Waffle-ized Hash Browns with Everything Bagel Egg

Everything can be waffle-ized! I’ll admit, these could be pan fried like a potato pancake, but 1) I hate the splatter and patience of frying things and b) these get so delightfully crispy on the waffle iron. Waffle nooks & crannies to be filled with egg yolk? Sign. Me. Up.

I didn’t win the big burger competition but I’ll put together a post about that soon! For now, here’s an anytime meal I whipped up before we left for the competition.
The Three Bite Rule - Waffle-ized Hashbrowns topped with an Egg
I made these for a weekend dinner- mostly for time sake, but they’re screaming: BRUNCHHH! I also made enough for another time and dropped some in the freezer for a rainy day. I used leftover cheese sauce I had in the freezer from homemade mac & cheese but have leftover queso (does anyone have leftovers?) use that! Have a can of Cambell’s canned cheddar cheese sauce (use half a can with a 1/4 cup of milk)? Use that!

Waffle-ized Hash Browns Topped with a Fried Egg & Everything Bagel Seasoning

Ingredients: (for ~4 full waffles, ~8 servings)

6 cups of frozen shredded hash browns (~2/3 of a 30oz bag)
2 cups shredded cheddar
2 eggs
1 cup cheese sauce
salt & pepper
3 teaspoons everything bagel seasoning
eggs (1-2 per serving)
bacon

Directions:

Mix together the hash browns, shredded cheese, cheese sauce, eggs, salt & pepper.
The Three Bite Rule - Waffle-ized Hashbrowns topped with an Egg
Preheat the waffle iron (or a skillet with oil) and preheat the oven to keep the “waffles” warm.
The Three Bite Rule - Waffle-ized Hashbrowns topped with an Egg
Heavily spray the waffle iron with non-stick spray- more than for a waffle.
Scoop about 3/4 of a cup onto the waffle iron and spread the hash browns out (spread more than for a waffle).
Cook on the waffle iron for ~5-7 minutes as the waffle iron instructs (mine gets filled, then tilted in the opposite direction to cook for 4 minutes, but these need longer than the waffle).
The Three Bite Rule - Waffle-ized Hashbrowns topped with an Egg
Keep the waffles warm and re-spray and reload the iron, repeating to use all the mixture.
In a separate pan, fry the eggs sunny-side up or over easy, as you like.
Top half a waffle with an egg, per serving, sprinkled with salt, pepper, and everything bagel seasoning.
The Three Bite Rule - Waffle-ized Hashbrowns topped with an Egg
Enjoy!

Not into eggs? Slice an avocado! Cut them into quarters, melt a slice of cheese onto the egg and add the top waffle piece for a sandwich!
The Three Bite Rule - Waffle-ized Hashbrowns topped with an Egg

Crispy Chicken Sandwiches with Gouda & Apple

What do you get when you cross a dinner timesaver with all the fall flavors? Answer: crispy chicken sandwiches with gouda, apple, mustard, and arugula. These were so quick for dinner one night – then again for lunch another day annnnd they use some of the bajillion apples we have.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken & Apple Sandwiches

Crispy Chicken Sandwiches with Gouda & Apples

Ingredients: (for 4, serves 2-3 people)

4 pieces of breaded chicken (I used frozen chicken tenders, or make your own)
3 tablespoons dijon mustard or honey mustard
1 large apple
4 rolls (I used finger rolls, shoot for the same size as your chicken)
1-2 cups arugula
4 slices of smoked gouda

Directions:

Bake the chicken (until cooked through, or as the package instructs).
Slice the apple into thin slices.
Spread the mustard onto the rolls then add arugula, and apple slices.
Lay the gouda onto the chicken to melt the last minute of cooking.
Add the chicken onto the sandwiches.
Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken & Apple Sandwiches
I also like reminding the little ones that foods can be different all the time. We don’t just eat the apples off the core, here they are with other food!

Burger Competition

I entered a burger competition not thinking a ton about it. Build a Better Burger by Sutter Home made me think I wouldn’t get picked, but maybe I’d get some wine! I then heard I’d be in the regional finals and I won! I couldn’t believe it! I have the national finals coming up in just a few weeks. It was exciting and nerve-racking.
The Three Bite Rule - board
I had never done something like this before! Cooking everything outside- with a set time was tricky!

The Three Bite Rule - Cooking
I entered my Parisian Burger, circa 2014 (which deserves a reshoot for the blog). It is ground pork with rosemary & dijon with arugula, swiss, truffle mayo, and a fried egg on a brioche bun. Had I thought more about the possibility of cooking an egg on the grill, I might have planned otherwise! The eggs came out well though.

The Three Bite Rule - Parisian Burger
The regional finals:
There were 5 regional finals, each with 4 contestants. The winner from each goes to the national finals – that’s me! We had 60 minutes to cook 4 burgers for the judges + 1 display. The judges were 3 chefs and a former Red Sox player. The competition was outside Fenway Park then we got tickets to the game!
The Three Bite Rule - Judges
Racing a plate to the display felt like all the Food Network shows I watch!
The Three Bite Rule - Insta
We got a gift card to cover travel (so for me, that was parking but my competitors were from NH, Jersey, CT) and we got a gift card for our ingredients.
The Three Bite Rule - Area
Cooking eggs on a skillet, on a grill is tricky. I also didn’t want the eggs hanging around forever before serving, so cooking them in batches worked out pretty well.

The Three Bite Rule - plates
When they announced the winner I was super nervous. It was a long few hours of arriving, prepping, cooking, and waiting. I felt proud. This was all new to me so I just hoped to be ton time and produce my burger the best I could. I knew it’d be subjective for the judging so I just wanted to feel good about it. I couldn’t believe it when they announced it.
The Three Bite Rule - Waiting
I was really thankful to have Mr. J there with me. He calms me down and was the perfect support I needed.

Next up, the national finals:
In just a few weeks Mr. J and I are heading to Napa for wine & the final competition. Can you believe it? One of the 5 regional finals will win $25,000! Fingers crossed! We are so psyched for a few days in Napa! Follow along on instagram (@emilyran) and I’ll try to get photos for a post about the trip & the final round!

September 2019 Recap

Wooo-eeee! September was a whirl-wind!

September’s hype was the burger competition! I can’t believe it. I won! I literally entered because I thought ‘hmm. they won’t pick my burger but maybe they’ll send me some wine!’ I wanted more and more details so it was a bit clouded in mystery but it went really well. I practiced a few times. The timing (60 minutes to make burgers for 4 judges and 1 display) – exactly as entered was boarder-line too long. It was fun but nerve-wracking. I was proud and glad it all went well.

In addition to practicing my burger, I made this honey mustard chicken salad and loved it best in lettuce wraps – but of course it was delicious in a croissant! It was a fun back-to-school timing of lunch.
The Three Bite Rule - Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
This Easiest Peach Cobbler was such a fun dessert. I made a small portion and am due to throw the other half together – maybe blueberry next!
The Three Bite Rule - Easiest Peach Cobbler
I made a flatbread with naan, arugula, cherries and parmesan. It was such a fun lunch. It has this impression of being super special but couldn’t be easier.
The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread
The Baby Girl:
She seems so big! She’s so strong and adjusted ok to the switch to milk. She’s a fantastic eater. She loves it all. I can’t get over the volume she’s eating! The other night she ate a BBQ chicken thigh, most of a corn cob, and about 1/3 cup of rice. She loves the swings, following big brother around, and taking things out of whatever they’re in.

The Little Boy:
He’s loving his new school! I can’t get over how much he’s learning. We did it because the biggest learning curve is meeting new people and adapting to new routines. He’s doing so great! He just taught me about fiction books and how he does big kid math! We’re so proud of him making friends and being himself – what more could we ask for?! Pasta is his #1, of course. He loves that his new school isn’t nut-free so PB&J it is! He’s super into Italian dressing which seems funny and talking a lot about fish so we’ve had salmon, coconut shrimp, and crispy fish tacos.

2019 goals:

Year of ___ decluttering/minimizing/organizing: I should get back on it. We’re done with bottles so I’m hoping to find somebody who wants them!
Feeding Littles: I reflected on introducing little ones to new foods – like blue cheese dressing! 
Work on advanced food prepping: We went for easy while super busy at work and a cold that passed along amongst us.
What I’m reading: I read Pachinko for bookclub.
What I’m watching: We watched the movie Vice which was so good.

Dark Cherry & Arugula Flatbread

I love the simplicity most about this flatbread. It has some special touches but is wayyy easier than it seems! The cherries were frozen- with the pits already removed! They can pretty much thaw on the counter while everything else is prepping! What a great way to get another color of the food rainbow in!

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread

Cherry, Arugula & Parmesan Flatbread

Ingredients:

4 naan (I used wheat)
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
3 cups baby arugula
1/4 cup shaved parmesan
1/2 cup dark cherries, frozen
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt & pepper

Directions:

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, or a toaster oven to toast the naan for 5-8 minutes, until crisping on the edges but still soft.
Toss the arugula in olive oil with salt & pepper.
Spread cream cheese on each piece of naan and sprinkle arugula, parmesan, and cherries on top.
The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread
Slice & enjoy!

This takes 10 minutes and I can picture munching it on a patio at a restaurant who’d ask $18 for it. I love the cherries contrasting the arugula and parm. The cherries are a great smoothie addition for leftovers or are fantastic on yogurt.
The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Arugula Flatbread
I use naan for the fastest weeknight pizzas ever. This week is nutty at work with an event this weekend so I planned some quick pizzas on naan for a weeknight meal and my Thursday night self thanks that Sunday planning self! Naan pizzas freeze well too if prepping in advance – not an arugula flatbread, but go for it with traditional toppings! I also found tiny naans that are a great kid size for lunches too!