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.

Chocolate Sprinkled Donuts Recipe For Spring

Spring is finally coming and even though it's still a few days away, I'm very excited. It's been a very cold and rainy winter in the Seattle area this year, and I'm done with it. We have had more power outages this year than I can ever recall, and it can be so frustrating to try and get things done when you have no electricity.

So the last time we had a power outage, as soon as it came back on, my granddaughter Ashley and I decided we needed to make donuts to celebrate. She is my little baking buddy and she would have us bake everyday if I let her. But I was ready to celebrate the return of our electricity and baked donuts are something that can be made quickly and with little fuss.

I always try to have different varieties of sprinkles on hand because they can turn something plain into something fun and festive.

Since I love being frugal, I'm always on the hunt for a good deal and I found a good sized container of these sprinkles at Target for only a dollar. Now that's a bargain!

A lot of baked donut recipes call for buttermilk, but since I don't keep it on hand, I always have to plan ahead and buy some before I can make donuts. I was happy to find a recipe for these cake donuts that doesn't require buttermilk, so it's perfect for whipping a batch up whenever you feel like it.

These are rich and chocolaty, and super simple to put together. Since my granddaughter was helping to make these, I was glad the recipe was so easy.

If you love donuts, I recommend buying a donut pan. I have the regular size pan, and recently bought the mini size, which makes cute little donuts that my family loves.

Recipe for Chocolate Sprinkled Donuts

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

For glaze:

2 cups confectioners sugar
about 6 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
sprinkles of choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat egg to blend with milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
Add flour mixture and stir just until all ingredients are combined. Spoon batter 2/3 full into a well greased donut pan.
Bake 8-10 minutes. Let donuts cool on a wire rack before glazing.

To make the glaze, whisk together the confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla. Dip cooled donut halfway into the glaze, place on wire rack, then decorate with sprinkles.

Makes 12 donuts.

Slow Roasted Tomato Pasta Salad Recipe

Even though it's still only spring, we've been having some gorgeous warm days here in the Seattle area. Days that remind me that this is a beautiful place to live, and that I'm very lucky to call Washington state my home. And when I think of the warmer months to come, I think about outdoor grilling, and beach picnics, and our favorite foods for the season.

My family and I are huge fans of pasta salad. We  love them as a side dish with grilled meats or chicken, or as a main meal when meats are added to them. And they are great and easy to transport for picnics or taking to someone's house for a potluck.

What makes this pasta salad one of my favorites is that it's made with oven roasted tomatoes. I slow roast the tomatoes at a low temperature for a couple of hours, and the flavor is so intensified and delicious. They can be stored in olive oil in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. I also add them to spaghetti, salads and pizza. The time spent to roast them is well worth it, especially when you consider how expensive they are at the grocery store.

I made this pasta salad for the 4th of July last year and shared it here on the blog. It was a big hit with friends and family, so I wanted to share it with you all again. It's super easy to put together, and can be made ahead of time too.

Here's how I slow roast tomatoes:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Wash, dry, and slice in-half two pounds of Roma tomatoes.
Lay the tomatoes cut-side down on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of granulated sugar.
Roast for 2 - 21/2  hours, or until tomatoes are lightly dried and slightly darkened. Store in the fridge in a jar with olive oil.

Recipe for Slow Roasted Tomato Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

3/4 pound colored rotini pasta, cooked and rinsed with cold water
1 cup oven roasted tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Italian dressing
2 tablespoons dried Italian herbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together the Italian dressing, Italian herbs, and pepper. Add the pasta and tomatoes, and stir to combine. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and give it another stir.
Serve or refrigerate.

Makes 6 servings.

I don't know about you, but I can hardly wait for summer to come this year. Beach days, good food shared with friends and family, and a glass of chilled wine at the end of the day sound heavenly to me right now.

I remind myself that it will all come back, even on days like today when it's cold and windy outside and hot coffee is what I want most.

Pineapple, Ham and Cream Cheese Sandwich with Reformulated Oroweat® Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat Bread & Giveaway #ad

*The coupons for free product, information, and gift card have been provided by Oroweat® so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Oroweat® Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat Bread. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Oroweat®

Sandwiches are a weekly dinner item in my house and each day I work I take a sandwich in my lunch. We definitely go through a lot of bread in my house. I buy a few brands of bread and change the brand depending on sales, coupons and the type of bread I am looking for. For sandwiches Oroweat® is a great option and they have many varieties. It's a great brand for pre-sliced bread to have in the cupboard.

When I make my son one of his lunchtime favorite's,  Pineapple, Ham and Cream Cheese Sandwich I like to use a whole grain and whole wheat bread. Oroweat® has recently reformulated their recipe making it tastier and healthier for you. I am all in for changes in recipes when it is for the better. Oroweat® Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat sliced bread is premium bread with a whopping 21g of whole grains per slice! Oroweat® Whole Grains 100% Whole Wheat sliced bread is 90 calories and has no high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors or flavoring. 

Since I work 5 days a week and always take a sandwich to work I often make them ahead of time. I made a few of these Pineapple, Ham and Cream Cheese Sandwiches and put them in the fridge. I love being prepared with my lunch already made so I can savor a few more moments with my son before I head our the door.

What is your favorite easy to make sandwich in your family?

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Brown Sugar Butterscotch Chip Cookie Recipe



One of the things I love about blogging is that it forces you to be creative. In a good way of course.
It's kind of like the chicken and the egg situation. Do I do things to blog about them, or am I already going to be doing something, so I blog about it?

It turns out to be a little of both. Take these fabulous cookies, for instance. Since I live with my daughter and her family, my granddaughter Ashley loves to bake with me. And it's pretty hard to resist that sweet little four year old and her bag of butterscotch chips who begs you to make cookies with her.

So that's exactly what we did yesterday, we made these yummy Brown Sugar Butterscotch Chip Cookies. And I get to blog about it, which of course Ashley suggested I do. She is absolutely a blogger in the making, and I predict she will probably have her first blog by the time she turns five.

These cookies are super duper yummy. They are crunchy and soft at the same time, and they are rolled in brown sugar which gives them the best flavor. The butterscotch chips go perfectly with the brown sugar, and these cookies are sure to become a favorite.

Pair them with a glass of milk and you have a little bit of heaven. I plan to make them again for a book club meeting, and I totally expect to bring home an empty plate.


Recipe for Brown Sugar Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups light or dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips
 extra brown sugar for rolling cookies, about 3/4 cup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, put in butter and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed with a hand held mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, beat on medium speed until combined.
Slowly add the flour mixture and beat until all ingredients are just combined. Stir in butterscotch chips.
Use a tablespoons worth of dough to form a ball. Roll balls in extra brown sugar and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool cookies on baking rack.

Makes 24 cookies.