Biscuit Pancakes with Sausage Cream Gravy

 

I turned a biscuits and gravy recipe into biscuit pancakes with sausage gravy.  I've listed the directions for both below.  Either option is delicious, the gravy is the real star here; you could practically serve this sausage gravy on a shoe and it would still be mouthwatering!

Biscuit Batter:
2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more if rolling)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold butter (1 stick), cut into small pieces
1 cup cold buttermilk

Note:  If you're in a hurry you can just use Bisquick and milk.  Add a little melted butter to it for more flavor!

Sausage Cream Gravy:
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound ground pork
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1/2 cups heavy cream (can sub milk for less calories)
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Chopped Rosemary, to garnish, for color, if desired

Directions:
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and using a mixer or pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until mostly combined.  Add the buttermilk and stir until the dough comes together.  The dough will be lumpy but that's okay!

If making pancakes, drop heaping tablespoons of the batter onto a griddle at about 300 degrees and allow to cook for about 1 minute per side or until risen.  Note: for the pancake version, you may need to add more water or milk to make the batter easier to pour.

For biscuits, preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a baking sheet.  Place dough onto floured surface and sprinkle with additional flour.  Pat the dough into an approximately one inch thick circle.

Use a round cookie cutter to cut out biscuits.  Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.  Gather any scraps and cut out additional biscuits.  Bake in the preheated oven until the biscuits have risen and are golden brown on top, about 15 minutes.

Sausage Cream Gravy:

Heat butter in a skillet until melted and then add the ground pork.  Cook until brown, breaking up into smaller pieces as it cooks.  Do not drain fat.  Reduce heat to low and sprinkle meat with flour and cayenne pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes or until flour has cooked slightly.  Gradually stir in the cream and bring to a simmer.  Cook until mixture has thickened and then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle sausage cream gravy over the biscuits or pancakes just before serving.  If using the fresh rosemary, sprinkle over the gravy and serve. Yum!

 

 

Very Berry Muffins

A super easy muffin recipe!   Use fresh berries in the summer, frozen berries in the winter. For this recipe, I used a combination of strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, but you could substitute other berries such as blackberry, boysenberry, etc.  These smell great while in the oven and taste even better while still warm!

Yield:  approx 15 small muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 cup cream cheese
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup diced strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick spray.  Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add butter chunks and cut into the dry mix with a pastry blender - or, if you're lazy (I like to call it efficient), use an electric mixer to mix until the butter is incorporated into pea sized bits.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.  Pour over the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  The batter will be lumpy.  Fold in the berries and fill a muffin tin or cupcake wrappers about 3/4 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes longer or until muffins are firm and a clean knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spiced Scones

Scones are surprisingly easy to make!  They taste best eaten within a day or so and while warm.  Happy holidays!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup buttermilk, divided (reserve ¼ cup)
1 large egg
3 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Spiced Pumpkin Glaze: 
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons milk (add more if needed for a pourable consistency)

Directions:
The first step is to combine the dry ingredients.  The idea is to blend the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.  The old school way to do this is to cut in the butter with your fingers or a pastry blender.  You can save a little time and carpal tunnel by doing this in a blender or food processor - I have replicated this technique in my blender many times and there is no discernable difference in taste or texture in the final product.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin and milk. Stir in the crumbly flour/butter mixture until just moistened; do not overmix.  On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until it comes together. Use your hands to form the dough into a large round shape, making it smooth and even, about 1 inch high.  Using a large knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 8 triangle pieces.

You can bake the scones right away if you're in desperate need of carbs, however the best thing to do is chill them first!  The scones have a large proportion of butter to flour, and if baked while at room temperature, the butter will melt and seep out, which will make the scones overly dense and dry.  Freeze or refrigerate the scones until they are cold, and you'll end up with a much tastier scone!  The scones can also be frozen indefinitely and baked at a later date.

When ready to bake the scones, preheat the oven to 400.  Place the scones 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Brush reserved buttermilk over the top of each scone.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

To decorate the scones, if you want to be fancy, you can make a simple powdered sugar glaze (1 cup of powdered sugar and several tablespoons of milk or water) and coat the top of each scone with that before drizzling with the spiced glaze.  That will create a dual toned icing (see top picture).  Or you can simply combine the spiced glaze ingredients as listed above and drizzle over the scones.  Either way they will be delicious!  Enjoy!

Note: if you have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can substitute the other spices in the recipe with that. Season to taste or use about the same total quantity.

Chocolate Strawberry French Toast Roll-Ups

These are super easy to make and delicious for breakfast or dessert.

Yield:  Serves 2-4

Ingredients:
8 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup prepared chocolate sauce
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Optional:  Maple syrup, for serving

Directions:
Flatten each piece of bread slightly with a rolling pin. Place about two teaspoons of the strawberries on one end of the bread in a strip. Roll the bread tightly and repeat.

Next, whisk the eggs and milk together in a bowl. Heat a griddle or skillet to medium heat and add the butter. As the butter melts, dip each french toast roll in the egg mixture, coating on all sides. Place them on the heated surface, seam side down. Cook in batches until golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.

Serve warm, drizzled with the chocolate sauce and dusted with powdered sugar, with maple syrup on the side, if desired. Enjoy!

Note: This is an easy recipe to customize, and would be good with any type of fruit, or stuffed with cream cheese, peanut butter, or nutella, or rolled in cinnamon-sugar, etc.

Candied Whisky Bacon

 

I have made this many times and it just occurred to me that I have never posted it.  There are a few different ways to make candied bacon; this one is a little more time consuming than making it in the oven (which is fastest and easiest), but it's worth it!

Ingredients:
1 pound bacon (thick or thin, it's up to you!)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 tablespoons whisky (I used Maker's Mark)
4 teaspoons dark brown sugar

Directions:
Precook the bacon on medium high in a skillet or griddle until slightly flexible but not yet crisp.  You will probably need to do this in several batches, depending on the size of your pan or griddle.  Once the bacon is partially cooked, remove from pan and drain the grease.

While the bacon is cooking, mix the whisky, butter and brown sugar together until the brown sugar dissolves.  Return the bacon to the pan after being drained of grease and add the butter-sugar-whisky mixture to coat the bacon (reserving some if you are cooking in batches).

Cook the bacon until it is crisp (or to the desired doneness).  Remove from pan and place on parchment paper or a baker's rack to cool.  Enjoy!

Note:  This is delicious in pancakes, waffles omelets or just on it's own.  Try not to eat the whole pound yourself!

Angel Food French Toast

This was delicious and very pretty.  Next time, I plan to make a strawberry syrup to accompany it.  Yum! 

Yield:  Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 angel food cake, sliced into 12 pieces
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons melted butter

Optional Garnishes: Strawberries, syrup, and/or whipped cream
 
Directions:
Whisk eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until foamy and well combined.  Heat a griddle or skillet to medium heat.  Dip each piece of angel food cake into the egg mixture, coating each side.  Let some of the mixture drip off.  Add some melted butter to the pan, then add the french toast slices (you'll need to cook in batches).

Cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side.  Be sure to also cook the ends of the cake.
Repeat with remaining slices, then serve while warm with fresh berries, syrup and/or whipped cream.  So easy!  Enjoy!

Bacon & Egg Breakfast Tacos

This is an easy and yummy breakfast to whip up over the weekend.  Make it a bit more special by making homemade tortillas or salsa verde; recipe links below ; )

Yield:  4-6 medium sized tacos

Ingredients:
6 medium eggs, scrambled and seasoned to taste
1 cup shredded hash browns, fried and seasoned to taste
6 slices bacon, fried, drained, and crumbled
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Flour tortillas, cIlantro and salsa, for serving

Directions:
Make bacon first, drain, crumble and set aside.  Fry hash browns until crisp and season to taste, reserve.  Scramble eggs to desired doneness and season with salt and pepper.

Brown tortillas for a few minutes in a pan or griddle.  Scoop hash browns and scrambled eggs into warm tortillas and top with crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese.  Garnish with cilantro and salsa, if desired.  Voila!  Easy breakfast!  

Check out my recipe for Roasted Tomatillo and Garlic Salsa and/or Homemade Flour Tortillas
if you are feeling like going the whole nine yards!  Enjoy!

Gooey Maple Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

I don't think I have to tell you that this recipe turned out very nicely.  The entire pan was gone when I woke up the next day, so that alone can vouch for the recipe's success, at least in my household.

Yield:  Approx 12-15 cinnamon rolls

Cinnamon Roll Ingredients:
2 1/4 tsp rapid rise yeast
1 cup milk
1/2 cup white sugar
4 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
9 slices bacon
2 tbsp brown sugar

Cinnamon Filling:
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 stick melted butter 

Maple Frosting Ingredients:
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract 

Instructions: 
Fry bacon (or cook in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 mins, faster and less messy!) and set aside to drain.  Once cooled, crumble bacon and place in a bowl.  Add about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and mix to combine, then reserve.

Dissolve yeast in warm water according to package directions and set aside.  In a separate bowl, combine milk, white sugar, melted butter, salt and egg.  Fold in 1½ cups of flour and mix to combine.  Add yeast mixture.  Stir in remaining flour and knead for 5-10 minutes.  Spray a bowl with non-stick cooking spray, place dough in it, and cover.  Allow to rise for around 90 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Roll dough out into a large rectangle and coat with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Cover with the cinnamon filling mixture and add about half of the bacon bacon-sugar mixture. Roll up tightly, beginning with long side.  Slice into 12-15 sections, or more if you want slightly smaller rolls.

Arrange rolls in a baking pan (I used two round ones) and allow to rise for an additional 20 minutes or so.  Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until slightly brown on top.

While the rolls are cooking, use a mixer or whisk to combine ingredients for the maple glaze.  Mix until smooth and to desired consistency; for a thicker frosting, use more powdered sugar, for a thinner frosting, use additional maple syrup, or water or milk, to thin it out.

Frost rolls and garnish with remaining diced bacon.  Serve while warm. Sweet...salty...delicious!  Enjoy!

BBQ Bourbon Bacon Shrimp and Sharp Cheddar Grits

I had never made grits before and needed to make them for an event, so I scoured the web for the best sounding recipe I could find!  The only major change I made to this recipe was the addition of a little crumbled bacon (how could I help myself?).  The barbecue sauce is so good that you could easily omit the bacon and still have a lovely dish.

The best part about this recipe is that the woman who posted it claims to have gotten 3 marriage proposals and rave reviews from Jesse Jackson, so you can see this comes highly recommended!

Yield: 4-6 servings

Sharp Cheddar Grits:
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup quick or old fashioned grits
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Bourbon Bacon BBQ Sauce:
4 bacon slices
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup bourbon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Shrimp:
1 1/2 deveined raw shell-on shrimp
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper

Optional Garnish:  Parsley or chives, for color 

Directions: Begin by making the barbecue sauce (this can be done up to a week in advance, simply store in an airtight container and stir thoroughly before using).  Cook bacon in a frying pan until crisp.  Remove and reserve, setting on paper towels to drain grease.  Once the bacon has cooled, crumble and reserve for garnish.

Add the chopper onion and garlic to the bacon grease and cook until soft.  Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, bourbon, vinegar and honey.  Simmer for 15 minutes, then add spices and season to taste.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Next, make the grits.  In the bottom of a pot, cook minced garlic in a bit of butter until soft.  Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Slowly stir in the grits.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, until the grits are tender, or for about 30 minutes.  There truly is a lot of stirring involved as you don't want these to get clumpy!

While the grits are cooking, grill the shrimp.  I used a grill pan for mine, but these could also be thrown onto the grill.  To grill them on a grill pan, heat the pan to high.  Melt butter in the microwave and toss the shrimp in the butter with a bit of salt and pepper.  Grill on each side for about 2 minutes or until opaque.  Remove from heat, toss shrimp in barbecue sauce, and set aside.

When the grits are creamy and to the desired consistency, remove from heat and stir in the cheese, butter and cream.  Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon grits into a bowl and top with shrimp, crumbled bacon, and chopped parsley or chives.  Yum!  Enjoy! 

Tips: I was paranoid about the grits, as it was my first time making them, so I looked up a bunch of tips online before I started.  One thing everyone warned against was using "instant" grits" which are apparently different than the quick grits I used (Quaker Quick Grits).

Also, on the package of the quick grits it says 5 minute cooking time, but I read all over that isn't true, so I cooked mine as people suggested (about 30-45 mins) and they turned out great.  I don't think there is any end to the amount of butter and cream these grits could soak up, or salt and pepper, so use your own judgement as to how buttery, salty or creamy you want them!  Good luck!

Spicy Chilaquiles Omelet Pinwheels

I made these omelet pinwheels a few weeks back and of course you can customize the ingredients endlessly, but I thought a chilaquiles version would be fun.  Putting the chips on toward the end keeps them quite crispy and this was absolutely delicious, not to mention adorable.  Yum!

Yield:  6-8 servings

Ingredients:
Cooking spray or olive oil, for pan
1 cup milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
8 large eggs
1 cup cooked chorizo, drained
1/2 cup canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 cup tortilla chips
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp adobo seasoning
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Garnishes:
Cilantro
Salsa Verde
Additional tortilla chips
Sour cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking or olive oil. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, allowing some to hang over on the longer ends. Spray the top of the parchment with oil as well.

In a bowl, whisk together milk and flour. Add eggs and spices and whisk to combine. Pour into pan. Sprinkle the chorizo and beans over the eggs in an even layer.

Bake until the omelet is set, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheese and tortilla chips. Return to the oven for an additional minute or two to melt the cheese and brown the chips.

Use a spatula or butter knife to loosen omelet on all sides. Beginning on one end, lift the parchment and roll the omelet tightly, peeling back the parchment paper as you go. It is a bit delicate so be gentle. Once rolled, allow to set for a few minutes - the cheese will bind the roll together. Then slice and serve while still warm.