spinach bacon mushroom feta crustless quiche

I found this recipe while surfing the web. It comes from Budget Bytes and is pretty good, but I modified it a smidgeon. This is on the rotation of ready-made breakfast foods I make 1-2 times/month. It is yummy!

Spinach, mushroom BACON & feta crustless quiche (aka frittata)
Adapted from: Budget Bytes

Ingredients:
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 t. minced garlic or 1/8 t. garlic powder
5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed
4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
4 large eggs
1 c. milk
1/4 c. feta cheese
1/4 c. grated parmesan
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350*. (If your frozen spinach is not already thawed, thaw it in the microwave. Empty spinach into colander and let it drain while you begin to prepare the rest.) {I like to put the spinach in cheesecloth or a double layer of paper towels and squeeze it to get the water out.}

2. Place the sliced mushrooms in a skillet coated with non-stick spray (or butter), add the minced garlic and sprinkle a little salt and pepper. (If using garlic powder add it to the egg mixture in step 4.) Turn the heat on to medium-high and saute the mushrooms until they release all of their moisture and no more water remains on the bottom of the skillet (5-7 minutes).

3. Spray a 9" pie dish with non-stick spray. Squeeze the rest of the water out of the spinach and spread it out on the bottom of the pie dish. Next add the cooked mushrooms, crumbled feta and bacon.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs until fairly smooth. Add the milk, parmesan, and another small sprinkle of pepper. Whisk to combine. (This step can be completed while the mushrooms are cooking.) Pour this mixture into the pie dish over the spinach, mushrooms, bacon and feta.

5. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over top. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet for easy transfer into the oven. Place the quiche into the preheated oven and bake until golden brown on top and the center is solid (approx 40-60 minutes). Slice and serve!

{meal plan} April 2015

Here's some of what we ate in April. Most of these recipes should be found here.

Broiled chicken atop green salad

{obb} roasted red potatoes & pearl onions 

{obb} cheesy chive garlic potatoes

{obb} berry kiwi fruit salad

Broccoli Salad

Grilled hot dogs & Tangy Hamburgers

Grilled ham & cheese

Skillet Mac & Cheese

PBBOCCC

Paps Baked Chicken Legs

Asparagus & shrimp pasta

Roasted asparagus 

Alice Springs Chicken

Zesty green beans

Dutch oven ravioli

Dutch oven fry bread 

Cilantro lime chicken tacos or stop green salad

{our best bites} cheesy garlic and chive potatoes

ANOTHER GREAT FIND FROM OUR BEST BITES...

I've been disappointed with my Special Potato recipe I traditionally make for Easter dinner and other occasions. I feel it lacks the flavor it used to or my taste buds are changing. Either way, I was on the hunt for a similar dish but with different/more flavors. Thank you OUR BEST BITES! You always come through for me. :)

"These creamy potatoes are loaded with the fresh spring flavors of garlic and chives. Chives are an easy herb to grow in your garden, and they will produce all summer long. These potatoes are also delicious on any holiday table and are a great addition to a potluck. Serve alongside your favorite steak or with burgers."

Cheesy Garlic & Chive Potatoes
Recipe from Our Best Bites
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

2 lbs baking potatoes or leftover baked potatoes

1 1/2 c sour cream

1/4 c freshly chopped chives (or 2 T dried chives)

3 cloves garlic, pressed

2 T grated onion 

1 1/2 t kosher salt

1/4 t freshly cracked black pepper

1 1/4 c grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1 1/4 c grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese, divided 

Directions:

1. Cook potatoes a day ahead.  Preheat oven to 425. Wash potatoes, with skins on, under cold wat. Pat dry. Pierce each potato a few times with a knife and then place directly on the oven rack. Bake about 1 hour or until you can easily pierce the Pistons with a knife all the way through. Remove from oven and cool completely. Cover potatoes with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. 

2. When preparing the potatoes the next day, preheat oven to 350. Using a large-hole box grated, grate potatoes with skins on. Some of the skin (most of it actually) will naturally peel off and you can discard it. 

3. Combine sour cream, chives, garlic, onion, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add potatoes and gently toss to combine. Add 1 c cheddar cheese and 1 c Swiss or Gruyere cheese and fold in to combine. 

4. Place mixture in a 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c cheddar and Swiss or Gruyere cheeses on top. Sprinkle a few chives on top, if desired. Bake 30-40 minutes until hot and bubbly and lightly browned around the edges. Cool 10 minutes before serving. 

Tip: Use a pair of clean kitchen shears to snip the chives.

Make-ahead instructions: you can prepare this dish 1-2 days ahead of time and refrigerate it until it's ready to bake. If making baked potatoes earlier in the week, bake up some extras and then use them in this recipe. 

{our best bites} Berry-kiwi salad with mint-lime dressing

Seeing as we've been TRYING to eat better, healthier, less-processed foods I was worried about Easter coming up and all the sweets that naturally accompany it. I was so excited to try this recipe as our healthy, yet sweet dessert option. We really liked this! All the kids and adults gobbled it down and I think I'll be bringing it to every family gathering and celebration. It was nice and sweet and GUILT-FREE!

Light, fresh, and easy, this fruit salad comes together in minutes and is an elegant addition to any baby or wedding shower, Mothers Day brunch or Saturday morning breakfast.

BERRY-KIWI SALAD WITH MINT-LIME DRESSING

Ingredients:

1/4 c freshly squeezed lime juice (1-2 limes)

2 1/2 T honey

1 T finely chopped fresh mint leaves

3/4 t poppyseeds

1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 c blackberries (or raspberries, I don't like the seeds from the blackberries)

1 c blueberries 

1 c kiwi, cut into 1/4" pieces

Directions:

1. Whisk together lime juice, honey, mint leaves, and poppy seeds in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Gently toss berries and kiwi together in a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle dressing over the fruit and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately. 

*Note: Strawberries aren't quite in season yet so I cut them up first, put a little sugar on them and let them sit and macerate. Right before we were ready to eat I mixed in the fruit and dressing. It was delicious.

I doubled this recipe for our Easter dinner of 13 and had just a couple servings left. I will probably always at LEAST double this if not triple or more. I think this will probably be my "go-to" dish for all get togethers this summer and whenever else. It was a BIG HIT and so good for you! Hooray!

Our helping hands

{4.11.15} It's that time of year again when our Ward does some service for the community. This time we were to clean up this stretch of the railroad that runs downtown. Here's a shot of part of it BEFORE.

Little Levi in is "Mormon Helping Hands" vest. He did a great job helping us pick up a lot of trash, then he played with this railroad tie on a cement block  with some of the other little kids. They made piles with the little rocks and houses and kept themselves occupied and out of trouble so we could keep working. I really appreciate him being so good while we worked. He was the littlest one there!

Alivia and her good friend A. Work is more fun with a friend. :) They were so cute; they said, "This experience is helping us to be better friends." Well said!

The Elders found a little Garter Snake and the kids all wanted a peak. This is close enough for me. Thanks.

And here's an AFTER shot! Doesn't it look great?! Levi and his friend are in the yellow vests and we made a few piles of BIG garbage the city will come by and pick up.

We picked up JUST A LITTLE trash! Sheesh! We got done about an hour earlier than we expected because we RAN OUT OF BAGS! :P Next time we'll ask the city to give us more. :)

{family recipe} french toast

French Toast is something that probably doesn't need a recipe because everyone kind of does their own thing, but in case any of my children want to make "just like Mom did" after I'm gone, well here it is.

French Toast
1 loaf of sliced Italian Bread
1 dozen eggs
1/4 c milk
1 t. cinnamon
2 T. granulated sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat griddle or skillet to medium heat.
2. Mix eggs, milk, cinnamon and sugar. Dip one slice of bread in egg mixture and transfer to pan. Wait 2-4 minutes then flip. Continue with the rest of the pieces of bread.
3. Serve with (pure) maple syrup.

Freezer instructions:
Lay out pieces of french toast in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place in freezer. When frozen, transfer to a freezer gallon-sized bag or other container.

To reheat from frozen: Place 1 piece of french toast in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then move it to the toaster to finish warming up and it gets a little crispy. Perfect make ahead breakfast, ready to enjoy!

{our best bites} baked ham & egg cups

I have found that breakfast is a lot faster when you've got some of these in the fridge just waiting to be warmed up. They are tasty and I make them almost weekly. Enjoy!

Baked Ham & Egg Cups

Picture from Our Best Bites

Recipe slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

8 eggs

3/4 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

1/4 c cottage cheese

5 oz frozen spinach, defrosted, squeezed of water, and roughly chopped (opt)

1/3 c diced roasted red peppers

1 oz. finely diced ham, canadian bacon or crumbled bacon (1/4-1/3 c.)

1/4 c chopped green onions or 1/2 t. onion powder

1/4 t. kosher salt

1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 t hot sauce

12 slices lunchmeat

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*.

2. In a bowl, combine all ingredients (except ham slices) and stir well.

3. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and place one piece of ham in each well to form a bowl.

4. Evenly divide the egg mixture between the 12 muffin  well (about 1/4 c. each), being careful to keep ingredients evenly distributed. You want them to fill right up to the top.

5. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. The tops should be puffed and just barely set on top. Eggs will sink after cooling.

Freezer instructions:

Store in an airtight container in the fridge, or freezer. If possible, remove from the freezer the night before to thaw in the  fridge. When microwaving set on a folded paper towel to absorb excess moisture.