a full. 

Black Walnut Banana Bread Recipe

*Makes 1 loaf

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

-          4 very ripe bananas

-          4 tbls softened butter

-          ¼ cup light brown sugar

-          1 cup granulated sugar*

-          1 tea vanilla extract

-          1 large egg

-          ¼ tea salt

-          ¼ tea baking powder

-          ½ tea baking soda

-          ½ tea cinnamon

-          1 ½ cups flour

-          Heaping ½ cup chopped black walnuts or plain walnuts

• You can reduce the white sugar amount to ¾ a cup if you prefer less sweet bread.

Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Pancakes

I have a lot of love for pancakes. When we (me, my sister, and cousins) were little my grandfather would make us pancakes and they were the absolute best. We would get so excited if Grampie was making pancakes for us, especially the pancake men! He even got up early on the morning of my high school graduation to make them for me while everyone else was still asleep. I actually think that is the last I’ve had them. Funny how we remember those little details like that in life. I’ll have to put in a request the next time I’m home.

To this day I can’t tell you what secret ingredient was in there to make them extraordinary. In fact, I think he used Bisquick. Perhaps it was all the love and care that they were made with? Or maybe it was the fact that he made them for us at lunch time? I’m guessing it was the former.

Needless to say it’s slightly disappointing that Brent doesn’t like pancakes. He has a food aversion to buttermilk that stems from some childhood trauma. Even regular pancakes I make without buttermilk he has a hard time enjoying. So I set out to make something a lil different, but not too crazy. Somehow this idea came to me and I ran with it.



Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Pancakes
*Serves 3-4
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cups milk*
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Extra melted butter or cooking spray for the griddle
* The original recipe called for 1 cup but I found the mixture to be too thick. If you like a thick batter, use only 1 cup of milk.

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Whisk mixture to incorporate. Melt butter in the microwave and add brown sugar. Stir to melt sugar. Allow to cool, then add milk, vanilla and egg and then mix together.

2. Add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients and stir to combine. There will be some lumps, don’t worry about them.

3. Heat a nonstick griddle to medium-high heat until hot. A drop of butter or water will sizzle when it’s ready. Lightly grease your griddle with melted butter or using cooking spray. Pour a small amount (about ¼ cup) of batter unto the hot griddle. I use a measuring cup to do this. It works great!

4. Cook pancake until golden brown on the bottom and bubbles start to form on top. About 2-3 minutes. Then flip and cook an additional minute or two until the other side is also golden brown. Continue with the rest of the batter until gone – don’t forget to re-grease your pan in between batches!

5. Serve immediately or transfer to a warm ovenproof plate in the oven until ready.


Thoughts: I’ll start off with the most important part – Brent liked them! And I found them to be pretty great too. They were fluffy with the right amount of “spring” to them. The cinnamon flavor shined but wasn’t overpowering, while the vanilla played nicely in the background. I found that the brown sugar added some depth of flavor as well. Obviously it has a different kind of sweetness than white sugar does, and I thought it complimented the cinnamon beautifully. I think it worked in that secret ingredient way that makes people say “what is THAT?” in a good way.

I think these would be perfect to make for a Saturday or Sunday morning breakfast this weekend! And if your pantry is anything like mine, you already have all the ingredients on had. How easy is that?

Pancake recipe adapted from: The Joy of Baking

Florentine Omelet

If there is one thing in the kitchen that I am utterly useless at, it’s making the perfect omelet. I can never seem to get it juuuust right and believe me I have tried countless times. Brent however is a total rock star when it comes to making them, and this is my favorite that he makes. It takes a bit of effort but it’s well worth it. After several hours of begging and promises to give him back rubs, he wrote the recipe down so I can share it with you.

Brent’s Florentine Omelet

*Serves 2
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
- 3 eggs
- slash of milk
- ½ cup mushrooms, sliced
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2/3 cup heavy cream + a splash;
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon of garlic
- 1/3 cup artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
- ½ cup frozen spinach, thawed and excess water removed
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded Italian cheese
- salt and pepper

Directions:

For the sauce: sauté onion and garlic in 1 tbl butter on medium heat until translucent. Add artichoke hearts and spinach, then toss to combine allow to cook for a minute. Add heavy cream and let reduce by half over medium heat. Whisk in parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for an additional minute or two, then serve over omelet.

Supreme Breakfast Taquitos

I’m sure that I’ve mentioned before on here that I am a big fan of breakfast for dinner. It’s especially convenient on nights when Brent is working late since I usually take that time to catch up on stuff around the house that I need to do…like washing the floors or doing homework.

Speaking of washing floors, can I digress for a moment? I like to keep a fairly clean house, which was not impossible with two cats, a dog, Brent and me. But ever since we got Gravy it’s been a nonstop battle to keep them clean. Who knew one little 5lb dog would cause so much more dirt?

Anyway, back to business. So I have a small confession. I have a strong affinity for those taquitos you can find at gas stations. Yes, I know they are so very terrible for you but they are just so friggin’ tasty. This recipe is a home version of those taquitos.

Supreme Breakfast Taquitos

*Serves 2
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
- 6 flour tortillas
- 4 eggs
- splash of milk or heavy cream
- ¼ cup bell pepper, diced
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- ¼ cup bean dip or refried beans
- 1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- vegetable oil for frying, roughly 1/3 cup
- S&P to taste

Directions:

1. Add butter, peppers, and onions to a small sauté pan and sauté over medium high heat for roughly 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add eggs and milk to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Once peppers and onions are fragrant and translucent adds eggs to pan and scramble until eggs are cooked thoroughly, adding bacon halfway through the process. Remove from heat and set aside.

Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins

There about a zillion different recipes for this type of muffin. This is mine. There really isn’t anything more to it! Please note in step 3 there are two different methods to choose from.

Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins

*Makes 24 muffins

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:
- 8oz cream cheese, softened

- 1 cup white chocolate chips

- 3 eggs

- 1 15oz can plain pumpkin

- 1/3 cup vegetable oil

- 1 cup of water

- 1 box vanilla cake mix

- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon

- ½ teaspoon allspice

- ½ teaspoon nutmeg

- 2oz plain pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1. Soften white chocolate in the microwave for about 45 seconds. You want the chips melty but NOT melted. Add to 8oz of softened cream cheese and mix together with a wooded spoon.

Place on a large piece of wax paper and create a 12 inch log. Wrap ends tightly and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

2. Combine eggs, pumpkin, water, cake mix, oil, and spices. Stir to combine then beat for 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer until smooth.

Potatoes O’Brien

We are big fans of breakfast food here and we are always doing something different. Generally though, we are mercy to whatever random items are in our fridge or freezer at the time. That is when frittatas and breakfast burritos come in handy. But today’s post is about potatoes. We have been working our way through a 15 pound bag recently and I decided to make potatoes the other morning.

Potatoes O’Brien is a fairly standard breakfast item. Traditionally this dish is fully pan fried with peppers and onions. But since I’m not exactly patient when I’m hungry, I don’t always want to wait for my potatoes to fry in the am. Plus I like that these are a little softer and thus more versatile in my opinion.

Mmmmm French Toast

I don’t think I’ve met a single person in my life that doesn’t like French Toast. Not only is it such a yummy start to the day, but its easy to make with ingredients almost everyone has on hand at any given time. I add a little “secret” ingredient to give it a little something extra.

French Toast

(print recipe)

Ingredients:

- 8 slices of bread, any kind you prefer

- 1 cup of milk

- 3 eggs

- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

- 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract

- butter for the pan

Procedure:

1. Crack eggs into a shallow pan or bowl. Add milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and whisk well together.

2. Bring frying pan or griddle to medium heat and melt a couple of pads of butter. You want a thin, even layer of butter.

3. Once butter is melted, coat each side of the bread in the egg/milk mixture and place in the pan immediately. Only coat the bread right before cooking.

4. Fry bread until golden brown on the first side, and then flip. Takes about 3-5 minutes per side. Repeat procedure with remaining bread.

5. Serve hot with butter, maple syrup, or powder sugar.

Thoughts: The vanilla extract gives the French Toast just a touch more sweetness and another layer of flavor. It’s that little something extra that makes people wonder what you did differently than what they do.

Breakfast Paninis

When I was a little girl, probably 7 or 8 years old, I remember my mother telling me that pancakes were for dinner one night. I thought she had lost her mind. I can clearly recall thinking: you can’t have breakfast for dinner – it’s just not right. Now at 26, breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite things to do. Usually I will do this when it will be just me for dinner. It’s really quick, affordable, and perfect for one person because I almost always have everything I need on hand.

As I sat at work, waiting for my computer to find the file I needed, I started brainstorming about what to do for dinner. By the time I finally had the file – dinner plans were set. Breakfast sandwich!

Personally, I am a huge fan of the breakfast sandwich. I won’t lie; I love them because bacon and cheese are a fairly standard choice. While I have always loved bacon (sadly I could eat a pound of it by myself), I haven’t always been a huge fan of eggs. As a kid I would dip my sausage, bacon, or toast in the yolk of a sunny side up or over easy egg, but I wouldn’t touch scrambled or eat the whites. It wasn’t until I was 18 or 19 and managing a restaurant inside of a charming hotel that had a Sunday brunch that I actually started to even consider trying them. We had an omelet station on the brunch and the omelets just looked so GOOD! And after a long Saturday night, they were calling to me. I would load them up with every veggie possible, some bacon, and a ton of cheese. Not to mention a good amount of salt and pepper. Nowadays, I will eat eggs in a variety of ways but never plain or by themselves. I guess you could say they have to be “masked” in some way shape or form.

Back to dinner! Tonight I made a breakfast sandwich for dinner. It was super simple and ready to eat in about 15 minutes. This delightful dinner had crispy bacon, eggs with red bell pepper and onion, and creamy havarti cheese on a ciabatta roll. Say it with me now: Mmmmmmm!

Ciabatta Breakfast Sandwich

Steps:

1- Start your bacon or sausage or even ham.

2- Dice up onion and red bell pepper. Sauté till soft in a small sauté pan.

3- Whisk together your eggs with a little splash of milk and S&P. I used two eggs.

4- Once the veggies are soft, add a little more butter and then add your eggs.

5- Here you can either scramble your eggs or make them omelet-like. I was going for omelet-like but I got distracted and had to switch to scrambled. Tastes the same but omelets are easier to work with in a sandwich.

6- Slice ciabatta and layer each side with sliced cheese. Place the eggs on the bottom half, the bacon of the top half, and then put the two halves together and mush down.

7- Here you have several choices: 1-eat as is, 2- toast up in the oven or 3- press it.

8- I pressed mine using my decade old George Forman that is still kicking. It took about 3-5 minutes for the cheese to melt and the bread to get a nice crunch to it. Before adding it to the grill, I find that lightly brushing the bread with a little EVOO helps keeps it from getting burnt.

Interesting Food Fact: Ciabatta literally means “carpet slipper”. Who knew? Well… the Italians I guess.

My thoughts on this dish: Quick and simple – which I love. Havarti was a great choice for cheese because it melts really well and got nice and gooey. I love ciabatta and it had a nice crunch on the outside, but still chewy and soft on the inside. I would have loved if my eggs where omelet style, but scrambled with the peppers and onions was good too. And with all the cheese on there I didn't have to worry about the egg falling out of my sandwich. This is always a good thing in my book.

Kitten ^..^