Easy Strawberry Cinnamon Bread #breakfast

Strawberries are still plentiful at the farmer's markets and grocery stores, so I am trying to take advantage of that before fall arrives. I think it is so crazy how summer is just flying by, and before we know it, the season will be over.

So meanwhile, I have made this quick and easy fruit bread. It's cheating a little bit because this recipe calls for a can of refrigerated cinnamon rolls as its base, but that is what makes it so easy to make.

The great thing about this strawberry cinnamon bread is that it's delicious for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

I'm really finding that using coffee creamer to cook with is versatile and economical. I used my favorite flavor in this recipe, Sweet Italian Cream.

This recipe really only takes a few minutes to put together. You can also easily double it if you are serving it when you are entertaining.

Make sure the cinnamon rolls are completely covered by the egg and strawberry mixture. You can also make this with peaches or other kinds of berries.

Recipe for Quick Strawberry Cinnamon Bread

Ingredients:

1 can good quality refrigerated cinnamon rolls, with frosting
1 cup strawberries, cut in half and slightly smashed with a fork
3 eggs
1/4 cup coffee creamer, Sweet Italian Cream, or Vanilla flavor
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Open cinnamon rolls and place evenly into a greased 9x9 baking dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, coffee creamer, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir in strawberries.
Pour egg mixture over cinnamon rolls in baking dish.
Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes, or until eggs are set, and rolls are golden.
Let rolls sit 5 minutes after coming out of oven.
Microwave frosting about 10 seconds, and then pour over bread.
Serve or at room temperature,

Serves 4-6

A Breakfast Favorite, Cheesy Sausage Egg Casserole

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WildSideOfFlavor #CollectiveBias

I know we've always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but for me and my family, that is very true. Not just to get food in our bodies, but to connect with each other before we all head out into the world for the day. Some days it's a little chaotic, life with three small kids always is, but breakfast together is a special routine that we have established and try hard to keep.

Weekday breakfasts can be rushed, so come the weekend, I'm ready to make something special and delicious like this Cheesy Sausage Egg Casserole. It's packed with eggs, cheese, roasted red peppers, spinach, and bold and flavorful Jack Link's Wild Side Sausages.

We're definitely meat lovers in our house, so we enjoy tasty sausages on their own, and in recipes.
These sausages, made with premium cuts of beef and pork, and high in protein, gave my casserole just the zip of flavor it needed to be delicious.

Casseroles are some of my favorite meals to make, whether it's for breakfast or dinner. They're usually quick and easy to put together, and often you can make substitutions if you don't have everything on hand.

What I like about this casserole is that it looks like it took a long time to put together, but it can be done in ten minutes, plus baking time. Super easy, but impressive enough for a brunch dish for family and friends.

In fact, I'll be making this casserole for our Easter brunch this year, and I know everyone will enjoy it. Even my three grandchildren, who grudgingly eat spinach, asked for seconds. That's a successful dish in my book!

I found Jack Link's Wild Side Sausages while I was shopping at Walmart. They are available in different flavors, and have no fillers or artificial flavors or colors. As we're trying to be more conscious of what we eat, these benefits have become important to me and my family.

They are also fully cooked, so I can just pop one in the microwave and put it on a bun for lunch when I want. I really like how convenient that is.

For my casserole recipe I used the original flavor, but the Jalapeno flavor was super good too. Bold and spicy, it packs a real kick, and I love that because Jalapeno peppers are a favorite of mine.

My recipe calls for 2 cups of thinly sliced sausages, which is about one package. Slice them up and set them aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

Next, beat together 10 eggs, a cup of milk and salt and pepper. Stir in 2 cups of Parmesan cheese. In a pinch, you can use other kinds of cheese like cheddar, but I really like Parmesan the best for this recipe.

Layer a lightly greased baking dish with spinach and a 12-ounce jar of roasted red peppers in oil that has been drained. Then layer on the sliced sausage.

Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the sausage, peppers, and spinach. Drizzle on a little extra virgin olive oil for added richness and flavor.

Then pop in the oven for 40-45 minutes, until it's golden and slightly puffed up. Let it sit for ten minutes before cutting.

Recipe for Cheesy Sausage Egg Casserole

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
10 large eggs
1 cup whole or 2% milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese
6 ounces baby spinach, about 4 cups
1 12-ounce jar of roasted peppers in oil, drained and chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 package Jack Link's Wild Side Sausages Original Flavor, thinly sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with olive oil.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs together. Then whisk in the milk, salt, and pepper. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Spread the spinach over the bottom of the baking dish, layer the roasted peppers on top, then top with the sausage.
Pour the egg mixture evenly over this. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is slightly puffed and golden, and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Serves 6-8.

Look for Jack Link's Wild Side Sausages at your local Walmart in the refrigerated breakfast section.

You'll find rollback prices on them now through Memorial Day. They're great for grilling too, so stock up and take advantage of these great prices.

You can also check out Jack Link's Wild Side Sausages fun Instagram account here.

Do you love sausages, and what's your favorite way to use them in a recipe? Leave me a comment below because I'm always looking for fabulous recipes.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Scone Recipe

Have you ever made scones? I've wanted to try making them for years but I've always thought I couldn't make a proper scone. Like maybe the Queen of England would somehow see them and tell me they were not worthy of being called scones.

Thankfully I got over that and have made several different kinds of scones, and they are all quite tasty! In fact, I love a yummy warm scone with jam or butter on a cold winter morning. There is something quite comforting to me to be able to have a warm treat before I go about my day, and these Oatmeal Cinnamon Scones are just the thing to have for that.

This recipe is quite simple and only requires basic ingredients that most cooks have on hand in their refrigerators and cupboards. They are marvelous to eat when they first come out of the oven, and almost as good when reheated in the microwave.

Add a little jam and butter, and you have a yummy treat for breakfast or brunch. One even the Queen might approve of.

Recipe for Cinnamon Oatmeal Scones

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup oats
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk

Topping:

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheet with baking spray. In a medium bowl, mix flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. With pastry blender or fork, cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture is crumbly. Add milk all at once, stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
On floured work surface, gently knead dough 5 or 6 times. Place on cookie sheet, press into 6-inch round, about 1 inch thick. Brush top with melted butter.
In a small bowl, mix granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle over top. Cut into 8 wedges, separate slightly.
Bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Makes 8 scones.

Blackberry Crumble Recipe

Here in Washington State, blackberries grow wild during part of July and all of August. You can literally go outside in your yard or at the park, and pick a zillion of them if you want.

I used to pick them with my youngest daughter Megan, and now I pick them with my grandchildren. I love how this tradition continues on, and it's something I look forward to every summer.

Of course with all those picked berries, we like using them in different ways and different recipes. One of my absolute favorites is this Blackberry Crumble. It's super easy to make, and my granddaughter Ashley helped me make it. At three years old, she loves stirring things, so mixing together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and butter was her job. And she loved eating something yummy that she helped make.

This crumble can be made with other kinds of fruits, such as raspberries or peaches. You can serve it for dessert or breakfast. And as a dessert, it's extra delicious served warm and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Recipe for Blackberry Crumble

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh blackberries
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, add the butter, brown sugar, oats, flour, salt, and vanilla. Mix all together, then with a fork, break into small, loose pieces of dough.
Divide the blackberries evenly in 4-6 (depending on size) ceramic ramekins.
Spread the oat mixture evenly on top of the berries in the ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven for 25-28 minutes.
Let the crumble set until just warm and serve. Can be topped with vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream.

Summer Strawberry Scones Recipe

One of my favorite parts of summer is all the luscious berries available at the grocery stores and farmer's markets. I am a big strawberry lover, and so is my family. So, I'm always on the lookout for yummy recipes that can incorporate them.

These Strawberry Scones are delicious, and if you've never made scones before, this is an easy first recipe to try. They can be made without the powdered sugar drizzle on top, but I like adding it for a little more sweetness.

Instead of using foil, I always use parchment paper for baking. The foil always sticks, so it's great to be able to just lift the scones out of the pan when their done, without sticking.

Recipe for Summer Strawberry Scones

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, very cold and diced small
1 cup diced strawberries
1/2 cup half & half or vanilla coffee creamer
1 egg

For glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Place oven rack in middle of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add diced butter pieces, and with a pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in strawberries.
In a small bowl, whisk together half & half, or coffee creamer until smooth. Stir cream and egg mixture into flour mixture until combined. Using your hands, press the dough together to form a ball.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7 to 8 inch circle, about 3/4 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 8 triangles.
Place on baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Place on a wire rack when done.
To make the drizzle, stir together the powdered sugar and milk.
 Drizzle over warm scones and serve.

Makes 8 scones.

Christmas Cranberry Walnut Bread

I'm always looking for easy recipes for quick breads, especially this time of year. A loaf of a yummy quick bread makes a wonderful homemade gift, or as a treat for yourself at home with a cup of tea or coffee.

This recipe for Cranberry Walnut Bread is a favorite of mine. The cranberries have a delicious tarty taste, and the orange zest in it gives it a hint of citrus.

It's easy to find fresh cranberries this time of year, or you can also use frozen. Even if you don't like cranberries, this bread just might change your mind about them.

Recipe for Christmas Cranberry Walnut Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with non-stick baking spray.
Mix together cranberries, sugar, oil, milk, orange peel, vanilla, and eggs.
Add flour, baking powder, salt, and walnuts, mix well. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Run a knife along the edges to loosen bread from pan. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Makes 1 loaf.

I made this last year, but it's so yummy that I wanted to share it again. Enjoy!!

Apple Pancake Breakfast Recipe

As we get deeper into fall, I want to start making more recipes that call for apples. I love apple desserts, and my apple galette has become a family favorite. But apples are so versatile that they can be used for breakfast, dinner, and other kinds of recipes.

This Apple Pancake is easy to make, even on a weekday morning when time is usually short. And with all the cold weather we've been having here in Washington State, it was so nice to have something warm and delicious to eat before going out for the day.

Feel free to use any kind of apples you have on hand. Be sure to slice them fairly thin so that they soften up while baking on top of the pancake.

Toss the apples in cinnamon, brown sugar, and a little melted butter. They smell wonderful already.

After you make the batter, pour it into a ceramic or glass pie dish. Then arrange the apples on top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Recipe for Apple Pancake

Ingredients:

To make the pancake:

3/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

For the topping:

2 apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the pancake ingredients in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, toss together the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Pour the batter into a well-greased ceramic or glass pie plate. Arrange apples on top of batter.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until pancake is spongy but not wet.

Serves 5-6

*Recipe slightly modified from BBB blog.

Pear Coffee-Cake Muffins Recipe From Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

Sometimes I think it's the little things that make up a happy life. It's true that big life events can be wonderful, but they just don't happen often enough for me. So, I'm finding ways to increase my everyday happiness, and that includes these pear muffins.

A cup of coffee and a warm, delicious muffin with butter inside makes my morning start out happy. It's an easy way to start the day, and these muffins let you use your favorite fruit in them, whether that's pears, apples, plums, or berries.

This recipe is from one of my favorite baking books, Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. The recipe calls for plums, which I love, but when I saw these gorgeous red pears at the market, I decided to use them instead of the plums.

Peel and chop the pears. I love the fragrance and taste of pears, and it's one of my favorite fruits to use in my fall and winter baking.

After you have mixed the batter, fill the muffin tin half full, and distribute the pear pieces evenly over the batter. Top with remaining batter, and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

These smell wonderful as they are baking in the oven. And they keep well for a couple of days in the refrigerator. I just popped them, with a little butter, into the microwave and heated them up, and they were still delicious.

I gave some of these muffins to our neighbors, and they just loved them. That's also one of the things I enjoy about baking, is being able to share something I made with others, and making that lovely connection with them.

These muffins are very much worth the effort of making them, and perfect for a morning of baking on a chilly fall morning.

Recipe For Pear Coffee-Cake Muffins

Ingredients:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
3 ripe pears, peeled and cut into small chunks (other fruits may be used, plums, apples, or berries)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or use paper liners, set aside.
Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and milk. Whisk in the melted butter. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Dividing evenly, fill each of the muffin cups halfway with batter. Smooth the batter with an offset spatula.

Distribute the pear pieces evenly among the cups, scattering them over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter on top, dividing evenly. Sprinkle tops with the reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the muffins are puffed and golden brown, and a cake tester inserted of one muffin comes out clean, 16-18 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand 5-10 minutes. Turn out the muffins onto the rack to cool a few minutes, serve warm.

*Note: the recipe says it only makes 10 muffins, but I easily made 12.

Melt In Your Mouth Chocolate Chip Scones

When I say these scones are melt in your mouth delicious, I'm not kidding. I've never made scones before because they seemed like a lot of trouble, and some of the ones I have eaten in bakeries have tended to be dry.

But my family and I love baked goods in the mornings, especially on the weekends when we have more time to enjoy them. So I decided to give these Chocolate Chip Scones a try, and I'm so glad I did.

I don't know if it made any difference, but I made the dough and then let it set overnight in the refrigerator, instead of just an hour. It's simple to roll it out into a narrow rectangle, and then cut it free-hand into triangles. The dough could also be used to make other kinds of scones, and I'm thinking that cranberries and walnuts would be delicious together, too.

I can see myself bringing these to a friends' house to enjoy with coffee soon. And wouldn't it be nice to bring them to your child's teacher as a thank you for all their hard work? These are just so yummy, and so worth the time it takes to make them. They are also wonderful when they are reheated in the microwave the next day, with a little butter.

Recipe for Chocolate Chip Scones

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3/4 cup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together flour and baking powder in a medium sized bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat 3 minutes on high until pale and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Slowly add the flour and baking powder mixture into the egg mixture, blending well.

Then add yogurt, again mixing until blended. Fold in chocolate chips until blended throughout the dough.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (This recipe may be made in advance and refrigerated overnight.)

When ready to bake, on a floured surface, roll dough out in a rectangle shape, 1/2 inch thick and 4 inches wide. With a knife, cut the dough into triangles. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

 

 

 

Easy Glazed Cinnamon Streusel Muffins







Cinnamon is one of my favorite flavors, and it reminds me of fall, and all the coziness that comes along with that season.

These great tasting muffins are topped with a cinnamon streusel and powdered sugar glaze that will make your morning start off on a happy note.

Besides tasting so yummy, they are super easy to make. They are made with Bisquick Mix, that old favorite from so long ago, and one my mother always had in her cupboard. I grew up with pancakes, muffins, waffles, and more made from it, and I am actually a bit nostalgic about it.

I do enjoy baking from scratch, but sometimes I pull out the Bisquick for an easy recipe like these muffins. And if you have any left over, a quick 15 seconds in the microwave makes them totally fresh allover again.


Recipe for Easy Glazed Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Ingredients:

Topping:
1/3 cup Bisquick Mix
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons firm butter or margarine

Muffins:
2 cups Bisquick Mix
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg

Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
In a small bowl, mix together streusel topping ingredients until crumbly. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix muffin ingredients until well blended. Spoon into paper liners, about 2/3 full.
Sprinkle with topping. Bake 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Let muffins cool before glazing.
To make the glaze, mix the tablespoons of milk and powdered sugar together in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle glaze over muffins and let set before eating.

Makes 12 muffins.