LITTLE ROCK — Breakfast for dinner is one of our favorite meals. We’re also quite partial to breakfast for lunch, more commonly known as brunch. And while we’re no strangers to the bowl-of-cereal dinner, that’s not the kind of breakfast for dinner that we dream about.
Biscuits and sausage gravy, pancakes, waffles and omelets are just some of the things that come to mind when we think of breakfast for dinner. But what about those occasions when more substantial, heartier fare is in order?
As Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth write in the introduction of their book, Breakfast for Dinner, “The truth is, most people don’t have time in the morning to take advantage of all the amazing flavors traditionally associated with breakfast. Which is why breakfast for dinner is such a perfect way to enjoy your morning favorites when time isn’t as much of an issue.”
Among those “amazing flavors” we like to include bacon, sausage, roasted tomatoes, eggs, pan-fried potatoes and maple syrup.
The combination of beans, eggs, corn tortillas and spicy tomato sauce may seem a bit odd or too flavorful to face first thing in the morning, which is why we love serving huevos rancheros for dinner. The rich, gently cooked eggs (read runny yolks) temper the heat of an almost from-scratch ranchero sauce made with fire-roasted tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, chipotle in adobo and fresh herbs.
Huevos Rancheros Tacos
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ to 1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted or regular diced tomatoes
½ cup vegetable broth OR water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided use
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano OR 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 chipotle pepper in adobo ½ to 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
¼ teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper, to taste
1 (15-ounce) can refried beans
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
8 corn tortillas
½ cup shredded cheese (we used a combo of sharp cheddar and mozzarella)
8 eggs
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in the tomatoes along with their juice, the vegetable broth, 1 tablespoon of the cilantro, the oregano, chipotle, adobo sauce,salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sauce thickens. Let cool slightly, then puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Sauce can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated. (If making ahead, warm just before serving.)
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the refried beans with ¼ cup of water and cook, stirring, until heated through; set aside.
Heat 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add tortillas, 2 at a time, so they do not overlap and heat 1 minute per side. Transfer heated tortillas to a baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Spread each tortilla with about 2 tablespoons of the warmed beans; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese melts; set aside.
In the skillet used to heat the tortillas, heat ½ tablespoon of the oil. Crack 4 eggs into the skillet.
Cover and cook 4 minutes or until whites are set and a white film begins to form on the yolk, or to desired doneness.
Place each egg atop a tortilla.
Repeat with the remaining eggs.
Top each with ranchero sauce and a sprinkle of cilantro, and serve.
Makes 4 (2 taco) servings.
Recipe adapted from Breakfast for Dinner: Recipes for Frittata Florentine, Huevos Rancheros, Sunny-Side-Up Burgers and More! by Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth
Essentially a gussied-up fried egg sandwich, this breakfast-for-dinner dish is delicious paired with home fries and roasted tomatoes.
Bacon and Egg Sandwiches
With Caramelized Onions and Baby Greens
4 slices thick-cut bacon
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon water
½ to 1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon butter
Vegetable oil
2 eggs
Salt and ground black pepper
4 slices bread, toasted
1 cup baby greens such as arugula or spinach
Cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium high heat until crisp.
Remove bacon, reserving drippings, and drain on paper towels. Return drippings to medium heat and add the onions, 1 tablespoon of water and the hot sauce. Cover and cook 3 minutes. Stir in the butter, cover, and cook 3 minutes more. Uncover and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until onions are deep golden brown, about 8 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
Heat a separate skillet over medium-high heat. Add a thin film of vegetable oil. Crack eggs into pan, cover, and cook until whites are set, about 4 minutes, or to desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble: Place 1 slice of toasted bread on each of 2 plates; arrange baby greens over bread.
Arrange the onions, 2 slices of bacon and 1 egg over each pile of greens.
Top with remaining bread. Serve immediately.
Makes 2 servings.
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light Crave! (Oxmoor, $21.95)
Whether you know them as German pancakes, Dutch Babies, oven pancakes or even Bismarcks, these breakfast cakes, which deflate soon after baking, are often served drizzled with lemon juice and dusted with confectioners’ sugar or served with applesauce. However, these puffy, crisp on the outside, tender on the inside breakfast cakes can be dressed and flavored in any way you like.
The batter can be prepared several hours in advance.
Dutch Baby
8 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup butter
Desired toppings such as lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar, applesauce, fresh berries or sliced bananas, melted butter, whipped cream and/or maple syrup
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs, flour, milk and vanilla extract until batter is smooth. (Use immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to prepare.)
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt butter in a deep 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over low heat, swirling to coat. Pour batter over melted butter and bake 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.
Pancake will puff up over edges of skillet as it cooks, then deflate once removed from oven.
Serve with desired toppings.
Makes about 4 servings.
Home Fries
1 ½ pounds gold potatoes (do not use russets), cut into ¾ -inch pieces
4 tablespoons butter, divided use
1 small onion, finely diced
½ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
Place potatoes and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large microwavesafe bowl and microwave, covered, stirring halfway through cooking, until edges of potatoes begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile melt 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer onion to a small bowl.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet used to cook onion.
Add the potatoes and pack down with a spatula. Cook, without moving, until bottoms of potatoes are golden brown, about 6 minutes. Turn potatoes, pack down again, and continue cooking until brown and crisp, about 6 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until potatoes are crusty, 9 to 12 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in onion, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Makes about 4 servings.
Recipe adapted from The Complete Cook’s Country TV Show Cookbook from the editors of America’s Test KitchenThe introduction to this recipe in the book Breakfast for Dinner describes it as “a magical cross between ketchup and fruit preserves.” We could not have said it better ourselves.
The spread is delicious atop pancakes (especially the corn griddle cakes in this story) and biscuits or as a condiment for sandwiches and meats.
Bacon Jam
1 pound bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup brewed coffee (see note)
½ cup cider vinegar
½ cup orange juice
¼ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper or more to taste
¼ cup bourbon
Heat a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over mediumhigh heat. Cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.
Reduce heat to medium.
Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Return bacon to pan and add the coffee, vinegar, orange juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange zest, ginger and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (If a smooth texture is desired, simmer the mixture for 45 minutes, transfer mixture to a food processor and pulse to finely chop, then return to pan and cook 15 minutes more.) Add bourbon and simmer 30 minutes more or until mixture is thick, dark and syrupy. If mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan or look more like paste than jam, add ¼ cup water. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before transferring to an airtight container and refrigerating. Will keep, refrigerated, for 3 to 4 weeks.
Makes about 2 cups.
Note: We found the coffee gave the jam a bit of a burnt flavor, and will probably leave the coffee out if we make the jam again.
Recipe adapted from Breakfast for Dinner: Recipes for Frittata Florentine, Huevos Rancheros, Sunny-Side-Up Burgers and More! by Lindsay Landis and Taylor Hackbarth
These savory pancakes are delicious topped with a drizzle of maple syrup.
Corn Griddle Cakes
Vegetable oil
½ medium sweet onion, finely chopped
¼ to ½ small red bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 green onions, diced
¾ cup frozen corn kernels
½ cup shredded cheese such as sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack
¾ cup milk
1 egg, beaten
Desired toppings such as Bacon Jam, salsa OR maple syrup, for serving
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the onion and bell pepper in a little vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften. Add garlic and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, pepper, green onion, corn and cheese. Stir in vegetables (along with any oil left in skillet), ¾ cup milk and egg, and mix well. The mixture will be thick.
If thinner cakes are desired, use more milk.
Wipe skillet with a paper towel. Heat skillet over medium-low heat. Spoon batter (about ¼ cup per cake) into skillet, spreading flat, and cook, turning once until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Serve topped with Bacon Jam, salsa or maple syrup.
Makes about 8 (4-inch) cakes.
Roasting can transform blah winter supermarket tomatoes into a delicious reminder of warm summer days.
Roasted Tomatoes
8 to 12 small plum tomatoes, halved, cores and seeds removed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon granulated sugar
Salt and ground black pepper
Heat oven to 450 degrees.
Arrange tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, cut side up, in a single layer. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Drizzle over tomatoes.
Roast 30 minutes or until tomatoes are shriveled and caramelized. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Food, Pages 32 on 02/20/2013