Eggs over easy

I can plate up some mean biscuits and gravy, pancakes, frittatas, omelets and many other breakfast favorites but I had never been any good at making a fried egg over easy. Broken yolks and a glob of egg is how they usually ended up — which in turn would become scrambled eggs.

One of my goals in the kitchen over the last few months has been getting better at eggs over easy, so basically, I have made 2 of them for myself nearly every Saturday and Sunday since February. I might not be able to make them like Bobby Flay at this point, but I have learned to plate up a quality "dip" egg with a nice runny yolk and beautiful whites that feature tiny flecks of pepper.

The secret to a nice egg over easy? A thin, metal spatula.

I'm sure there are armies of people who use thick-plastic spatulas sold in big box-store bundles that turn out wonderful eggs, but for me, the right equipment was essential to get the eggs I wanted every time. The right spatula allows me to get under the egg for the flip in a nice quick thrust, once its on the spatula, turning it over is a breeze. It's the getting under it part that would always screw me up.

Two eggs over easy served on a hash brown with bacon and toast is morning bliss. That's what my Mom would often cook for us on weekends growing up. The eggs were holding me back from making it a breakfast staple for myself and whoever I cook for — but I can proudly say "not any more."

It took about 86 fried eggs to get it right. Sometimes you just have to be committed.

If you're in the Austin area on a given weekend morning — stop by — I'll make you some eggs over easy to get the day going.

Eat well, cook often ...

Ham, Egg and Cheese English Muffins

Ham, Egg and Cheese English Muffin

I love to make fried eggs and serve them on English muffins for breakfast ... and, I like my yolks runny.

To me the yolk of a fried egg is one of the best sauces nature can produce. Biting into a sandwich and piercing a yolk provides a rich and creamy enhancement to everything else included in the bite that ketchup, mustard or mayo could never match.

If I have to choose a breakfast bread for a sandwich there is no competition — English muffins. Toast them up. Add a fried egg, ham and cheese — that's pure breakfast bliss for me.

I made two ham, egg and cheese English muffins for myself yesterday morning and I enjoyed every bite. I wish I was motivated enough to make breakfast like this everyday but unfortunately I'm not. Until then, I will savor the moments when I get to stuff my face with such yummy grub!

Eat well, cook often ...

HAM, EGG AND CHEESE ENGLISH MUFFINS
Makes 2 sandwiches, 20 minutes
4 thin slices of smoked ham
2 eggs
2 slices of cheddar jack cheese
2 English muffins

In a fry pan over medium high heat sear ham slices until little brown bits appear on surface, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add a little oil to skillet. Cook eggs over easy. Salt and pepper to taste. While eggs cook toast English muffins. Once eggs are done and muffins toasted, stack eggs ham and slice of cheese on muffins. Then serve.

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Tacos

Printable version

Sometimes mistakes in the kitchen turn into something great. I stayed with some friends recently and I took it upon myself to buy a few breakfast items to cook in the morning as a reward for putting up with me for the night.

My plan was omelets. The last thing in the skillet were the eggs and through my impatience I kept stirring the mix which scrambled them. Instead of a thick omelet like patty in the skillet I got a breakfast scramble that was perfect for a burrito or taco filling, but a little awkward to eat with a spoon from a bowl instead of wrapped in a tortilla with toppings.

My friends agreed I had the start of a great breakfast taco. For this recipe, I remake my breakfast blunder with some small tweaks. Sausage is the key element of flavor and it’s complimented by the sauted vegetables. The eggs add a fluffy and creamy texture. Salsa, cheese and cilantro are used as garnish and it’s served on a tortilla, helping turn a mistake into a great way to start the day.

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Sausage and Egg Breakfast Tacos

I love turning tacos and burritos into breakfast items, which had always left me to dream about Taco Bell offering a breakfast menu. Well, that culinary dream has come true and last Thursday I ventured to my nearest Bell for a breakfast sampling.

I ordered a Waffle Taco and an A.M. Crunchwrap with steak. The taco had a manufactured flavor about it and I thought it could be reworked to make a little tastier.  The waffle had a syrup flavor infused in it and made it taste unnatural.

The A.M. Crunchwrap was simply spectacular and the best thing I have ever eaten for breakfast at a fast food chain. The hash brown, steak, eggs and cheese packaged into a toasted tortilla is an excellent breakfast item that can be eaten on the run. I really think the hash brown patty included in the mix really helped it stand out. I used a little mild salsa with each bite also.

They have a sausage and bacon option for the A.M. Crunchwrap and I plan to try them both next time I make a run for the border before 11 a.m.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Tacos

Serves 4; 30 minutes
1 lb Breakfast sausage
1 C Onion diced
1 C Poblano pepper, diced
1 Tbs Garlic minced
6 Eggs beaten
12 Flour tortillas
1/2 C Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 C Cilantro, chopped

Brown sausage, cook vegetables
In a skillet over medium-high heat cook sausage until browned,  remove to a paper towel lined plate. Add onion and poblano pepper, cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic and cook one minute more or until fragrant.

Finish filling
Return sausage to pan and mix through. Pour eggs into mixture. Let cook a minute then stir. Repeat until eggs are set and mixture is heated through 6 to 8 minutes.

Make tacos
Place filling in a flour tortilla and garnish with salsa, cheese and cilantro. Then serve.

Mini Breakfast Fillo Bites

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I was at Walmart recently hoping to see some of those crazy people that you see in pictures on Facebook when I stumbled upon a product in the freezer isle that I thought would be lots of fun - mini fillo shells. I purchased a box and decided to fill them with something breakfast oriented.

The shells consist of a number of super thin layers of fillo dough formed into a small cup that can hold a heaping teaspoon of filling. They have a light and crispy texture and can be used to make a sweet or savory snack. I could have gotten all fancy and made these little shells myself from scratch, but they were less than $2 and it saved me lots of time and labor.

For this recipe, I make a mixture of sausage, egg and cheese to fill the shells and then heat them through in the oven. The end result is a tasty little bite loaded with breakfast flavors that is perfect for the kids. They can also be made ahead, stored in the fridge then heated and served as a side to pancakes or waffles in the morning.

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Mini Breakfast Fillo Bites

I found these fillo cups by accident walking through the freezer section and I knew instantly that I had to do something with them. At the same time, I also thought it would be nice to use breakfast flavors because it had been a while since I went that route with a recipe, and to me, it’s hard to go wrong with sausage and eggs.

The overall flavor of these little cups was a surprise. I was sure they would taste good, but the light fillo dough, the bite-size portion and the breakfast theme form a trinity of yummy goodness - I almost ate the entire batch myself. They reminded me of my obsession with deviled eggs, every time I got near the tray I had to grab one and pop it in my mouth like a high-calorie tic tac.

I’m looking forward to using these filo cups again, they were cheap, make a great delivery devise for an appetizer and are the perfect size for scarfing!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Mini Breakfast Fillo Bites

Makes 15 breakfast snacks;
25 minutes
1/2 C Breakfast sausage, fully cooked
1/2 C Scrambled eggs
1/2 C Monterrey jack cheese, shredded
15 Mini fillo shells

Make filling, fill and cook
Preheat oven to 350°
Mix together sausage, egg and cheese. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of mixture into each mini fillo shell. Place on cookie sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and cups are heated through. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and serve.

Breakfast Meat Lovers Pizza

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The aroma of breakfast cooking was my Saturday morning alarm clock growing up, and to this day I love a big morning feast to start a long road trip or a busy Saturday. Most days I eat little or no breakfast at all, which is why I really savor it when I get a chance to go all out.

My favorite part of the morning meal is the meat. Most of the time I go for bacon, but I’ll mix it up every once in a while with sausage patties or smoky links, and I’m always a sucker for a bucket full of sausage gravy over fresh baked biscuits.

In an attempt to satisfy all my carnivore breakfast cravings at once I decided to pile them onto a mega-meat lovers pizza.

For this recipe, sausage gravy acts as the sauce and combines with the melted cheese to make an extra creamy breakfast pie. It also features a double dose of smoky with the addition of bacon and little slices of smoky links. All of this meaty breakfast madness culminates in a hardy pizza that will fill the belly regardless of what time of day it’s eaten.

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Breakfast Meat Lovers Pizza

I wanted to put eggs on this pie but I left them off at the last minute so that the pizza would feature only breakfast meats. Also, I have used eggs on pizza before and it adds a creaminess to the pie, which I thought might be to much because, as I mentioned in the introduction, the cheese and gravy make this a really creamy pizza already.

It’s been a while since I posted a pizza recipe here at Behind the Bites. Once I decided I was going to make this pie I knew I wanted to present this one a little different than the pizzas I had done in the past. The difference is really quite subtle but effective. The main shot of the finished pizza is from a 3/4 view rather than a Birdseye shot and I left the pizza on my wooden peel. I had to photoshop a couple of transparent white boxes in so the type for some of the ingredients was readable, which is a minor tradeoff for what I think is a more eye catching presentation of a pizza.

 Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE

Breakfast Meat Lovers Pizza

Make 2 12” pizzas; 30 minutes
Divide over 2 12” pre-made pizza crusts
2 C Sausage gravy
6 slices Bacon, cooked, crumbled
1 pkg Smoky links, sliced
1 C Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Assemble and bake pizza
On pizza crust layer sausage gravy, bacon, smoky links and cheese. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly and crust is golden brown, slice and serve.

The Popper Frittata

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A frittata is an Italian omelet with ingredients mixed into the eggs as opposed to the French omelet that is folded around the ingredients. A frittata is more like an egg pie cooked slower and usually finished under a broiler, while the French omelet acts as a wrap for the ingredients, cooked over higher heat and finished fairly quickly.

I prefer making omelets the Italian way. So I guess I like making frittatas. I have tried making traditional French omelets before and had disastrous results. After watching Tyler Florence make one on the Food Network – and make it look incredibly easy, I decided to make one for breakfast. By lunch time, I had picked one attempt off the floor and thrown it away, and the second attempt became scrambled eggs with sausage and green peppers. Frittatas are much easier with identical flavors.

For this recipe, I take the ingredients common to jalapeño poppers and distribute them throughout a frittata. The cream and cheddar cheeses add a decedent richness while the bacon and jalapeño provide a nice flavor punch.

BEHIND THIS BITE
As a recipe developer, I stand behind all of my published creations. I have eaten everyone of the recipes on this site, and the photos are of the actual meals. There is no half cooked pasta and I've never used a curling iron to create grill marks to get a good shot. They are the real deal.

That said, some recipes are a cut above the others in appearance and flavor. This frittata is one of them. If I owned a restaurant it would be on the menu. It has a lot of bacon – which is a winner almost every time – but the star is the cream cheese and drizzle of ranch dressing as garnish. The two combine to create a rich creaminess not found in 99 percent of the omelets, or frittatas, I have ever eaten.

The recipe calls for ranch to be optional because ranch is often an optional dip with poppers and I wanted to stay true to that. I highly recommend that if you try this you use it though. I can’t wait to make this one again!

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serves 4; 30 minutes
1/2 lb Bacon, diced
3 Jalapeños, diced
1/2 C Onion, diced
6 Eggs
1 C Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz Cream cheese, cubed
Ranch dressing and cilantro for garnish

Cook bacon
In an oven safe 12-inch skillet over medium heat cook bacon until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of oil.

Sauté veggies, add eggs, cheeses
Saute onion and jalapeno until soft, 3 to  4 minutes. Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk together, sat and pepper to taste. Pour into skillet then add cheddar cheese, cream cheese and bacon. Cook until egg is set on bottom 5 to 6 minutes

Finish and serve
Place skillet under broiler in the oven and cook until top of eggs has set and cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove, slice and serve.

SOS: Creamed Beef Over Toast

Printable version

Chipped beef is made from top and bottom round, sirloin tip and knuckle. The cuts are brined, dried and sliced thin or “chipped.” The products resistance to decay and lightweight make it the perfect product for soldiers. In World War II the beef was used as the main ingredient of a cream gravy to smother toasted bread so often that the soldiers gave it a very raw nickname: Shit on a shingle.

For years, My family ate creamed beef over toast and I had no idea of it’s naughty nickname. It was always a brunch favorite in our house. Recently my Mom shared a left over batch with me that Dad had made. I thought it would be a simple dish to recreate here and as I was describing the dish, and it’s deliciousness, to my cousin a few days later, she said, “You made shit on a shingle for your blog?” I had heard the slang term years ago but I really had no idea that creamed beef over toast is the infamous dish that's name translates to “poop on a roof.”

BEHIND THIS BITE
The introduction says it all.

Eat well, cook often ...

THE RECIPE
Serves 4; 20 minutes
1/4 C Unsalted butter
4 oz Chipped beef chopped
1/4 C Flour
2 C Milk
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Fresh cracked black pepper

Start gravy, make toast
While making beef mixture toast 8 slices of bread. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add beef and sauté 2 minutes. Add flour and stir until well combined with butter, let cook 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture turns light brown.

Thicken gravy, serve
Add milk to skillet and stir until well incorporated. Turn up heat and bring mixture to a simmer, stirring often until mixture thickens, 5 to 6 minutes, remove from heat. On a plate place 2 pieces of toast and smoother in a quarter of the beef mixture, then serve.

Omelet Casserole

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Recently, I was asked to make a few brunch items for a party where 200 were expected. The first thing I thought of was an omelet casserole my Mom makes at Christmas.

She told me it was a recipe used by the ladies at St. John Bosco Church for their annual breakfast for high school graduates. She has helped put on the event for years and has access to the recipes. She granted me permission to use it, but I had to say 48 Hail Marys and 36 Our Fathers in exchange.

For this recipe, I make the St. John Bosco omelet casserole. I simplify it by using a bag of sausage skillet to replace a few fresh ingredients. The modification was made to save time because I had to make three pans of this for the party. The change doesn’t effect the overall taste and more importantly, it keeps the original recipe safe. I wouldn’t want to be excommunicated from the church for taking a secret dish from the ladies of St. John Bosco and publishing it in the local newspaper. 

BEHIND THIS BITE
This was one of three dishes I made for a family member’s graduation party. It was a late morning/early afternoon celebration that featured a brunch menu. Most people had multiple graduation parties that day and starting it off with a tasty brunch was a home run for those who attended. The other two dishes we’re biscuits and gravy and – the big hit of the party – french toast casserole. (French toast casserole is another gem that the ladies at St. John Bosco make. I’ll make it for the blog in the future – after I’ve said another 319 Hail Marys and 426 Our Fathers.) My mom insisted on making it for the party - which she did.

I went with the omelet casserole for the print column because of it’s ease. It has a wonderful flavor and it can feed a lot of people. It’s perfect for a breakfast or brunch party and the toughest part is cracking the eggs.

Although this was a brunch party, I think that the breakfast dishes would be a fun idea for a party in the evening, just for a different twist. I love breakfast food and could eat this dish for any meal of the day. Throw in a side of biscuits and gravy and I’ll be in culinary breakfast heaven.

Eat well, cook often ...

Eggs and Sausage Gravy Over Hash Browns

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In the town of Churubusco, Indiana there is a small diner called the “Ramble Inn.” It has served the 2,000 residents of Turtle Town USA since well before I was born. When I was in college at Ball State University I would work during the summer break and return to Churubusco, where I grew up. The Ramble was the only place in town that was open 24 hours, so it was a favorite stop for me and my friends after a night out on the town. I would always order the restaurant's signature breakfast called the He-Man, with a half order of biscuits and gravy on the side.

(I was a child of the late 70s and 80s. After Star Wars there was nothing more Awesome than He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. I still think that Castle Greyskull was the greatest play set made in the 1980s - Even cooler than the Millennium Falcon! Which is saying a lot cause I'm a Star Wars Nut)

I was a sucker for the He-Man because of my obsession with the toys in the past. It included two eggs, hash browns, sausage or bacon and toast. Thrown in the biscuits and gravy and you got all of my favorite breakfast flavors.

For this recipe, I take my favorite parts of the He-Man with biscuits and gravy and combine them on one plate. The result is fried eggs and sausage gravy over a huge hash brown.

I have been making this plate for a long time. I love hash browns and there is nothing better than sausage gravy, I consider it nectar of the breakfast Gods, and I summon great powers from ingesting it. (Well, that’s a little dramatic, but this is my version of a breakfast named He-Man after all.) It may look like a mess on the plate but this is my favorite morning bite and would eat it everyday if it were a little more healthy.

BEHIND THIS BITE
This was the 100th print column that I have published. It’s a milestone that I’m really proud of. The introduction that ran in the paper was totally different because the readers are familiar with the restaurant and town so I reworked it for webland. It is the first time that I have completely scraped the print intro, which is roughly 200 words. It was nice to not have a word count when I started this post. It is much more difficult to write a 200 word story than it is a 400. Sounds ironic but it is the truth. It forces you to edit, and that can be the toughest part of writing.

Eat well, cook often ...

Biscuits and Gravy

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When I was younger, one of my favorite things to do was get a late night order of biscuits and gravy after being out with friends. I would rip into a plate of this stick-to-your-ribs dish like a celebrity who just gave up on Jenny Craig.

Biscuits and gravy are served throughout the Midwest but it is for the most part considered a southern dish. It was a favorite on southern plantations because it was easy to make and provided a substantial breakfast before a long day of work.

I have to admit that the best biscuits and gravy I have ever eaten was when I spent the weekend in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I ate breakfast at a small diner with hand-made wooden benches. Not only was it the sausage gravy amazing – the biscuits were moist and creamy and unlike any baked good I have ever devoured.

For this recipe, I make my own version of my favorite breakfast. They're not as good as what I found in Chattanooga, but neither is 99.9 percent of the biscuits and gravy found on this planet.

I use store bought biscuit dough, but the gravy is made from scratch and definitely a great start to any day.

BEHIND THIS BITE
This is one of the first recipes I made for my food column. It didn't appear here because I made it before I created Behind the Bites. I decided to make it again and shoot it with better knowledge of quality photography, food styling and culinary knowledge in general. When I originally created this, I was using a hand held Canon PowerShot and halogen flood-lights to illuminate the food. It was literally a Wal-mart purchased photography studio.

Last June, I sought professional photography help.

I have since discovered tripods, lights that replicate the sun’s wavelength, diffusers, reflectors and most important – DSLR cameras. I’m still a photo novice but I do believe my skills have improved immensely.

I might be kidding myself though.

The improvement mysteriously coincides with about $1,000 worth of equipment. Whether it’s better equipment or better photography skills, I am much happier with my photography now than I was when I created this recipe the first time.

Below you’ll find a side-by-side comparison – judge for yourself. I think that the photography is better, and I have also refined the layout template as well. What a difference a year-and-a-half makes.

NOTE: The actual recipe has also been tweaked, which was not only better for flavor but it lent itself to a more appetizing photograph of a plate of biscuits and gravy.

Eat well, cook often ...

Click for a closer look

A Burrito for Breakfast

Printable version

The first time I ate a breakfast burrito was at McDonald's after they were added to the menu in 1991. I thought they were great from the beginning and it is the item I choose most when I start the day with breakfast at the golden arches.

A friend of mine used to eat them everyday. He would order from the drive-thru, get three breakfast burritos and devour each one like a maniac in three bites. I wondered if he was secretly training for a burrito eating competition.

For this recipe, I make my own version of a breakfast burrito. These are much bigger and hardier than the diminutive snacks sold at McDonald's, and will take more than three bites to eat - unless your an NFL linemen. The burrito filling features shredded potato, fresco cheese and other traditional breakfast ingredients. The potato gives it a stick-to-your-ribs quality and the fresco cheese (labelled "queso fresco" at the supermarket) provides a fluffy compliment to the egg, and is similar in texture to feta cheese but very mild in flavor.

BEHIND THIS BITE
The friend that I mention in the intro – who ate McDonald's breakfast burritos in three bites – had another interesting fast food quirk. He never went into fast food restaurants when he was by himself. He would order at the drive-thru, then pull into a parking spot and eat in his truck.

I always thought that was odd.

At the time, he and another guy I hung out with, were what I called "eat in the parking lot alone guys" (with mullets) I used to poke fun at them because of it. (the eating habits, not the hair-do) I hate to eat in my car. Some people do it all the time, but for me, I'd rather slop my Big Mac special sauce all over a table I don't have to clean, rather than the steering wheel of my Honda Civic.

I can understand though. Some people don't want to sit in a public place alone and eat. It's an insecure thing. Kind of like people who can't drive twenty minutes by themselves in a car without calling every person in their contact list – just so they don't appear to be alone or without friends.

People are strange.

I haven't spoke to the three-bite-burrito-eater in years, I moved to New York and he to Utah. Last I heard, he married a woman named Tangerine. I hope he is doing well because he was a good guy, and a great friend at the time - even though he ate in the parking lot like a wanted criminal afraid of being recognized while eating lunch at a fast food joint.

Eat well, cook often ...