Cheesy Cracker Barrel Brunch Casserole

Another "breakfast for dinner" meal that was super easy and super fast and super yummy! Again, I can take zero credit for this recipe as I am stealing it from Pinterest. We LOVE egg casseroles at our house, but we just don't have time to do actual breakfast meals for breakfast, so we do a LOT of breakfast for dinners. I have also tried a LOT of egg casseroles. This one, for its simplicity, has been the best. RJ had 2 servings!!!! (huge for my non-egg eating boy!)

Here are the basic and simple ingredients:

4 Cups Croutons (your pick on kind)

1/2 Cup diced ham (I honestly eyeballed it)

12 oz sharp Cheddar Cracker Barrel Cheese, shredded (I didn't use...I don't like sharp)

8 Eggs (I used 10)

4 Cups Milk (I used 3 since I used more egg)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp onion salt or powder

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/8 tsp pepper (I never measure my spices either)

1) Heat oven to 325. Spread croutons in the bottom of a greased 9x13.

2) Evenly scatter diced ham and shredded cheese on top of croutons (which is why I eyeballed the "1/2 cup" stated above)

3) In a mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and the spices and mix. Pour over the croutons, ham, and cheese in pan.

4) Bake for 40-45 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes.

5) Serve and enjoy with Salsa and/or additional cheese, if desired.

Makes 8-10 servings

Note: I also think that it would be super easy and yummy to substitute sausage or crumbled bacon in for the ham, or if you are feeling "meaty" do a mix.

Additional Note: I have discovered when I start a blog post on my phone and then finish it on the computer that the formatting does weird things. I have yet to discover if there is a fix for this. I apologize for any oddness in the format of the post.

Easy Egg Breakfast Frittata

I LOVE breakfast foods. I very seldom cook breakfast though because I am just plain too busy in the mornings. Most of the time when we get breakfast "meals," I am cooking them for dinner. Anyway, again, thanks to Pinterest, I came across this extremely simple breakfast idea. It is one of those that you read and instantly think, "Why did I never think of that?" So, yesterday (Saturday), my running buddy was out of town so I was actually home in the morning. I decided to give this incredible breakfast a try.

Here is what you need (6 egg frittatas):
4 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup half & half
1/2 tsp salt
Various mix-ins (I used shredded cheese, diced peppers, shredded bacon, ham, and Parmesan...go with what you like)

1) Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray. Whisk together the eggs, half & half, adn salt. Evenly distribute the eggs between the muffin tins.
2) Evenly distribute mix-ins between muffin tins. (If you have kids like mine that LOVE to help, this is a perfect opportunity!)
3) Bake the Frittatas until they are puffy and edges are golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

**This is perfect if you have kids that are "picky" because you can tailor each muffin tin to various likes and dislikes. My 3 year-old LOVED this and he HATES eggs. (Additional note: I doubled our recipe.)

Lazy Day Casserole

This is a great one for breakfast or for dinner. We enjoyed it for dinner. I admit that when I preview some recipes, I sometimes crinkle my nose at either the ingredients or method of preparation. THIS was one such recipe. The ingredients were fine, but I couldn't fathom using bread the way they called for it. That being said, I am glad I gave it it a try. This yummy breakfast/dinner dish will definitely be a keeper at our house (sorry no pics again).

Here is what you need:
1/2 pound day old French Bread, sliced (I got mine off the "discount" rack at walmart)
1 pound sausage, cooked and crumbled
8 Eggs
2 Cups milk
1/2 tsp pepper
8 oz sliced Swiss cheese (I used cheddar)
1/4 Cup fresh parsley (I used dried)

1) Preheat oven to 350. Spray down a 9x13 pan. Line the bottom of the pan with the bread slices.
2) Sprinkle cooked sausage over the bread.
3) Beat eggs, milk, and pepper together in a bowl. Pour over the sausage and bread. Using a spatula, press down the bread to absorb the egg mixture.
4) Top with cheese and parsley.
5) Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. (I think mine was about 40 minutes.)

Appx. 8 servings