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!

Candy Sushi

I am all about the whimsical. Green eggs & ham for breakfast, a "hairy cake" for a friend going to Electrology school... you get the idea. My latest whimsical idea... candy sushi! How hard can it be, right? Wrong! Super fun, but what a pain in the tush! Maybe one of these days I will try it again and get the technique ironed out. Here is the cast of characters...

Seaweed................. Green fruit rollups (surprisingly difficult to find!)
Sushi Rice.............. Rice Krispie Treats
Crab & Cucumber.... Sour Punch Straws (Fruit Punch & Apple)
Ginger & Salmon..... Dots

I started off by making a batch of Rice Krispie treats. Instead of spreading them out in a regular 9x13 pan, I used a cookie sheet so the "sushi rice" would be thinner.

While the Rice Krispie treats set, I made some "ginger" by rolling out pink Dots and shaping them into slices.

For the salmon sashimi, I layered small slices of orange and pink Dots and rolled them together. I was trying to get the striation that salmon has running through it. I think it turned out pretty awesome, to toot my own horn. Since I couldn't get it to roll thick enough for sashimi, I decided to make nigiri (a small clump of rice with a piece of fish on top) with this one.

I cut the Rice Krispie treats and smooshed them down on a green fruit rollup... set some sour straw "crab and cucumber" on top... rolled into a log, and sliced. This part was tricky, and had a lot of trial and error. The fruit rollups kept ripping, and the butter in the Rice Krispy treats were making it hard to get the rolls to "stick." The end result was pretty cute and sugar-tastic.

Dilled Potato Salad

Ivan really likes potato salad. I, however, am not a big fan. It always seems so heavy and, well, "mayonnaise-y." That being said, I was on a mission to create some kind of potato salad that was less about mayo and more about fresh flavor. Instead of super starchy Russet potatoes, I used small baby red potatoes. Instead of mayo I used sour cream (okay, fine I used a little mayo too... but just a little!). And the kicker? Loads of fresh dill. I felt like it needed a little more "something" so I added a little bit of crumbled bacon on each serving. Finally! A potato salad I actually enjoy!

Start by boiling small red potatoes for about 10-15 minutes. You want the potatoes to be fork-tender but not falling apart. Drain & let cool slightly. When they are cool, cut them into bite sized pieces. I love red potatoes because the skin is so tender you can leave it on. No peeling necessary!

While the potatoes are cooling, mix together sour cream (I used lowfat) and a few spoonfuls of mayo (I used light). Add some salt & pepper and a few spashes of lemon juice or vinegar. Chop some fresh dill and add that too.

Gently fold the sour cream mixture into the potatoes. Chill in the fridge for a few hours and serve! I added bacon to this after I took the pictures and after I chilled it in the fridge... and trust me... you will want to add some too! It gave a whole new dimension to the potato salad. What can I say... bacon makes everything better!