Sausage & Caramelized Onion Breakfast Hash
Thanks to Tasteful Selections for sponsoring this recipe!
One thing I fight against every day is the weird feminine ideal of being quiet and demure. There are continual implications in pop culture (and probably in many of our daily lives) that women talk too much, and that the most attractive women are ones who either know how to shut up or, due to language barriers, have no choice but to shut up.
Taco Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
School starts tomorrow. Pls send help. And earplugs. And Pringles. And easy weeknight meals.
Okay, okay, I’ll provide the easy weeknight meals. I promise more stories soon, when I recover from the whirlwind that is this week. In the meantime, please accept this recipe for amazing, low-carb, excruciatingly easy Taco Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms.
And don’t forget to send the earplugs!
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Sometimes you wake up feeling depressed and heat up some frozen macaroni and cheese for breakfast, schlep to the couch to watch America’s Test Kitchen reruns, and don’t move for hours except to refill your Coke Zero. Around 2 pm, you start to feel lazy and that compounds your bad mood, but you’re also paradoxically too tired to do anything. So you take a nap. Then you wake up too late, having wasted the whole day, eat more food, and watch more cooking shows.
(Right? This happens to you, right?! Or at least something similar?)
And then you look at a friend’s Facebook profile or Instagram feed and notice they woke up at the crack of dawn; canned 18 tons of blueberry jam; renovated their bathroom; fed their beloved backyard chickens, who all have carefully chosen names like “Huckleberry;” took their kids to the botanical gardens; went for a 14-mile run; enjoyed a green smoothie for lunch; and are now heading off to the farmers’ market to buy some squash blossoms for the dinner party they’re hosting tonight next to their gorgeous outdoor fire pit.
As you read this, I’m in Florence, Italy, hopefully eating pizza or basking in the glow of the Renaissance or doing something decidedly Italian. If you get a moment, head over to my Instagram to see my Europe photos (presuming I ever found Wi-Fi)! In the meantime, let’s talk waffles . . .
During my school years, my dad was the kid wrangler. He woke me up every morning, popped frozen waffles in the toaster for me, and brushed my hair into a ponytail. I know what you’re thinking, but as dads go, he was actually a pretty decent hair stylist. He would even add a cutesy, curly hair bow at the end.
Those mornings are a special memory for me now, including piling into the car with my sisters and listening to country music on the way to school. Every now and then we’d get into the early 90s jams; my dad said that this song was written for me.
The frozen waffles, in particular, are a vivid memory doused in butter and maple syrup. I remember when I got to school every day, I could still smell the faint trace of maple syrup emanating from me. I had brushed my teeth and as far as I know, I hadn’t dipped my hair in it or anything, but somehow, it was always there.
This past weekend, I bought the first box of Eggo waffles I’ve owned in at least 15 years, but no maple syrup made it into my cart. I decided that waffles weren’t just for breakfast. Instead, I schmeared rosemary butter onto these waffles and toasted them until they were golden. While they toasted, I made a quick and easy tomato sauce with a few of the best ingredients (San Marzano tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, hot Italian sausage from Hickory Nut Gap Farm, and a splash of red wine). I ladled the meat and sauce over each waffle, topping it with melty provolone. If you love meatball sliders, these are like meatball sliders’ sophisticated cousin.
The only thing I miss? That maple syrup smell reminding me of breakfast with my dad.
Tell me one of your favorite memories of childhood.
One year ago: Lobster Roll Salad (and salad tips!)
Two years ago: Blueberry Scones with Maple Glaze
Three years ago: Coffee Mousse Filled Doughnuts
Four years ago: Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade
Open-Faced Sausage Sliders on Rosemary Waffles
Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 4 servings
Waffles aren’t just for breakfast anymore. These meatball slider-style waffles were sophisticated and delicious, but quick and easy to prepare. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (I use San Marzano)
2 heaping tablespoons julienned sundried tomatoes in oil
1 tablespoon red wine
3 basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 links hot Italian sausage
4 frozen Homestyle Eggo waffles
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
4-8 slices provolone cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and chili flakes and cook for around 30 seconds. Add in canned and sundried tomatoes and red wine. Raise the heat to high to bring the pot to a simmer before lowering it back to medium. Stir occasionally as it simmers for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, brown the sausage in a separate skillet over medium-high heat and then add it into the sauce. After the sauce has simmered for around 30 minutes, add in the basil and stir to combine.
Mix softened butter and rosemary in a bowl until combined. Prepare 4 waffles by smearing each with equal amounts of rosemary butter. Bake the waffles on prepared baking sheet for about 10 minutes, adding a slice of provolone to each for the last minute. Remove them from the oven and top each waffle with a heaping ladle of sausage and tomato sauce. Serve sprinkled with basil or with more provolone on top.
Open Faced Chili Grilled Cheese with a Runny Egg (The Perfect Grilled Cheese)
I AM SO EXCITED.
GUESS WHAT I GOT. JUST GUESS.
Here’s a hint: What do snapshots of my raisin toast, the book I’m currently reading, selfies, and my dog have in common?
Not much. Except that these snapshots were all taken with MY NEW iPHONE 5C:
Welcome to this millenium, Julie.
It’s pink and it’s beautiful and it’s got apps and now I know what apps are and I named it Elsie and I now have an INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT and…brb, have to jump up and down some more.
This phone was darn expensive, but I should’ve made the investment long ago. It really does change your life in an instant. I wish everyone could own one.
For instance, speaking of life-changing, I’ve been walking around playing Plants vs. Zombies nonstop for three days. Ahem. Okay, nevermind that part.
To add icing onto the iPhone cake, I made the best lunch ever! This has to be the world’s best grilled cheese sandwich. Buttery, toasted sourdough bread is topped with my absolute favorite chili, razor sharp cheddar cheese, a runny fried egg, cilantro, and green onions. When that runny yolk sauced the sandwich, oh goodness, it became pure luxury. You have to make this. HAVE TO.
And then snap a photo of it to share with me on INSTAGRAM, OBVIOUSLY.
What apps do you love for the iPhone? What should I download?
One year ago: Flan Tres Leches Cake
Two years ago: Malted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars
Three years ago: Maple Bacon Doughnuts
Four years ago: Assorted Truffles in a Chocolate Bowl
Open Faced Chili Grilled Cheese with a Runny Egg (The Perfect Grilled Cheese)
Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, with chili recipe adapted from Cooks’ Illustrated, as found on Brown Eyed Baker. Sandwich inspired by BS’ in the Kitchen.
Yield: 4 servings
This meal was insaaane. Turns out, the perfect grilled cheese requires the perfect homemade chili. You can use any leftover chili for this sandwich, but it’s so worth it to make the chili linked below; it’s the best I’ve ever had, hands down. It looks complicated, but it’s actually a cinch to prepare and can be made a few days ahead and refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble your sandwiches. The recipe below makes about three times the amount of chili you need, but I make the whole batch because I know I’ll want to freeze some for other uses.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
lots of butter (around 1/2 cup), softened to room temperature, plus more butter for cooking
2 slices of a sourdough bread boule (about 1 inch thick and 8 inches long)
about 3 cups homemade chili from this recipe
sharp cheddar cheese, sliced thin
2 eggs
salt and pepper
2 green onions, chopped
cilantro, chopped
optional serving suggestions: guacamole, sour cream, avocados, salsa
Directions:
Preheat broiler. Mix softened butter and mayonnaise in a small bowl and spread a good layer on both sides of each slice of bread.
Heat a heavy, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Toast one side of the bread in the hot skillet until golden. Flip the bread and pile on the chili. Top with cheese strips and place the skillet immediately under the broiler to melt for 2-3 minutes, watching closely. Pull the skillet out of the oven when the cheese is melty and remove the sandwiches to a plate.
Melt another tablespoon of butter in the skillet over medium heat and break two eggs into it. Cook the eggs just until you can flip them, cooking them only slightly on the other side. Remove the over-easy eggs to the tops of the waiting sandwiches and top with salt, pepper, cilantro, and green onions. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa if desired.
