Epic Breakfast Sandwich

Breakfast sandwiches are one of my fav foods so I decided to give it a twist with hashbrowns and a sweet sauce, crisp bacon, and sharp cheddar. Yesssss.
The Three Bite Rule - Epic Bfast Sandwich
Also. I baked the hashbrowns in the bacon drippings. Necessary.

Epic Breakfast Sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon
4 hash brown patties
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon mayo
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 eggs
2 slices sharp cheddar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees. Set up a baking sheet (one that has edges) topped with a cooling rack. Spray with non-stick spray and lay the bacon onto the cooling rack. Bake for 7-10 minutes, until crisp.
When the bacon is crisp, remove and let drain on paper towel.
Careful (it is hot!) remove the cooling rack, and pop the hash brown patties onto the baking sheet and bake according to the package – flipping partway through. Mine took about 18 minutes to get very crispy.
While the hash browns are cooking, mix together the mustard, mayo, and maple syrup.
The Three Bite Rule - Epic Bfast Sandwich
When the hash browns are crispy on both sides, pan fry the eggs. Flip and add the sliced cheese on top.
(Some sauteed spinach or greens would be nice here too – mine had gone too far so I had to skip it).
While the eggs cook, smear some maple-dijon sauce onto the bottom hash brown (then greens if you’re using).
The Three Bite Rule - Epic Bfast Sandwich
Top with bacon then with the egg & cheese.
The Three Bite Rule - Epic Bfast Sandwich
Then top with the top hash brown.
Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Epic Bfast Sandwich
Yum. I loved these. They were a tiny bit tricky to pick up…more of a fork-and-knife dish. I really wanted some garlicy wilted greens inside here, but my greens were slimy. No thank you.

The Three Bite Rule - Epic Bfast Sandwich
This little place near work makes a breakfast sandwich with this maple-y mustard sauce. It is just the surprise to keep this alive. I mellowed mine out with 1 part mayo because for some reason this dijon is knock-yo-socks off tangy.

Coconut Caramel Smoothie

This smoothie was for breakfast, but definitely suggested dessert. The coconut was light and the caramel felt like a treat. Whenever bananas are on their way out I chop them into chunks and freeze them. They make smoothies so creamy. I kept it as simple as possible for a breakfast, but would also love this with a touch of chocolate or coffee.

The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Coconut Smoothie

Coconut Caramel Smoothie

Ingredients: 1 serving

1 frozen banana
1 1/4 cup coconut almond milk
1 cup ice cubes
6 oz coconut Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons caramel ice cream topping + 1 teaspoon for garnish

Directions:

In a blender, add in the banana, coconut almond milk, ice, and yogurt.
The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Coconut Smoothie
Add in the caramel sauce. Blend again. Pour in another drizzle of milk, if needed.
The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Coconut Smoothie
Pour into a cup, and drizzle with caramel. Enjoy!IMG_6135

SO good! It was sweet, but so delicious. The banana, the yogurt and the almond milk made it filling while the caramel made it delightfully special. And if we’re being real, sometimes that’s exactly what a Tuesday needs.
The Three Bite Rule - Caramel Coconut Smoothie

March 2017 Recap

My birthday month was a good one! I seriously ate birthday cake for a week. As March draws to an end, I’m very ready for spring though work is getting nutty. Mr. J and I had a little getaway to Foxwoods for a little gambling, and a lot of catching up with my college roomies + spouses. We ate at Guy Fieri’s Kitchen + Bar and loved it!

My grain bowl obsession continues! I loooved this pilaf, grilled chicken, avocado, bacon, & honey mustard bowl. Annnd then I made a teriyaki one with grilled pineapple.
The Three Bite Rule - Rice Pilaf & Honey Mustard Grain Bowl
Chicken Caesar Pasta was such a hit. Loved it.
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken Caesar Pasta
I baked! We had a snow day and this Blueberry & Cream Cheese Pastry was perfect.
The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry & Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastry

The Little One:
He’s been throwing around some funny phrases, like “I think so” and “ummm” when he’s thinking. There are more and more sentences happening! We had a dry spell for avocados so he’s really hoping ties aren’t cut between our government and Mexico. He had a sleepover with the grandparents and loved it. I got some re-fillable pouches for applesauce and yogurt and those are such a hit.

Monthly goals:

Year of the seasonal decor: I JUST got this awesome felt pom pom garland that is around a twiggy wreath for springy Easter decor! Yay!!
do more dinner prep more in advance: ehh. speedy dinners are def happening and I’m using up the comfort food.
read more (and always carry my book on me): I read Brain on Fire with bookclub and Girl at War.
watch more movies: we watched Girl on the Train, which was wayyy more intense for Mr. J who hadn’t read the book.
cook more fish: nahh. Maybe in spring this will actually happen?
focus on clothes that I really like: no new clothes this month

Quick Fav Dinners

Here’s what I’ve been eating lately, in a quest to get dinner on the table FAST. Whether it is to fit into toddler-time (which translates to: now/soon or there’s a chance somebody might meltdown (it could be me!)) or just a not-new dinner with minimal steps, the goal is to can eat before it is too late. Here’s what’s hitting my weekly menu when it isn’t getting blogged!

Gnocchi from the freezer with a quick sauce. Seriously, once water boils, it cooks for 5 minutes. The other day, I warmed some of my fav kitchen ready tomatoes from a can, plopped in a scoop of cream cheese and warmed it all together. Poof. Instant dinner that seems a bit more special. Take the same liberty with ravioli or tortellini.
The Three Bite Rule - Tomato & Basil Gnocchi
Chicken, Avocado, Ranch subs (admittedly, I skipped the bacon because it would take too long).  Make it a sandwich, a wrap, a pocket…whatever is on hand.
Keep some breaded frozen chicken on hand in the freezer. A little even goes a long way in a sandwich or salad.
ranch_chick_plate_590_390
Tacos. I found some frozen cooked & seasoned taco meat. Instant fiesta!

Breakfast for dinner! Mr. J is verrrry good at whipping together a frittata with whatever cheese/spinach/tomato and freezer bacon he can find. We always have eggs around and there’s just more time for a breakfast dish at night!
brussels_hash_eggs_590_390

Speaking of, I’ve also been front-loading dinner prep by prepping extra and having some to pull out of the freezer. Enter, cheesy hashbrowns. These bad boys just needed topping and to bake.
The Three Bite Rule - Hashbrown Bake
Of course there’s always room for boxed mac & cheese on occasion…

Blueberry & Cream Cheese Pastry

I pretty much always want savory for breakfast but on the eve of a snow day, I flipped to the other side and made this super easy breakfast pastry. I saw this lemon-cherry one on Pinterest and thought: sign me up, I’m no baker, I do not need to make pastry dough. Puff pastry sheets for the win! I also had a ginourmous bag of frozen blueberries, so it seemed a great use for the frozen ones.

The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry & Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastry

Blueberry & Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastry (for 4-6 servings)

adapted from Peas & Peonies
Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted to room temperature
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon water
6 oz cream cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice (or orange juice)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees, and bring cream cheese and puff pastry to room temperature. (I put my cream cheese on defrost in the microwave for a minute to speed it up).
In a medium pot, heat the blueberries, honey, and a splash of water (about 1/4 cup) to a simmer. Then add in the cornstarch and water mixture. Cook for a few minutes until thick, then remove from the heat.
The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry & Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastry
In a mixer or with a hand mixer, whip the cream cheese and sugar together. Scrape the sides down and ensure it is well combined.
Roll the puff pastry a bit so it is 1/4 inch thick, or a little less and lay it onto a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray, or onto parchment paper. Spread the cream cheese onto the middle of the pastry. Mine had been folded in 3rds and I used the lines as a reference.
The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry & Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastry
Make cuts into the puff pastry on either side of the cream cheese. I made mine about 1″ wide from the exterior edge towards the filling. Spoon the berry filling on top of the cream cheese.
The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry & Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastry
Fold the puff pastry cuts across the filling, alternating sides at an angle.
The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry & Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastry
When you’ve gotten almost to the other end, repeat for the 4 end-most pastry “tabs” then resume from the other direction to overlap and close it all. This means that 3/4 way down the pastry there will be some overlap, but otherwise it won’t be closed.
The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry & Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastry
Bake for 25-minutes, or until fully golden brown. Let it cool before icing.
While it cools, mix confectioners sugar, milk, and lemon juice with a fork for the glaze.
When the pastry is cool, drizzle the glaze over the top. The Three Bite Rule - Blueberry & Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastry
Slice & enjoy!

I loved this! I only took a few liberties from the other recipe. I made my filling partly to have it less sweet, a bit less sugar, and because it felt easy-enough. I used a little less cream cheese filling as I wanted the ratio to be more 3:1, fruity with a touch of creamy. Also, I have no idea what crescent dough sheets are. It sounds delightful but I’ve never seen that in the store before.

Let’s chat microwaves. Do you have a good defrost function? My current microwave has an excellent one called “inverter turbo defrost” (said with a deep, deep voice). It was great to gent-ly soften the cream cheese. Otherwise, breakfast might have taken forever! I’d whip this up again. It was quite easy and looks cute. I could have made the berry filling, cream cheese mixture, and glaze in advance for an even quicker assembly, but slow and un-rushed is what snow days are for, right?