I love egg sandwiches! They make a great meal with very little effort, and are a great breakfast on the go. Before trying this recipe, I usually just used English muffins as the foundation for my egg sandwich. The bagels, however, add a little more heft and you can switch up bagel flavors depending on your mood (sesame, onion, poppy seed, plain, etc.).

This recipe uses bacon but you could easily substitute ham or canadian bacon, or make it vegetarian by skipping the meat all together. Also included in the recipe are handy tips on having cooked bacon and sliced bagels in the freezer to speed up the sandwich making process…perfect for the hectic morning routine! Enjoy!

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich, New York City Deli-Style
-recipe from Mad Hungry by Lucinda Scala Quinn

As most city parents know, at an all-too-early age, your kids rush out in the early morning on their way to school. You beg them to eat breakfast first but instead, if anything, they stop before school at the bagel shop or snack truck for fast food. When I watched our oldest son and his friend spend their entire junior year in high school perfecting a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich to rival that of their favorite deli version, a light bulb went off: replicate the sandwich, wrap it just right in parchment or foil, and hand each boy a portable breakfast as he heads out the door in the morning. As I learned from the boys, the magic combination is two eggs, not scrambled (but yolk broken), with melted cheese on each egg, served on a lightly buttered, griddled (not toasted) “everything” bagel.
-Lucinda Scala Quinn

Yield: Makes 1 sandwich

1 everything bagel, or other bagel of choice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for buttering bagel
2 large eggs
1 thin slice cheese, such as American or cheddar
2 to 3 slices cooked bacon
Hot sauce and/or ketchup, for serving

Slice bagel in half. Butter cut sides of each half and toast in a toaster oven or on a griddle (if using a pop-up toaster, butter halves after they are toasted).

Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron or nonstick skillet. Add butter to skillet. Carefully crack both eggs into skillet. When whites begin to set, immediately puncture yolks.

Top one egg with cheese and bacon. Place remaining egg, yolk-side down on top of bacon (like an egg-on-egg sandwich). Transfer eggs onto one toasted half of the bagel; top with remaining bagel half and lightly press together. Serve immediately with hot sauce or ketchup, or wrap halfway in parchment paper or aluminum foil for a portable breakfast.

Abbreviated Breakfast Sandwich: If you’re in a hurry and your guys are about to run out the door, pile a couple of scrambled eggs on a toasted and buttered roll. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper, wrap in foil or parchment, and tuck a bit of paper towel in one of the outside seams. Put it in their backpacks or hand them off as they go.

Quick Bacon: When you have some extra time, cook a pound or two of bacon. Drain, cool, and wrap in plastic, three strips per package. Freeze and pull out as needed for a quick breakfast or sandwich. Ten seconds in the microwave or a minute in a preheated pan and the bacon is ready to use.

Bagels: Buy fresh bagels in quantity when possible. As soon as you get home, cut each one in half, place the two halves in a sealed bag, and freeze immediately. Optimum freshness will be preserved , and frozen bagel halves can go straight into the toaster — a much better alternative to day-old dry bagels or whole bagels you have to defrost before toasting. One caution: beware the poppy seed bagel — it sheds its seeds in the freezer.

Tags: bacon, bacon egg sandwich, bagel, bagel breakfast, bagel sandwich, Breakfast, breakfast on the go, egg sandwich, Lucinda Scala Quinn, Mad Hungry, New York bagel sandwich, sandwich

This recipe for Chicken Potpie Pasta is an easy-to-fix twist on the classic comfort food dish. You get all the chicken potpie flavors without the fuss of making pie crust…perfect for a weeknight meal!

I added a little white wine and some freshly chopped parsley to the sauce, and substituted a cup or so of frozen peas for the green beans. This would also be a great way to use up leftover turkey. Enjoy!

Chicken-Potpie Pasta
-from Everyday Food Magazine

Serves 6.

Total Time: 30 minutes

Salt and pepper
3/4 pound penne or other short tubular pasta
1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
2 carrots, diced medium
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced cooked chicken

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes less than package instructions. Add green beans and cook 3 minutes, then drain.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and season with salt and pepper.

Stir pasta into chicken mixture.

Tags: chicken pot pie, chicken potpie, Christmas, Comfort Food, leftover chicken, leftover turkey, Martha Stewart Everyday Food, Thanksgiving

These delicious thick-cut fries couldn’t be any easier to make! I served them with a smoky Chipotle Mayo dipping sauce along side grilled burgers…sooo good!

Instead of using non-stick spray on the baking sheet, I lined it with parchment paper. In the past, I’ve had potatoes stick to the pan even with the non-stick spray but there was non of that nonsense with the parchment — it worked perfectly! Parchment paper can be found in the grocery store by tin foil, plastic wrap and plastic baggies. I use it all the time for baking.

For the Chipotle Mayo: mix 2-4 teaspoons of minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo with about 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and a squeeze of fresh lime juice (use more or less chiles depending on the desired amount of heat).

Enjoy!

Oven-Roasted Fries
-adapted recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Thick-cut oven fries are delicious—and so easy, especially if you don’t have time to make the deep-fried version. Use russet or purple potatoes, or a mixture of both.

Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 pounds unpeeled russet potatoes or purple potatoes, scrubbed, cut lengthwise into 1/2- to 1/3-inch wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Toss potato wedges with olive oil in large bowl. Sprinkle potato wedges generously with salt and pepper; spread in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Roast potato wedges until tender and brown in spots, turning occasionally, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Tags: baked french fries, baked fries, Bon Appetit Magazine, Epicurious.com, french fries, fries, oven fries, potatoes

And the gold medal for Ultimate Summery Breakfast goes to this recipe for Blueberry-Buttermilk Pancakes! These easy-to-make hotcakes (as my Grandma used to call them) are tender and fluffy, and dotted with juicy, freshly-picked blueberries. Dang, they’re good! We had them most recently for one of our camping breakfasts last weekend. The dappled morning sunlight of the forest and the crackling campfire only added to the enjoyment of our pancake experience. 

For camping or to simplify prep for morning cooking just mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt) and put in a large sealed container (which I mixed the batter in, too). When it comes time to whip up the pancakes, beat or whisk the wet ingredients together (eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla). Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients but don’t overmix…you don’t want tough pancakes. Here’s a checklist for what you’ll need for camping: pancake ingredients (see recipe), bowl or container for making batter, whisk, ladle for scooping batter, spatula, large frying pan (nonstick works great), small pan for melting butter (or do it in the frying pan before cooking the pancakes), camp stove and fuel, plates, utensils, printed copy of recipe (so you have directions to follow).

If you’re making the pancakes for more than 4 people just double the ingredients. Serve the pancakes with real maple syrup. Enjoy!

Blueberry-Buttermilk Pancakes
 -recipe from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Prepare these pancakes when fresh blueberries are in season, from late spring through late summer. When making the batter, take care not to overmix it, as too much stirring will develop the gluten in the flour and result in tough pancakes. Makes about 16 pancakes; serves 4.

2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 to 2 Tbs. vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray
1 cup fresh blueberries (get a pint of berries in case you need more)
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Softened butter for serving
Warm maple syrup for serving

Preheat an oven to 200ºF.

In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs on medium speed until frothy. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Stir just until the batter is smooth and no lumps of flour remain; do not overmix.

Heat an electric griddle to medium-high heat until a few drops of water flicked onto the surface skitter across it. Lightly grease the griddle with oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Using a batter dispenser set on the large setting, dispense the batter onto the griddle. Alternatively, ladle about 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Scatter 1 Tbs. blueberries evenly over each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top and the batter is set, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining pancakes.

Dust the pancakes with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm with butter and maple syrup.

Tags: blueberries, blueberry buttermilk pancakes, blueberry pancakes, Breakfast, buttermilk pancakes, camping, camping breakfast, pancakes, summer breakfast

Looking for something special to make on Father’s Day? Look no further than this recipe for Chili-Roasted Baby Backs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce. Dang, they’re good! The bad photo doesn’t do them justice (I was in a hurry to get them on the table).

Also, don’t skip the steps of making the homemade sauce…it’s easy to make, rich and tangy (with a little heat from warm spices), and worth the extra effort!  And since you bake these ribs, you don’t even need to have a grill (although you could finish them on the grill once you sauce them).

My family LOVES ribs! Husband and our boys always request them for their birthday dinners and other special occasions. Recently, one of them asked with the sweetest of voices, “Mom, when can we have ribs again?” Then the other boy chimed in with hearty agreement. With those two precious faces and big brown eyes looking up at me, I melted and made these Chili-Roasted Baby Backs the next day. Enjoy!

Chili-Roasted Baby Backs with Homemade Barbecue Sauce
-recipe from Sunday Roasts by Betty Rosbottom

These baby back ribs are rubbed with a trio of peppers (chili powder, chipotle chili powder, and black pepper) along with other seasonings, then roasted for a couple of hours. During their last minutes in the oven, the ribs are brushed with a rich, dark barbecue sauce. When done, the glistening ribs have great depth of flavor and are tender to the bone. Plan on eating them with your fingers with plenty of napkins nearby! Serves 6 – 8.

4 baby back rib racks, about 2 to 2 1/2 lb each
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Homemade Barbecue Sauce (recipe follows)

With a sharp knife, score (making long slashes about 1″ apart) the white membrane on the underside of the ribs. Place the ribs on a large, rimmed nonreactive baking sheet and brush all over with the vinegar. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 2 hours.

Arrange oven racks in the center positions and preheat the oven to 350°F. Have ready two large, rimmed baking sheets/trays lined with foil.

In a bowl, mix together the chili powder, cumin, brown sugar, garlic salt, chipotle chili powder, and black pepper. Rub the mixture over both sides of the ribs.

Arrange the ribs in a single layer meat-side up, on the baking sheets. Roast for 1 3/4 hours. Watch carefully and cover the ribs loosely with foil if the meat begins to brown too quickly.

Remove from the oven and brush both sides of the ribs with 1 cup of the barbecue sauce. Roast for 10 minutes, and then brush both sides of the ribs with another 1 cup fo the sauce. Roast for 15 minutes longer.

Remove the ribs from the oven, cover them loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Cut the ribs between the bones into 3 to 4 rib sections and mound on a platter. Serve with the remaining sauce.

Homemade Barbecue Sauce
-recipe from Sunday Roasts by Betty Rosbottom

All the classic flavor notes — sweet, tart, hot, and spicy — can be found in this sauce. Although the ingredients are typical of those used in commercial barbecue sauces, this one is so much more complex and delicious. It can be prepared several days ahead and also freezes well. Makes about 3 cups.

4 teaspoon canola
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup ketchup/tomato sauce
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup unsulphered molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and saute until translucent, for 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups water, the ketchup/tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, coffee powder, mustard, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously. Lower the heat and simmer until the mixture has reduced to about 3 cups for about 30 minutes. (The sauce can be prepared 5 days ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost and reheat when needed.)

Tags: baby back ribs, bbq, homemade barbecue sauce, oven-roasted ribs, pork, pork ribs, ribs

Freshly baked bread — still warm from the oven —  is one of life’s simple pleasures. If you’ve never made your own bread before, this recipe for breadsticks is a good place to start. Fashioned after Olive Garden-style breadsticks, they’re easy to make and very worth the effort! My kids devoured them.

I used my Kitchenaid mixer to knead the dough for a few minutes, then used a kitchen scale to portion the dough into equal pieces (16 pieces that weighed approximately 2.25 ounces each). I then shaped each portion into a 7″ long breadstick and proceeded with the recipe. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, just follow the recipe as written.

Once baked, the breadsticks are delicious served with marinara sauce or garlic butter for dipping. Mmmmm!

Almost-Famous Breadsticks
-Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Makes 16 breadsticks.

For the Dough:
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour,plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons unsalted butter,softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fine salt

For the Topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter,melted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of dried oregano

Make the dough: Place 1/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a mixer; sprinkle in the yeast and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, butter, sugar, fine salt and 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons warm water; mix with the paddle attachment until a slightly sticky dough forms, 5 minutes.

Knead the dough by hand on a floured surface until very smooth and soft, 3 minutes. Roll into a 2-foot-long log; cut into 16 1 1/2-inch-long pieces. Knead each piece slightly and shape into a 7-inch-long breadstick; arrange 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a cloth; let rise in a warm spot until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Make the topping: Brush the breadsticks with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Bake until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt with the garlic powder and oregano. Brush the warm breadsticks with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with the flavored salt.

Tags: bread, bread sticks, breadsticks, Food Network, Olive Garden, Olive Garden breadsticks

These moist and tasty muffins have a light banana flavor and are topped with an oatmeal and brown sugar struesel. Yum! My friends who tasted them agreed that this is definitely a keeper recipe. I think they’re best the day they’re made, slightly warm from the oven. Enjoy!

Banana Buttermilk Muffins
-recipe adapted from Taste of Home Magazine

Makes 15 muffins.

MUFFINS:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 large ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk

TOPPING:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
2 tablespoons cold butter

In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add bananas and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. For the topping, combine the flour, brown sugar and oats. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle a rounded teaspoonful over each muffin.

Bake at 400° for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Tags: banana buttermilk muffins, banana desserts, banana muffins, banana streusel muffins, Breakfast, buttermilk, quick bread, streusel, Taste of Home Magazine

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the combination of chocolate and cherries, so naturally I had to try this recipe for Black Forest Oatmeal Drops: chewy oatmeal cookies studded with semi-sweet chocolate chips and dried cherries! Yum! They make a perfect after-school snack or wintertime treat. Let me warn you now, though…it’s hard to stop at eating just one…!

Black Forest Oatmeal Drops
-recipe from Land O Lakes

Whether you make these as drop cookies or the bar variation, they are a perfect cookie to give as a holiday gift.
Makes 5 dozen cookies

1 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Land O Lakes® All-Natural Eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups uncooked old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups real semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (5 ounces) dried tart cherries, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine butter, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and cherries.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

Stir together powdered sugar and Kirsch in small bowl. Gradually stir in enough water for desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

Variation:
Black Forest Oatmeal Bars: Spread dough evenly into ungreased 15×10-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. Prepare drizzle as directed above; drizzle over bars. Cut into bars. 48 bars.

Tags: chocolate and cherries, chocolate chip cookies, dried cherries, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, old-fashioned oats, rolled oats

I made these chocolatey pancakes the other day for my youngest’s birthday breakfast. They’re fun, not too sweet, not too chocolatey (is there such a thing?). I cut down on the sugar (using 3/4 cup instead of 1 cup) and served them with some easy-to-make Raspberry-Strawberry Syrup instead of the chocolate sauce. The sweet-tart syrup was perfect with them. This would be a great Valentine’s Day breakfast or treat for anyone who loves chocolate! Enjoy! 

Chocolate Griddle Cakes
-recipe from Gourmet Magazine| January 2004

We recommend serving these griddle cakes with orange slices on the side. Makes 4 dessert or brunch servings.

Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 45 min

For sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped

For griddle cakes:
1/2 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 whole large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
Unsalted butter for greasing griddle

Make sauce: Bring cream to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, then pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl, gently whisking until smooth. Keep warm or at room temperature.

Make griddle cakes: Sift together cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl, then whisk in eggs, yolk, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until combined well.

Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over moderately low heat and lightly coat with butter.

Working in batches of 2 or 3, pour 1/4 cup batter per cake onto hot griddle and cook until bubbles appear on surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip cakes with a large spatula and cook until tops spring back when pressed gently, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm. Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to griddle between batches.

Serve cakes in stacks, topped with chocolate sauce (or berry syrup).

2 twists to try from dashrecipes.com:
-For a Breakfast Treat – cut the rich flavor of the cakes with slices of oranges, strawberries, or raspberries.
-For a Kid’s Party – top with your favorite ice cream flavors.

Tags: chocolate griddle cakes, Gourmet Magazine, griddle cakes, pancakes, Valentine's breakfast

I made these delicious citrusy, berry-studded muffins last week for a gathering. They were easy to make, moist and a perfect way to highlight summer’s freshest berries. These muffins are best the day they’re made…but are still tasty the second day.

I used blueberries and raspberries, and lemon zest and orange zest for both the streusel and the muffin batter. The citrus combination filled my kitchen with a wonderful, summery fragrance. I didn’t use nuts in the streusel and there was still more than enough topping for the muffins. The recipe calls for fresh berries but you could use frozen (they will just take longer to bake). Enjoy!

Berry Best Muffins
-recipe from Simply Classic: A New Collection of Recipes to Celebrate the Northwest by The Junior League of Seattle

Makes 12 muffins.

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, grated
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Muffins
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest, grated
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
1 1/2 cup berries (a mixture of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries)

Preheat oven to 350° degrees.

For Streusel Topping:  mix brown sugar, flour and lemon zest together in a bowl.  Stir in nuts and butter.  Mix together until butter is evenly distributed and mixture is crumbly.  Set aside.

For Muffins:  combine flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center.  Add milk, butter and egg to the well and mix until smooth.  Fold in the berries.

Spoon into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling each only 2/3 full.  Top with 1 tablespoon of struesel topping.  Do not overfill the muffin cups or topping will run over into pan.  Bake on middle rack in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Place on a rack and cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and serve warm.

Tags: blackberries, blackberry, blueberries, blueberry, Breakfast, lemon zest, Muffins, quick bread, raspberries, raspberry, Simply Classic by the Junior League of Seattle