Breakfast for Dinner

Tonight's meal consisted of two make-ahead recipes that can be used for breakfast, brunch or dinner.  Suzanne made the egg casserole this morning before work and stuck it in the fridge.  She put together the apple pancake after work and brought it over to April's house - it was still warm after the 15 minute car ride.  We paired it with english muffins and called it a day.  Maybe next time, it would be good with a fruit salad or yogurt parfait.

We were both really tired tonight, so it was nice to come into the house and have everything pretty much ready to go.  We reheated the eggs in the microwave, toasted the muffins and sprinkled some powdered sugar on the pancake.

Both recipes are from the WeightWatchers Meals in Minutes cookbook Suz got out of the Downtown Roanoke Library (I finally got a library card last week!)

Spiced Apple Skillet Pancake

1 tsp canola oil

2 medium apple(s), Golden Delicious, peeled, cored and cut into thin

3 Tbsp apple juice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

a pinch of ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp sugar

3/4 cup(s) fat-free skim milk

1 egg, large

1 item(s) egg white(s), large

2 tsp butter, melted

1/4 tsp table salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp powdered sugar

Heat oil in a medium ovenproof skillet (cast iron) over medium heat. Add apple, apple juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender and most liquid has evaporated, about 10 min.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400. Whisk together milk, egg, egg white, melted butter, salt and remaining sugar in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in flour, whisking until smooth. Pour batter over hot apple mixture. Transfer to oven and bake 20 minutes.

Reduce oven temp to 350 and bake until pancake is puffed and golden, 15-20 min longer. Cool in skillet on rack for 10 minutes. Sprinkle top lightly w/ confectioner's sugar and cut into 6 wedges. Serve warm or at room temp.

Suz: This pancake cooked way faster than the directions said - not sure if it's my oven or what.  I think I will try this again, but not start it out at 400, just do the whole thing at 350.  The edges were darker than I wanted them to be :(  Overall, I still thought it was pretty good.

April: Seeing as I did not cook this week I can not complain. :O) I'm not a fan of crispy  edges so that turned me off to this otherwise delicious dish. The apples were thin and the seasoning was just right. The crust just threw me...  might have to try that again.

Hash Browns, Egg, and Cheese Casserole


6 slice(s) uncooked turkey bacon, sliced crosswise into 1⁄4-inch strips
3 cup(s) frozen hash brown potatoes, 12 ounces
4 medium scallion(s), sliced
3 large egg(s)
3 large egg white(s)
3/4 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese, small-curd
2/3 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp poultry seasoning, or ground sage
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Place the oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray a 1 1⁄2-quart shallow baking dish with nonstick spray.

Spray a nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until nearly crisp, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and scallions; continue cooking and stirring until tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Beat together the eggs and egg whites in a large bowl until blended. Beat in the cottage cheese, 1⁄3 cup of the cheddar cheese, the Parmesan cheese, flour, poultry seasoning or sage, baking powder, salt, and pepper until combined. Stir in the cooled potato mixture and spread evenly into the baking dish. Bake until golden and set in the center, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1⁄3 cup cheddar cheese. Let stand until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes, and serve hot or warm.

Suz: When I read this recipe, I thought the flour and the cottage cheese sounded a little strange.  I'm not sure what the cottage cheese added, but I know that the flour made the casserole more solid, for lack of a better word.  A decent dish, definitely a good one to bring to a breakfast/brunch potluck.

April: I'm a big fan of eggs in casserole form. I thought the texture was more dense, but this is great for people like my loving mother who want their eggs... COOKED. Other casseroles I have made of this style were too moist for her likings. This would be great for her. The other ingredients were well blended. I thought it was great.