Make-ahead Breakfast for a Delicious Start to the New Year

I know I have told you before that I am not much on traditional breakfast.  Every Saturday morning, Charlieman, makes biscuits, eggs (any way you want them), bacon or sausage and the children cheer!  I usually skip the entire affair. 

At Christmas, we have a family tradition of Christmas Brunch.  I make casseroles the day before and refrigerate them.  On Christmas Day, after a wonderful morning of opening gifts and hot chocolate sipping, we sit down to a delicious morning meal.  As my family was truly enjoying this year's brunch, I thought that these delicious treats would make a wonderful New Year's Day breakfast as well. 

So, I am sharing my menu and recipes with you in time for you to run to the store and pick up what you need, put the casseroles together tomorrow and enjoy on Sunday morning.  (or any other day you choose)

Menu:
Caramel Bottom French Toast Cassserole
Mexican Breakfast
Fresh Fruit
Mimosas


Caramel Bottom French Toast Casserole

• 1/2 cup butter (I used Land 'O Lakes Light)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 T. light corn syrup
• 1 loaf of French bread
• 5 eggs (I use Egg Beaters)
• 1 1/2 cups milk (I use fat free half and half)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg

Melt the butter with the brown sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.  Pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Cut the bread into thick slices, remove crusts if desired.  Place in the prepared pan.  Combine the eggs, half and half (or milk), vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and mix well.  Pour over the bread.  Refrigerate, covered, for 8 hours or overnight.  Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 350- degree oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with additional maple syrup if desired.


Mexican Breakfast

• 1 lb. ground sausage (I use reduced fat)
• 2 T. butter (I use non-stick cooking spray like Pam instead)
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten (I mix 3 egg beaters with 3 eggs)
• 1/4 c. cottage cheese (I use fat free cottage cheese)
• 3 green onion tops, chopped
• 1 T. chopped fresh parsley
• 8 tortillas (I use reduced fat flour tortillas)
• 2 c. Mexican Blend shredded cheese (optional)

Cook sausage in a large skillet, drain, and wipe skillet clean.  Melt butter in a large skillet or spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Add eggs with the next three ingredients.  Cook over medium heat, without stirring, until eggs begin to set on bottom.  Draw a spatula across the bottom of the skillet to form large curds.  Continue cooking until eggs are thickened, but moist.  Stir in sausage and 2 T. of the sour cream sauce (recipe follows). 

Spread 1 c. Sour Cream Sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Spoon egg mixture evenly down the cernter of tortillas, roll up and place seam down into baking dish.  Pour remainig Sour Cream Sauce over tortillas; sprinkle with shredded cheese if desired. 

Bake, covered, at 325 for 30 minutes.  ***Note:  This can easily be made ahead and refrigerated until you are ready to bake.  Allow to come to room temp about 30 minutes prior to baking.  Add cheese just prior to baking if you make ahead.

Sour Cream Sauce

• 1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (8 oz.) container of sour cream (I use HEB brand fat free sour cream)
• 1 (4.5 oz.) can of chopped green chiles
• 2 T. green chile salsa
• 2 T. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chile powder
• Whisk together all ingredients. 

We love this recipe best served with Julio's Salsa!

A New Breakfast Idea

How many times have I told you that I am not a breakfast person?  I don't know, maybe 50?  Well, you and I both know that you need to fuel the furnace before taking on the day.  I bet you've seen those Special K commercials that say, "Studies show that people who regularly eat a healthy breakfast consistently maintain a healthy weight."  (Note to Charlie:  a healthy breakfast does not consist of bacon, biscuits or gravy.)

My good friend, Christy Abrams, is a trainer, fellow Zumba instructor and body building competitor.  She has great tips on healthy meal options and has been a great resource to me.  She recently shared this awesome recipe with me and I have put it to good use.  I will be honest and tell you that I tweaked it a little.  I know,  you're not surprised.  But I kept the calories low and the sugar out of there!  Here's what you need to know.

140 calories, 1.8 grams of fat, 13 grams of protein

and 16 grams of carbs.

Jump Start Flapjacks

1/3 c. oatmeal (Quaker Oats or Quick Oats, not the pre-packaged, flavored, envelopes)
1/2 c. liquid egg whites (from a carton)
2 packets of Splenda
1 CAP-ful of Vanilla extract (use the no high fructose corn syrup variety for no added sugars or carbs)
2-3 generous shakes of cinnamon

Blend in a blender until smooth.  Pour batter into super hot, non-stick skillet to make three pancakes.  Try with Maple Grove Farms sugar free syrup or eat them "Pretty Woman" style with your fingers, if you're on the go.  These little jewels get my fired up before a workout and keep me going all morning long.  I hope you'll like them too!

Breakfast on the Fly

Breakfast.  Y'all know it's not my favorite meal of the day, but it's very important to fuel the furnace with lots of protein to help me make it through the day.  I struggle to find something that meets my nutritional requirements AND my taste requirements. 


Did you know that 1/4 c. of egg whites has only 25 calories and 5 grams of protein?  Well, eggs aren't always my favorite, but I heaped on the JULIO's Salsa (only 5 calories for 2 T.)

So this morning, I quickly heated a pan on medium high heat, gave a quick spritz with non-fat cooking spray and cooked up some scrambled egg whites. 

I added a sprinkle of reduced fat shredded cheese and topped it with my favorite salsa find:  Julio's Mild Salsa (and it's plenty hot, I promise) and gobbled up a tasty, healthy, low-calorie, protein packed breakfast.

1 cup of egg whites has no fat, 100 calories and 20 grams of protein.  The salsa has only 5 calories for 2 tablespoons.  What a delicious, out of the ordinary breakfast for this non-breakfast eater. 

Start YOUR day out right, too!