Tater-Tot Breakfast Skillet:

My mother-in-law had this huge set of awesome cast-iron skillets that she didn't want anymore, so she gave them to me!!! I had always wanted some, but when I lived at home, we had a flat-surface stove, and whereas I LOVED that stove, you couldn't use cast-iron on them, because it's too heavy.

But! When I moved into my home now, we still have an awesome stove, but it has regular burners.

So I have lots and lots of things I want to try in these awesome skillets now!

This is the first thing that I made in them, and stay tuned, because more will definitely be coming your way!!

This was super fun, and really yummy!

Tater-Tots are always a good idea, and to use them for a crust is genius!

This recipe is really flexible too! It calls for sausage and bacon, but you could definitely just use one or the other if you prefer.

Of course, any kind of cheese you wanted to use would be fantastic!

And add whatever you want to your eggs! I threw in some diced bell peppers and onions, garlic powder, salt and pepper. 

But you could add in so many different things, depending on your taste...mushrooms, spinach, jalapeno peppers, etc., etc.,....the list could go on and on!!!

I hope you give it a try, and enjoy it as much as we did!

Dad, you would love this!!! I can't wait to make it for you!

P.S.

FYI: Breakfast for dinner is what I'm all about, but this also heated up great for breakfast the next day!

1 (32 oz) bag frozen Tater Tots

6 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups shredded cheese

3/4 cup cooked, crumbled sausage

3/4 cup fried, chopped bacon

(I used a cast iron skillet for this, but I'm sure you could use any skillet or even a pie plate or something...just so it has sides, and is oven safe!)

Line the tater tots in a single layer across the bottom of a greased skillet. Then line the outside edges of the pan (which will make a double layer, just around the outside).

Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of water.

Heat a skillet to medium heat, and scramble the eggs, cooking just until set, because they can finish cooking later. 

Remove the potatoes from the oven. Using the back of a spatula, measuring cup, glass...whatever you have that's flat, gently press the potatoes down, making a more solid, flat layer, like a crust. Make sure to get the ones on the sides too, pressing them into the side, not down. 

Sprinkle with one cup of cheese.

Add eggs and spread out as evenly as you can.

Sprinkle the sausage over the eggs, and cover with the remaining one cup of cheese.

Top with bacon.

Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Let stand 3-5 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!!!

Creamy Breakfast Casserole:

I love a breakfast casserole. Especially ones like this one! Throw it all together the night before, and pop it in the oven the next morning!
My dad's cousin made this for us when we were at her house one weekend. It's SO yummy! If you don't like cottage cheese, don't worry, because you can't even taste it and you have no idea it's even in there. It's just the key ingredient in making the casserole so creamy and moist!
I hope you give it a try! 

3 cups frozen Hashbrowns

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 pound ground Sausage, browned and drained

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

7 eggs

1&1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 (16 oz.) container small curd Cottage Cheese

Prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Layer the ingredients in this order:

1. Hash-browns

2. Melted butter

3. Sausage

4. Onions

In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in shredded cheese and cottage cheese until well combined. Pour mixture over the potato and sausage layers. 

Cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate over night.

Remove from the fridge, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake 30 minutes more, until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Let stand for 5-10 minutes.

Serve!!!!

Notes for myself:
-If baking in the top oven, reduce temperature to 350 degrees

Swedish Meatballs

I've had this recipe on the blog almost since the beginning, but I made a few adjustments and got a picture since then, so I thought it was time for an update! My family used to eat Swedish meatballs all the time, but we just made them out the McCormick mix you buy at the store, which of course has gluten in it. I found this recipe, and after some adjusting, it tastes just as good as the mix, and it's really not hard to make at all! As with most of my recipes, even if you're not following a gluten-free diet, you can still enjoy this dish! I hope you try it out and enjoy it as much as we do! Let me know what you think!

 

 

 

Now, before I get into the directions, I need to explain that this makes about 60 meatballs, and that's enough for my family for at least two meals. So, when I make this, I use half the meatballs, and freeze the rest for another meal. If you want to fix this using all the meatballs, you will need to double the sauce recipe.

 

Meatballs:
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice or nutmeg
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground sausage

In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients except the beef and sausage. Mix together. Add meat and mix (with your hands is the best way, but you could also use a hand mixer) until everything is well blended. Shape into 1-inch balls using a cookie scoop. Place on a greased broiler pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned on the outside and no longer pink in the center. Remove meatballs to a baking sheet and let cool. Once they are cool, place in the freezer and allow to freeze for about 1-2 hours. Remove from the cookie sheet and place in a ziplock bag and freeze until ready to use!

Sauce for half the meatballs:
4 tblsp. butter
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tblsp. beef seasoning
1/8 tsp. pepper
5 cups milk

In a large skillet or saucepan, melt butter. Combine cornstarch, beef seasoning, and pepper. Whisk into melted butter. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook and stir over high heat until thickened and bubbly; stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and add meatballs. Cook and stir until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley for garnish, if desired, and serve over hot cooked rice!

Note:
-I personally think that turkey sausage works the best in this recipe, because it tends to help the meatballs stay together better, but regular pork sausage works good as well.
-I would recommend partially thawing your meatballs, if they were frozen, before adding them to the sauce.

 

Sausage Gravy & Biscuits:

I love sausage gravy!! Which is weird, because I don't care much for sausage or gravy, but put them together and it's one of my favorite breakfast foods! And the rest of my family loves it too! Breakfast or dinner, for that matter!

My mom used to always make it, and although she is all about recipes and exact measurements, there was no recipe for Sausage gravy. You never knew how much it was going to make, because you just kept adding a little of this and a little of that until "it felt right"!!! And of course it tasted great, but only if she made it!

So finally, after many attempts, I think we have it down to a science now and I'm so excited to share this quick and easy recipe with you!! I hope you give it a try!!

 

 

2 lbs. ground sausage

8 cups milk

2/3 cup cornstarch

1 cup cold water

Hot Biscuits (click here for my recipe)

 

In a large skillet or saucepan, brown sausage until no longer pink; drain. Add milk and cook and stir over medium-high heat until milk almost reaches a boil. In a small glass, mix together cornstarch and water until well combined. When milk is very hot, but not yet boiling, reduce heat to low and slowly add the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened. Serve over biscuits!

 

Note:

-This is the amount I make for my family, so you may want to adjust the recipe to accommodate the number of people you are serving.

-I really like to use Turkey Sausage....it's a little more expensive, but much better for you. You can use whatever you like, though. It doesn't actually matter.

 

 

 

 

Apricot Pulled Pork:

I was nervous to try this, because it's one of those recipes that sounds good one minute, and the next minute your not real sure! We finally gave it a try and I was very surprised! It has a mild, slightly sweet flavor and it just turned out very well!! And you know from my last post that I'm not a big pork fan! I hope you give it a try!!!

1 cup barbecue sauce
1 & 1/2 cups apricot preserves
1 envelope (4 tblsp.) dry onion soup mix
2 tblsp. mustard
2 tblsp. soy sauce
3 pound pork roast

Place pork in a slowcooker. In a small bowl, whisk together BBQ sauce, apricot preserves, soup mix, mustard and soy sauce. Mix well. Pour over pork roast. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or low for 8-10 hours. Shred with two forks and serve!

Note:
-Make sure you check the label of your bbq sauce, soup mix and soy sauce. They are well known for having wheat hidden in them. We use "Sweet Baby Rays" bbq sauce, "Lipton" soup mix, and we have found gf soy sauce at Dollar General, of all places!!!
-The pork is pictured on a GF Bun from Eat'n Park and you can learn more about that in THIS post.


This recipe is originally from: sixsistersstuff.com

Maple & Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin:

I'm not a huge pork fan at all. I don't mind sausage every now and then, but I definitely prefer turkey sausage over pork, so I guess that really doesn't count! BUT, we had some pork tenderloin, so I was looking around for a way to fix it, and this was definitely a winner! Since it's cooked in the crock-pot, the meat was so moist and tender and the slightly sweet and sour sauce went with it very well! 

I hope you give it a try! 

2 lb. Pork Tenderloin

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/4 cup maple syrup (only 2 tblsp. if you are using pure maple syrup)

4 tblsp. Dijon Mustard

2 tblsp. honey

2 tblsp. brown sugar

1 tblsp. Apple Cider vinegar

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 tblsp. cornstarch

1 tblsp. cold water

Place the pork in a slowcooker.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, syrup, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar and thyme. Pour over the pork and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 7-9 hours.

When ready to serve, if the liquid in the slowcooker is boiling, combine the water and cornstarch and slowly pour into the hot liquid and stir to thicken. If the liquid is not boiling, remove the meat to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Pour the juices into a saucepan and heat to boiling. Add cornstarch and water mixture and stir until thickened. Serve over tenderloin! 

Menu:

Maple & Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin

Mashed Potatoes

Green Beans

Coleslaw

Note:

-For fast and easy clean-up, use a slowcooker bag in your crockpot!

They are my best friends! I don't use them all the time, but they are super handy and I love them!

If you haven't used them yet, you should definitely try them out!

You can find them with the other bags, foil, wax paper, etc, in your grocery store!

Recipe from sixsistersstuff.com

Glazed Apples and Sausage:

I made this for Breakfast Christmas morning. It was really fast and easy tasted really yummy!

My apples got a little overdone, but they still tasted great!

2 pounds uncooked sausage links

3 large tart apples, peeled and sliced

1 large onion, sliced or finely chopped (it's up to you)

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup brown sugar

Cook the sausage in a large skillet. Remove to paper towels and drain the grease from the pan. Place the apples, onion, water and brown sugar in the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes or until the apples are tender, stirring often. Add the sausage links and cook and stir until the sausage is well coated and hot in the center. Serve!