Breakfast Tacos

These Breakfast Tacos were supposed to be dinner last Friday, but by the time Thursday rolled around I only had 3 eggs in the fridge and a jam-packed day on Friday that involved 2 hours in the car. I'm not sure why I meal plan for Fridays anymore. More often than not we end up going out or making something simple. Fridays are fun days, a day to celebrate the end of another work week. So what did I do? I made these for breakfast. Score another one for working from home.


My tortillas were a bit too large for tacos, so I modified these into breakfast burritos. Since I was making just one burrito for myself I scrambled up two eggs (which ended up being too much for my tortilla to hold, but I don't mind an overstuffed burrito), nuked one of the cooked breakfast sausage links we keep in the freezer and heated up a handful of tater tots in my toaster oven. As an aside, I don't know what I'd do without my toaster oven. I love having a mini oven to do everything from toasting bread to pine nuts to roasting garlic. Not having to turn on the big oven all the time is awesome.

Anyway, back to the burritos. This was excellent. I love hand-held breakfasts and this was fast and easy to make. I kept the filling simple with just the salsa Cassie mentions and I dipped the burrito in some sour cream as I ate, but the filling possibilities are endless. The addition of the tater tots really made it for me. I love potatoes with my breakfast and these little bite-size nuggets of crispy potato goodness really hit the spot.

Thanks for another winner, Cassie!

Breakfast Tacos
As Seen on Cassie Craves

1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
6 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese
Tater tots, prepared according to package directions
Taco-size flour tortillas
Salsa and sour cream for serving

Cook the sausage in a large skillet, using a wooden spoon to break it up into chunks, until sausage is browned and cook through. Remove to paper towels to drain.

Meanwhile, scramble the eggs and season them with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat in a large skillet until they�re softly scrambled. Stir in cheese and remove from heat.

Assemble the tacos by topping each flour tortilla with some of the eggs and sausage, a few tater tots, and salsa and sour cream.

Recipe Swap Roundup - Blogger's Choice Part 4

As I've said before, Blogger's Choice is a favorite amongst the bloggers that participate in the recipe swaps. They love being able to choose any recipe to make from the blog they're assigned. It's always fun for me because even I don't know what everyone is going to make, unlike with the themed swaps where I see all the recipes that have been submitted. It's like Christmas morning on reveal day, waiting to see what everyone chose and what they thought of it.

Eva wanted to try a fun, new dessert and this Peach Cobbler fit the bill:


I've had my eye on this fun twist, Cajun Mac and Cheese:


Dawn enjoyed finding something new for breakfast with this Baked Oatmeal:


Melissa loved my recipe for Corn and Mushrooms with Cilantro, a perfect side for any grilled meat:


Nichole had been thinking about making Croque Monsieur Sandwiches before finding a delicious recipe in her assigned blog:


Coleen hasn't had Mexican food in awhile but had been wanting to make the Creamy Chicken Taquitos that have been making their way around the blogopshere:


Jenni really enjoyed her Large Chinese Scallion Pancake:


Nicole enjoyed these healthy, filling Chicken and Basil Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes:


Christina loves Cookies and Cream Ice Cream even though she isn't a big fan of Oreos:

{photo coming soon}

Lishie was able to take advantage of a solo night for dinner by making these Copy Cat Burrito Bowls:


Christine chose Oven Baked Sriracha Chicken because she loves hoisin and Sriracha sauces:


Jenna was shocked by how good her Shrimp, Black Bean and Pineapple Foil Packets were:


Kate loved her restaurant-quality BBQ Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas:


Carrie's whole family loved the Confetti Waffles she made:


Kristina was looking for something different to make for the swap and stumbled on these delicious Korean Short Ribs:


Mary Ellen couldn't chose just one recipe so she made Yakitori:


... and Vegetable Lo Mein:


Katie loves English Muffins but had never made them at home. Now she has a go-to bread machine version:


Joelen loves the tartness of lemonade and especially enjoyed this fun twist with Fresh Raspberry Lemonade:


Nicole loved the caramelized onions in her Ultimate French Onion Soup:


Jaida loves fun dips and this White Bean, Garlic, Rosemary, and Red Pepper Dip was no exception:


Ashley enjoyed these rich and delicious Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes:


Jessica, a newcomer to the swaps, was very happy with her choice of Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole:


Amy had a hard time choosing a dessert to make, but finally settled on Coffee Cinnamon Snack Cake:


Kylee, another swap newcomer, loved her Beer and Onion Braised Chicken with Bacon:


Brianna had an abundance of strawberries so this Strawberry Banana Bread was a perfect way to use them:


Jey had some ground beef in the freezer and these Cabo Beach Burgers were calling her name:


As soon as Lauren found out which blog she'd been assigned she knew what she was going to make - Pork Florentine, a dish she'd been drooling over since Joelen first posted it:


Ammie made a delicious pot of Bolognese Sauce:

Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables

I love baked ziti. What's not to love about creamy, cheesy pasta? But as I've said before, we are trying to eat healthier these days. That's easy to do in the summer when fresh vegetables are plentiful. This Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables was part of the recent Noodle Swap and as soon as I saw it I added it to my weekly menu.

I'll admit, SP was disappointed that (1) this wasn't traditional baked ziti and (2) that it didn't have a tomato-based sauce. Even so, he grudgingly admitted it wasn't half bad. He cracked a joke about how there was no meat in his portion and he'd have to take that up with management, but he cleaned his plate and went back for a small second helping so it couldn't have been too bad.

I, on the other hand, loved this. The bright, fresh veggies made me feel less guilty about eating creamy, cheesy pasta. Unfortunately my yellow squash had gone bad by the time I got around to making this, but the addition of some chopped mushrooms worked well. I opted for canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh because I can't stand loose skin on tomatoes. I also doubled the recipe so we'd have enough for leftovers. Even Baby Girl enjoyed this, although she picked around most of the veggies. Oh well. She loves peas and corn, so that's something. She did take a bite of raw zucchini as I was prepping this, so she'll get there eventually. The pasta, however, she downed by the handful. I added some grated pecorino cheese on top, which added a nice, salty kick.

This is a great way to showcase some of the summer produce that's available right now.

Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables
Slightly Modified from Cooking Light, as seen on Cooking for Fun

4 ounces uncooked ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 large mushrooms, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup (2 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1/2 chopped grated Pecorino cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Preheat oven to 400�.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add squash, zucchini, onion and mushrooms; saut� 5 minutes. Add tomato and garlic; saut� 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

Combine ricotta, remaining salt, and egg. Stir into pasta mixture. Spoon into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and pecorino.

Bake at 400� for 15 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

Easy Mixed Greens Salad

I get bored with salads. I know I need to eat more salad and it's a great side dish, but it needs to be interesting in order to keep my attention. Enter this Easy Mixed Greens Salad, originally made with arugula (which I'm sure would also be delicious). Pine nuts are my new favorite salad ingredient after they made an appearance in my all-time favorite salad, the Bacon, Egg and Asparagus Salad, so as soon as I saw these on the ingredient list I knew I'd love this salad. Add two more of my favorite things - tomato and avocado - and I'm sold.


SP wasn't a fan of this salad, although he did eat the bowl I served him. He likes plainer salads, so I need to find a happy medium. I loved this, as I knew I would, and can't wait to make it again. It went very well with the Chicken and Basil Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes.

Easy Mixed Greens Salad
Slightly Modified from The Keenan Cookbook

4 cups mixed greens
1 cup cherry or grapes tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 large avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

In a large bowl combine greens, tomatoes, pine nuts, oil, vinegar, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to mix. Divide salad onto plates, and top with diced avocado.

Recipe Swap: Cajun Mac and Cheese

It's recipe swap time again. I love these recipe swaps and I'm thrilled that the ladies who participate enjoy them as well. As I've mentioned before, Blogger's Choice is the most popular theme for the swaps since it allows everyone the freedom to pick any recipe they want from their assigned blog. In fact, people love it so much I've decided to alternate between a theme and Blogger's Choice starting the end of July and going into mid-October.

This time I was assigned my friend Christina's blog, Tales from a Mad Men Kitchen. Christina had a lot of recipes I wanted to try, but I've had my eye on this Cajun Mac and Cheese since I saw it in Food Network Magazine and was disappointed when I didn't get it for the Noodle Swap. It was an obvious pick for me since we love mac and cheese.


Mary Ellen, the blogger who made this for the Noodle Swap, thought the flavors were a little flat so I made some changes to make sure this had plenty of oomph. I think the brand of andouille used probably has a lot to do with the spice level. Ours had a nice kick to it. I also made my own Cajun Spice Mix, which added another layer of spice. I opted to swap the cheddar for pepper Jack, not thinking that Monterey Jack is a mild cheese. In the recipe below, I changed the cheese to half cheddar, half pepper Jack, which I think will work perfectly.

This had a definite kick to it. The sauce was a little runny the first night, but perfect for leftovers the next day after the pasta absorbed some of the liquid. If you make your own spice blend you can control the heat, leaving out the cayenne if spice isn't your thing and increasing it if you want more kick. The little bites of andouille and red pepper were great and the onion flavor was nice and mild from the scallions. It's also a gorgeous plate of food. Just look at those colors. I served the mac and cheese with a salad made with mixed greens, diced tomato, diced avocado and some frozen corn I defrosted, tossed with a simple vinaigrette made with rice vinegar, oil, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Super simple and delicious.

Cajun Mac and Cheese
Slightly Modified from Christina Cooks

Kosher salt
12 ounces wagon-wheel pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces andouille sausage, diced
2 cups thinly sliced scallions
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon Cajun spice blend (see below)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
4 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, cut into cubes
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into cubes

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1 minute less than the label directs. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and sausage in a large skillet over high heat and cook, stirring, until the sausage starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the scallions and bell pepper and cook until the vegetables are slightly soft, about 3 more minutes. Add the Cajun spice and flour and cook, stirring, 2 more minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and continue whisking until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 5 more minutes.

Add the pasta, cheese and reserved cooking water to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, tossing to coat the pasta in the sauce and melt the cheese, about 1 minute.

Cajun Spice Mix

3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Stir together all the spices until evenly blended. Store in an airtight container.

Chicken and Basil Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes

We are big baked potato fans in this house, but I rarely make them. Why, I have no idea. I think of them as more of a side dish, which I then self-limit to being served alongside steak, which we don't eat often. And there you have it. But these Chicken and Basil Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes are a meal in themselves, especially served with a side salad or some steamed veggies. SP was a big fan, which I was happy about. He knows he needs to eat healthier meals but old habits die hard. Of course he joked how much better they would have been with bacon, so maybe I'll look into turkey bacon to make them healthier (or just use two slices divided between 4 potatoes). I doubled the recipe so we'd have leftovers.


I cooked the potatoes and poached the chicken, made the sauce and then assembled the stuffed potatoes during the day, which meant all I needed to do was put the baking sheet in the oven when SP called to say he was on his way home. As Jessica said, these are not an easy weeknight meal due to the amount of time needed to prep them, but if you're able to do all the work ahead of time it isn't too bad. I think these could even be prepped the night before and stored in the fridge until ready to bake. Regardless, these are delicious and filling.

Chicken and Basil Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes
As Seen On Sunny Side Up in San Diego

4 baking potatoes
Olive oil and kosher salt for coating
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup half and half
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.

Scrub the outside of the potatoes really well, then pat dry with paper towels, prick each potato with a fork 6-8 times, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle each potato with about a teaspoon of oil and use a pastry brush to evenly distribute over surface then sprinkle with kosher salt. Flip the potatoes and repeat on the other side. Bake for an hour to an hour and a half, or until they are tender.

When the potatoes are close to being done, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the half and half and broth. Stir well and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. In the meantime, chop the basil. After the sauce has simmered, add the basil, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Once the potatoes have finished baking, cut them in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the insides, leaving a thin shell around the edges, then return the shells, open side up, to the baking sheet. Place the potato guts in a bowl. Use a fork to slightly mash the potatoes. Pour the sauce into the bowl with the potatoes and stir to incorporate. Add the cooked shredded chicken and stir.

Fill the potato shells with the filling, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese, and return them to the hot oven for 10 minutes, switching to the broiler for the last minute or so if the cheese hasn't yet started to turn golden brown. Serve hot with a small side salad or steamed vegetables.

Black Bean Burgers

I'll admit it, I never understood vegetarian burgers. In my mind, a burger is made from meat, not vegetables, which is why I was completely shocked when I took a bite of these Black Bean Burgers and loved them. Absolutely loved them. I made these for SP, who is trying to eat less meat per doctor's orders, to keep in the freezer for easy cooking. He had wanted to buy some premade burgers at the supermarket, but at $4 for 4 burgers I knew I could make them cheaper at home, not to mention no preservatives.

As they were cooking in the pan the smell was making my stomach growl, but I still didn't think I'd like them. We split one with dinner to make sure they were tasty, and wouldn't you know it I was a little bummed that I only got half a burger. Even Baby Girl liked these, which was a nice surprise. Since the mixture is a bit too wet for the grill these need to cook in a pan with just a touch of oil. After they cooked I let them cool before placing them on a baking sheet and sticking them in the freezer for an hour or so to firm up.


After they froze a bit I wrapped each patty individually and placed them in a freezer bag. I cooked the patty we split in the microwave for about 90 seconds before serving on a bun with a little mayo. SP liked his with just the mayo but I think some additional veggies like lettuce and tomato would work well, maybe even some slices of onion. However you choose to serve it, you can't beat the flavor. I loved everything about these burgers, especially the price. I estimate these cost less than $3 to make (6 burgers), plus I know exactly what ingredients I used. Win-win.

Black Bean Burgers
As Seen On Annie's Eats
Yield: 6 burgers

3/4 cup panko
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 shallot, minced

Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Combine the panko, Italian seasoning and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil and mix with a fork to blend. Add the mixture to the skillet and toast the panko, stirring frequently, until light golden brown. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place 2 1/2 cups of the beans in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork until mostly smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, 1 tablespoon of the oil, cumin, salt and cayenne. Whisk to blend. Add the egg mixture, toasted panko, the remaining 1/2 cup beans, bell pepper, cilantro and shallot to the bowl with the mashed beans. Stir together until evenly combined.

Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions, about 1/2 cup each. Lightly pack into 1-inch thick patties. (At this point the patties can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking.) Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully lay half of the patties in the skillet and cook until well browned on both sides, about 8-10 minutes total. Transfer the cooked burgers to a plate, tent with foil, and repeat with the remaining oil and bean patties. Serve warm.

To freeze - Place a sheet of wax paper on a large baking sheet. Put burgers, with about 2 inches between them, on the baking sheet, then place baking sheet in the freezer for an hour or until patties are frozen. Wrap each patty individually in wax paper or freezer paper and place into a freezer bag.