Breakfast Casserole

Seriously tasty, can feed a small army on the cheap (under $10 for around 10 servings), AND can pass as dinner. You really can't go wrong with this casserole...


1/2 lb. bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
12 eggs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for "sprinkling"
1 pkg. frozen diced hash browns (not shredded), thawed
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried dill


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the bacon in a pan over med-high heat & drain on paper towels. Crumble when cool. Reserve a few tablespoons of the drippings.

In the same pan, with the reserved bacon fat, sautee the onion & pepper until onion is translucent (about 3 minutes).

In large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Pour into 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle the top with additional cheese & broil until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned.

Let sit for about 5 minutes & dig in!

Pan Seared Pork Chops with Mustard-Sherry-Cream reduction

This was a last minute decision for dinner tonight. I got home at 6:15, walked the dog for a half hour, then realized "oh man... what's for dinner?" So, ransacking the fridge at 6:45 at night, knowing full well that American Idol comes on in just over an hour... I came up with this quick fix. Sorry for the lack of pictures... use your imagination!

All you need is some thin-cut pork chops (or one thicker chop cut in half lengthwise), brown mustard, cooking sherry (or chicken broth & a splash of lemon juice), half & half or milk, and salt & pepper. Seriously!

Heat a pan with a little olive oil & butter over med-med.high heat. The olive oil will allow a higher cooking temperature & the butter gives extra flavor. While the oil & butter are heating, season each side of the pork chop with salt & pepper. Place in the pan and allow to sear for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown, before flipping to the other side. When both sides have cooked, place the pork on serving platter or plate to rest.

The pan you cooked the pork chops in has all kinds of "crispy goodness" at the bottom from the seasonings & meat. This will make the super tasty sauce that gets poured over the pork. To the pan, add a few tablespoons of spicy brown or dijon mustard and about 1/4 cup (a few splashes) of cooking sherry. If you prefer, you can use broth and a splash of lemon juice. Whisk these together and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer for a minute or two, or until slightly thickened. Add a few splashes of cream, half & half, or milk... whatever you have on hand. Simmer for another minute, stirring or whisking constantly so the cream doesn't burn.

Pour the tasty goodness over the pork chops & enjoy! Tonight I cut corners and we had this with bagged salad & Stove Top stuffing... but hey... a working girl's gotta do what a working girl's gotta do!