Breakfast taco casserole

I'm talking about "spring cleaning" your refrigerator in this bloig post. Many of us are guilty of keeping random open containers in our refrigerator for far too long because we only use half the jar and then forget about it. Or we let produce expire because we forget about it until we find it hiding in the crisper drawer two weeks too late.

I read an article by Epicurious titled "11 Things That Have Been in Your Fridge Too Long." Included in the list are several things I usually have on hand: yogurt, salsa, cheese, and eggs. 

So I created a recipe to clear out my refrigerator and use ingredients I've had far too long. I came up with a breakfast taco casserole.

Here's what I cleared from my refrigerator to use in the recipe:

Salsa: Last about 2-4 weeks

Sour cream: Lasts about 3 weeks 

Greek yogurt: Lasts about 1 to 2 weeks

Cooked beans: Last 3-4 days

Cooked meat: Lasts about 3 days

Blocks of cheese: Cheddar, mozzarella, and pepper jack last 4 to 6 weeks max

I included substitution options in italics next to the ingredients because, as I previously mentioned, there are a lot of options for substitutions because I want to help you clean out your refrigerator.

Breakfast taco casserole

Yield: 12 servings

Time: About 90 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound Mexican chorizo (you can substitute with chicken, beef, pork, or omit for vegetarian casserole)
• 1 yellow onion, small dice (about 6 ounces)
• 1 red or green bell pepper, small dice (about 4 ounces)
• 1 (16-ounce) jar salsa (you can substitute with diced or crushed tomatoes)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (you can substitute with pinto beans or refried beans)
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained (you can substitute with frozen corn)
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons chile powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 corn tortillas, halved
• 12 ounces (3 cups) cheddar cheese, shredded (you can substitute with pepper jack or omit to make it dairy free)
• Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
2. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook until browned, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. 
3. Use slotted spoon to remove chorizo and transfer to plate.
4. Add onion and pepper to skillet and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in salsa, beans, corn, cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and black pepper. Saute until mixture is combined and fragrant. Remove skillet from heat and stir in chorizo.
6. In separate bowl, whisk eggs until well-beaten.
7. Lay half of the tortillas in even layer on bottom of baking dish. Top with half of sausage mixture, half of egg mixture, and half of cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, sausage mixture, eggs, and cheese.
8. Cover baking dish with foil and bake 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and not jiggly. Remove from oven.
9. Let cool 10 minutes before serving with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, salsa, and whatever else you desire.

Too many eggs coming from your chicken coop? Here are some recipe ideas

You probably already know that chicken coops are pretty popular nowadays. The coops seem to be especially popular in the Broad Ripple area, and I know I always see quite a few while biking on the Monon Trail. I think it’s an awesome idea if you have the space because the idea of fresh eggs in your backyard is very appealing.

That being said, this time of year the chickens’ egg production is in overdrive. The reason being is that chickens need Vitamin D  to produce healthy eggs, so they are stimulated to lay eggs by day length. The best egg production comes when chickens receive 14 to 15 hours of daylight, and that’s exactly what we get in Indianapolis in the months of June, July, and August.

That means this time of year, people with chicken coops will have a lot of eggs.

So what should you do with all of the eggs? Give them to your friends like me, of course!

But really, it’s best to find recipes that a) Use a lot of eggs and b) Freeze well so you can have the eggs when production is lower in the fall and winter months.

That being said, I’m sharing two recipes with you today that fit both of those conditions!

Number one on the list is quiche. Why don’t we make quiche more? There should be a quiche movement, and we should band together and vow to make more quiche. It’s obviously a hot breakfast item, but much like a chicken pot pie, I think it’s great for dinner too. Just like an omelette, serve quiche with any filling you please. I wanted to use the basil in my herb garden to make a caprese quiche, but sadly it wilted after a quick vacation I took over the weekend and now I’m trying to nurse it back to life. So I opted for a supreme quiche instead! You know, like a supreme pizza, only quiche.

Also, I just used frozen pie crust. Make your own if you want. If you want to freeze your quiche for a later date, wrap it in heavy-duty aluminum foil and slide it into a freezer bag. Don’t thaw it before reheating. Just bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, or until it’s heated through.

My second recipe idea: egg muffins. An egg muffin is essentially an omelette cooked like a muffin. Just like the quiche, customize them with your favorite toppings and add-ins. This is also a great way to use up leftover vegetables from last night’s dinner. These are packed with protein and great to have on hand for breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc. They will last in the refrigerator for a week. Or individually wrap them in plastic wrap and stick them in a freezer bag for several months.

The best way to make these is with silicone cup liners in the muffin tin because they just pop right out. If you don’t have silicone cups, spray your pan heavily with nonstick spray.

Also, another important note, don’t overfill your liner. I used about 1/4 cup of filling per muffin cavity.

Supreme Quiche
Ingredients

• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper (any color), diced
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 8 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 cup sausage, crumbled
• 6 pieces of bacon, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 (9-inch) frozen pie crusts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and pre-bake crusts for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool on racks.
2. In a large skillet, saute onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms until onions are soft and translucent. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, mix eggs and milk together. Stir in the shredded cheddar, shredded parmesan, parmesan, sausage and bacon. Add in sautéed vegetables.
4. Stir in vinegar, salt, pepper, tarragon, parsley, and garlic powder. Divide egg filling into the 2 frozen pie crusts and bake for about 50 minutes or until center is set.

Egg muffins
Ingredients

• 9 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper
• 1 cup sausage crumbles
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup baby spinach, shredded
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line muffin tins with silicone liners
2. Beat eggs in large mixing bowl. Stir in seasonings and toppings.
3. Scoop 1/4 cup of mixture into each muffin liner. Bake for  20 to 25 minutes or until the middle is set.

Breakfast Pizza Wreath

There's nothing more special than Christmas morning. I know a lot of people who like to wake up early to open presents, but that's never been the case with me. It's the one day of the year when I know I don't have anywhere to be, and I can stay under my heating blanket for as long as I want.

Since there's no rush, there's plenty of time to create fun Christmas morning breakfast. There are a lot of tasty breakfast options, but I try to stick with the holiday theme as much as possible.

The Christmas morning recipe I'm featuring this year is a Breakfast Pizza Wreath. I'm not sure why I didn't think of this sooner. I mean, pizzas already kind of look like wreaths when you're hungry enough. All I had to do was use a circle cookie cutter to take out the center. It doesn't get easier than that.



I also created a bow out of red peppers, and I really think that completed the look. Another unnecessary but cool idea is to add a little dill around the edges. I recently decided that dill is the most underrated, festive-looking herb.

Of course, you can add whatever toppings you please, just like you would with a regular pizza. I see a lot of people commenting on my recipe video that gravy would be a good substitute for pesto as well.

Breakfast Pizza Wreath

Ingredients

• 1 pizza crust (Wewalka Bistro Pizza Dough is my favorite)
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 pound bacon
• 1/2 pound breakfast sausage
• 1/4 cup pesto
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 red bell pepper
• Dill, if desired

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit; unroll pizza dough and pre-bake for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned
2. Cook scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage; set aside
3. Spoon pesto over pizza crust, and top with mozzarella cheese, scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage.
4. Top with parmesan cheese.
5. Bake an additional 6 to 9 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.
6. Cut end of red bell pepper so it looks like a boy, and add to pizza with dill to make it look like a festive wreath.

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Bombs

This is a sponsored post by Challenge butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Do you ever think about how much time you spend worrying about what other people think? I hate to admit it, but it consumes my thoughts for hours every single week.

For example, this week I'm doing a segment on FOX59 about Easter breakfast. I changed my mind about what I was going to make probably 10 times because I was so worried about other people's reactions to it. My parents can attest to this because I'm sure I annoyed the heck out of them asking for their opinion. "Is this unoriginal?" "Do enough people like this?" "Is this festive enough?" "Does this sound good to you?"

I want every recipe I share on my blog to do well, of course. But sometimes this leads me to worry too much about other people's reactions. I forget that the reason people started visiting my blog is to read about my ideas and my opinions.

I'm not going to pretend that I have the magic secret to stop worrying about what other's think, however, I hope this post helps you become more aware of when and why you do it. That's the first step in stopping.



All that being said, I really am excited to share this recipe with you that will be perfect for breakfast or brunch on Easter. I didn't want to make anything sweet because if you're like me you've already eaten at least 2 Reese's Peanut Butter Cup eggs and a handful of jellybeans by the time brunch rolls around.

So I made Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Bombs! I love this dish because it's unlike anything else I've ever made for breakfast. Family members of all ages will enjoy biting into one of the breakfast bombs. Also, you can easily prep this dish the night before so all you have to do on Easter morning is brush it with Challenge butter and stick it in the oven.

When I make this for Easter, I plan to make it more festive by inserting cupcake toppers into the buns. I also thought about using some Challenge cream cheese to pipe crosses onto the buns so they look like hot cross buns.

Let me know if you try this and what you think about it!



Bacon, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Bombs
Yield: Makes 16 servings
Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon Challenge butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tubes refrigerated biscuit dough (16.3 ounce)
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• 6 slices cooked bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 jalapeno, finely sliced (optional)
• 4 Tablespoons Challenge butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Directions

1. Beat eggs and milk together in large bowl until well-blended.
2. Heat butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until melted and add eggs to skillet.
3. As soon as the edges begin to set, pull the eggs across the pan with a spatula. Continue until no liquid egg remains.
4. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare 9 inch pie pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
6. Remove biscuit dough from tube and flatten and stretch each biscuit until it's about 3 inches in diameter.
7. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon cheese, 1 Tablespoon scrambled eggs, 1 Tablespoon bacon, and 1 jalapeno slice over biscuit dough.
8. Pull the edges of the dough together and seal with your fingers. Place into prepared pie pan.
9. Repeat process until all dough is in pie pan.
10. Combine butter, garlic powder, and parsley. Brush butter mixture over dough with pastry brush.
11. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Recipe adapted from The Slow Roasted Italian

Celebrate National Breakfast Month with Overnight Oats

September is National Breakfast month! By now, everyone has heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day – it sets the tone for how you’ll feel and the food choices you make the rest of the day.

And I really think there’s truth to that!

Personally, when I don’t eat breakfast I get a headache, and I can’t concentrate. But I know a lot of people feel like they don’t have enough time in the morning to make breakfast. And then sit down to eat it.

So I’m going to focus this post on “make-ahead breakfasts!” Make your breakfast several days ahead of time and have your breakfast ready for the entire work week!

First off, the latest internet sensation – overnight oats!

I love eating oatmeal for breakfast. I grew up with my mom making me homemade oatmeal on the stove every morning before I went off to school (and even now when I visit home).  It’s kind of like breakfast comfort food – warm and filling.

But a lot of people don’t set out time in the morning to make oats over the stove. And that’s okay because you can get the same creamy results with “overnight oats.”

Overnight oats are simply oats that have been soaked in milk overnight. Once again, the purpose of soaking them overnight is to achieve the same creamy results that you get when you cook them low and slow over the stove.

You might be saying, “Hey Kylee, why don’t you jut make instant oatmeal?” Well first of all, no instant oatmeal will ever taste as good as homemade oatmeal. And secondly, when you make the oatmeal yourself, you can control everything that goes in it. You can make it gluten-free, you can make it sugar-free, you can make it nut free… you get the picture.

Also the cute little mason jars are easily portable, and they heat up well in the microwave (you must take off the lid of course!)

Since overnight oats are easily customizable, I’m going to list the essential ingredients and steps as well as add-in possibilities.

Step 1: Pour your oats and liquid into a jar. Your oats to liquid ratio should be 1:2. I typically use 1/4 cup quick oats and 1/2 cup skim milk. But you can really use any liquid – dairy milk, almond milk, soy milk, yogurt, or juice.

Step 2: Stir in your favorite flavor combinations and sweetener. If I’m keeping it simple, I just add 1 teaspoon Splenda and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. I also like to add a tablespoon of raisins or craisins or other dried fruit. And fresh fruit is especially good – add half a banana or apple or 1/4 cup blueberries or strawberries or even some pineapple! Also, chia seeds and flax seeds are a great, healthy addition to your oats.

Step 3: Cover your jar and let sit in the refrigerator overnight (or at least 3 hours).

Step 4: In the morning, open the jar and stir oats. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute (technically, you can eat them cold, but I prefer to heat them up). Top with more fresh fruit or any crunchy stuff you might want – like granola, pecans, walnuts, or almonds.

TIP: Make several of these on Sunday so they’ll be ready to go throughout the workweek. They keep for up to 5 days.

Since it is officially fall, I thought I’d share my recipe for pumpkin overnight oats!

Pumpkin Overnight Oats

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin granola

Instructions

1. In an 8-ounce size mason jar combine milk, oats, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and maple syrup.
2. Mix until completely combined.
3. Put lid on mason jar and store in refrigerator overnight.
4. Stir and heat in microwave for 1 minute.
5. Add granola on top and enjoy!

If you’re not an oatmeal fan but you still want to try out some healthy make-ahead breakfasts, here are three other options!

Three-Ingredient Banana Pancakes

Crock Pot Sausage, Egg & Hashbrown Casserole

Berry Banana Oat Bars

Crock Pot Sausage, Egg & Hashbrown Casserole

I’m a big fan of breakfast. I mean, who isn’t?! But sometimes it’s a pain to cook it for a big group of people. By the time you cook up the eggs, and fry the sausage, and serve it out, everyone has already eaten before you get a chance to sit down. So when I was thinking of breakfast recipes that would work well for Christmas morning, I turned to the crockpot. When using a crockpot, everything is done all at once and you can cook it on your own time – you don’t have to worry about racing to the oven in the middle of unwrapping gifts just to check on it.

Additionally, with this slow cooker recipe, the eggs turn out super fluffy and the flavor from the sausage and the onion have time to fully develop. It reheats well too! I made this recipe for myself this week and I took it to work for breakfast. Delcious! Also, I should add that there are only 317 calories per serving! That’s pretty dang good as far as breakfast casseroles go. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Sausage, Egg & Hashbrown Casserole

Servings: 8

Calories per serving: 317
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

·      1/2 pound Italian sausage roll

·      3 bell peppers, chopped

·      1/2 medium white onion, chopped

·      30 ounce bag frozen, shredded hash browns

·      8 ounces shredded, fat-free cheddar cheese

·      6 green onions, sliced thin

·      12 eggs

·      1/2 cup milk

·      1/2 teaspoon salt

·      1/4 teaspoon pepper

·      Non-stick cooking spray

Directions

1.     Cook your sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until it’s just browned. It’s ok if it’s still a little pink because it will cook in the crock pot.

2.     Remove sausage from skillet and add your chopped bell peppers and onion to the skillet. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes or until they start to get a little tender. And remove from skilled.

3.     Lightly spray your crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.

4.     Layer half of bag of the hash browns into the bottom of the skillet. On top of the, add half of the sausage, half of the cheese, half of the white onion /bell pepper mixture, and one-third of the green onions.

5.     Repeat the previous step for a second layer of the casserole. Put the 1/3 of green onion that is left into the refrigerator (you will sprinkle this on top when it’s all done).

6.     In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper, and slowly pour it over the top of the casserole

7.     Turn your crock pot on and cook until the eggs or set (2-3 hours at high or 4-5 hours at low. I cooked mine for 3 hours at high.)

8.     When it’s all cooked, sprinkle remaining green onions on top and serve. You can add hot sauce for an extra kick!

Recipe adapted from My Fitness Pal