Country Breakfast Bowls (freezable)

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. russet potatoes 
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tsp smoked paprika 
• ½ tsp garlic powder 
• ½ tsp salt 
• Freshly cracked pepper 
• 9 large eggs 
• 2 Tbsp butter 
• 1½ cups salsa 
• 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and cut the potatoes into one-inch cubes. Place the potato cubes in a large bowl and add the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Toss the potatoes until they are well coated in oil and seasoning.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and give it a light spritz of non-stick spray. Spread the potatoes out over the baking sheet so they are in a single layer. If they don't fit, prepare a second baking sheet and divide the potatoes between the two. Roast the potatoes in the preheated oven for 45min to one hour, or until they are tender and golden brown. Stir the potatoes once, about half way through.
3. When the potatoes are close to being finished, crack the eggs into a large bowl and gently whisk them. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. When the butter is melted, pour in the eggs. Gently move the eggs around the skillet until they are mostly solid, but still moist in appearance. Be careful not to over cook the eggs at this point because they will cook further upon reheating the breakfast bowls.
4. To prepare the bowls, divide the roasted potatoes between six freezer safe containers. Add ¼ cup of salsa to each container. Divide the scrambled eggs among the six containers and then top with about ¼ cup of shredded cheese.
5. Chill the bowls in the refrigerator before transferring to the freezer. Or, leave them in the refrigerator if you plan to eat them within 5-6 days.

Step by Step Photos

Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and then cut the potatoes into one inch cube. Season the potatoes with the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Toss the potatoes until they are well coated in the seasoning.

Spread the potatoes out over a baking sheet covered with foil. Because I didn’t use a lot of olive oil when seasoning the potatoes, I added a little non-stick spray to the foil to prevent them from sticking. If your potatoes don’t fit onto your baking sheet without them piling up on top of each other, use two baking sheets.

Roast the potatoes for 45 minutes to one hour, or until they are tender and golden brown on the edges. Stir them once half way through.

When the potatoes are almost done, begin to cook the eggs. Lightly whisk the eggs in a bowl. Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.

Cook the eggs until they are mostly solid, but still moist. You want to avoid over cooking the eggs at this step because they will inevitably cook further when the bowls are reheated. Just gently move the eggs around in the skillet as the bottom layer sets. Avoid over stirring or you’ll end up with dry, pellet like eggs.

Now it’s time to build the bowls. I only have five here because I was also building one in an actual dish to photograph (and to eat!). Divide the potatoes among six containers. These little roasted potatoes were so good that I ate at least a cup of them before making the bowls… I couldn’t stop popping them into my mouth.

Next, add about 1/4 cup of salsa to each bowl. Salsa is optional, I just LOVE salsa with eggs.

Then add a scoop of eggs to each bowl.

And lastly, add some shredded cheese on top. Like I said, I wish I would have topped this off with some green onions, too. If you want, you can cook up some breakfast sausage or bacon and add that into the bowls. Ham and bell peppers would also be a nice combo!

Frozen foods maintain better quality if you refrigerate them until they’re completely cool before freezing. They don’t form big, destructive ice crystals that way. So, pop them in the refrigerator and then later on transfer whatever you think you won’t be able to consume within 5-6 days into the freezer. 

Source from http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/06/country-breakfast-bowls-freezable/

Soft Boiled Eggs

Step by Step Instructions:

Fill a pot with about 1/2 inch of water. Yes, that’s all you need. Use the smallest pot you have that will house the number of eggs you’re making. I usually only do one or two eggs at a time, but this same technique can be used for any number of eggs.

Bring that 1/2 inch of water to a rolling boil over high heat (with a lid on top). This happens very fast because it’s only a 1/2 inch of water, after all.  That’s one reason this is so much faster than boiling an egg. Gently place the egg(s) into the pot. Tongs make this easier to do without burning your finger tips. Make sure to not drop the egg or else it can crack and the whole process will be ruined. Just gently set it on the bottom of the pot.

So, now your eggs are sitting in a little bit of rapidly boiling water. It’s not actually the water that cooks the eggs, but the surrounding STEAM. So, we’ll need to put a lid on top to trap the steam and create a steam bath.

After adding the eggs, place a lid on the pot and set your timer for SIX MINUTES (for large eggs). 

After exactly six minutes, turn off the burner and carefully pour out the hot water. Fill the pot with cool water to stop the eggs from cooking. After about 30 seconds to a minute in the water, they’ll be cool enough to handle.

Carefully tap the egg on a hard surface to crack the shell, then gently peel it away. You’ll need to be gentle because the inside is still liquid and the egg will be somewhat soft and wobbly. Give it a quick rinse after removing the shell to get rid of any shell fragments.

Source from http://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/02/make-soft-boiled-eggs/

Parmesan & Pepper Kale Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 8 oz. button mushrooms 
• 1 bunch kale (curly or lacinato) 
• ½ cup chicken broth 
• ½ lb. pasta (any shape) 
• ½ tsp salt 
• ½ cup grated Parmesan 
• Freshly cracked pepper 

Instructions

1. Mince the garlic and slice the mushrooms. Place the butter, garlic, and mushrooms in a large pot and sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they are soft and dark (about 5 minutes).
2. While the mushrooms are sautéing, tear or cut the kale leaves from the stems, then chop them into small pieces. Rinse the kale well.
3. Add the kale to the pot along with ½ cup chicken broth. Stir the kale as it cooks until it is fully wilted. Let the wilted kale simmer in the broth without a lid over medium heat until most of the broth has evaporated (about 10 minutes).
4. While the kale is simmering, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente (7-10 minutes). Drain the pasta and let it cool slightly, or until it looks a little dry and tacky in texture.
5. Remove the pot with the kale and mushrooms from the heat. Add the pasta and stir to combine. The pot should be warm, but not steaming hot. If it's still steaming, let it cool for about 5 minutes.* Once slightly cooled, add ½ tsp salt, about 20 cranks of a pepper mill (or more if desired), and the grated Parmesan. Stir until all the pasta and vegetables are coated in Parmesan and pepper. Taste the pasta and add more salt or pepper if needed.

Notes

*Allowing the contents of the pot to cool slightly helps the Parmesan stick to the pasta instead of melting and sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Step by Step Photos

Start by slicing an 8 oz. package of mushrooms and mincing two cloves of garlic. Add the mushrooms and garlic to a large pot along with 2 Tbsp of butter.

Sauté the mushrooms and garlic over medium heat until they are soft and dark (about 5 minutes).

While the mushrooms are cooking, remove the stems from one bunch of kale. You can either just pull the leafy parts from the woody stems, or take a knife and run it along the side of each stem. Once the stem is removed, chop or tear the kale into smaller pieces.

Rinse the kale really well because a lot of dirt and debris (and maybe bugs??) can hide in those curly leaves. You don’t have to worry about waiting for it to dry.

Add the cleaned kale leaves to the pot along with a half cup of chicken broth. This is why I love Better Than Bouillon. You can mix up EXACTLY the amount you need, whenever you need it. It comes in low sodium and organic, too, if you were wondering (not a paid product mention!).

Cook and stir the kale until it wilts down, then let it simmer in the broth until most of the broth has evaporated away (about 10 minutes). Remove it from the heat and let it cool a little. While the kale is simmering away, cook a 1/2 lb. of pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes). Drain the pasta well and let it cool slightly. Wait until it gets a little tacky and dry in the surface.

Letting the pasta and the pot cool just slightly is really important. If it’s still steaming hot when you add the Parmesan, the Parmesan will melt and stick to the bottom of the pot rather than coating the pasta in flavorful little granules. It’s okay for the pasta to still be warm, just make sure it’s not still steaming. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, and a good healthy dose of freshly cracked pepper (20 cranks of a mill or more). Stir the pot until everything is coated in Parmesan and pepper. Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed.

Source from http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/03/parmesan-pepper-kale-pasta/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29

Homemade Freezer Garlic Bread

Ingredients

• 1 stick (8 Tbsp) salted butter 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• 4 cloves garlic 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley 
• 1 16-inch loaf French Bread 

Instructions

1. Allow the butter to come to room temperature. Mince the garlic, then combine it in a small bowl with the butter, olive oil, salt, and dried parsley. Mix the ingredients together until they form a fairly smooth paste.
2. Cut the bread loaf into 16 one-inch slices. Scoop ½ Tbsp of the butter mixture onto each slice, then spread it over the surface with a knife. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and then place them in the freezer for about 15 minutes to allow the butter to firm up. Once firm, stack the slices two at a time and place in quart sized freezer bags. Store in the freezer up to three months.
3. To cook the frozen slices of garlic bread, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Once the oven is heated, take as many slices out of the freezer as you'd like, carefully separate the stacked slices, and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.*

Notes

*If using a different type of bread, the baking time may change.

Step by Step Photos

Start by letting one stick (8 Tbsp) of butter come to room temperature. Combine it in a bowl with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic (minced), 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes.

Mix them all up until it forms a fairly smooth paste (a few chunks of butter are a-okay).

Take a 16 inch loaf of French bread and slice it into 16 one-inch pieces. The easiest way to do this is to first slice the loaf in half (2), then slice each half in half (4), then each quarter in half (8), and then each piece in half one last time (16). It’s much easier to eye-ball a “half” than to just start slicing one inch pieces from one end to the other.

 started with 8 Tbsp of butter, so I estimated I’d have about 1/2 Tbsp of the butter mixture for each of the 16 slices. Scoop the butter on to the slices, then…

Spread it out smooth with a knife. Place the buttered slices on a baking sheet and pop them into the freezer for about 15 minutes, just to firm up the butter a bit.

Once the garlic butter is a little more firm, you can stack them two by two and place them in a quart sized freezer bag (6 to a bag). Freeze the slices for up to 3 months for best results. To cook the garlic bread, simply preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then take out as many slices as you’d like and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown (you don’t have to wait for them to thaw first).

Source from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2015/03/homemade-freezer-garlic-bread/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BudgetBytes+%28Budget+Bytes%29