Egg Strata

For the last few weekends, we've had generous family members and friends helping us with projects around the house. I purchased a bunch of lunch meat, and this huge bag of 24 rolls from Walmart. I can't remember exactly what the rolls were called. They were rectangular shaped, perhaps like miniature baguettes. They were soft, though, not crusty. A little too bready for my taste.

On the first weekend, I made sandwiches a few times, and then put the rest of the rolls in the freezer. Sunday night, I noticed we had 2 full roast beef and cheese sandwiches leftover, plus half a cheese sandwich. I decided to make a strata.

I cubed the sandwiches and put them in a greased 10 x 8 pan. I sprinkled some more cheese on top, as well as some leftover cubed ham.

In a bowl, I mixed 6 eggs and about a cup of milk. I should have added some mustard, but I didn't think of it. I pushed down on the bread, so it could soak up the liquid. It didn't seem to be enough liquid, so I added about 1/2 c. more milk, just pouring it over the top. That seemed to be enough.

I covered the pan and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, I uncovered it and baked it for probably about 30 minutes (I don't remember - until it was set) at 350 degrees.

My kids don't generally like strata type dishes, but they ate it. Dave and I both liked it.

Pumpkin Dip Custard

I ended up with some extra pumpkin dip from planned weekend get-togethers. I decided to try to turn it into a breakfast dish. I took the dip, added eggs, blended it together and baked. It stayed custardy, with a bit of a cheesecake flavor. I served it with some leftover whipped cream, and it was a hit.

I'll try it again, using these proportions:

8 oz. cream cheese
2 c. (or 1 can) pumpkin puree
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
about 1/3 c. rapadura
4 eggs

Blend together in blender. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for about 35 minutes at 350 degree.

Whole Grain Pancakes

Mary has a great recipe for a big batch of gluten free whole grain fermented pancakes. Check it out here.

Taco Egg Bake

This recipe is very similar to the pizza egg dish I posted previously. Preheat oven to 375.

Crust:
Blend together (I use a blender);
4 oz. softened cream cheese
3 eggs
1/3 c. cream
1/2 t. taco seasoning

Spread:
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Pour egg mixture over top.
Bake 25-30 minutes.

Topping:

Cook:
1 lb ground beef
3 t. taco seasoning
1/4 c. tomato sauce
4 oz chopped green chilis (I omitted this)

Spread this mixture over cooked crust.
Top with:
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with toppings of your choice.


I really liked this and found it nice and filling.

Applesauce!

I love going apple picking. We recently went, and it was hard to stop at 2 large bags. But, 54 pounds is enough for our family.

In the past, I haven't invested too much time in making applesauce. It's always just seemed like too much work. So far this year, however, I've made 5 large crockpot batches of applesauce.

Using a Pampered Chef apple peeler, I make quick work of peeling the apples. I do about 20 apples per batch, leaving out the end pieces with the peeling still on. I also try to make sure that there aren't any bits of seed casings left with the apple. (My pickiness depends on how much time I feel like investing). After the apples are in, I pour about 1/2 c. apple juice in, and about a tablespoon of cinnamon on top. Including clean up, it probably takes about 45 minutes to get a batch going. Then, I let it cook on low for 4-6 hours. After a couple of hours, I'll start stirring it because the apples on the bottom start cooking first.

When the apples are nice and soft, I mash everything good with a wooden spoon. I like to leave it a little chunky, so I don't get too fussy.

I decided to freeze it in ice cube trays this year, and then put the cubes in freezer bags. When I need them, I'll take out the number of cubes I think we'll use and thaw them. Something I've discovered is that my kids love the frozen cubes as a treat. Maybe I won't even bother thawing them.

Quiche In A Bag

This is a very flexible recipe from my 30 Day Gourmet manual. The idea is that you mix all of the ingredients together (I use a blender for the non-meat and vegetable ingredients) and plop them in a freezer bag, and freeze. Thaw, pour in greased pie plate and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Nice and easy.

For each quiche, you need:

1 c. cooked meat
3/4 c. cooked vegetable
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. diced onion
2 c. milk
4 eggs
1/8 t. Tabasco sauce
1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder


I hadn't made this in ages, but decided to give it a try the other day. I had some leftover cooked chicken and some cooked bacon. I didn't have any leftover veggies, so I didn't bother with them. I used rice flour.

It was okay. It probably would have been better with some broccoli and a little salt. The texture with the rice flour wasn't bad, just different.

Menu Plan

In the past, I've balked at menu planning. I felt it would be too restrictive, or something, and, because I wouldn't be using up my leftovers, it wouldn't be cost efficient.

I started using a menu plan this school year, and so far it's working great. There's quite a bit of flexibility worked into the schedule, but at the same time it's nice having guidelines. I especially like having lunches planned out, instead of trying to rely on whatever leftovers might be around.

Here's my schedule:

Breakfasts:

Monday - Oatmeal; Tuesday - Egg Dish; Wednesday - Pancakes; Thursday - Eggs, Bacon or Sausage & Toast; Friday - Smoothies & Peanut Butter Toast; Saturday - Sweet (Cinnamon rolls - it's my bread baking day or coffee cake or custard); Sunday - Leftovers or Cereal

Lunch:

Monday - Creamed Tuna on Toast; Tuesday - Beans & Rice; Wednesday - Rice Cooker Mac & Cheese; Thursday - Leftovers; Friday - Crackers w/ cheese, hummus, spinach dip; Saturday - Leftovers or Sandwiches; Sunday - Leftovers or Sandwiches

Supper:

Monday - Soup or Leftovers; Tuesday - Wraps; Wednesday - Whatever (pork, ethnic, etc.); Thursday - Italian; Friday - Seafood; Saturday - Mexican; Sunday - Roast (beef, pork or chicken)

I also have notes on my plan for when I have to prepare foods ahead, set up bread, pancakes or yogurt, etc.

It's only been a few weeks, but so far I've found it helpful. I've tweeked it a few times already, and I'm sure I'll continue to do so. We'll probably be ready for a different lunch rotation in a few months, too.