Bacon, Cheddar & Kale Frittata

So a couple of months ago I discovered the frittata. Oh, and what a delicious discovery it was!

It also opened the door of my imagination to a whole world of possible frittatas. How easy would it be to swap out the asparagus for some other vegetable? The Gruyere for a different delectable cheese?

Then I woke up one morning fantasizing about the combination of quality bacon with some sauteed kale (both of which happened to be hanging around in our fridge). Let me tell you, it was a winning idea.

I mean really, how can you possibly err when you saute kale and onions in bacon fat? And toss in some unbelievably bright farm fresh eggs. And Tillamook cheddar. I mean, really.

Bacon, Cheddar & Kale Frittata

(printable version)

inspired by Tracy's Culinary Adventures

serves 6

12 large eggs

3 TB half & half

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 slices bacon

1/2 medium onion, diced

4 cups chopped kale

1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, depending on preference

Preheat oven to 400.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half & half, salt and pepper until combined.

In a non-stick, oven safe skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Reserve about 1 TB of bacon grease in pan. When drained, chop or crumble bacon and set aside.

Add onions and saute 1-2 min. Add kale and continue sauteing until kale is wilted, about 3-4 min.

Stir cheese and bacon into egg mixture. Pour egg mixture into the skillet with the onions and kale and cook, using a rubber spatula to stir and scrape the bottom. Large curds will begin to form after about 2 min. but the eggs should still be quite wet. Shake the skillet to distribute eggs evenly then allow to cook for 30 seconds without stirring- this will set the bottom.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake about 10 min. If the frittata is set but just slightly wet and runny when you cut into it, it is done. 

Remove from oven and let stand 5 min. Loosen edges with spatula, then slide it out of the pan, cut into wedges and serve.

Asparagus, Bacon & Gruyere Frittata

I had an amazing revelation this past week.

There is an egg pie sort of thingy that is fantastically delicious that you don't have to make a crust for and comes together in a matter of minutes!

Maybe to you this is old news, but I just made my first frittata and am basking in the enjoyment of it!

I absolutely love quiche, but I rarely make them because not only are they fattening (hello, pie crust!) but they are somewhat labor intensive (hello again, pie crust!) and they take a long time to bake! Beautiful and delicious for special occasions, but not really an every day or even every week kind of thing, you know?

I trust you do.

So, all that to say- frittata is quiche's low maintenance cousin!

On a side note, my spell check is at it again. This time it wants to change "frittata" to "irritation". Oh, yes, let's serve up a little irritation for breakfast! Sounds delightful, doesn't it?

"What's on the menu, honey?"

"Oh, just a little asparagus, bacon and Gruyere irritation, dear!"

Way to get my man to the table, spell check.

But...back to the FRITTATA...

Not only is it pleasing to your nostrils as you saute the asparagus, bacon and shallots, but also to your eyes- vibrant yellow eggs dotted with spring green asparagus and crisp bacon. Oh! and don't forget your taste buds! One of the most delightful things about this bright dish is the way the Gruyere stays in little gooey pockets, spilling forth melty goodness in each bite!

Whether you choose to serve your frittata for a holiday, a weekend brunch or a quick weeknight dinner, let's just say that it will get your man, or your family, or your company, or the president of the United States to your table much quicker than any "irritation" would.

Asparagus, Bacon & Gruyere Frittata

(printable version)

adapted from Tracy's Culinary Adventures

serves about 6

12 lg. eggs

3 TB half and half

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut on the bias into 1/4 in. pieces

6 slices bacon, chopped

1 shallot, minced

3 oz. Gruyere cheese, cut into 1/4 in. cubes

Preheat your oven to 400.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, half and half, salt and pepper until completely combined.

Set a 12 in. nonstick, oven safe skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and when hot, throw in the asparagus and bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus has lightly browned and is nearly tender, about 3 minutes. Add the shallot and cook just until slightly softened, about 2 minutes.

Add the cubes of cheese to the egg mixture and stir. Pour egg mixture into the skillet with the asparagus, bacon and shallot and cook, using a rubber spatula to stir and scrape the bottom. Large curds will begin to form after about 2 minutes, but the eggs should still be quite wet. Shake the skillet to distribute the eggs evenly and allow to cook for 30 sec. without stirring- this will set the bottom.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the frittata puffs and the surface browns slightly, 10-12 min. Check for done-ness by cutting into the frittata with a paring knife. If the eggs are firm, but just slightly wet, it's ready. Pull the skillet from the oven and let stand for 5 min. Loosen edges with the rubber spatula, then slide the frittata out of the pan and onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

The Ultimate Fried Egg Sandwich {a Guide}

I don't know about your family, but in mine the fried egg sandwich was the quintessential "go-to" lazy day comfort food dinner. I don't know what it is about a fried egg and a slab of cheddar slapped between two pieces of toasted bread, but it almost always sounds good. You can make it in about five minutes and I can just about guarantee you'll have the ingredients on hand.

The other thing that's awesome about this sandwich is that, much like any other sandwich, it's infinitely customizable. The only thing that must remain is the egg. Switch out everything else, but as long as you keep that egg you can label it a "fried egg sandwich".

Unless of course you scramble the egg. Then it would have to be a "scrambled egg sandwich" wouldn't it?

But, as my brother would say, I digress.

Hubby and I have been enjoying traditional fried egg sandwiches every Sunday night now for awhile. It is so nice to have a few routines thrown into your weekly menu- not only does it make it a little easier to plan meals, it gives us something sure to look forward to! For instance, our week looks like this:

Monday- who knows. This is Travis' day off, so we don't plan anything. Usually we eat out or make something easy at home.
Tuesday- normal, but I can plan something a little more complicated or time-intensive because I don't have afternoon or evening activities.
Wednesday- Soup of some kind in the winter, salads in the summer
Thursday- normal
Friday- pizza
Saturday- breakfast for dinner
Sunday- Fried egg sandwiches and smoothies

See? Just a little structure.

So back to Sunday. We usually aren't super hungry on Sundays because we have a late lunch and just spend the afternoon napping or doing lazy things, so a light supper of sandwiches and smoothies (I'll have to share my staple smoothie guidelines with you soon!) is just perfect.

The other day, though, we decided to go a little crazy on our sandwiches. You know, break out of the order and make some chaos in the kitchen? It was fun and the end result was amazing. Best fried egg sandwich ever.

I want to share it with you, not because it's an amazing recipe you need to follow step by step, but because I want to give your imagination a springboard to create your own fried egg masterpiece!

But seriously, if you wanted to recreate this sandwich exactly as we made it, you really would be making a wise move.

Because it is incredibly yummy. Yum-tastic. Even.

But you knew that when scrolled down and peeked at the ingredient list, didn't you?

And you thought I wouldn't notice.

Yes, as we all know, bacon makes everything more amazing. So does fresh, ripe avocado. And cheese. Especially Tillamook Vintage White Cheddar cheese (as previously established). Oh, and bagels! Bagels are, of course, also on the amazing list.

So make your list, check it twice, and make some new traditions in your house!

The Ultimate Fried Egg Sandwich (a guide)

You don't really need to print it, but if you want to... (printable version)

a KitchenJoy Original "recipe"

makes 2

2 onion bagels (Safeway artisan bagels are amazing)

2 eggs

4 slices bacon (we used turkey bacon)

2 slices Tillamook Vintage White Cheddar cheese

1 ripe avocado, coarsely mashed

Fry eggs to your desired doneness, seasoning with salt and pepper or Lawry's seasoned salt. Meanwhile, fry bacon and toast bagels. If desired, butter bagels lightly. Spread one half of each bagel with half of mashed avocado. Assemble: place two bacon slices on top of avocado, top with cheese, egg, and other half of bagel. Enjoy!

Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball

Wow, I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last posted! Sorry about that...life's been a little crazy since the holidays. But, I'm back now, and hopefully will be able to swing right back into the routine of regular writing again.

This treat, which I actually made back in December for my Christmas party, comes to you now just in time for Sunday's big game.

However, if you don't happen to be interested in football (like myself), throw a party anyway.

Yep, this ball of cheese is THAT good.

You knew it was when you saw bacon in the title, didn't you?

This appetizer was such a big hit at my Christmas party (especially with the men, mind you, who aren't necessarily the world's biggest cheese ball fans) that it even overshadowed what I thought would be the bigger hit- a sweet take on the cheese ball that tastes like cookie dough! Hopefully I'll get that recipe posted on here one day too, but seriously. Bacon trumped cookie dough. This is a serious matter.

It couldn't be easier to roll up one of these crowd-pleasers, so you really don't have an excuse. Break out the Ritz (Wheat Thins are also awesome) and have a party!

Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball

(printable version)

slightly adapted from The Recipe Critic

makes one large cheese ball

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese

1 (1 oz.) packet dry buttermilk ranch dressing mix

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 (3 oz) jar real bacon bits (or use a few slices fried and crumbled real bacon!)

pecans or almonds, finely chopped for coating

crackers

Mix together cream cheese and dry ranch mix (this is really easy if you do it in your stand mixer).

Add cheese and bacon and mix thoroughly. Shape into a ball (it helps to use a piece of plastic wrap to form it) and roll in nuts to coat. Store in the refrigerator. Serve with crackers.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Biscuits

Every once in awhile, it's fun to have breakfast for dinner. We don't do big breakfasts a lot- usually only on Mondays when it's Hubby's day off and we have a leisurely morning. Otherwise, it's a bran muffin and greek yogurt for me and cold cereal for him. Aren't we exciting?

So anyway, that's why I've decided Saturdays are now "breakfast for dinner night". There are just too many great breakfast foods to pass up, so they're moving to the night shift!

Our first in the Saturday breakfast series this month is a recipe from one of my favorite blogs, How Sweet It Is- she always cracks me up and leaves me drooling with her quirky humor and drop-dead-gorgeous photos. This recipe was no exception! Stuff a little bit of sweet potato in a fluffy, tender biscuit, top with pristine poached eggs, bacon (of course), cheese and whatever else your little heart desires, and you've got yourself a mighty tasty breakfast sandwich.

Putting the amazing flavor and texture of a sweet potato in a biscuit is pure genius, and of course, I am a little bit obsessed with poached eggs these days so we know that was a major attraction. There is just something so totally irresistible about those pretty little white packages that spill forth golden goodness at the slightest invitation. Sigh.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Biscuits

(printable version)

adapted slightly from How Sweet It Is

makes 10 biscuits

1 medium sweet potato, cooked and mashed

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 TB sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 TB butter, cold and cut into small pieces

1/2 cup milk

To make breakfast biscuits add poached eggs, bacon, cheese and spread of choice

Preheat oven to 425.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine. Add butter and use a pastry blender to cut in till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk and sweet potato, using your hands if necessary, to blend dough together. 

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/2 in. thickness. Cut using a floured glass or biscuit cutter and place onto a baking sheet. Bake 10-12 min. or until biscuits are puffy and golden. While biscuits are baking, prepare your breakfast sandwich ingredients. Assemble and enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar Soup

Three important words.

Aged.

White.

Cheddar.

Oh, and Tillamook.

I guess that's four. Oops.

I highly recommend Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar in this recipe (or in any other possible way you may want to use cheese)! It has long been a favorite of mine...in fact, if the truth be told, when hubby and I were engaged, he gave me a 2 lb. block of Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar (would TVWESC be a good acronym?) for our first Valentine's Day! Now before you cleverly protest that that's awfully cheesy let it be known that I was extremely pleased to find that my man already knew me so well. I was ecstatic to have a whole 2 lb. of that incredibly sharp goodness to myself and he knew it!!

So anyway, back to the soup. Were we ever talking about soup? Oh, well, we should have been. This soup is amazing.

Almost unreal. Especially since it contains a vegetable I never eat! Again, like the broccoli incident, I think that roasting worked it's magic on the cauliflower. Along with the aforementioned cheese of course.

In any case, hubby (who is not in the broccoli-lover's club by any means) loved it as much as I did- we pretty much slurped up the whole pot of it. Yes, all four servings. Hey, it's veggies, right?

Oh, and also! I got these adorable new soup mugs on our recent trip to Wallowa Lake- one of the gift shops there carried my dining set brand in a beautiful variety of colors. I fell in love with the blue soup mugs and I think they go beautifully with my cream colored plates, don't you?

Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar Soup

(printable version)

adapted slightly from Closet Cooking

serves 4

1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets

2 TB olive oil

salt and pepper

1 TB oil

1 med. onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp thyme

3 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth, if you prefer)

1 1/2 cups aged white cheddar (Tillamook recommended)

1 cup milk or cream (I used a combination of both)

salt and pepper

6-8 slices bacon

Preheat oven to 400. Toss cauliflower florets in oil along with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet. Roast 20-30 min., stirring halfway through, or until cauliflower is browning.

Heat the 1 TB oil in a large saucepan on med. heat. Saute onion 5-7 min. or until tender. Add garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about 1 min.

Add broth and cauliflower, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 20 min. (Slow cooker option: at this point, move onion/garlic mixture to slow cooker. Stir in broth and cauliflower, cook on low 4 hours or until cauliflower is tender...continue to follow regular directions). Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp, if desired, and crumble.

Puree with a stick blender until soup reaches desired consistency. Mix in cheese and let it melt, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in milk or cream and cook until hot if necessary. Stir in about half the bacon.

Garnish with reserved bacon.

BLT Sliders with Avocado and Chipotle Camp Sauce

Some days don't you just love a simple recipe?

There's something so satisfying about the combination of flavors in a BLT. Each ingredient compliments the other in delicious, mouth-watering simplicity. Juicy tomatoes, crunchy lettuce, crisp, smoky bacon...add a little creamy avocado and a zingy sauce and you've got it made!

Is "zingy" a word? Well, since spellcheck isn't putting up a fit, I guess it must be! It's the best word I can think of to describe the yummy chipotle sauce that pairs so well with these adorable little sandwiches!

BLT Sliders with Avocado and Chipotle Camp Sauce

(printable version)

adapted slightly from Catz in the Kitchen

makes about 6 small sandwiches (feeds 2-3 people for a meal)

Rhodes (or other brand) frozen dinner roll dough

1 egg white

2 TB water

sesame seeds

approx. 9 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and broken into halves

approx. 2 roma tomatoes, sliced.

several lettuce leaves

1/2 an avocado, sliced

3 TB mayonnaise

2 TB Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ Sauce

1/2 tsp adobo sauce (can be found in a can of chipotle chili peppers), or to taste

Follow directions on roll package, placing dough on greased cookie sheet, several inches apart instead of in a baking pan. After the first hour of thawing (before dough begins to rise), flatten each dough ball with the palm of your hand. Cover again with plastic wrap and allow rising to complete (about 3 more hours). Once dough has risen, prepare egg wash by whisking egg white and water. Brush tops of buns with egg wash, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake according to package directions.

Make sauce by combining mayonnaise, BBQ sauce and adobo sauce.

When buns are cooked and cooled, slice and toast lightly. Spread sauce evenly on each side. Layer bacon, tomato slices, lettuce and avocado in each sandwich. Enjoy!

Note: You can also use regular pre-made dinner rolls or slider buns or your own favorite roll recipe! Catz in the Kitchen suggests King's Hawaiian Dinner Rolls which are also tasty!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Garlic

I have recently discovered I have a thing for brussels sprouts. They are such a unique vegetable- I don't even know how to describe the flavor and texture. They resemble tiny cabbages and are a delicious complement to many dishes. My favorite way to prepare them is roasting. It keeps them tender on the inside while resulting in a crispy, slightly charred exterior. My very first introduction to brussels sprouts was a recipe much like this one- roasted with bacon.

In this recipe, I use pancetta, but you can easily substitute bacon, since I know pancetta isn't something everyone has on hand. I happened to have some in the freezer, leftover from the delicious Creamy Tuscan White Bean Pasta...

So- yum! If you haven't already, give brussels sprouts a chance. If you have, try them again. I bet this recipe will make you a believer. After all, who can resist bacon and garlic? It makes everything marvelous.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Garlic

(printable version)

from Fearless Homemaker

makes about 4 servings

1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (to trim a sprout, slice off the very end and remove the tiny outer leaves)

2 oz. pancetta, visible fat removed and pancetta minced (or you can substitute bacon)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 TB olive oil

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 450.

Toss together all ingredients except water. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Spread in one layer in an 11x7 baking pan.

Roast in upper third of oven, stirring once halfway through roasting, until sprouts are brown on edges and tender, about 25 min. total. Stir in water, scraping up browned bits. Serve immediately.

Garlic-Rubbed Grilled Cheese with Bacon & Tomatoes {a Crazy Cooking Challenge}

 I don't think I've met anyone yet who doesn't like grilled cheese.

Even regular white bread and a slice of cheddar (sorry, I will NOT concede that it is ok to make grilled cheese with Kraft singles American "cheese"...really, there ARE limits) is delicious when "grilled" to ooey gooey crispy perfection.

And who can deny that a hot cheesy sandwich is the perfect compliment to a steaming bowl of tomato soup? In our house growing up the two were inseparable.

That said, what if you upped the ante to include a few simple yet outstanding ingredients?

Such as...a special cheese (Gruyere)?

Such as...juicy ripe tomatoes?

Such as...BACON?

And...wait for it...garlic???!!

What would you have then??

Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway for the fun of it), you would hold in your hands the most amazing, grown-up, flavor-packed, blow-the-socks-off-your-white-and-cheddar grilled cheese sandwich to ever walk the planet (okay, so that's a little weird, but really, if any sandwich were to ever get up and walk, trust me, it would be this one...a little cayenne pepper goes a long way).

Tracey over at Tracey's Culinary Adventures is a genius.

So, for the method.

Start with some great crusty bread (you know, the kind that comes in the brown paper)- Italian, French, whatever smells heavenly and looks thick enough to support a load of amazingness.

Generously (and when I say generously, I do mean generously) sprinkle one side of each sandwich with cheeses (which you have mixed with the aforesaid cayenne pepper). The original recipe called for Gruyere, fontina and Parmesan. However, I couldn't locate fontina in my grocery store, so I doubled the Gruyere. It was great, but next time I might try mixing in another cheese just for the heck of it.

White cheddar would be awesome.

Top the cheeses of choice with BACON.

Yes, BACON is one of those words that is always deserving of capitals.

With the cheese duly shielded by the BACON, layer a couple of thick and juicy tomato slices.

Top this with MORE cheese!

The grilling part, obviously follows the construction, then THIS important detail. So simple, so easy, and yet it makes a fantastic flavor difference. Immediately after grilling, rub each side of each sandwich with a fresh halved garlic clove.

Oh wow.

What this does to the sandwich is not within my powers to describe.

You must simply make it for yourself.

Now all that's left is to find a side that is worthy of this incredible creation. If you're not in the tomato soup mood, try what I chose, a perfect BACONY compliment, the Best Ever Potato Salad.

Garlic-Rubbed Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Tomatoes

(printable version)

by Tracey's Culinary Adventures

makes 4 sandwiches

8 slices bacon, cooked crisp

3 oz. (about 1 1/4 cups) grated Gruyere cheese

3 oz. (about 1 cup) grated fontina (or other cheese- I used more Gruyere)

2 TB finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/4 tsp (or to taste) crushed red pepper flakes (cayenne)

8 1/2-in.-thick slices Italian bread

2 med. ripe tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-thick slices

2 TB butter, room temperature

1 to 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved

Combine cheeses and red pepper flakes. Lay 4 slices of the bread on your work surface and distribute half the cheese mixture evenly among the bread. Top with 2 slices of bacon per sandwich, followed by 2 or 3 slices of tomato (enough to cover the cheese and bacon). Evenly distribute the remaining cheese among the four sandwiches. Lightly butter one side of each of the remaining 4 slices of bread and put them on top of the sandwiches, butter side up.

Heat skillet over med. heat. Place sandwiches butter side down in the pan and cook on the first side until the bread is golden brown and toasted. Meanwhile, butter the top slice of bread on each sandwich. Flip sandwiches using a spatula and continue to cook on second side until bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted. You can use the spatula to compress the sandwich as it cooks on the second side.

Remove the sandwiches from the pan and immediately rub both sides with the cut side of a garlic clove. Cut sandwiches in half and serve.