I have always had a love and hate relationship with mayonnaise. It’s one of those condiments that I can only consume in small doses. If you are like me, not a fan of mayo, I have some good news for you. I finally figured out the best substitute for mayo in deviled eggs and how to make deviled eggs without mayo (or sour cream).

The answer is simple: Use creamy avocados in place of mayonnaise. Inspired by my homemade avocado salad dressing, the avocado filling is a great mayonnaise alternative that surprisingly tastes like mayonnaise. Not to mention, it makes a guilt-free and healthy deviled eggs recipe with a modern twist. It is also a tasty appetizer to serve everyone in your family or any of the mayo haters in your life.

How To Make

Start by cooking eggs

Before I talk more about how to make this easy recipe, I want to talk about how I cook my eggs. Because as you know, the backbone of deviled eggs is perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs. As someone, who had her fair share of overcooked eggs (with black spots around the edges of the egg yolks), I feel like I nailed it down.

First, make sure that your eggs are at least a week old. If you use freshly picked eggs, it will be really hard to peel them later. Second, make sure that your pan is big enough to accommodate all of the eggs in a single. If your pan is too small the eggs will not cook evenly.

Place the eggs in a pan and cover them with 2-inches of water. Bring them to a full boil (or some people call it, rolling boil).

As soon as it does, take your eggs off the heat, put the lid on, and let them sit for 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, prep an ice water bath by placing cold water in a bowl with a few ice cubes. Using a slotted spoon fish out the eggs and place them into the ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Crack each hard boiled egg and peel it under running water: Simply, crack the egg, roll it on the counter and peel it under cold running water.

How To Make The Egg Filling:

The secret to the most delicious deviled eggs without mayonnaise is the creamy avocado filling. The ingredient list might look long, but I bet you already have everything in the pantry. Follow the basic steps below to make it:

1. Get the ingredients ready: Place the cooked yolks, a ripe avocado, seeded jalapenos, fresh cilantro, capers, dijon mustard, and a splash of vinegar in the bowl of a food processor.
2. Process in the food processor: Give it a few pulses, stop the machine, and scrape the sides. Continue to do this until the avocado filling is nice and smooth.
3. Prep for assembly: Once the mixture is ready, use a disposable piping bag (affiliate link) or a plastic bag with a star tip to fill the white halves.

How To Pipe Deviled Eggs

My favorite part of making deviled eggs for Easter is the assembly. To pipe deviled eggs to create your masterpiece follow the steps below (or watch the video in this post for a visual):

1. Use a disposable piping bag with a star tip: Cut the bottom part of a disposable piping bag (or a freezer bag) with a pair of scissors. Place a star tip (affiliate link) at the bottom.
2. Use a tall glass: Place it in a tall glass and fold the excess liner over the rim.
3. Fill it with the avocado filling: Spoon the creamy mixture into the bag and push it gently towards the bottom.
4. Start piping: Collect the edges of the piping bag, get the air out as much as you can. Hold the piping bag at a 45-degree angle in the middle of an egg white and fill using a gentle swirling motion. Continue with the rest of the egg whites.

How To Make Ahead Store:

If you were planning to make these healthy mayo-free deviled eggs with avocado ahead, I would recommend:

1. Doing it only a day before
2. Assembling them right before you are ready to serve them.

Here is why; If you have ever made guacamole you know that avocado starts browning as it sits. The same thing happens in this avocado deviled egg recipe. If you fill the egg whites too early, the filling starts to brown.

This doesn’t affect the taste, but the beautiful green color turns brown. You can slow down the browning by drizzling a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice (or lime juice), but it will still brown if it sits for a long time.

If you decide to make them ahead, this is what I would do:

1. Egg Whites: Place the cooked egg whites on a plate in a single layer, cover with stretch film, and keep them in the fridge.
2. The avocado yolk mixture filling: Transfer it to a bowl, place a plastic wrap directly on the surface (to minimize the browning of the avocado) making sure that it is completely covered, and keep it in the fridge in an airtight container until you are ready to assemble.

Similar Recipes You Might Also Like:

All in all this healthy and deliciously creamy deviled eggs recipe makes the best gluten-free and dairy-free appetizer. Whether you serve it during Easter, as a part of your game day food, or your other spring/summer gatherings, it is guaranteed to impress. Below are a few more recipes that you might also like:

• Healthy Spring Salad Recipes
• Bread Dipping Oil
• Spinach Quesadilla
• Eggplant Yogurt Dip

If you try this Deviled Eggs No Mayo recipe or any other recipe on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.

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Deviled Eggs Without Mayo Recipe

These Deviled Eggs Made Without Mayo are guaranteed to be the first to disappear in any of your gatherings. They are creamy, tangy and oh-so good. Plus, they are much healthier than the mayo filled deviled eggs. So why not change things up a bit and give this recipe a try?

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 12 egg halves

Calories 80kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon capers
• ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard or grainy or yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon jalapeno seeded and minced
• 1 small clove of garlic peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
• pinch paprika
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 radish thinly sliced as garnish
• 1 tablespoon chives chopped as garnish

Instructions

• Place eggs in a single layer at the bottom of a saucepan. Cover them with 2-inches of water. Bring it to a full (or rolling) boil. Remove from the heat, cover the pan with a lid, and let it sit for 10-12 minutes. As you are waiting, place a large bowl with cold water and a few cubes of ice. Remove your eggs with a slotted spoon and place them into the cold water. This will stop the cooking. Let them cool for a minute and then start peeling.
• Slice each egg in half, lengthwise and remove the yolks. Set egg whites on a plate and set it aside.
• Place egg yolks in the bowl of a food processor. Add in the avocado, olive oil, vinegar, capers, mustard, jalapeno, cilantro, paprika, salt and pepper. Pulse 4-5 times in 1-second intervals. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula and repeat until it is perfectly pureed. Taste for seasoning and add in if necessary.
• Place the yolk mixture in a piping bag fitted with the star tip. Alternatively, you can use a clean Ziploc bag and cut a small opening in the corner. Pipe the mixture into the hole of each egg white.
• Garnish each egg with a slice of radish and some chives. Serve.

Video

Notes

• Make-Ahead Instructions: If you were planning to make these healthy mayo-free deviled eggs with avocado ahead, I would recommend doing it only a day before and assembling them right before you are ready to serve them. Here is why; If you have ever made guacamole you know that avocado starts browning as it sits. The same thing happens in this avocado deviled egg recipe. If you fill the egg whites too early, the filling starts to brown.
  This doesn’t affect the taste, but the beautiful green color turns brown. You can slow down the browning by drizzling a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon/lime juice, but it will still brown if it sits for a long time. If you decide to make them ahead, this is what I would do:

1. 1. Egg Whites: Place the cooked egg whites on a plate in a single layer, cover with stretch film, and keep them in the fridge.
   2. The avocado yolk mixture filling: Transfer it to a bowl, place a plastic wrap directly on the surface (to minimize the browning of the avocado) make sure that it is completely covered, and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to assemble.

• As you will see in the recipe above, I only used 6 large eggs to make this no mayo deviled eggs recipe. I think it is important to mention that, even after you place all the ingredients in the food processor it barely fills the bottom of the food processor. If you are like me, using a 9-cup food processor, you might have to stop the machine a few times and scrape the bowl (and the sides) to get a really smooth mixture. And if you are making it for a crowd, you can always multiply the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 87mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 168IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Deviled Eggs Without Mayo appeared first on Foolproof Living.

I think we can all agree that egg frittatas are a life-saver when it comes to feeding a crowd in a quick way. I love that they are endlessly customizable and super easy to make. While most people serve them for brunch, I usually whip one up on a weeknight and serve it with a simple green salad when I am short on time. 

Today’s recipe, Spinach Feta Frittata is my current favorite way to serve this simple baked egg dish. Lightly sauteed spinach mixed with feta cheese, eggs, and one secret ingredient (more on that later!) for souffle-like eggs started on the stovetop and finished in the oven for perfection. Just so SO good.

Intrigued? Read on.

Ingredients for spinach frittata with feta:

When making simple dishes like this, I have one rule: Use the best ingredients I can get my hands on. 

I am a big fan of buying organic ingredients as much as I can as I know doing so helps me do my part in taking care of our planet and helping hard-working farmers continue to do what they do best: provide us with the highest quality products. 

For this spinach and feta cheese frittata recipe, I used organic baby spinach (I am a big fan of the prewashed and packaged variety for the convenience), Horizon Organic eggs, organic feta cheese, and Horizon® Organic Grassfed Whole Milk, which is the secret ingredient in taking this spinach frittata recipe to the next level.

I love Horizon Organic Grassfed Whole Milk, not only because of its great refreshingly creamy taste but also because it comes from organic pastures and humanely raised happy cows that graze freely on lush pastures with access to shade, shelter, and clean drinking water for 150 days per year per organic standards.

Why use whole milk in a frittata recipe:

My secret ingredients for the best spinach and egg frittata is organic whole milk. Because adding a splash of milk ensures eggs to stay tender by preventing them from overcooking and producing an end product that is fluffy and moist.

My go-to ratio for eggs to milk for frittata recipe is 12 large eggs to ½ cup of whole milk.

How to make egg frittata

The process of making this frittata recipe has three parts. 

First, you prepare the eggs. Crack 12 large eggs into a large mixing bowl, add in ½ cup of Horizon Organic Grassfed Whole Milk, and season it with salt and pepper. Give it a good whisk and set it aside. Turn the oven on to 350 F degrees.

Second, prepare the spinach and feta filling. To do so, heat a tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch non-stick and oven-safe skillet. Add in a handful of chopped scallions, minced garlic, and 5 cups of baby spinach. 

Now, looking at the amount of raw spinach, you might think of 5 cups of baby spinach to be a lot. However, if you have ever cooked spinach, you probably know that cooked spinach loses much of its volume and reduces dramatically in size. So don’t be alarmed with the amount of spinach used in the recipe below.

Once the baby spinach is cooked, add crumbled feta cheese and spread it evenly throughout the pan. Then, pour in the egg-milk mixture. 

At this point, since your skillet is very hot, eggs will start cooking immediately. To prevent fast cooking (that might produce tough eggs) scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula and move the eggs around for even cooking until large curds forms. It takes about 30-45 seconds for this to happen. 

How long to bake a frittata at 350 degrees F

Finally, to finish it off, place the skillet into the preheated 350 F Degree (180 Celsius) oven for 8-9 minutes. 

How do I know when my frittata is cooked

You will know that your baked spinach feta frittata is cooked when the center is no longer jiggly and the edges are golden brown.

When done, carefully transfer the feta spinach frittata onto a cutting board to cool off for a few minutes before serving.

What to serve with frittata

You can serve your feta spinach frittata recipe with a simple green salad, which is what I usually serve it with. However, since fresh summer tomatoes are currently in abundance, I made a quick tomato salad that I also used as a topping. 

To make my quick tomato salad, I sliced up some cherry tomatoes and mixed them with ¼ cup chopped red onion, freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Finally, I added some fresh Italian parsley for additional flavor.

Variations for this baked spinach and frittata recipe:

While I think spinach and feta is a great combination, I love switching things up every so often. Below are a few variations to this recipe that I made in the past. I am sharing them with you so that you can play around with the ingredients you have on hand:

• Sausage Spinach Feta Frittata: If I am making this frittata for dinner, I sometimes add in ½ pound of Italian sausage into this recipe. My husband, who is a big meat eater, says that this version is his favorite.
  If you decide to use sausage, heat one tablespoon of oil to cook the meat over medium-high heat—breaking it apart with a spatula until browned, about 5 minutes. Then, continue with adding the vegetables and egg mixture and the rest of the recipe.
• Mediterranean Frittata: If you want to continue with the vegetarian theme, you can do so by adding a few Mediterranean ingredients into the mixture. I love adding a small red bell pepper into the vegetable mixture and a handful of chopped Kalamata olives into the egg mixture right before baking it in the oven.
• Spinach Tomato and Feta Frittata: If tomatoes are in season, you can also add in a chopped tomato into the veggie mixture and cook it with the eggs. Sweet flavors of summer tomatoes baked in with eggs are just out of this world.
• Want to try a version of this in the instant pot? Check out this Instant Pot Breakfast Casserole

Got some leftover spinach? Try these recipes:

• Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake
• Spinach Feta Cheese Borek
• Blueberry Salad with Spinach
• Catalan Style Spinach
• Spinach Quesadilla

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Spinach Feta Frittata Recipe

This easy Spinach Feta Frittata cook up perfectly in less than 20 minutes in the oven. It’s perfect for any brunch gathering or for a quick weeknight dinner with a simple green salad on the side.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Spanish

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 9 minutes minutes

Total Time 19 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 230kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

For The Eggs:

• 12 large Horizon Organic eggs
• ½ cup Horizon® Organic Grassfed Whole Milk
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

For The Frittata:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 scallions sliced thinly
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 5 cups of baby spinach washed and spin-dried
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese

As Garnish:

• 1 to mato cut into small chunks
• ¼ cup red onion
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch of ground black pepper
• ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees. 
• Prepare the egg mixture: Crack the eggs in a large bowl. Pour in the milk and add in salt and pepper. Give it a whisk. Set aside.
• To make the filling: Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add in the scallions and cook, stirring frequently until they are softened—2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. 
• Add in the baby spinach and cook until wilted. Sprinkle it with the feta cheese. 
• Pour in the eggs. Using a spatula, gently stir and scrape the bottom of the skillet until large curds form but the eggs are still wet—about 30-45 seconds. 
• Smooth the top into an even layer and let it cook for 30 seconds. 
• Place it in the oven and bake until the center is no longer jiggly and edges are golden brown, about 8-9 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, make the topping: Mix tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl. 
• When the frittata is fully baked, carefully loosen the edges using a spatula and transfer it onto a cutting board. Let it cool for 5 minutes. 
• Garnish with the tomato mixture. Slice and serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 341mg | Sodium: 588mg | Potassium: 390mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3346IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 3mg

Other egg dishes you might also like:

• Avocado Deviled Eggs
• Asparagus and Eggs on Toast
• Kale Baked Eggs
• Tarragon Eggs

Other spinach recipes you might like:

• Spinach Shrimp Salad
• Spinach Quesadilla
• Spanish Spinach
• Baby Spinach Salad
• Turkish Borek with Spinach
• Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing (My Lighter Version)

The post Spinach Feta Frittata appeared first on Foolproof Living.

This year marks the 6th anniversary of my mother’s passing. I would be lying if I were to tell you that the idea of celebrating Mother’s Day hasn’t been hard. It has been very tough. However, this year I feel somewhat different. Because for almost a year now, I have been intentionally working on being grateful about what I have instead what I don’t.

What I currently have is the woman I am because of my mother and the wonderful memories that I have of her. I am also very lucky to have mothers within my circle of family and friends. That is why this year, I am choosing to focus on those valuable relationships rather than the fact that I don’t have a mother to celebrate with on Mother’s Day.

It is easier said than done, but it is a start.

To celebrate, I invited a few of my friends who are mothers for a Mexican-themed brunch. It will be a potluck-style gathering where everyone will bring a dish. As the hostess, I am responsible from margaritas, this Mexican Breakfast Casserole and the table set up. I plan on setting the table with the plates that I bought from San Miguelle de Allende along with fresh flowers and handwritten Mother’s Day greeting cards.

I don’t know about you, but I think colorful and well-written greeting cards can elevate any table setting and make people feel special. It also cheers people up and let them know that you are thinking about them.

I have a box full of greeting cards that I was gifted over the years. Most of the people who wrote them are no longer in my day-to-day life, but our memories together are there for me whenever I want to remember.

Whenever I want to get a thoughtful greeting card,  I go to Target. They regularly update their greeting cards section with the most beautiful cards, perfect for any occasion and message. I was there yesterday and once again, they didn’t disappoint. There were so many options for Mother Day’s greeting cards all with a thoughtful and well written message. Of course, I picked a few of them to use in my setup.

About This Mexican Breakfast Casserole Recipe:

Though I named this recipe Mexican Breakfast Casserole, you could also call it Mexican Egg Casserole or Mexican Egg Bake. Essentially, it is eggs mixed with cream, cheese, and pre-cooked vegetables and baked in a casserole dish. It is almost like a vegetable packed egg souffle dish.

The recipe has two folds. First, you cook the vegetables. You do this first as it is important to allow the mixture to cool before you mix it with the egg mixture. In terms of veggies, I used onions, bell peppers, zucchini, and spinach and flavored them with cumin and coriander.

Second, you prepare the egg mixture. For a 9X11 casserole dish, I used 10 eggs and 1 cup of half and half. I know that most egg souffle recipes use heavy cream, but I wanted a lighter breakfast so I opted for half and half instead. Though if you want, you can certainly use heavy cream.

If you have ever made souffle, you know that for a thick, soft, and creamy souffle it is imperative to whisk eggs well to incorporate air in them. This recipe is no different. You need to make sure to whisk eggs very well before and after you add in the cream.

Once your egg mixture is ready, you fold in the cooled vegetables and cheese. In terms of cheese, I used shredded Monterey Jack, but Mexican three cheese mix, cheddar, or mozzarella would also work.

As we are just a few weeks away from Mother’s Day, I wanted to take a moment and wish all of the mothers out there a happy Mother’s Day. If you are like me, not a mom but love to celebrate the mothers in your life, I recommend going to Target and picking up a few fun and thoughtful cards to gift those special people in your life. Be sure to check out the Target App for a Cartwheel offer on Mother’s Day greeting cards between April 29th through May 13th 2018.

Other Mexican Recipes You Might Like:

• Mexican Street Corn – My favorite Mexican street corn made two different ways – Corn on the grill and corn on the stove top
• Mexican Quinoa Recipe – A weeknight one pan recipe that comes together in less than 30 minutes.
• Easy Mexican Recipes – A round-up of my favorite easy Mexican recipes all in one place
• Vegan Burrito Bowl – All the burrito ingredients we love are placed on a bed of brown rice and drizzled with chipotle cashew cream sauce
• Authentic Huevos Rancheros – The authentic egg dish of Mexico made at home
• Black Bean and Corn Salad – My favorite potluck salad made in less than 30 minutes.
• Chicken Quesadilla Cake – This is my go-to recipe when I am entertaining
• Homemade Corn Tortillas – Learn how to make corn tortillas at home with step-by-step instructions
• Mexican Street Corn Salad – A refreshing Mexican themed summer salad made with sweet summer corn.
• Mexican Style Stuffed Peppers – A crowd-pleaser dinner recipe perfect for meal prep.
• Mexican Sweet Corn Pasta Salad – The perfect potluck dish for any time of the year.
• Need more inspiration? Check out all other Mexican Recipes & Breakfast Egg recipes.

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Mexican Breakfast Casserole

Add some Mexican flavor to your breakfast with this veggie-packed, gluten-free and easy to make savory and vegetarian Mexican Breakfast Casserole. Ready in less than an hour and can be made ahead.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 282kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

For The Veggies:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 1 red or green bell pepper or 2 small jalapenos, chopped
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 medium-sized zucchini shredded and placed in a colander to squeeze its juices
• 2 cups fresh spinach

For the Eggs:

• 10 large eggs
• 1 cup half and half
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded & divided (or Cheddar and mozzarella would work as well)

Optional Garnish:

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• 3 tablespoons cilantro chopped (more as garnish)
• ½ small red onion chopped
• 1 avocado sliced
• 2 tablespoons lime juice freshly squeezed
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• To cook the veggies: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
• Add in the onion and bell pepper. Cook until they are translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add in the garlic, cumin, coriander and cook until fragrant, 30-45 seconds. Stir in the shredded zucchini and cook for a minute or so. Add in the spinach and cook until spinach is cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• To prep the casserole: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Crack your eggs into a bowl and whisk for a few minutes. This step is important as it gives your casserole a good body. Whisk in half and half, baking powder, salt and pepper. Stir in half of the cheese and the now-cooled vegetable mixture.
• Pour it into a casserole dish (mine is 9X11)* and sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheese.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes or until it is puffed. Take it out of the oven and set aside.
• To make the garnish: Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl. Season it well with salt and pepper.
• Slice the Mexican Breakfast casserole and serve it along with the garnish or just by itself.

Video

Notes

• please read the blog post to get more information on make ahead, storage, and using other types (with different dimensions) of casserole dishes.

Nutrition

Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 304mg | Sodium: 660mg | Potassium: 446mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2443IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 269mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Mexican Breakfast Casserole appeared first on Foolproof Living.

One of my favorite perks of living in Vermont is the abundance of good quality cheese. Even in our small town, whether be in a farmer’s market or a local venue, you get to taste some of the best cheeses in the world and meet with the people who produce them.

As you may remember, I got a taste of this last year when I was invited to Vermont Creamery’s – Vermont Cheese Camp. It is funny because at the time I had no idea that I would be calling Vermont home in a relatively short period of time. I still remember thinking to myself, how awesome it would be to live in such a beautiful place with such great food. You know what they say, “Be careful what you wish for!” Now after almost a year, I am beyond grateful to be experiencing this on a daily basis.

Going back to cheese… A few weeks ago, I got a chance to reconnect with my Vermont Creamery friends in Burlington when they generously invited me to this year’s Vermont Cheese Festival. Needless to say, it was awesome to see them again and enjoy a day of cheese tasting in one of the biggest cheese festivals in the country. I came back home with all kinds of cheeses and have been experimenting with various recipes since then.

Today’s maple-sweetened mixed berry goat cheese bread pudding is one of the few cheezy recipes that are about to come your way.

How to Make the Best Bread Pudding:

They say that bread pudding is a dessert born out of desperation. It is supposed to be a good way to use some leftover bread. However, in my opinion, the end product is nothing short of perfection. With just a few ingredients, you end up with an amazing breakfast dessert that not only looks and smells great, but also feeds a crowd generously.

Nowadays, everyone has a favorite bread pudding recipe so much that you get overwhelmed with all the recipes available on the Internet. It is hard to choose which one to try. However, when you read the recipes and the comments underneath, one thing that is obvious is that the common denominator of “the favorite” is bread pudding that is moist inside and crusty outside. Oh and people hate soggy bread pudding.

My Tips For The Best Goat Cheese Bread Pudding Recipe

So when I set out to come up with my own version of “the best”, I read through these recipes (along with the comments underneath) and even tried some of them. Below are some of the things I learned:

Pick a bread with high-fat content: French Brioche, Challah or even buttery croissant are great options. The buttery, the better.

Make sure that your bread is dry: You want the bread to be stale because bread that is dry will have more absorbing powers. All you have is freshly baked bread (good for you!)? No worries, because America’s Test Kitchen suggests that if you toast your bread in a 350-degree oven for 8-10 minutes they would be dry enough for awesome absorbing powers.

Stay away from low-fat ingredients: Do not even think about using low fat milk or cream for this recipe. This is not a recipe to make if you are worried about your waistline. Consider it an indulgence.

Most recipes use a combination of heavy cream or half & half mixed in with whole milk to make the custard. In addition, in some of their bread pudding recipes, Cooks Illustrated magazine suggests adding a few extra egg yolks into the batter to increase its fat content. In their classic bread pudding recipe, they even go as far as not adding any of the egg whites into the custard.

Though I have tried that in the past, I personally liked the custard that was made using regular eggs with a few additional yolks added to the custard.

Find the best liquid-to-bread ratio: This one was tough, as I wanted to find a foolproof formula. However, after a few tries, I learned that if the bread absorbs all the liquid, you would end up with a bread pudding that is moist inside but crusty outside. So if you have leftover liquid, it is a good idea to add more bread until it is all soaked. And visa versa…

Experiment with maple syrup and honey: Now, I know that both brown and granulated sugars are usually the go-to sweeteners for bread puddings. While I have no objection to that I recommend giving maple syrup and honey a try. I found that both maple syrup and honey offer a similar taste with yet another layer of added flavor to the end product.

Feel free to experiment with adding spices, fresh herbs, nuts, seasonal fruits, and even cheeses: We finally came to my favorite part of making bread pudding. While there is nothing wrong with the classic recipe, custard mixed in with bread and baked for perfection, you can always add your own spin to it by layering it with seasonal ingredients.

About this Mixed Berry Goat Cheese Bread Pudding

In my version of the best bread pudding recipe, in addition to doing everything I mentioned above, I used maple syrup as the sweetener and freshly picked berries and Vermont Creamery’s goat cheese as additional flavors.

The combination of sweet berries layered with earthy flavors of goat cheese ended up being an incredible breakfast dessert. In terms of goat cheese, I crumbled the goat cheese myself, but Vermont Creamery also sells already crumbled cheese if you prefer it that way.

You can serve this bread pudding warm or cold, but whatever you do, make sure to top it off with a generous dollop of Vermont Creamery’s crème Fraiche, because, you know, who wouldn’t want more goodness on such a scrumptious dessert?

Other goat cheese recipes you might also like:

• Goat Cheese Dip
• Asparagus and Goats Cheese Tart
• Goat Cheese Quiche
• Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
• Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Goat Cheese
• Goats cheese salad
• Want more? Get all my Goat Cheese Recipes.

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Mixed Berry Goat Cheese Bread Pudding Recipe

Buttery brioche bread layered with custard sweetened with maple syrup, seasonal berries, and goat cheese. A scrumptious breakfast bread pudding that will surely impress.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 466kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

For the custard:

• 1 loaf Brioche 16.7 oz. of Brioche bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 6 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 cups half and half
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¾ cup maple syrup*
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the bread pudding:

• 1 tablespoon butter for greasing the casserole dish
• 2 cups mixed berries fresh or frozen
• 1 (8 oz.) Vermont Creamery Goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon cane sugar optional
• ¼ cup Vermont Creamery crème fraiche for topping (optional)

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread the cubed Brioche on a large baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, making sure to flip the bread halfway through to make sure they are evenly toasted. Take it out and let it cool on the counter for 10 minutes. Turn the oven off.
• Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, half and half, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl until totally combined.
• Transfer the now-cooled Brioche cubes into the bowl and press gently to make sure that the bread is completely submerged into the liquid. Let it sit for 30 minutes. 15 minutes into it, turn the oven back on to 350 degrees.

To make the bread pudding:

• Grease the bottom of a casserole dish thoroughly with butter.
• Add in half of the soaked Brioche and sprinkle it with half of the berries and half of the goat cheese.
• Repeat the same process with the rest of the bread, berries, and goat cheese.
• If preferred, sprinkle it with a tablespoon of cane sugar.
• Bake 45-50 minutes or until the top of the bread pudding is golden brown. Let it cool for 45 minutes to an hour or until it is fully set.
• When ready to serve, scoop some to a bowl and top it off with crème fraiche and seasonal berries (or any other fruit you like).

Notes

* In the recipe above, I used 3/4 cup of maple syrup, but in the past I made this with 1/2 cup as well and it was still very good. If you want to decrease the amount of sugar you use, especially if you are using summer berries when they are the sweetest, feel free to lessen the amount of maple syrup you use.
*As long as it is kept in an airtight container in the fridge, this berry goat cheese pudding keeps fresh up to 2 days. You can warm it up in your microwave or even serve cold.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 274mg | Sodium: 370mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 932IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Maple Sweetened Mixed Berry Goat Cheese Bread Pudding appeared first on Foolproof Living.

So far it has been so much fun to discover new parts of Vermont with him. Sadly, it hasn’t fully warmed up yet. It was great for the last few days, but now it is 60 degrees and pouring outside as I am typing this. We are all yearning for some sunshine.

The good news is that most outdoor farmer’s markets in Vermont are open rain or shine. For the last few weeks, almost every farmer in the market is selling freshly cut asparagus and we have been eating lots and lots of it.

Ready for a creative asparagus recipe?

This truffled asparagus eggs on toast have been a favorite in our house so I thought I would share. If you are a fan of asparagus and looking for a different way to flavor it, I highly recommend trying your hand at cooking it with a little bit of truffle oil. I know that it is not an ingredient most pantries have, but I promise you that you will not be disappointed if you go out and buy a bottle.

About This Truffled Asparagus Eggs On Toast Recipe:

Truffle Oil For Flavor:

The recipe has three parts. First, you sauté thinly sliced asparagus with a little bit of truffle oil. If you are like me, new to using truffle oil in your cooking and do not know what to buy, believe me you are not alone. It is mostly sold in gourmet food stores and comes in different flavors, but so far I have only tried white truffle oil and I like it.

It is usually sold for $10 (or more) for a small bottle of it. I know that it is more expensive than even a high-end olive oil, but the good thing is that it lasts long and a little bit of it is enough to provide you with the truffle flavor you need.

In addition, most supermarkets also sell olive oil flavored with truffles. It is usually less expensive and makes a great substitute for this recipe.

The 2 Secret Ingredients For the Fluffiest Eggs:

The second part of the recipe is making the eggs. I do not know you, but I love my eggs fluffy with their yolks runny. Quite frankly, for a very long time I didn’t know how to cook my eggs exactly the way I wanted. You know how they make it in restaurants: creamy soft, fluffy and cooked to perfection.

This has changed a few months ago after I purchased America’s Test Kitchen’s The Science of Good Cooking. If you are into the science of cooking and want to know how and why things work as they do, I cannot recommend this book enough.

The following are a few things I learned from the book on how to make the perfect scrambled eggs:

Beat eggs lightly: It is important to beat the eggs before cooking them, but you should be careful to not overbeat them. They say that overbeaten eggs will turn out tough. Therefore, for a smooth yellow color and no streaks of white only beat them until large bubbles form. Plus, you do not need any fancy equipment for whisking. A simple dinner fork will suffice.

Fat Makes Eggs Tender (Secret Ingredient #1): For fluffy and soft eggs, they recommend adding some fat into the recipe. After testing various dairy options, they found out that incorporating a little bit of half-and-half into the egg mixture produces the best results. The liquid in the half-and-half turns to steam during the cooking process and prevent the eggs from drying and getting tough.

Add in An Additional Egg Yolk (Secret Ingredient #2): To minimize the dairy tones coming from the half-and-half and increase the egg flavor, they add an additional egg yolk to the recipe. I thought this was a great idea as the additional fat coming from the yolk made the scrambled eggs so much richer.

Dual Heat Method to Cook The Best Scrambled Eggs: For the longest time, I thought the best way to cook eggs is using a low and slow cooking approach. According to the book, this is a mistake. Instead, they suggest starting with high heat and then going down to low. Below is passage from the book that explains it best:

“Getting the pan hot is crucial for generating the steam that creates moist, puffy curds. But cooking on high heat alone can easily cause overcooking. As a result, we use a dual heat method. First cook the eggs over medium-high heat, scraping the eggs with a spatula to form large curds and prevent any spots from overcooking. As soon as the spatula just leaves a trail in the pan, drop the heat the low and switch to a gentle folding motion. When the eggs look cooked through but still glossy (45 seconds later), slide them onto a plate to stop the cooking.”

Putting it All Together:

The final step of the recipe is mixing the eggs with truffled asparagus and some cheese. I am a big fan of cheese in my eggs so I added some goat cheese into the recipe. If you are not a fan, feel free to substitute it with Gruyere or even cheddar cheese.

I served my eggs on whole-wheat sesame toast that I purchased from our local bakery, but you can use any bread you like. And if you do not want to serve it on toast, I assure you that this one-skillet truffled asparagus eggs are just as good by themselves. Either way, I think super easy to make make egg dish is a great way to spruce up your breakfast game and help you use asparagus in a creative way in your cooking.

Other Creative Egg Recipes:

• Spinach Frittata
• Make Ahead Breakfast Muffins
• Mexican Egg Casserole

Are you a fan of creative asparagus recipes? Here are a few more:

• Baked Asparagus Recipe
• Asparagus Tart
• Cold Asparagus Salad
• Steamed Asparagus
• Asparagus in a skillet

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Truffled Asparagus Eggs on Toast

A 20-minute, one-skillet egg dish made with topping a slice of toast with asparagus sautéed in truffle oil and mixed with eggs and goat cheese.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 334kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

To make the Truffled Asparagus:

• 2 tablespoons white truffle oil
• 10 stalks of asparagus trimmed and cut on bias into 1/4 –inch pieces
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

To make the eggs:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoon half and half
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 4 ounces crumbled fresh goat cheese
• 4 slices of your favorite bread lightly toasted if preferred
• 4 tablespoons fresh chives chopped

Instructions

• To make the truffled asparagus: Heat white truffle oil in a small (8-inch) non-stick skillet in medium heat. Add in the asparagus. Season it with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the asparagus is cooked and tender, 7-8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Do not wash the skillet.
• To make the eggs: Whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, half and half, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Heat the butter in the now-empty skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat pan, until melted but not browned. Pour in the egg mixture. Using a spatula, scrape along the bottom and sides of the skillet until eggs begin to clump, 2-3 minutes. Scatter the crumbled goat cheese on top. Using the spatula, mix the cheese with the eggs.
• Fold in the cooked asparagus and cook for 2 more minutes (Or longer, if you like your eggs cooked thoroughly).
• To assemble: Top each of your toast slices with the egg and asparagus mixture. Sprinkle with fresh chives. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 236mg | Sodium: 900mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1142IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Truffled Asparagus Eggs on Toast appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Prior to my trip, I had one thing in mind, and that was finding the best huevos rancheros recipe and recreate it at home.

See, the thing is there is no such thing as a “recipe” for huevos rancheros – the Mexican ranch style eggs. Or maybe I should say, if there was a recipe for it, it would be nothing more than corn tortillas topped with refried beans, eggs, and salsa.

It is that simple, right?

Well… The answer, I found out after ordering huevos rancheros every morning while in San Miguel, is yes and no.
Yes, because the anatomy of a traditional huevos rancheros dish is super simple. It is made with every day ingredients that are available and inexpensive throughout Mexico. However, after our trip I learned that there are a lot of ways to make it flavorful, complex, and therefore, delicious.

Like I mentioned earlier, I had huevos rancheros every morning for breakfast during our San Miguel trip. We literally went to a different restaurant to try their version of this simple dish. And mostly, they were all fantastic, but a small B&B spot in the heart of downtown San Miguel called Posada Corazon took it to another level. What made it so special was the chili sauce that they drizzled over the eggs. I knew after the very first bite that this is the best huevos rancheros I have had in my life.

Posada Corazon is one of those places where most people dream about owning after they retire. A small, 6-room bed and breakfast hotel that serves homemade dishes to their guests. To get in, we had to ring a bell, walk down a path to a beautiful house. When we got in, an older Mexican lady, who later we found out is also the cook, welcomed us. She seated us at a table in a living room with a large library and a seating area. It almost felt like we were at a friend’s house and she was cooking for us.

After I ate her version of huevos rancheros and loved it so much, I asked her for the recipe of the chili sauce. Unfortunately, due to my lack of Spanish speaking skills, I couldn’t understand what she was saying. Luckily, the concierge at our hotel made a phone call to the restaurant to get the recipe.

Come to find out, the sauce is nothing more than dried pasilla chilies boiled in water with some chopped onions, garlic, tomatoes with salt and pepper.

When we came back to the island, I started working on my version of the best huevos rancheros using all the techniques that I learned from the restaurants of San Miguel de Allende. And after several tries, I feel like I nailed it. Here I have to say, I am very much aware that this is by no means a quick dish, but I promise you that if you do a little planing in advance, you will have the best huevos rancheros of your life.

So, here are the steps to make the best huevos rancheros ever:

* One day in advance:

Make the refried beans and salsa: Getting the two condiments ready in advance that gives it the “ranch” character helps a lot. Especially when it comes to the salsa, because the time in the fridge allows all the flavors to marinate ensuring a delicious end product.

Make your own corn tortillas: I used to think that making corn tortillas is hard, but after a couple of tries, I don’t think I will ever go back to buying them from the supermarket. And for this particular recipe, they are an important component for an authentic huevos rancheros dish. To save time, I would recommend making them a day in advance. This blog post explains how to make them at home, in detail.

Make the sauce: Making the sauce is super easy. All you have to do is to boil 6 cups of water with 4 dried pasilla chiles, 4 tomatoes, 1/2 cup of chopped onions, and 2 cloves of  garlic with salt and pepper to taste. Once it is boiled, process it in a food processor, and the run it through a medium-mesh strainer. To finish it up, pour it back to the pot, let it come to a boil, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
You can store the sauce in a large mason jar and cover it tightly with a lid. This keeps it fresh for at least a week. When you are ready to serve, just warm it up in a small pot.
You can find dried pasilla negro chiles in authentic Mexican grocery stores and online.

* To assemble:

1. Cook two eggs to your liking. I like mine over-easy and think that the juices of eggs blended in the sauce, salsa, and pasilla chili sauce tastes incredible. However, if that is not what you like, feel free to cook them based on your preference.

2. In the mean time, dip 2 corn tortillas in the warm pasilla sauce for 5 seconds. Using thongs, fish them out of the pot and place on a large plate, making sure they cover the whole plate.

3. Generously spread 3-4 tablespoons of refried beans over the tortillas.

4. Place the eggs on tortillas. Drizzle 3 (or more) tablespoons of the pasilla chile sauce over the eggs.

5. Top them off with 3 tablespoons of salsa, avocado, and some crumbled Mexican cheese – queso fresco.

6. To finish it up, sprinkle it with some freshly cut cilantro, salt and black pepper, and serve it with wedges of fresh lime.

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Huevos Rancheros with Posada Corazon’s Pasilla Chile Sauce

Recipe for  Huevos Rancheros with Posada Corazon’s Pasilla Chile Sauce

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 534kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

For the Pasilla Chili Sauce:

• 6 cups water
• 4 dried pasilla chiles washed, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 roma tomatoes washed and cut into smaller pieces
• 1 small onion chopped (should be 1/2 cup chopped onion)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

For the refried beans:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 (14 ounces) cans of black beans, rinsed
• 3/4 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock

For the salsa:

• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic pressed through a garlic press
• 1 cup fresh cherry tomatoes cut into smaller pieces
• 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
• 1 jalapeno seeded and chopped into smaller pieces
• Juice of one lime
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or more, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

For the huevos rancheros:

• 8 homemade corn tortillas
• 8 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 ripe avocado cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup queso fresco crumbled
• 1 lime cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

To make the pasilla chili sauce:

• Place all the ingredients into a medium sized pot.
• First, bring it to a boil, and then let it simmer until cooked through, 20-25 minutes.
• Process the mixture (everything in the pot – both the peppers, tomatoes, and the juices) in a food processor in batches. Run it through a medium-mesh strainer.
• Place it back in the pot. At this point if it is too thick, you can adjust it to you liking by adding in some water.
• Allow it to simmer in low heat until you are ready to use it.

To make refried beans:

• Heat oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet.
• Add in the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 8-9 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Transfer the beans and stock into the pan.
• Cook, stirring frequently for 5-8 minutes. When it is heated through, use a potato masher to mash the beans. Let it cook for 5 more minutes and take it off the heat.
• Put a lid on it and set aside until ready to use.

To make the salsa:

• Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.
• Taste to make sure that it is well seasoned.
• Cover it with stretch film and set aside.

To assemble:

• Cook two eggs to your liking.
• While they are cooking, dip 2 corn tortillas in the warm pasilla sauce for 5-7 seconds. Using thongs, fish them out of the pot and place on a large plate, making sure they cover the whole plate.
• Generously spread 3-4 tablespoons of refried beans over the tortillas.
• Place the eggs on tortillas. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the pasilla chile sauce over the eggs. Top them off with 3 tablespoons of salsa, sliced avocado cubes, and some crumbled queso fresco.
• To finish it up, sprinkle it with cilantro, salt and black pepper, and serve it with lime wedges.
• Repeat the same process 3 more times to serve 4 people.

Notes

Note: You can store the pasilla chile sauce in a mason jar tightly closed with a lid in the fridge. It will keep its freshness up to a week.

Nutrition

Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 353mg | Sodium: 1353mg | Potassium: 992mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4207IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 242mg | Iron: 4mg

The post Huevos Rancheros with Posada Corazon’s Pasilla Chile Sauce appeared first on Foolproof Living.

When I left Virgin Gorda, where we live, on Thursday, it was 81 degrees. When I made it to Atlanta, 8 hours later, I was welcomed with the freezing temperature of 18 Degrees.

To say the least, that kind of a temperature difference is really hard on the body. Since the minute I set foot in Atlanta, I cannot seem to feel warm. I have been layering and layering but it does not seem to work.

And then the snowstorm happens. The kind that happens every 10 years or so!?!! What are the chances that I am here for that?

Here I am thinking about meeting with friends and going out to restaurants, movies, shopping, etc. All those things that I can’t do when I am on the island.
And what happens?

1254 accidents in one day. People are either stuck on the road or in their houses. 

And for me, I am stuck here at my friend Paula’s house. The worst part of it is that she is not even at home. She was supposed to come back from a work trip today but because of the weather she could not travel.

As I was feeling stuck and lonely, I decided to do what I love doing most. Cook.

I wanted to come up with a special breakfast. The kind you would make on a day like this when it is cold outside and all you want to do is cuddle with a book in your bed.

Speaking of books, I just purchased Katie Quinn Davies’s cookbook: “What Katie Ate” . It is a beautiful cookbook with great recipes and photography. Her story is very inspiring and makes you  (once again) realize that hard work pays off.

She has several versions of baked egg recipes both on her blog and in her book. As I was very inspired, I decided to come up with my version of baked eggs and that is how this recipe came about.

The principle is simple. Sauté some vegetables, place them in gratin dishes (or ramekins, or a big Payrex), sprinkle it with cheese, crack eggs on top, and bake them in the oven.
I happened to have leeks, kale, and Gruyere cheese in my fridge but you could make it with any green leafy vegetable (e.g. spinach, swiss chard), type of onion (e.g. white onions, scallions, shallots), and cheese (Mozzarella, Parmesan) you have in your fridge.

I seasoned it with freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes, and served it with toast next to a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Who would think simple ingredients would make such a beautiful breakfast?

I can see this dish making an appearance on our Sunday morning table more often than not. As I try different variations I will let you know how they turn out. And if you are a fan of eggs for breakfast, be sure to try this Mini Quiche recipe as well.

In the mean time, if you happen to come up with your own version, let me know how it turns out.

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Baked Eggs with Kale and Leeks

Oven baked eggs flavored with kale and leeks for a scrumptious breakfast you can make for your family. This sophisticated yet easy to make egg dish is perfect for a crowd, or for just one or two people.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 302kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 2 leeks washed and sliced thinly
• 4 cups kale washed and sliced
• 1 big clove garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup Gouda cheese grated
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly grounded
• 1 tablespoon butter for gratin dishes
• Tabasco Sauce red pepper flakes, chopped parsley to top it off – (Optional)

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 F Degrees. Butter each gratin dish lightly.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté leeks until wilted, for 4-5 minutes, in medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add kale and continue to sauté for 2 minutes until kale is softened.
• Gradually whisk in the half and half, stirring constantly. Let it come to a boil. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes or until it thickens. Season it salt, and pepper.
• Take it off the heat.
• Evenly divide sautéed leeks and kale mixture among 4 small gratin dishes. Sprinkle them evenly with Gouda cheese.
• Using the back of a spoon, push filling to the sides creating enough space in the middle for the egg.
• Crack eggs into individual bowls, taking care not to break yolks. Gently, pour eggs from cups into each gratin dish, centering yolk in the middle.
• Place the gratin dishes in a deep baking tray and fill it with enough water to come half way up the size of the gratin dishes.
• Carefully transfer them to the oven. Bake them for 15-20 minutes until the eggs are cooked to your liking. * After the first 15 minutes, keep a close eye on it as eggs can easily go from over easy to over hard.*
• Season with salt and pepper. (I also like to season them with hot sauce, red pepper flakes and chopped parsley.)
• Serve immediately with toast.

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 209mg | Sodium: 646mg | Potassium: 545mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 7946IU | Vitamin C: 86mg | Calcium: 394mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Baked Eggs with Kale and Leeks appeared first on Foolproof Living.

And NO, this is not that kind of a website. We will talk about the threesomes in the food world.

Threesomes like mozzarella, tomato, and basil OR wine, cheese and crackers…

It is just one of those things, where if one is missing it won’t taste as good.

I am always looking for ingredients that create a new flavor when paired with each other. This is how this “Eggs with Artichoke, Parmesan, and Tarragon” recipe came about.
The sweet and sour taste of artichoke goes so well with the peppery taste of Parmesan cheese. When you add the tarragon, with its licorice aroma, you get an egg dish totally out of this world.

It is such a great alternative to the veggie omelet that I usually make on Sundays. The best part of is that you can whip up all the ingredients, put it in the oven and have a great egg dish in 30 minutes.

It is a great option for a brunch party.

I chose to cook the veggies first, mix them with eggs and put the mixture in the oven. Mostly because, I like to make pancakes as it is baking in the oven. However, if you wish you can add the eggs on top and make an omelet.

It is totally up to you. Either way, with this threesome, you are all set to have a great breakfast.♣

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Eggs with Artichoke, Tarragon, and Parmesan

A creamy artichoke and eggs casserole that is flavored with fresh tarragon and parmesan cheese. Simply, saute some onions with artichoke hearts, mix them with eggs, and bake for a next-level egg casserole. Ready in under 45 minutes and perfect for a delicious weekend breakfast.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 303kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced
• 1 cup artichoke hearts – cooked – I used a (13.75 oz.) can cut in to small pieces
• 1 tablespoon a little more for sprinkling on the omelet tarragon, minced
• 7 large eggs
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly grounded

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 °F.
• Butter a 9X9 inch (or any other that is not too big) baking dish.
• Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the minced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add artichoke hearts and tarragon. Cook for 5 minutes until artichoke hearts are soft and fragrant.
• As the vegetables are cooking, whisk eggs, half and half, and salt and pepper.
• Add the vegetable mixture in to the egg mixture and give it a big stir.
• Pour the mixture into the buttered pan and place it in the oven.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges of the omelet is golden.
• Let it cool for 5 minutes, cut into small squares and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 309mg | Sodium: 654mg | Potassium: 234mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1205IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Eggs with Artichoke, Tarragon, and Parmesan appeared first on Foolproof Living.