Cheesy Sausage Spinach Breakfast Bake

In a utopian society, brunch always consists of something sweet and something savory. Eggs Benedict and a fluffy blueberry pancake. Finger licking french toast with crispy bacon. I recently mentioned my love affair with the Loaf, my go to for something sweet.

This savory breakfast bake made it's way into our Easter breakfast feast this year and it truly exceeded expectations. Chock full of spicy sausage, smothered in melty Montery Jack cheese, it was bursting with delicious flavor! There's even some spinach tucked in there for freshness. But the meat factor is what makes it perfect for Father's Day!

This bake is a welcome departure from other overly eggy or bready breakfast casseroles. Somehow the stuffing imparts a wonderful hearty texture without reading as bread. It's delightful and makes for a relatively quick prepping process.

The Monterey Jack cheese is a rock star in this dish! Please, I beg of you, resist the inclination to buy pre-shredded cheese. Dad deserves perfectly melty, not waxy cheese! Buy a block (it's cheaper!) and shred it yourself. You will be so glad you did!

Cheesy Sausage Spinach Breakfast Bake
Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

• 1 package (6 ounces) herb-flavored stuffing mix
• 1 pound bulk breakfast sausage (or breakfast crumbles)
• ¼ cup chopped scallions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, (buy the block and shred it yourself) 
• 1½ cups half-and-half
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking dish (you can use 9x13 but I went slightly smaller, because I like it thicker)

Prepare the stuffing according to package directions; set aside. Shred your Monterey Jack Cheese. It is SO important to buy the block and shred it yourself to attain melty goodness.

Cook the sausage over medium heat in a large skillet, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the scallions and cook until the meat is no longer pink. (You may also use breakfast crumbles — just heat it up in the pan) Add the garlic and cook for another minute, or until the garlic is fragrant. Drain any fat from the pan.

Add the prepared stuffing and the spinach to the skillet and mix together with sausage until thoroughly combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

In a small bowl, whisk together the half-and-half and eggs and pour evenly over sausage mixture. Be  sure the liquid is evenly distributed, rapping it once or twice against the counter, if necessary.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for 5 more minutes, or until bubbly. Let it set up for 10 minutes before serving.

G and I have been so busy with work and school lately! He's on the dreaded surgery rotation, meaning I don't get to see him nearly enough! We've been having lots of spontaneous lunch and dinner dates where we can fit them in. Counting down the days until he gets a little summer break! We didn't expect any sort of vacation so we're super excited, and I have been scouring Groupon and Living Social for ideas!

 

Glazed Baby Carrots with Parsley

This is an easy peasy side dish for when you're craving something fresh, colorful and healthy! I love the addition of fresh parsley – it really livens it up! Throw in a little lemon zest at the end if you're feeling fancy.

These carrots are both sweet and savory — a wonderful complement to most any main dish! I especially like it with chicken. Try it with my Chicken Cordon Bleu with Parmesan Cream Sauce or Chicken Prosciutto Rollatini! I usually buy a two pound bag of baby carrots and double the recipe. 

Glazed Baby Carrots with Parsley

Adapted from Eating Well 

Servings: 4

Serving Size: ½ cup

Calories: 74

Fat: 2 g

Protein: 1 g

Carb: 14 g

Fiber: 2 g

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups mini carrots, (1 pound)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional) 

Combine carrots, water, honey, butter and salt in a large skillet. (Spray your measuring spoon with cooking spray so honey will slide out with ease) 

Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Uncover and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is a syrupy glaze, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest, if using, and serve.

I've been so blessed lately with out-of-town visitors! Recently three of my very best girlfriends, Lisa, April, and Sarah, traveled to Charlottesville and we had such a ball for ourselves! We met as little girls and were inseparable ever since, from school days to long summers and crazy dance rehearsals. Sarah has since moved to Tennessee so it was super special to see her and her new baby girl, Molly! Loved goofing off around town with these ladies! Can't wait to do it again soon. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Loaf (Blueberry Cream Cheese Braided Loaf)

Mom instilled within me countless pearls of wisdom—among them, how to make “the loaf.” So in honor of Mother's Day, I'm sharing the love! This blueberry cream cheese braid is simple, but oh so fancy. It's graced the table of countless showers, birthday breakfasts and holiday brunches.

The breadstick dough bakes up like a champ, encapsulating a rich cream cheesy filling and sweet pops of fresh blueberries. Drizzle it generously with glaze and listen up for the oohs and ahhs. Because the loaf steals the show every time.

The Loaf (Blueberry Cream-Cheese Braided Loaf)

Ingredients

• 6 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 large egg, separated
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar, divided
• 1 (11 oz) can refrigerated breadstick dough (name brand)
• 3/4-1 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 tsp. water
• 2 tbsp. orange juice

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Beat softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg yolk and 1/4 cup confectioners sugar. Beat until well mixed and set aside.

Carefully remove breadstick dough from can and unroll into a rectangle. Place dough horizontally on baking sheet. Lightly press seams together to seal.

Spoon cream cheese mixture the full length of the dough. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over cream cheese mixture.

Separate dough at perforations up to the cream cheese mixture, slightly stretching the strips. Beginning at one edge of the dough, pull strips and cross one over the other in sort of a braid-like motion. This is hard to explain, but super easy, I assure you! Check out the pictures for guidance. Tuck the last 2 ends under at bottom of loaf.

Voila! Beautiful!

In a small bowl, beat egg white and water with fork until blended to form an egg wash. Lightly brush egg wash over the loaf, careful not to crush it.

Bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes, jeeping a careful watch! It will brown up pretty quickly and tastes better on the lighter done side. Cool for as long as you can stand it, 30 or 40 minutes, if possible, so the glaze doesn't melt all over the place. But if you need to serve it right away, it won't be the end of the world. The glaze is pretty think anyway, so it won't matter too terribly much. Mom usually makes it the night before and glazes it in the morning. I think it tastes better at room temperature — cream cheese always seems to!

To make the glaze, combine remaining 1 cup confectioners sugar and orange juice, whisking until smooth. (you can use milk if you're in a pinch, but the citrusy flavor makes it special) Drizzle glaze generously over loaf and serve! Slice with a serrated bread knife.

We just so happened to enjoy this beloved loaf for Easter! G and I kicked off spring with a super fun weekend with my fam. Gradon was delighted to sleep in to his heart's content (that's him curled up in my very pink bedroom) and mom and dad treated us to a spectacular night in downtown Baltimore on Saturday night! We savored decadent dishes of stuffed gnocchi in Little Italy and saw the greatest show on earth--the circus! We marveled at the majestic elephants, energetic acrobats, and dazzling lights! Surprisingly, my favorite part was probably the caged motorcycles! I'm not a biker chic, but man, that "globe of death," blew my mind! They crammed eight of those bikes into a tiny globe and rode around in perfect sync. Absolutely incredible stuff. The dog show was another highlight of course.

 

Then, on Easter Sunday, we scarf down a lovely Easter Brunch, enjoyed a special Easter program at church and came home to prepare a festive feast! We ate a terrific spread of glazed ham, cheesy potatoes, candied sweet potato casserole, roasted asparagus, glazed carrots, salad and hot crossed biscuits, my contribution. The whole dinner was to die for, as usual, courtesy of my talented momma! Mom also gifted me a gorgeous cookbook called "Sky High." It just so happens to contain my absolute favorite cake that she made for my birthday. I pretty much died of pretty picture overload, and I can't figure out which one to make first!

Jalapeño Popper Chicken

Sometimes you've gotta spice things up. Sometimes, despite the fact that you get sick after just a few minutes of reading in the car, you say what the heck, and book a 7-day cruise. Because yes, there's a chance you will spend that week as sick as a dog, but there's also a chance that you'll have the time of your life. Sometimes, you ditch the job prospect that makes you feel comfortable and chase after the one that scares you a little.

I'm not usually a risk taker. But sometimes you've gotta throw the rule book out of the window. See, I go around saying I don't like jalapenos. They're a wee bit too spicy. But the other day, I was looking for something fresh and healthy with a little kick. And quite frankly, I like the way  “Jalapeno Popper Chicken” rolls off the tongue. So the other day, I made it. And you know what? It was amazing! Yes, a bit spicy. I may have gone a little far with the peppers--next time I'll cut it down by maybe a half of a jalapeno. But look, I promise this isn't going to burn your tastebuds off, and it's super satisfying! It's a fabulous combination of spice, creaminess and freshness. So make it. Don't think about it too much. You're gonna love it.

This dish is also pretty light. Check out the nutrition info below if you're interested. Buy the thinly sliced chicken breasts if they're available. If not, just slice a regular chicken breast in half or pound it thin. These are decently sized, although not huge, so if you're not making several sides (we enjoyed mexican rice, a green salad and biscuits) you may want to serve two to each guest.

Jalapeño Popper Chicken 
Adapted from Skinnytaste

Serving Size: 2 stuffed breasts
Servings: 4
Calories: 371
Fat: 17.5 G
Carbs: 11 G
Protein: 42.7 G

Ingredients: 

• 2 slices center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3 jalapeños, chopped (remove seeds for milder)
• 3 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
• 4 oz reduced fat shredded cheddar jack (Sargento)
• 2 tbsp chopped scallions
• 8 thin sliced skinless chicken breasts, 3 oz each
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 juicy limes, juice of
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and fresh pepper
• olive oil non-stick spray

Season  chicken with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 450 and spray a cookie sheet or baking dish with nonstick spray.

Combine cream cheese, cheddar, scallions, jalapenos, and bacon crumbles in a medium bowl. Spread 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture on each piece of chicken. Roll each and secure the ends with a toothpick to prevent the cheese from escaping too much.

Place breadcrumbs in a bowl. In a second bowl, combine olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.

Dip chicken in lime-oil mixture, then dredge in breadcrumbs before placing on a cookie sheet or in a baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken. Bake 22-25 minutes until juices run clear.

Speaking of spicing it up, here we are in Mexico! I'm a little behind on posting cruise pictures—so much has happened since then--but it would be a shame not to share! Grades and I had the good fortune of spending Valentine's day in a tropical paradise! We spent one day in Costa Maya and the other in Cozumel. Both were absolutely beautiful and relaxing destinations! We sure soaked up all of that fun in the sun. And you can bet that Gradon applied sunscreen beforehand.

 

 

We even got all sappy and bought cheap love rings with our initials hand-engraved in them. The guy had been making them since childhood. It was a pretty cool sight to see. We keep them on our keychains now.

When evening fell, we dined at the lovely Venetian Restaurant on board where we requested a double serving of the ship's most decadent chocolate molten lava-like dessert. (Gradon's absolute favorite) We ever crashed the crazy “white hot party” where everyone wore white and danced beneath black lights. I fear that this Valentine's Day will be hard to top!