Archive for Recipes: Breakfast

Waffled Hash Browns

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Waffle irons aren’t just for waffles any more!

One thing you may know about me is that I own a lot of kitchen appliances. I’m kind of obsessed with them, actually. I have a big cupboard packed with all kinds of gadgets. And believe it or not, I actually use most of my gadgets. Okay, some only maybe a few times a year, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to live without them.

waffled hash browns

One great thing about gadgets is that you rarely have to buy them new. It’s pretty easy to pick them up cheap at second hand stores. You see, people get them for gifts or they think it’s something they can’t live without, and when it starts to gather a thick coating of dust, it ends up getting donated to your local Sally Ann.

One such gadget is my waffle iron. I probably use it about once a month or so, to make a big batch of Saturday waffles, which I then freeze. I got my current one (a Cuisinart) for $30 at Value Village. I think it’s the 3rd waffle iron I’ve owned in my life, and not one of them I bought new.

But on to waffling! All! The! Things!

It’s amazing what you can make in a waffle iron. I’ll have a couple of recipes for you this week, things you probably never thought of, but I also have been collecting recipes on Pinterest.

I recently made these waffled hash browns for the sprout for a weekend breakfast, and he begged for them again the next day. The outside is lovely and crispy, and the inside is so light and fluffy. They really are yummy, and so simple to make.

They would make a great base for a eggs benny in the place of an english muffin.

waffled hash brown benny

Waffled Hash Browns

Ingredients

  • 2 large Potatoes
  • Salt & pepper
  • garlic powder and/or onion powder

Method

  1. Peel your potatoes. I used plain old boring russet baking potatoes, though you may want to play around with different varieties to see what kind of results you get. Yukon Golds might work really well for this. Next, grate your potatoes on a box grater into a bowl.
  2. Fill the bowl up with cold water, so that all the potato gratings are covered, and let sit for 20-30 minutes at least, an hour if you have it.
  3. Drain the water off of the potatoes, and spread them out on a kitchen towel. Roll the potatoes up in the towel, and dry them as well as you can.
  4. Dump the dried potatoes into a bowl and season with salt, pepper and garlic if you like. Mix well with your hands.
  5. Turn on your waffle iron. If you have heat settings, turn it up to high, and allow the waffle iron to preheat.
  6. When the waffle iron is hot, brush it on both sides with oil. Pile about 1/3-1/2 cup of grated potatoes on each waffle square on your waffle iron. Put down the lid and put some pressure on it with your hand. The potatoes need pressure to hold together. Allow them to cook for at least 10 minutes, but they may need more. Remove when they are golden brown and crispy, and enjoy immediately.
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Easter Brunch Bake

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This weekend is Easter, and for many, it’s tradition to have a big family brunch sometime over the long Easter weekend.

I love this Easter Brunch Bake. It reminds me of a savory bread pudding, and it has all your favourite brunch ingredients in one dish. It’s really simple, and you can actually make it the night before, and then bake it the next day and serve it straight out of the oven. It’s rich and yummy, and you could serve it very simply as-is, alongside a simple salad.

easter brunch bake

You can do this two ways: you can make it in a big casserole dish so that it feeds a crowd, or you can make smaller, individual portions if you have dietary restrictions among your guests. I make this one with caramelized onions and chopped ham or bacon, but if you’re making them individually, and someone is a vegetarian, you could omit the meat and add in chopped tomatoes or sauteed mushrooms to give it more substance.

It’s the kind of brunch where you can actually hang out with your guests and not be trapped in the kitchen the entire time slaving over the stove.

Easter Brunch Bake

(recipe adapted from The Kichn)

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups bread–ideally you want to use day-old challah or sourdough. If you have fresh bread, chop it into cubes, and then let it sit on the counter in a bowl for a while
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup grated old cheddar
  • 6 slices of bacon or ham, cooked and crumbled
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Method:

  1. Caramelize the onions. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil, or 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and stir well to coat with the oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar, and then allow to cook slowly over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and golden brown. This will take 10-15 minutes.
  2. In the mean time, grease a large casserole dish (or many small ones) and loosely pack them with the bread cubes.
  3. Layer the caramelized onions on top of the bread cubes, then the cheese, then sprinkle over the ham or bacon.
  4. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, mustard and nutmeg. Carefully pour the beaten egg mixture over your bread/cheese/onions. You can push the bread down a little with your hands if you need to, to make the bread absorb the egg.
  5. Cover tightly and place in the fridge overnight.
  6. The next day, about an hour before serving, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. You may want to remove the casserole dish from the fridge prior to this to allow it to come up to room temp. Bake for about 40-50 minutes, or until the top is brown and bubbly, and a knife stuck into the centre of the custard comes out clean.
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