The Creamiest, Fluffiest Scrambled Eggs Ever

I feel a little bit silly sharing this recipe with you. It's not even a recipe, really; it's more of a method. It's my go-to method, as a matter of fact, whenever I make scrambled eggs. And since I started making them this way, my family is asking for scrambled eggs a lot more often. 

The secret to these scrambled eggs is one simple ingredient: cream cheese. It's stirred directly into the eggs while you're whisking them, before they're cooked. The cream cheese gives them a fluffy, creamy texture that's just phenomenal. If you want to elevate your scrambled eggs, this is the way to do it. 

The great thing about this method is that you can change the flavor of your eggs by swapping out the flavor of cream cheese you use -- the savory flavors, of course. I can't condone adding blueberry cream cheese to your scrambled eggs, but hey, to each his own, right? I've used garden vegetable-flavored, chipotle-flavored, chive and onion-flavored, and (our favorite version, pictured above), jalapeno-flavored cream cheese. I've even used the Italian herb cooking creme with delicious results. And when you add the eggs to a breakfast sandwich with a sausage patty? SO GOOD. 

I can't recommend this method enough. Give it a try, I'm dying to hear what you think! 

The Creamiest, Fluffiest Scrambled Eggs Ever 

8 whole eggs 
3 tablespoons cream cheese (regular or any savory flavor) 
Splash of milk 
Salt and pepper to taste 
3 tablespoons butter 

1. Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Add the cream cheese, milk, and salt and pepper, and whisk well. The cream cheese will still be in small clumps, but that's fine. Those clumps will turn into pillowy pockets of creaminess in your eggs. 

2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook, scrambling gently, to desired doneness.

Bacon and Cheddar Cornbread Cakes with Fried Eggs

Since our lives have been so crazy lately, I've been diligently grocery shopping as usual, but then neglecting to make so many of the things I put on our meal plan. Finally, last week, I decided to cook completely from items I already had in the pantry and fridge, and only grocery shopped for our weekly staples. I didn't even plan our meals. This taught me a couple of things: 1. I am a Planner, and I definitely prefer having at least some sort of idea of what we'll eat during the week; and 2. I am much better at making meals on a whim than I thought I was.

I never used to be able to cook by just throwing ingredients together, and I don't exactly know when I got better at this. I was talking to my mother-in-law about this just the other day, and she told me that she has never, not once, cooked from a recipe. Maybe she's rubbed off on me over the years! In any case, this meal is one of the ones that I made with just what I had on hand, and you guys. It was PHENOMENAL. All four of us gobbled up these cornbread cakes.

I don't know why I even bought a box of cornbread stuffing in the first place, but I sure was glad I had it on hand for this recipe! Cornbread is typically too dry for me, but that definitely wasn't the case with these cakes. They were crispy on the outside and moist in the center, and, as they were loaded with bacon and cheddar cheese, they had tons of flavor. I thought topping them with a velvety fried egg was the perfect touch. I definitely see a Southwestern version of these in our future...

Bacon and Cheddar Cornbread Cakes with Fried Eggs

1 box cornbread stuffing mix

1 1/2 cups water

1 egg

6 strips of bacon, diced

1 cup freshly-shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup corn kernels

2 tablespoons butter

Salt

Eggs, cooked to desired doneness

1. Add cornbread stuffing mix to a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 egg and stir to combine.

2. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain and cool slightly, reserving the bacon drippings in the skillet.

3. Add bacon, cheddar cheese, and corn kernels to the stuffing mixture and stir to combine. Using your hands, shape the mixture into 12 equally-sized round patties.

4. Add the butter to the reserved  bacon drippings and heat over medium heat. Add the patties to the skillet in batches and cook until both sides are browned and crispy. Remove to a platter and sprinkle with salt.

5. In another skillet, cook eggs to desired doneness. Serve the patties with an egg on top.

Asian Noodle Bowls with Fried Eggs

Let me just get this out of the way: The main component of this dish is packaged ramen noodles.

Wait! Come back! Would it make you feel better if I told you that the first thing I do when I make these noodle bowls is throw away the high-sodium, artificially-flavored seasoning packet? Because it is the first thing I do. I replace the packet with fresh garlic and freshly-grated ginger, and I cook the noodles in chicken stock. There...will you at least hear me out now?

We all have those nights when: a.) we’re too busy to cook an involved dinner; b.) the meal we planned to make just doesn’t sound good; c.) we just really don’t feel like cooking; or d.) all of the above. This meal is perfect for a night like that. It’s literally ready in five minutes, and it tastes absolutely delicious. The ramen noodles cook in the yummy combination I mentioned above, and then each bowl is topped with a fried egg, green onions, and generous drizzles of sriracha and soy sauce. The add-ins for the noodles are endless: red bell peppers, sugarsnap peas, shredded cabbage or bok choy, mushrooms...the list goes on and on. The velvety egg yolk coats the noodles and turns into this lovely sauce, and the sriracha adds such wonderful heat.

I know it sounds weird, but just trust me on this one, guys. You’ll love these.

Asian Noodle Bowls with Fried Eggs

2 packages of ramen noodles (any flavor, the seasoning is getting tossed anyway)

1 teaspoon vegetable or peanut oil

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tablespoon freshly-grated ginger

4 cups low-sodium chicken stock

4 eggs, cooked to desired doneness

Green onions

Soy sauce

Sriracha

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and fresh ginger; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the ramen (discard the seasoning packet) and cook, stirring occasionally, until done (about 3 minutes).

2. Meanwhile, cook the eggs to desired doneness.

3. Add ramen to a bowl (with as much or as little liquid as you like). Top each bowl with an egg, a sprinkling of green onions, and soy sauce and sriracha to taste.

Parmesan Pasta with Asparagus and Eggs

If you will allow me to brag for a moment about my Andrew, I have two exciting pieces of news to share about my oldest son: 1. He scored a goal at his soccer game last Saturday! It was his first goal of the season, and to say that I was excited would be a massive understatement. And 2: He has developed a deep and abiding love for asparagus.

This second thing may not seem all that exciting, but I am just thrilled about it. I myself didn't even try asparagus until I was in my '20s, so it makes me happy that my kids are getting exposed to (and enjoying!) this vegetable so early in their lives. Well, Andrew is enjoying it, at least. All Will has to say about asparagus at this point is, "Ew, that's dee-sgusting." But he says that about pretty much everything these days. (It's a phase we're in right now. A really fun phase.)

Anyway, I'm digressing. Let's talk about this pasta. As we all know, asparagus and eggs were made for each other, and when they're combined with creamy pasta and salty cheese, the result is pretty much perfection. My friend Sarah made this too, and she added peas to hers, which I think is a delicious addition. You know what else would be good in this pasta? (Say it with me...) BACON.

This dish is delicious as-is, though, and really doesn't need anything else. I love the way the velvety, smooth yolk coats the creamy, asparagus-laced pasta. It's so simple, and simply divine.

Parmesan Pasta with Asparagus and Eggs

adapted from The Saucy Southerner

1 pound linguine or fettuccine

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

4 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided

4 eggs, cooked to desired doneness (I cooked mine over-easy in a bit of butter, salt and pepper)

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions for al dente. In the last  minute of cooking for the pasta, add the asparagus to the pasta water to poach. Drain pasta and asparagus.

2. In the same hot pot or in a different large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the half and half. When the half and half begins to thicken slightly, stir in 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, then taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add the pasta and asparagus back to the pan and toss to coat.

4. Top each serving of pasta with an egg and a sprinkling of the remaining parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Fried Egg Tostadas with Bacon-Black Bean Mash

This is one of my favorites out of the new recipes I've tried recently. I mean, come on: bacon and black beans mashed together with chipotles in adobo, topped with melted cheese, a fried egg with a soft yolk, and creamy avocado, all on top of a crispy corn tortilla? There is nothing not to love about that combination.

The bacon and chipotle in adobo gives these such a delicious smoky flavor, which pairs perfeclty with the cool and creamy avocado. And then there's that egg, with its silky yolk pouring down over the rest of the ingredients, coating the entire tostada with its delicious eggy flavor. Seriously. So. Good.

Fried Egg Tostadas with Bacon-Black Bean Mash

adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

4 slices bacon, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 to 1 tablespoon chopped chipotles in adobo (depending on how spicy you want it)

1/4 cup sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

6 small corn tortillas

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon butter

6 eggs

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1 avocado, pitted, thinly sliced, and generously tossed with lime juice

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon to desired crispness. Remove to a paper towel to drain and discard all but about 1/2 tablespoon of the bacon grease. Add the green onions to the same skillet and saute until slightly softened. Add the beans, cumin, and chipotles in adobo and mash the beans lightly with a fork (you don't want them complete mashed; leave some texture). Add 1/4 cup of water and the sour cream and stir until fully combined, then add the bacon back to the skillet. Taste for seasoning and season with salt and pepper as needed. Turn off the heat and keep covered until ready to serve.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy. Remove from oven and set aside.

3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook eggs to desired doneness.

4. Top each tortilla with about 1/4 cup of the black bean mixture and a sprinkling of cheese. Then add 1 egg to each tortilla and top with sliced avocado.

Mexican Chicken Quiche

Remember how I said that, when I take photos of food for this website, I always photograph my actual dinner plate? Well, that still holds true for this recipe. I'm not the least bit ashamed to admit that the entire piece of quiche up there was mine, and that I ate the whole thing. It was just too delicious for me to feel the least bit guilty about it.

I have a lot of Mexican recipes waiting in the queue to share with you, but this quiche just may be the best. It's spicy, creamy, cheesy, and incredibly tasty. The topping is crispy, and so is the crust, and the inside is perfectly set and loaded with good stuff: eggs, tortilla chips, salsa, green chilies. You could even add corn or black beans if you wanted to, both of which would be delicious. The leftovers reheat really well, too, which is definitely an added bonus!

Mexican Chicken Quiche

adapted from Pillsbury

1 pie crust

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 1/2 cups broken tortilla chips

3 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese

1 cup salsa

1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies

1/2 teaspoon salt

Sour cream, salsa, and cilantro for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan.

2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a wire whisk. Beat in the milk. Stir in chicken, tortilla chips, cheese, salsa, green chilies, and salt. Pour into the crust-lined pan.

3. Bake 55 to 65 minutes, or until crust is light golden brown and a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Cut into wedges. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with sour cream and salsa.

Breakfast Tacos

Sometimes it’s just fun to eat like a kid, am I right? I mean, I’m all for fancier (but still easy) homemade dishes, but sometimes, it’s nice to eat something that’s no-frills and simply delicious. I made these breakfast tacos for my little guys, who love breakfast for dinner, and who think they love tacos – until they taste taco meat. They’re not so crazy about Mexican spices these days, so I decided to give them a twist on a standard taco. This is what I came up with: sausage, cheesy eggs, tater tots, and salsa piled on a flour tortilla. The boys were in heaven, and Joe and I really enjoyed this dinner too.

You could use whatever breakfast ingredients you like for these, really. You could use bacon, or sausage links or patties; you could add refried beans, avocado, or pico de gallo. You could leave off the tater tots, I guess, but I loved the texture and flavor that they added to these tacos. I bet you could even freeze these for easy breakfasts throughout the week. In any case, I will definitely be making them frequently, because Andrew and Will gave them two thumbs WAY up!

Breakfast Tacos

1 pound bulk breakfast sausage

6 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese

Tater tots, prepared according to package directions

Flour tortillas (I used whole wheat)

Salsa and sour cream for serving

1. Cook the sausage in a large skillet, using a wooden spoon to break it up into chunks, until sausage is browned and cook through. Remove to paper towels to drain.

2. Meanwhile, scramble the eggs and season them with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat in a large skillet until they’re softly scrambled. Stir in cheese and remove from heat.

3. Assemble the tacos by topping each flour tortilla with some of the eggs and sausage, a few tater tots, and salsa and sour cream.

Southwestern English Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches

I’m pretty sure I’ve written about my love of breakfast sandwiches before. Interestingly, they’re not something I typically have for breakfast (except for the occasional fast food indulgence), but I love making them for dinner. And the sandwich combinations (in addition to eggs, bacon, sausage, etc.; you know, the usual suspects) are absolutely endless.

When I made this particular sandwich, I was thinking of the avocado eggs Benedict with chipotle hollandaise I’ve made before. They’re absolutely delicious, but between the poaching of the eggs and the making of the hollandaise sauce, they’re a little bit fussy. This sandwich hits the same flavor notes with much less fuss.

The sandwich starts with crispy bacon, which is balanced out perfectly by a few slices of creamy avocado. Pepper-jack cheese adds the perfect amount of spice, and a fried egg adds a silky, luxurious texture. I spread a thin layer of store-bought chipotle mayo on the sandwiches to add some smoky heat (you could easily make your own). The English muffin, with its nooks and crannies for catching the egg yolk, mayo, and avocado, is the perfect vehicle for the sandwich. These were a big hit with both Joe and me.

Southwestern English Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches

English muffins, split and toasted
Eggs, fried to desired doneness
Bacon, cooked to desired crispness
Pepper-jack cheese
1 avocado, thinly sliced
Chipotle mayonnaise

Layer an egg, a few strips of bacon, a slice of cheese, and sliced avocado on the bottom half of an English muffin. Spread the top half of the English muffin with chipotle mayonnaise and add to the top of the sandwich, pressing slightly to break the egg yolk. Serve immediately.

Honey Teriyaki Chicken with Bacon Fried Rice

Growing up, I never ate fried rice. Eggs in rice always just sounded strange to me. I stuck with my plain old steamed white rice whenever we ordered Chinese food. Then I met Joe, and in the early days of our relationship we ate Chinese food a lot. And he always ordered fried rice. After much pestering from him, I finally consented to trying it, and realized that I’d been a fool for so long. Fried rice is delicious! In the years since, I’ve even developed my own at-home version that we enjoy frequently.

This recipe, my friends, takes fried rice to a completely new level with the addition of bacon. Yes, bacon! It’s also loaded with tons of fresh veggies to balance out all that bacon, and it’s this wonderful, savory, salty, delicious thing with all kinds of great textures: crisp bacon, soft eggs, peas that pop and bean sprouts that crunch. I served it with honey teriyaki chicken, which was a delicious sweet counterpoint to the rice, but this rice also would have been good on its own. It was definitely the star of this meal. This recipe makes a ton, so you’ll be eating it for days, but trust me: That is definitely not a bad thing.

Honey Teriyaki Chicken with Bacon Fried Rice
chicken adapted from Rachael Ray; rice adapted from Cooking with Cristine

For the chicken:

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

For the rice:

1 egg, beaten
1 pound bacon, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups cooked rice
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup soy sauce

1. For the chicken, heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until browned and cook through. In a separate bowl, combine chicken broth, ginger, honey and teriyaki sauce. Pour over chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until serving.

2. For the bacon, heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet. Pour egg into wok. As egg sets, lift edges letting uncooked portion flow underneath. When egg is done, move to plate and set aside.

3. In same wok, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings.

4. Saute mushrooms and onions in bacon drippings. Stir in rice, bean sprouts, peas, soy sauce, and bacon. Chop egg into small pieces; stir into wok and heat through.

5. Serve chicken over rice.

Grilled Cheese Two Ways

Who doesn’t love a grilled cheese sandwich? I’ve been eating them ever since I was a little kid, like most people have, and the fact that they’re so trendy and popular right now makes my former five-year-old self exceedingly happy. I’ve tried two recent variations that I just have to share with you. 

I wish I could remember how I thought of the idea to crust a grilled cheese sandwich in pretzel crumbs, but I can’t. One day I just did it, and it was delicious. Butter your bread slices just like you normally would, but before you put the slices in the pan, dip each buttered side in finely crushed pretzel crumbs. The pretzels add this delicious, salty-crunchy element to the bread that works perfectly with the melted cheese.

The second version is one I saw on The College Culinarian, and I thought it was brilliant. I tried Katie’s egg-in-a-hole grilled cheese the very next weekend, and it was just amazing as I thought it’d be. Use a glass to cut a circle out of one piece of bread, butter both pieces, and put them both buttered-side-down in a skillet. Top one slice with cheese, and crack an egg into the hole-y slice. Add salt and pepper and cook until the egg white isn’t runny. Then put the two slices together and voila! It’s grilled cheese/gooey egg perfection.

Although my very favorite grilled cheese is the no-frills, white-bread-and-American-cheese variety, both of these versions are amazing, and you should definitely try them!

Egg, Bean and Cheese Burritos

When I’m having a night when I just don’t feel like making the meal I’d planned, I find that the thing I turn to the most is breakfast-for-dinner. Breakfast foods are usually always a hit with everyone (they certainly are in my house!), and the ingredients are ones I always have on hand. Since my family also loves Mexican food (shocker, I know), I thought I’d combine breakfast and Mexican food to make us a quick, easy dinner.

These egg and cheese burritos are so delicious and simple, and you can literally make them with whatever you have on hand. Sausage, bacon, green peppers or chilies, onions, spinach, hash browns...literally, anything. The eggs are scrambled lightly, then mixed with cheese, and rolled in a tortilla along with some refried beans. Bake ‘em until the tortillas are crispy, and dinner’s ready in minutes.

For our version, I used taco cheese – the kind with spices mixed right in. You could also use pepper-jack, or any type of cheese in combination with a little chili powder and cumin. For my sons, I left out the beans (it’s a texture thing for them), and used smaller tortillas to make adorable scrambled egg taquitos. I would have taken a picture of those, too, but they were too busy devouring them. I’m definitely not complaining.

These freeze really well, and they’re so cheap to make. And they taste so good, too.

Egg, Bean and Cheese Burritos

8 large eggs
A few splashes of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheese, divided
1 can Mexican-style refried beans
4 burrito-size flour tortillas
Salsa and sour cream for serving, if desired

1. In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, and salt and pepper. Scramble in a large skillet short of being completely cooked – they’ll continue to cook in the oven. Stir in 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.

2. Meanwhile, heat the refried beans in a small saucepan with a little bit of water to thin them out.

3. Spread a layer of refried beans down the center of each tortilla. Top with a quarter of the egg mixture and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese, then fold over the edges of the tortillas and roll up burrito-style.

4. Place burritos on a cookie sheet and spray the tops lightly with cooking spray. Cook in a 400-degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until the tops of the tortillas begin to brown. Serve with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

Sausage Biscuit Sandwiches

I have an egg sandwich for breakfast most weekend mornings. Just a simple fried or scrambled egg, sandwiched between two slices of buttered wheat bread. It’s absolutely my favorite breakfast. I never met a breakfast sandwich I didn’t like, as a matter of fact. So I was drawn to this recipe when I saw it over on Tasty Kitchen, because it jazzes up a typical breakfast sandwich with cream cheese and raspberry jam.

I’ve always been a huge fan of sweet and savory elements paired together, and the combination worked so well in this dish. I loved the way the cream cheese and raspberry jam worked with the sausage and the egg, and the buttery biscuit just took these sandwiches over the top. I think any type of jam would work for these – I’m eager to try using peach next time. What a delicious combination of ingredients, and what a delicious little sandwich!

Sausage Biscuit Sandwiches
adapted from Tasty Kitchen

1 package refrigerated buttery biscuits
1 package breakfast sausage patties
Eggs
Spreadable cream cheese
Raspberry jam or jelly
Butter

1. Bake biscuits as directed on package.

2. Meanwhile, fry sausage in a large skillet on the stovetop until cooked through. Remove to a paper towel to get rid of the excess grease.

3. In another skillet, cook eggs to desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. To assemble sandwiches, spread butter and about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese on top and bottom slice of each biscuit. Spread top slice of each biscuit with about a tablespoon of raspberry jam or jelly. Add egg and sausage patty to the bottom slice of each biscuit, then cover with the top slice of each biscuit.

One year ago: Triple chocolate scotcheroos

Mexican Rice Bowls with Fried Eggs

Fried eggs are probably one of my favorite things to eat on the planet. They’re delicious on their own, simply dipping the yolks in toast, but they taste even better on top of something like potatoes, pasta or rice. They’re a wonderful source of protein for vegetarian meals, and something about breaking that velvety yolk and stirring it into the delicious ingredients beneath it is just so…luscious.

For this recipe, I made a Mexican-style rice and topped each serving with salsa, sour cream, and a perfectly fried egg. This was a quick, simple, and satisfying dinner. Next time I’ll slice some avocado on the top, too. I’m happy to have this one in my arsenal!

Mexican Rice Bowls with Fried Eggs

1 cup white or brown rice (any type – I used instant)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used pepper-jack)
Eggs
Salsa, sour cream, avocado, chopped cilantro for serving, if desired

1. Cook rice according to package directions. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, corn, black beans, green chilies, salsa and shredded cheese; set aside and keep warm.

2. Fry eggs to desired doneness. Top each serving of rice with a fried egg and any desired toppings.

Saturdays with Rachael Ray: Egg Tostada Frittata

Some recipes I see and I just think to myself, “I have to make that as soon as possible.” That’s how I felt when I saw Rachael Ray make this dish on a recent episode of 30 Minute Meals. My family’s love of Mexican food is no secret, and we love having breakfast-for-dinner, so this egg tostada frittata was right up our alley.

This dish definitely did not disappoint. It came together quickly and tasted absolutely delicious – spicy and cheesy and salty. I loved the refried beans on top; they added tons of flavor and texture. I made some changes to Rachael’s recipe (skipped the homemade salsa and lettuce; used green chiles instead of Fresnos and Fritos for the tostada element because I had them on hand), and this turned out exactly like I was hoping. This will be a go-to weeknight dinner for us from now on, I can promise you that!

Check out Taste and Tell's Saturdays with Rachael Ray for more great recipes!

Egg Tostada Frittata
adapted from 30 Minute Meals

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 slices bacon, finely diced
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 4-ounce jar chopped green chilies, drained
10 large eggs
1 tablespoon hot sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 handfuls Fritos or other tortilla chips
1 can refried beans
1 cup shredded pepper-jack cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Salsa and sour cream for serving, if desired

1. Preheat a 10 to 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil. Also preheat the broiler with the rack positioned in the middle of the oven.

2. To the hot oil add the bacon and render, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions and chilies and cook about 4 to 5 minutes to soften them.

3. Beat the eggs with the hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Lightly crush the Fritos and add them to the pan, pour the eggs overtop, and stir to combine. Settle the eggs and lightly brown them, then transfer the pan to the center of the oven and broil the eggs for 6 to 7 minutes, or until lightly golden.

4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the refried beans with a splash of water to thin them out.

5. Remove the eggs from the oven and spread the refried beans overtop, stopping 1-inch from the edge all around. Top with shredded cheese and return to the oven for 1 to 2 more minutes to melt the cheese. Remove from oven and serve with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

Herb and Brie Omelet

I love cooking up omelets for a quick breakfast or dinner, although I very rarely stray from the typical ham and cheese or Denver variety. But when I saw this recipe, it immediately spoke to me. Actually, I think it was the brie specifically that spoke to me. Brie is always speaking to me, saying things like, “Eeeaaat me. I am decadent and irresistible.” Oh, that brie.

The combination of creamy, luscious brie and bright, fresh herbs makes this omelet much more special and fancy than an everyday omelet, but it’s just as quick and easy to prepare. It was absolutely every bit as delicious as I hoped it would be.

You may notice in the picture above that I went slightly overboard with the brie. But it’s not my fault. The brie told me to use more than the amount listed in the recipe. I couldn't say no. When brie speaks, you listen.

Herb and Brie Omelet
adapted from Betty Crocker

2 large eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
Dash hot sauce
1 ounce brie cheese, rind removed and sliced

1. Combine the eggs, basil, parsley, thyme, milk, salt, pepper and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine.

2. Heat small nonstick skillet over medium heat. (Skillet should be hot before pouring in egg mixture.) When skillet is hot, spray with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Pour egg mixture into skillet and allow it to cook, without stirring, until egg is almost set. Place cheese slices down center of egg; fold sides of the omelet over to cover cheese. Cover pan; continue to cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Saturdays with Rachael Ray: Bacon and Egg Quesadillas

I mentioned in a previous post that I've spent some time lately clearing out my magazine collection. I've been going through old magazines clipping the recipes that I want to keep, and recycling whatever I don't. The first magazine I tackled was Everyday with Rachael Ray -- the subscription I've had the longest. It was pretty time-consuming to clip the recipes I wanted to keep, because there were so many of them! This particular recipe for bacon and egg quesadillas actually appeared in two issues of the magazine, so I knew it must be good!

IT WAS. These quesadillas are a new family favorite for sure, and Joe loved them so much that he didn't even mind when I made them three times in one week. If you know me, you know it's unheard of for me to make a recipe twice in the same month, let alone three times in a week!

There's really nothing not to love about these quesadillas. They're such a fun new twist on bacon and eggs. I love that the eggs are only cooked to over-easy, so the yolks are still soft when you bite into them. I also love that the quesadillas are crisped in bacon grease -- it's not very healthy, sure, but it makes them so perfectly crisp and adds a ton of flavor too. Joe topped his with hot sauce for a little more heat, and I topped mine with sour cream. You could also serve them with salsa if you wanted. What a simple and delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner these were!

Be sure to check out Taste and Tell's Saturdays with Rachael Ray for more great recipes!

Bacon and Egg Quesadillas

adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray

4 medium flour tortillas

Salt and pepper

1/2 pound bacon

4 large eggs

4 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1. Working in batches, in a nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp; drain on paper towels. Leave about 2 tablespoons bacon fat in the skillet, reserving the rest of the fat. Cut the bacon strips in half.

2. Working in 2 batches, in the skillet, cook the eggs over easy, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste; transfer to a platter. Reserve the skillet.

3. Lay the tortillas on a work surface. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup cheese; top with 1 egg and bacon strips, then fold to enclose.

4. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat over medium heat, add quesadillas and cook, turning once, until crisp and golden, about 3 minutes.

Kicked-Up Carbonara

I came across this dish on Krista’s Kitchen a while ago, right after I adapted her recipe for Southwestern bacon mac and cheese. It was one of the suggested recipes at the bottom of her post, and it looked delicious. Then I read her post and saw that she and her family didn’t like it, at all. She thought this was probably because of her wine choice, so I thought I’d go ahead and give the recipe a shot. I wouldn’t be in danger of using cheap wine since I don’t drink wine very often and very rarely buy it just for a recipe (other than risotto -- wine is a must in risotto recipes, in my humble opinion).

So I made this, replacing the wine with chicken broth, and we all really enjoyed it. Joe especially raved about it, and kept saying, “This is really, really good” between bites. He was right. This is basically pasta alla carbonara, with a few more ingredients thrown in to make it even more delicious. The sauce is silky, creamy, and yummy, and every bite of this pasta is loaded with flavor.

Kicked-Up Carbonara
adapted from Krista’s Kitchen

12 ounces linguine or thin spaghetti
5 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chicken broth
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup half-and-half
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan; keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove bacon with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet; discard remaining drippings. Add garlic and red bell pepper; cook and stir until bell pepper is slightly softened. Add chicken broth and bring to boiling. Reduce heat; boil gently, uncovered, 3 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3. In medium bowl whisk together eggs and half-and-half. Add egg mixture to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until egg mixture coats a metal spoon. Do not scramble.

4. Add egg mixture to pasta along with bacon, spinach, and parmesan cheese. Cook over medium heat 1 minute just to heat through, tossing with tongs to combine. Add reserved pasta cooking liquid to pasta mixture as needed to make creamy. Top with black pepper and additional parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Crescent Sausage Egg and Cheese Bake

Well, since it seems I’ve been sharing breakfast-y things a lot lately, let’s continue in that vein, shall we? Today’s recipe is another one I think you’ll absolutely love -- we sure did. This recipe only contains five ingredients and it’s ready in well under 30 minutes, so it’s perfect for a weeknight when you’re craving breakfast for dinner (which is usually once a week in my house).

There’s just something magical about the combination of sausage and cream cheese. (Exhibit A, Exhibit B.) In this recipe, those two ingredients are layered with scrambled eggs and cheese between sheets of crescent rolls. It’s like a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich that you eat with a fork. What’s not to love?

Crescent Sausage Egg and Cheese Bake
slightly adapted from Hurricane Kitchen

2 packages of crescent rolls
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1 pound sausage
6 eggs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Lay 1 package of the crescent rolls in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish, pinching edges together as needed.

2. Cook sausage in a skillet until browned, seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Drain fat and add cream cheese to sausage, stirring until completely melted.

3. Meanwhile, scramble the eggs in a medium skillet (don’t cook them through completely, since they’ll be finishing in the oven). (Use your favorite method for scrambled eggs; mine is mixing them with salt and pepper, a little bit of milk, and a touch of hot sauce and scrambling them in butter rather than oil.)

4. Layer sausage-cream cheese mixture on top of the crescent rolls in the casserole dish. Top that mixture with scrambled eggs, then sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

5. Roll out the second package of crescent rolls and place on top of the cheese. Cook for 11 to 13 minutes according to directions on the crescent roll package, until crescent rolls are lightly browned.

Maple Sausage and Waffle Breakfast Casserole

I generally tend to shy away from breakfast casseroles that contain eggs in combination with any type of bread product. I’ve tried quite a few of them, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I just don’t like the resulting texture; it always inevitably tastes soggy to me.

But when I saw this recipe, I couldn’t resist giving this a shot. Waffles, maple sausage, eggs, and cheese, all in one delicious dish? I mean, how could I possibly not try it? And I’m really glad I did, because the waffles in this casserole don’t taste soggy at all. I think that has a lot to do with the fact that they’re toasted before the eggs are added.

I love dishes that manage to be both sweet and savory at once, and this casserole is a perfect example of that. I will admit to using plain old store-brand frozen buttermilk waffles instead of the Eggo waffles called for in the original recipe, and I had absolutely no issues whatsoever. I even took some for lunch the next day, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this tasted even better as leftovers than it did straight out of the oven.

We all loved this so much, I think this has an excellent shot at replacing the breakfast casserole I make every year for Christmas.

Maple Sausage and Waffle Breakfast Casserole

adapted from What’s Cookin’, Chicago?, originally from Cook’s Country

8 frozen waffles
1 small onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 pound maple sausage
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. Toast waffles in a toaster until browned. Meanwhile, brown sausage in a skillet until no longer pink and drain on paper towels. Transfer to bowl and set aside.

2. In the same skillet, sauté onions and peppers until softened. Transfer to bowl with sausage.

3. Coat an 8 x 8 inch square baking dish with non-stick spray or butter. Arrange 4 waffles in the bottom and sprinkle with half the sausage/vegetable mixture and half the cheese. Repeat layer, with remaining waffles, sausage/vegetable mixture and cheese.

4. Whisk eggs and milk in a bowl with the syrup, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over the waffles layers. Cover with plastic wrap and set a weight on top (like a baking dish holding a couple cans of food). Refrigerate overnight or for at least 1 hour.

5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees, uncover casserole and bake 45 to 50 minutes until edges are puffy. Cool 5 minutes and serve.

Fried Egg Tostadas with Sausage, Spinach and Tomatoes

I love eggs. Give them to me scrambled, in omelet form, poached, fried, or any other way you can think of, and I’m a very happy girl. I especially love them fried over-easy, so that when the yolk is punctured it spreads its rich, yellowy goodness everywhere. I can think of few things more delicious or luxurious than that.

In these tostadas, the egg sits atop a mixture of spicy sausage, spinach, and juicy grape tomatoes. That mixture, in turn, sits atop a crispy fried tortilla. The spicy sausage is perfectly balanced by the sweet little tomatoes, and the crispy tortilla shell adds the perfect textural element. And then, of course, there’s that egg yolk, which makes everything so velvety and decadent.

Yum.

Fried Egg Tostadas with Sausage, Spinach and Tomatoes
adapted from YumSugar

4 small corn or flour tortillas
Oil for frying
1 pound spicy sausage
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
5 ounces baby spinach leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
4 eggs, cooked as desired

1. Fry tortillas, one at a time, in hot oil until crispy. Set aside on paper towels to drain; sprinkle lightly with salt.

2. Add a small amount of olive oil to a large skillet. Add sausage and cook until browned; drain excess fat. Stir in tomatoes and spinach; continue to stir until spinach is wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Top each tortilla with some of the sausage mixture, then top with a cooked egg.