Fluffernutter Baked French Toast

There’s nothing better than melty peanut butter. I made this Fluffernutter Baked French Toast for Easter and thought it was so fun, especially since my fam love peanut butter and fluff flavors! Baked french toast is super handy since it gets all mixed and goes into the oven as one fell swoop! I used mini marshmallows, making this super easy and it would be a great one for kids to help with! I was making it early morning before little ones would check if the Easter bunny came! Plus, I was blogging so that’s definitely a solo project!
The Three Bite Rule - Fluffernutter Baked French Toast

Peanut Butter & Marshmallow French Toast

Ingredients: (for ~5-6 servings)

1/2 loaf Italian bread
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup (more for serving)
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:

Slice the bread into ~1 inch slices and 1 inch cubes. (I did this the night before- when it gets a bit stale it is better!)
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
The Three Bite Rule - Fluffernutter Baked French ToastWhisk together the eggs, cream, extract, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
Stir in the bread and mix to coat well, but with care to not breakdown the bread completely.
Spray a 9″x9″ or 9″ deep dish pie plate, or similar sized baking dish with non-stick spray.
Add in half the bread mixture with half the mini marshmallows and with half the peanut butter. From a big scoop of peanut butter, push off small dollops of pb with another spoon.
The Three Bite Rule - Fluffernutter Baked French ToastThen add in the rest of the bread mixture and the rest of the peanut butter and marshmallows.
Bake for 40 minutes covered, then another 10 minutes uncovered.
The Three Bite Rule - Fluffernutter Baked French ToastServe with syrup and enjoy!

We loved it! The marshmallows were surprisingly not too sweet which surprised me. I also served it with bacon which helps for some salt flavor! It is good as leftovers too. Being home all the time has me thinking more baked french toasts should be in rotation. Last year I made a Nutella Croissant Baked French Toast which is also fantastic- if you were looking for more ways to consume nutella!
The Three Bite Rule - Fluffernutter Baked French Toast

Chicken, Bacon, Cheddar and Ranch Risotto

These flavors are great on their own, but better together. That’s like all of us, right? These weird times we’re all navigating need meals to connect over. I don’t pretend all meals are perfect though at our house, most of us loved this. T was mostly into the bacon and didn’t go for the chicken. C ate some of all of it, but LOVED the chicken.
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken, Bacon, Cheddar & Ranch Risotto
Chicken was hard to come by on some of our digital grocery orders at one point. I had a few frozen chicken thighs and some panko breaded chicken tenders that were also formal residents of our freezer. However you like/whatever you can get! Risotto or any rice or whatever grain is kicking around your pantry. Any rice, or farro, or couscous, or quinoa, or lentils, or even beans would be good! Adding ranch flavor and cheddar and bacon will make the world seem better- or at least it’ll make dinner seem better!

Chicken, Bacon, Cheddar and Ranch Risotto

Ingredients: (serves 4)

1 cup arborio rice
1 1/2 chicken broth (or liquid ratio according to the method)
2 teaspoons dried Ranch powder mix
1 cup shredded cheddar
4 strips of bacon
4 chicken thighs grilled or pan seared or ~6 chicken tenders breaded and fried or baked
4 tablespoons ranch dressing (optional)

Directions:

Prepare the risotto according to the package (or method – I used the pressure cooker so I use the liquid ratio for that 1 cup arborio to 1 1/2 cups liquid) with the dried ranch mix.
While the risotto is cooking, chop the bacon and pan fry it until crisp, then remove from the grease but save a tablespoon or two.
Add in the tablespoon or two of bacon grease into the risotto when it is fully cooked, and mix in the cheddar cheese and bacon.
Bake or grill or sear the chicken.
Spoon some risotto into bowls or plates, slice chicken on top, and lastly add a drizzle of ranch dressing.
Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken, Bacon, Cheddar & Ranch Risotto

The first time I made this I roasted some grape tomatoes for this too. Stirring in some fresh spinach would be good for a complete bowl meal. I tossed some salad stuff together on the side. Or green beans would go nicely with this too!

Easter Round Up – Making it Special, While Small

I thought Easter meals could still be fun despite being a bit smaller. Here are a few of my favorites, that can also be easily halved if you have fewer guests this year!

You NEED this carrot shaped cheese ball plus it is easy to make half the recipe for a little one- for just a few people. So cute! Mix up the cheese in advance and assemble before serving. Because the exterior is just cheese, I’d totally keep it eating it another time if you have leftovers! This cheese ball is prob my fav, so form it into a carrot shape!
The Three Bite Rule - Carrot Cheese Ball
Deviled eggs are a fun nibble while little ones are hunting for plastic eggs! Also, make just a few! I think these Breakfast Deviled Eggs will be on our table for a savory bite and I’ll probably just make a few, as in, 3 eggs worth? Eyeball it- or add them to your dinner spread using any eggs you dyed! I love Caesar Deviled Eggs and Bacon & Ranch Deviled Eggs and Sour Cream & Onion Deviled Eggs.
The Three Bite Rule - Breakfast Deviled Eggs
Breakfast foods can be easy to make half of too! I definitely recommend a baked french toast – this one is Nutella Croissant Baked French Toast is amazing!
The Three Bite Rule - Nutella Croissant Baked French Toast
Flipping a ham dinner into sandwiches or into a pizza would be fun, if you’re not making a whole ham!
The Three Bite Rule - Ham & Cheddar Pizza with Mustard Drizzle

Enjoy Easter! Hope the bunny brings some treats!

White Bean & Sausage Soup

Some rainy days recently called for soup! I put this together and appreciated that it was ready to eat right away – no long cooking time needed! Soups are ideal for leftovers and are easy to make in small batches if you don’t want to eat it for 100 meals. I feel like in our heads, soup is a huge pot that cooks for hours but it doesn’t have to be!

The Three Bite Rule - White Bean & Sausage Soup

White Bean & Sausage Soup

Ingredients: (for 2-3 servings)

1 can white beans
3 sausage links, with casing removed (hot or sweet Italian)
2 cups shredded collard greens (or kale or chard)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon oregano or thyme
1 teaspoon Trader Joe’s Mushroom Seasoning (or poultry seasoning blend, or Mrs. Dash, or other favorite seasoning)

The Three Bite Rule - White Bean & Sausage Soup

Directions:

In a large pan, pan fry the sausage until cooked through and caramelized. Break into tiny bits- sized to fit on the spoon! Drain and discard grease.
In a medium pot, add in the beans, greens, stock, garlic, seasoning, and sausage (all but the parmesan). Bring to a boil and cook for ~5-10 minutes, until the greens are fully cooked.
Reduce heat and simmer on low for 5 minutes and add in half the parmesan. Scoop into 2 bowls and sprinkle the rest of the parmesan on top of each bowl.
Stir and enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - White Bean & Sausage Soup

I looooved this. It hit the spot on a drizzly day while we are home. My broth was from a roasted chicken (plus some onion peals and carrots) and then I strained and froze it. A soup with homemade broth is just so good. I also swear by “Better than Bullion”. If you substitute spinach, add it just at the every end to wilt, then eat immediately.

I used hot sausage since that’s what was substituted on an instacart order. It was fantastic! Not too spicy! This soup would also be good a bit creamy, by blending about 1/3 of the beans, then adding them in with everything else. It would make it less broth-y.
The Three Bite Rule - White Bean & Sausage Soup

Guest Post: Peanut Butter & Banana Old Fashioned Cocktail

Today is a great day for a guest post, right!? We all need a cocktail right now and I’m thrilled to introduce you to Mike! We met in college and I fondly remember wearing a shirt to a conference that said “Have you met Mike?”. He has always been one to bring people together so cocktails in these strange times seems ohh-so fitting. Mike has been posting FAN-TASTIC cocktails and I asked if he’d share one here. Woohoo! Bottoms up! Meet Mike:

My name is Mike Lawlor, and I am the AGM for two different restaurants in Dorchester, Ashmont Grill & Tavolo Ristorante.  I come up with seasonal cocktails for each establishment with the help of my bartenders.  When the governor and mayor decided to move restaurants to take out only I decided I would post cocktail recipes that were delicious and approachable for the every day person with ingredients they may have in their pantry and liquor cabinet.  I am fortunate enough to manage two bars where I have endless resources.  Some cocktail recipes I will offer an easy suggestion for a replacement.

The Three Bite Rule - PB & Banana Old Fashioned

When we closed the doors at Ashmont Grill we let our staff do some grocery shopping on items that wouldn’t last through all this craziness.  We are a tight knit family so we wanted to make sure everyone had some food to last through these hard times.  I grabbed some bananas and decided to freeze them.  My roommate came home night with a bottle of Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey…ding ding!  Who doesn’t love a peanut butter and banana sandwich?  I sure do!  Growing up my favorite sandwich was a PB and banana on cinnamon raisin bread.
The Three Bite Rule - PB & Banana Old Fashioned

The Cocktail:

Peanut Butter & Banana Old Fashioned

2 oz. of Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey
1 oz of Banana Puree
2 Dashes of Chocolate Bitters

Preparation:

Banana Puree:
1 Cup of water and sugar
2 bananas Chopped
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
Bring water and sugar to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. Add the bananas and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes, or so.
The Three Bite Rule - PB & Banana Old Fashioned
Take off heat, let cool. Blend and then strain.
The Three Bite Rule - PB & Banana Old Fashioned
LETS MAKE THE COCKTAIL!
Grab your cocktail shaker.  Add the ingredients and stir with a bar spoon.  Add some ice, stir again.  Grab a glass of your choice and drop in some ice (I recommend a large whiskey cube so it doesn’t dilute the drink) strain the cocktail and cheers!
The Three Bite Rule - PB & Banana Old Fashioned
I hope you’re inspired and mix up a cocktail. I’ve had multiple virtual happy hours and will have to mix up a cocktail instead of wine for my next one!!

March 2020 Recap

What a weird time. We’re coming up on 2 weeks of physical distancing. It is very strange. We’re adjusting and we’ll continue to adjust. Some moments feel easier than others. Yesterday I felt grumpy but today feels like a whole new day. I’m hyper focused on each day having a workout and ensuring I do something to feel productive beyond getting work done and playing with the little ones.

I created some weekday themes to keep our days feeling different. Theme is occasionally a stretch. My take on this home-time for T is that he should color, cut, or write each day and read a ton. C goes with the flow so we aim that she gets to read and sing her kind of songs, like wheels on the bus (T is into How Bizarre.) To me, a theme is 2+ things- Space day: craft & space books & an “astronaut” pouch; Rainbow day: chalk & sprinkles on yogurt & a rainbow book.

I made Caramel Coconut Coffee just using coconut almond milk and coconut syrup – all very quarantine friendly!
The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Coconut Coffee

This Copycat Cracker Barrel Meatloaf is so good. There’s cheddar mixed in! The topping is really addicting too.
The Three Bite Rule - Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Copycat

My birthday feels like a year ago but it was great!! We had a bagel breakfast party which was perfect and went out to dinner for Chinese food!

I plan to still post a little bit. Ingredients are sometimes hard to come by right now but I also think normalcy is desired too. If I could ever convince you for a second to write a guest post, now is the time! It is fun to share food and I’m tell you, hobbies are crucial to our sanity (nap time is also a key to my sanity)! Comment or shoot me an email emily@thethreebiterule.com and I’ll get you going!

The Preschooler Guy:

He’s having fun and also missing school. We’re having pretend circle time to talk about the day of the week, the weather, what the theme is, and maybe a song. His pre-k program was truly amazing and I don’t pretend I’m replicating it! He loves blanket forts and bike rides.

The Toddler Girl:

She loves life and has so many words now! Help and open are my favorites! She likes the play kitchen and driving trucks around the house. I’m ever so grateful she loves the stroller- also since getting outside is good for all of us!

This Year’s Goals:

Year of beauty/selfcare! Ehh. Nothing has caught my eye.
Prep intentional sides and veggies: All bets are off right now. We’re eating well but I’m not stressing
Eat more fish: We had crispy fish tacos last night!
Blog some series: I did a lunch one of “Outside the Lunch Box”!
Focus decluttering/organizing to an area: Hmm. Not quite, but I’m on it!
Share more books on instagram: I’ve been sharing the kids books we’ve been reading.
Prioritize workouts: I did a core/kickboxing one called Core de Force and now I’m onto a cardio one called T25. We’ve been super active also getting outside and running around and taking walks.
What I’m reading: I read The Lost Girls of Paris and thought the history was fascinating and I liked the time jumps.  I read Mrs. Everything and found it page turning. 
What I’m listening to: 
my usual podcast favs like: Be there in Five’s episodes about babysitting had me cracking up out loud! (also the bridesmaid ones and sorority ones). I blew through The Dream season 1 about multi-level marketing- fa-cin-at-ing!
What I’m watching: Mr. J and I started watching Tournament of Champions and I love it!

Caramel Coconut Coffee

These strange times call for jazzed up home coffees! Social distancing isn’t really a coffee change for me. I tend to not spend $4 on a fancy coffee, but LOVE to whip up fun drinks at home. There’s still joy in sipping this while playing legos or putting shapes into the correct shaped hole. I’m aiming to post when I can, depending on what we an access. We’ll see!

Plus, you can order all these ingredients for groceries delivered.

The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Coconut Coffee

Caramel Coconut Coffee

Ingredients:

1 cup coffee
1/4 cup coconut almond milk
1 teaspoon caramel syrup

Directions:

Brew coffee.
Warm the milk just to take the chill off. Then froth the milk (either with a milk frother or shaken vigorously in a glass jar).
Drizzle caramel sauce onto the sides of the cup then add in the coffee. Spoon the foam onto the top.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Coconut Coffee
The coconut is subtle and not as creamy as real milk but it foamed well! I have this one and it is the best treat $12 can get you!

P.S. I have some other ideas for your leftover caramel syrup: Caramel Apple Smoothie; or Salted Caramel Cider French Toast; or Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Salted Caramel; or Turtle Hot Chocolate.

Copycat Cracker Barrel Meatloaf

While I’m not a connoisseur of Cracker Barrel’s meatloaf at the restaurant, the copycat recipes have circulated for years and I like so many aspects there: the cheddar in the meatloaf, the butter crackers, and the jazzed up ketchup on top make this a winner. I put my spin on it, most notably using pork but go for meatloaf mix or pork as you like. Raw meat isn’t the most photogenic, but this is very worth it.

The Three Bite Rule - Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Copycat
The ketchup topping probably makes this even more kid-friendly. We all like this at our house!

Copycat Cracker Barrel Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1/2 onion
1 sleeve of club crackers (~30ish), crushed
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
~1 1/2 pounds ground pork (or meatloaf mix)
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard

Directions:

Sautee the onion in olive oil/butter until cooked through.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Mix the crackers, eggs and milk, then add that to a big bowl with the ground pork, cheddar, sauteed onion, worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper. Then mix well until totally incorporated.
The Three Bite Rule - Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Copycat
Spoon the mixture into a loaf pan sprayed with non-stick spray.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Mix together the ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard.
The Three Bite Rule - Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Copycat
Spoon half over the meatloaf and cook for another 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and spoon remaining ketchup mixture over the top and let rest for 5 minutes.
The Three Bite Rule - Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Copycat
Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Copycat
This is really juicy and flavorful. I served it with some roasted butternut squash (that could have roasted a bit more) and some peas or arugula salad choice. I’m not into peas, and the kids aren’t into arugula, and J could go either way, so everyone got something green! I should really do 2 veggie sides more often! This came after my birthday celebration of a bagel brunch and cake so we probably all appreciated some colors and more varied foods that day!

It reheats very well too so enjoy the leftovers. If making in advance, I’d skip the ketchup topping until the day you’re eating it!
The Three Bite Rule - Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Copycat

February 2020 Recap

February is almost over and do you know what that means?!?! My birthday is coming!! February had some confusing weather and some winter sickness at our house. I feel like there’s a lot more on our calendars in March than we had in Feb. We had a fun little Superbowl festivity and our first school vacation!

I did a series of lunch ideas. It is hard to be creative when packing lunch all the time. I focused on me, though kids could eat these lunches. I spent high school refusing sandwiches and now I love a turkey sandwich come lunch time! I rarely buy lunch since I’d rather save that money for a dinner or that time for a walk.

My fav in the series was this hummus, cheese, and very veggie sandwich. Loading up the veggies is great and the roll seeming decadent is key to keeping this exciting. Word to the wise: bring un-assembled. Otherwise it’ll be drippy and soggy and no good.
The Three Bite Rule - Hummus & Veggie Sandwich

Breakfast food for lunch was a stroke of genius. I made just a few breakfast burritos but will definitely make more.
The Three Bite Rule - Bfast Burritos for Lunch

I also made some Lemon Poppyseed Tuna, complete with the caveat not to pack this one up for work unless you eat outside or close your door.
The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Poppyseed Tuna

I’m not sure what’s up for March. I just did 2 back to back series so I think I’ll hold off on another series and just make what I want. We’re doing a bagel brunch with the fam for my birthday and maybe my birthday is a good excuse to go out to our fav Chinese restaurant or my fav Mexican restaurant. Both are kid-friendly for my little ones and we all like both spots. I also am itching to make ravioli again so maybe that’ll fit in soon.

The Preschooler Guy:

We loaded up my old ipod with some songs and he loves playing them. We tend to hear one 1,000 times then he’s onto another. Kokimo by The Beach Boys was on repeat for awhile. We’ve been playing a lot of legos lately too. He loves going to the library and he often can find the books at home when we’ve missed returning them! Sometimes he eats so much and other times I’m shocked that’s all he wants. He ate 1 and a half pb&j sandwiches the other day…and might have kept going. He’s obsessed with the fruit and cream flavored oatmeal packets. He had a fun vacation with a few days in Maine and some extra fun days home with me and with his grandparents.

The Toddler Girl:

She’s getting more and more words! I love to hear them. She’ll repeat most words, and started saying “mine”…especially when big brother takes something! She loves being in the stroller and going outside. Refillable pouches with applesauce or yogurt are her fav bfast right now. Anything brown-ish and square, to her is a “cra-ker”. I love how well she sleeps. She loves to tuck toys into sleep and she loves her baby Cabbage Patch Doll “baby” and a hippo lovey “Pi-po”. I’m thrilled how much more she’s enjoying books!

This Year’s Goals:

Year of beauty/selfcare! Do antibiotics for strep count? Jk. I got some nifty hair elastics to minimize breakage and I got red-eye reducing drops.
Prep intentional sides and veggies: I planned for a few then grabbed a few others to have available – like a butternut squash. That’s the best method for me!
Eat more fish: Both kids will eat tons of salmon so I made that a few times this month. We all ate crispy fish tacos too. I made coconut shrimp when it was just me and the little girl home but she wasn’t that into it.
Blog some series: I did a lunch one of “Outside the Lunch Box”!
Focus decluttering/organizing to an area: ehh. not so much but I did transition some clothes the kids have outgrown with a next batch of hand-me-downs. 
Share more books on instagram: I got a few of mine on there and a few for the kids.
Prioritize workouts: I finished 100 Morning Meltdown! I felt so accomplished. Then I started a core/kickboxing one called Core de Force.
What I’m reading: Bookclub read There, There by Tommy Orange. I liked it and was glad to get lots of perspectives from Native Americans but wasn’t super motivated to keep picking it back up. I flew through Chances Are… by Richard Russo. I was really into it, but felt it was good, not life-changing. 
What I’m listening to:
my usual podcast favs like: Young House Love Has a Podcast; Be there in Five; Reply All; Mama Bear Dares
What I’m watching: There was an interesting Dateline I had seen in the news. Cra-zy.

Outside the Lunch Box: Veggie & Hummus Sandwich

The lunch series continues with a very veggie sandwich. Nothing about this one is rocket science BUT we all need more veggies, right? We had some illness go through our house and the winter months seems like a time to hunker down with a bowl of pasta. I embrace that but why not load up the veggies for other meals?!
The Three Bite Rule - Hummus & Veggie Sandwich
My all-time fav hummus is Cedar’s Balsamic & Caramelized Onion flavor. Color and texture are both emphasized here. Also, some really good sharp white cheddar is good here on a quality roll. This should definitely be in the weekly rotation!

Hummus & Veggie Sandwich (for 2)

Ingredients:

2 Onion rolls
4 tablespoons hummus
1 cup baby bella mushrooms
1/2 carrot
1/2 tomato
2 cups arugula
3-4 inches of a cucumber
3 tablespoons salad dressing (Parmesan Peppercorn, Creamy Caesar, Tzatziki, etc)

Directions:

Saute the mushrooms in butter with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
Slice the tomato, cucumber, cheese, and grate the carrot.
The Three Bite Rule - Hummus & Veggie Sandwich
Layer the roll with hummus, arugula, mushrooms, tomato, cheese, cucumber, and carrot.
The Three Bite Rule - Hummus & Veggie Sandwich
Drizzle with dressing.
Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Hummus & Veggie Sandwich
To pack this up for lunch, as mine always are: some assembly required. I brought this to work unassembled. It makes all the difference. In one container I had the veggies and separately I packed the roll, hummus, cheese, and dressing.

This was so good. I love all the flavors and crunch. The possibilities are endless: avocado, or pickled onions, or beets, or sprouts, or whatever you love!

I hope you got some new lunch ideas whether you pack it up for an office or for your mid-day meal wherever you are!