Baked Eggs

Every morning, by the time I've gotten myself dressed and all three of my kids ready for school, there isn't enough time for me to sit and eat breakfast.  I'm not about to start my day without something in my stomach, so I usually grab a breakfast bar or toast and English muffin that I can eat in the car.  

It gets a little old.  

Then I stumbled across this brilliant idea!  You can BAKE raw eggs in a muffin tin!  They come out looking like little patties.  

Refrigerate them and each morning, pop one in the microwave for 25 seconds and put between an English muffin for an instant breakfast egg sand which!

Baked Eggs

Ingredients:

eggs

salt/pepper for seasoning

shredded cheese

Directions:

Spray your muffin tin with cooking spray. Crack one egg in each muffin space (or as many as you'd like to bake), season with some salt and pepper and sprinkle in some cheese.  Stir if desired.

Bake for 15 minutes or s at 350º. 

Place between two toasted English muffins and douse with Tabasco Sauce.  

Eat in the car as you drive to work. 

Bread Sticks

I usually try to keep a box of frozen garlic bread in my freezer for the occasional spaghetti dinner that needs a little something extra.  But recently, for a family dinner, I decided to try my hand at homemade garlic bread sticks.  

I love the recipe because it was so easy and quick!

No more frozen garlic bread for this family!

Bread Sticks

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup warm water

1 tablespoon instant yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

 3 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients (except the melted butter) in the bowl of your stand mixer.  Knead for three minutes.  Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. 

Heat oven to 375º.

Spread the melted butter onto an 11x17 baking sheet.  

Roll out the dough about 1/4 to 1/2 inch think and cut into strips.  Be careful not to make them too long.  Twist slightly and place about 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheet. 

Sprinkle with garlic salt and some other herbs of your choice (basil or thyme...or something finely crushed) and some grated Parmesan cheese. 

Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise for about 30 minutes. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. 

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Bars

Each month, on the second Sunday of the month, my family gets together at my parents how for our monthly "Second Sunday" family dinner.  We decide on a meal and divide out the assignments.  Last month, my assignment was dessert.  Knowing my brother-in-law is a peanut butter fanatic, I stumbled upon this recipe and knew I had to try it out. 

I thought they were even better the next day!

Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup oats

8 tablespoons butter, softened

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º.  Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan and set aside. 

Mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and oats.  Set aside

In a large bowl (or stand mixer bowl) cream butter, peanut butter, and both sugars with the paddle attachment.  Mix in the vanilla, egg and egg yolk until combined. 

Stir in the dry ingredients, chocolate and peanut butter chips.  Mix until combined. 

Press the batter into the baking pan.  Bake for about 18-20 minutes until lightly browned on the edges.  

*Don't over bake or the bars will be dry!  Set pan aside to cool and let the bars cool in the pan before cutting into squares. 

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Peanut Noodles

A long time ago I went to the Cheesecake Factory and they had a peanut sauce noodle dish that I ordered.  

It was amazing. 

I went home and decided to make my own version, so I could eat it whenever I wanted.

  I'm glad I did, because now the Cheesecake Factory doesn't make that yummy dish anymore. 

Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:

1 box of angel hair pasta, cooked

1 bag of broccoli slaw

peanuts

Directions:

In a frying pan, heat olive oil and toss the broccoli slaw until it is heated through.  Toss with the pasta. 

Serve with crushed peanuts and some of your favorite peanut sauce. 

Cheesy Rice, Corn and Chicken

This is such a comfort food meal. 

 It's warm and cheesy and full of rice.  It's filling and delicious.  

And it's so easy to make!  To make it even easier, you can cook the rice the day before!

Cheesy Rice, Corn and Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/8 cup of chopped onion (chopped very small)

1 box of yellow rice mix (Zatarain's is a yummy brand), cooked according to directions. 

1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 small bag of frozen corn

Directions

Place chicken in the crock pot and sprinkle onion over the top. 

Spoon the soup over the top of that the onion and chicken.

Cook on low until the chicken is cooked through

Shred chicken. 

Return it to the crock pot and add in the corn, rice and cheese.  Let cook until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.  

Stir and serve.

Source:  Southern Plate