Breakfast & Breads Archives - Kitchen Meets Girl

Chocolate Chunk Muffins

May 26, 2013 By Ashley | 11 Comments

We love chocolate chunk muffins on the weekend. Or on a Monday, whatever.

The cool thing about these is that I made them with Chobani Vanilla Chocolate Chunk greek yogurt. Um? Heaven.

I went for a loooooooog time before I made the switch to greek yogurt. I’m not sure why. I guess I was comfy in my yogurt eating ways, and I’m basically a creature of habit. Now? I can’t stop with Chobani. And folks, they’re not paying me to say this.

Seriously, I get my container out of the refrigerator and Doodle swipes it right out of my hands, spoon and all. Wrestling with your 5-year old over a carton of yogurt seems a little embarrassing. But we do love it around here.

Don’t believe that I can’t stop eating/cooking with/baking with yogurt? I even put it in my dinner last week.

I’ve used in muffins and cakes and breads.

I highly recommend it.

Make sure to read the recipe instructions all the way through before beginning these muffins. Sally’s best-ever muffin tip directs you to begin baking your muffins at 425 degrees – baking for just 5 minutes. Then, lower your oven temperature to 375 degrees for the remainder of your baking time.

I used the same tip in my bakery-style banana muffins with awesome results.

Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/4 c Chobani Vanilla Chocolate Chunk Greek Yogurt
2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, Chobani, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add dry mixture to Chobani mixture and stir until nearly combined. If desired, gently fold in 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips. Evenly divide batter among muffins cup--fill them all the way to the top!
Sprinkle tops of muffins with coarse sugar and the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
Bake for 5 minutes at 425, and then reduce your oven temperature to 375. Bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, or until the center of the muffins resist light pressure.

recipe adapted from Chobani

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/breakfastbrunch/chocolate-chunk-muffins/

XO, Ashley

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Homemade Instant Pancake Mix

May 5, 2013 By Ashley | 23 Comments

Want to make preparing a homemade pancakes a snap? Let me show you how, with this easy homemade instant pancake mix.

Actually first, let me tell you a story. It’s about my kid. ’Cause that’s what moms do, right? Talk to their invisible internet friends about their kids?

I’ve mentioned before that Doodle is totally into karate right now. We’re at the dojo three or four times a week, and he loves it. We love it, too, especially since the coaches do a wonderful job of weaving life lessons into the classes. Each month, the coaches focus on a word of the month, and the word for May is “teamwork.”

The other evening at class, Coach Rachel was talking about how the family we live with is a team. How everyone has their own responsibilities and duties, and if one person fails at completing their duties, they let the entire team/family down. Then she asked for examples from the children of something one of their parents did that the other parent did not do.

Of course, my child doesn’t have a shy bone is his body, so his hand shot straight up. He’s waving it in the air wildly, eager to share about all of the wonderful things his mom does that his dad doesn’t do. And this, folks, is what Doodle shares:

“My mom puts in earrings.”

I also make homemade pancakes, but apparently that’s long been forgotten.

My husband isn’t a big pancake eater, but Doodle and I love ‘em. And instead of keeping one of those boxes of “instant” preservative-filled boxes in my pantry, I decided to learn how to make my own. You know what? It’s so, so easy! Now, I keep a container of my own homemade instant pancake mix in the pantry, and Doodle and I have been eating them up like…well, like hotcakes.

This recipe does use buttermilk, and if you’re like me, buttermilk isn’t a staple in your fridge. Not to worry – just put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in a measuring cup, and then add enough milk to make one cup. Let it sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes, and voila! Now you have buttermilk.

Easy-peasy.

Now excuse me, I need to go put in my earrings.

Homemade Instant Pancake Mix

12 hotcakes

Homemade Instant Pancake Mix

Ingredients

For your dry mix:

6 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (check expiration date first)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar

For your pancakes:

2 eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups pancake mix

Instructions

To make the pancake mix:

Combine all pancake mix ingredients in a container with a lid and mix well. Store for up to 3 months.

To make your pancakes:

Preheat your griddle.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.
Place the pancake mix in a large bowl. Mix together the buttermilk mixture and the butter mixture, then pour over the pancake mix. Mix just until combined - don't try to get all of the lumps out. Overmixing will make your pancakes rubbery!
When your griddle is hot, lightly butter or spray with non-stick spray. Ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle. When bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pancake, gently flip. Cook another 2-3 minutes or until the pancake is set.

from Alton Brown

**there are a million different ways to jazz these up, but I usually add 1 tablespoon of vanilla and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon per batch when making these.

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/breakfastbrunch/homemade-instant-pancake-mix/

By the way, it’s my friend Lisa’s birthday this week (and my birthday month as well), so I’m celebrating and partnering with a bunch of other awesome bloggers by giving one of you a $250 Amazon gift card. Sa-weet!

Make sure you enter via the Rafflecopter entry form below. The giveaway runs until Friday, May 10 at midnight (Central time). Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

XO, Ashley

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Blueberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast

May 1, 2013 By Ashley | 17 Comments

Dessert for breakfast. Let’s do it.

Nope, I’m not kidding you. It’s french toast stuffed with a blueberry cheesecake filling, and topped with more blueberries. We’re not going to discuss the Weight Watchers points on this one, okay?

But if you’re looking for a special recipe for a spring brunch (Mother’s Day, anyone??), I’ve got the recipe for you.

All you need are your standard french toast ingredients: bread, eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Grab a block of cream cheese, a box of cheesecake instant pudding mix, and a can of blueberry pie filling. Easy peasy. Oh, and some napkins. These are a little messy!

Also pants tightening, but this might actually be worth it.

I love springtime baking, because everything seems so fresh and flavorful and colorful! Well, guess what? Lucky Leaf is giving you a chance to win one of 13 great prizes, just by sharing your favorite spring baking inspiration. The grand prize is $500! Two winners will receive $200, and 10 finalists will get a Lucky Leaf gift pack.

All you have to do is create your own Pinterest Board and call it “Good Things. Spring.”

Then PIN this Lucky Leaf image to the board. You can also find the Contest Entry PIN at http://pinterest.com/luckyleaf/good-things-spring/

Then PIN my recipe. You have until May 15 to complete the board with the necessary pins with the “#LuckyLeafLuckyMe” hashtag added to it. Be sure to register your board with Lucky Leaf for a chance to be one of THIRTEEN winners… The Grand Prize is $500!

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Blueberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast

makes 4 sandwiches

Blueberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 of a 3.4-ounce package of cheesecake instant pudding mix
1-2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can Lucky Leaf blueberry pie filling
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8 slices French bread
4 tablespoons butter
powdered sugar, for serving

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine softened cream cheese, half of the package of dry pudding mix, the vanilla, and 1-2 tablespoons of milk. Whisk until ingredients are combined and the mixture is easily spreadable with a knife. If it seems too thick, add a splash more milk. Set aside.
In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk the eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla together. Spread 4 slices of the bread with the cheesecake mixture. Top with a spoonful or two of blueberry pie filling. Place the other slices of bread on top and gently press them together. Carefully dip both sides of each sandwich into the egg mixture until well coated.
In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the sandwiches and cook until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Cut the sandwiches in half and transfer to plates. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with the remaining pie filling.

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/breakfastbrunch/blueberry-cheesecake-stuffed-french-toast/

XO, Ashley

*Lucky Leaf provided me with pie filling in order to facilitate my post. However, all opinions are 100% my own. You can read my advertising and disclosure policy here.

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Guilt-Free Blueberry Muffins

April 17, 2013 By Ashley | 46 Comments

Sweet breads at breakfast are one of my very favorite things. Eating blueberry muffins without wondering if my pants are still going to button the next day is even better.

Technically, these probably aren’t totally guilt-free, but they are lower in fat than most breakfast muffins I eat, so that counts for something! Also, they are overloaded with blueberries, which have the highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit.

These muffins are also very dense, making them fairly filling for a breakfast muffin. I’ve been known to eat two or three homemade muffins for breakfast (this may be the cause of my too-tight pants); but I felt pretty satisfied after eating just one of these beauties.

Actually, I made these muffins for my good friend Ashton over at Something Swanky. See, Ashton just moved into a new house (yay!!) and a few of us decided to throw a little housewarming party for her–’cause that’s what girlfriends do, right? Party with food?

I “met” Ashton about a year and a half ago when she graciously allowed me to guest post for her…back when I knew very little about blogging and even less about photography. She’s truly a genuinely kind person who is always willing to help others out and share her knowledge. Believe me – Kitchen Meets Girl wouldn’t be half the blog it is today if it not for Ashton. Through her design tips, PicMonkey tutorials, and Online BlogCon, I’ve learned so much.

Plus, she’s just an absolute sweetheart, and I’m so happy to call her friend.

I decided to bring a “guilt-free” muffin to the party, since I’m a huge fan of Ashton’s Skinny Saturday posts. Psssst, Ashton? These muffins are only 6 WW+ points.

Guilt-Free Blueberry Muffins

makes 12 muffins

Guilt-Free Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg
3/4 cup sugar, divided
3/4 cup Greek blueberry yogurt (I used Chobani)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup fat free skim milk, divided
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, washed

For the struesel:

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place muffin liners in a 12-hole muffin pan.
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg with 3/4 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Add yogurt and beat until thoroughly combined; blend in vanilla extract.
Add half of flour mixture and half of milk to sugar mixture; beat until just combined. Add remaining flour mixture and milk; beat until smooth.
Fold in blueberries and fill each muffin liner about 3/4 full.

To make streusel topping:

Combine remaining 1/4 cup each of sugar and flour in a small bowl. Pour in melted butter and combine with fingertips. Divide crumb mixture over muffins; gently press into top of muffin batter with fingertips.
Bake for 5 minutes at 425, then reduce your oven temperature to 325. Bake for an additional 12 to 15 minutes, or until slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in pans for about 10 to 15 minutes and then transfer muffins onto racks to cool completely.

adapted from Weight Watchers

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/breakfastbrunch/guilt-free-blueberry-muffins/

Be sure to check out all of these great recipes some of Ashton’s other friends brought to the party, and stop by Ashton’s blog to welcome her into her new home.

Julianne at Beyond Frosting – Pound cake with Champagne Glaze

Kate at Food Babbles – Raspberry Lemon Coffee Cake

Anna at Crunchy Creamy Sweet – Glazed Vanilla Donut Muffins

Loretta at A Finn in the Kitchen – Caramelized Almond Nougat Mousse Ice-cream

Joanne at Fifteen Spatulas – Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake

Amber at Bluebonnets and Brownies – Lemon Drop Cookies

Dorothy at Crazy for Crust – Reese’s Fudge

Joan at Chocolate Chocolate and more – Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Quiche

Roxana at Roxana’s Home Baking – Banana Sheet Cake

Julie at White Lights on Wednesday – Mocha Cupcake Milkshake

Hayley at The Domestic Rebel – Banana Split Poke Cake

Tanya at Lemons for Lulu – Lemon Muffins

Natasha at The Cake Merchant – Nutella Layer Cake

Jocelyn at Inside BruCrew Life – Butterscotch Banana Muffins

XO, Ashley

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Hawaiian Rolls {Copycat}

April 8, 2013 By Ashley | 36 Comments

Hawaiian Rolls.

One of my favorite things ever. Anyone else love ‘em like I do?

Whenever we’re pressed for time for weeknight dinners {all the time} or on evenings I don’t feel like cooking {um, most nights}, our go-to meal is a deli-chicken, salad bar, and a package of King’s Hawaiian Rolls from our local grocery store. Since there are just three of us in my house, we typically purchase the small four-pack of rolls.

The problem with that? We’re left with one roll and no good way to split it in thirds. Who wants only a measly third of a fluffy Hawaiian roll? No thanks; I want the entire roll. Plus another two or three, for good measure.

#breadaddictionisarealthing

So when I found a recipe that proclaimed itself a copycat version of my beloved Hawaiian rolls, I knew I had to try it.

I’m still learning my way around working with yeast, but I found this recipe to be extremely forgiving. You don’t even need to proof the yeast – just sprinkle the yeast in after you’ve combined your wet ingredients and flour. There is some rising time involved with this recipe – about two to three hours total – but trust me when I say: it’s worth it!

{note: “proofing” yeast is the act of dissolving active dry yeast in water (or another liquid) before incorporating it into dough to ensure that the yeast is “alive and kicking”}

This recipe will make three loaves of bread – I know: that’s a lot of bread. It doesn’t get wasted at my house, though. Doodle has been tearing through this stuff like there’s no tomorrow, and I’ve caught the Tall Boy jamming a roll or two into his mouth when he thought no one was looking.

Since I wanted actual rolls, I filled a 9×13 pan first (I got 15 rolls in mine) and still had enough dough left over for a loaf of bread. This was some of the fluffiest, best bread I’ve ever eaten, and so easy, too! The Tall Boy said these rolls tasted just as good as the packaged ones from the store – and I have to say, I agree!

Hawaiian Rolls {Copycat}

makes 3 loaves

Hawaiian Rolls {Copycat}

Ingredients

6 cups all-purpose flour, plus an additional 1/2 cup flour, divided
3 eggs
2 cups pineapple juice, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 (1/4 ounce) envelopes yeast
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter, melted

Instructions

In a small bowl, beat your 3 eggs. Add the 2 cups pineapple juice, sugar, ginger, vanilla, and melted butter.
Measure 3 cups of the flour into a large bowl. Stir in your egg mixture until well-combined. Sprinkle in the yeast packets, one at a time, mixing well.
Add the remaining 3 cups of flour and mix well. If it becomes to difficult to stir with a wooden spoon, just use your hands! Make sure all of the flour is well incorporated—the dough should be tacky to the touch but not overly sticky. If it appears too wet, sprinkle in a bit of extra flour, just a tablespoon or so at a time. Cover your bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set it in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
Remove your dough from the bowl and knead in an additional ½ cup of flour. I kneaded mine 10 to 15 times, making sure the flour was well incorporated.
Divide the dough into three equal parts. You may either bake 3 loaves of bread, form the dough into rolls, or a combination of the two. I baked one loaf of bread, forming the remaining dough into 15 rolls and baking in a 9x13 pan. Cover and place in warm place to rise for an additional hour, or until the dough doubles in size.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush tops with melted butter, and serve warm.

adapted from Food.com

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/breads/copycat-hawaiian-rolls/

XO, Ashley

Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast & Breads

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20 Easter Brunch Recipes

March 28, 2013 By Ashley | 4 Comments

Holy Moly, is Easter really just a few days away?

I’ve been under the weather this week, and between that, work, and our new crazy karate schedule, planning my Easter brunch for Sunday sort of slipped by the wayside. Hopefully you’re all more organized and prepared than I am! But if you’re still looking for some last minute brunch ideas, I compiled a few of my favorites for you here.

Let’s get to ‘em!

Scrambled Egg Spinach Casserole

Ham, Gouda and Potato Bake

$Ham, Gouda and Potato Bake on www.kitchenmeetsgirl.com - Don't pay for an overpriced breakfast when you can make this one at home for a fraction of the cost - and calories! #recipe #breakfast$

Oatmeal Brulee with Ginger Cream

Asparagus and Asiago Tart

Pina Colada Fruit Salad

Chocolate Brownie Waffles

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

Pumpkin Waffles with Apple Cider Syrup

Skinny Strawberry Muffins

Quick Cinnamon Buns

Bakery-Style Banana Muffins

Maple Bacon Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins {with blueberry glaze}

The Best Banana Bundt Cake {with salted caramel sauce}

Easy Lemon Cake

Vanilla Bean Lemon Curd

Banana Bread Donuts with Nutella Glaze

Bananas Foster Bread

Cherry Coconut Donuts

White Chocolate Blueberry Crunch Bread

We’re scheduled for some warm weather this weekend, and I am absolutely looking forward to spending some time outside. Whatever your plans for the weekend, I hope your holiday is wonderful!

Happy Easter!

XO, Ashley

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Skinny Strawberry Muffins

March 10, 2013 By Ashley | 28 Comments

Whenever I go on a “let’s eat healthy” kick, all I can think about is eating junk food.

Cookies, cupcakes, candy, you name it. If it contains white flour and sugar, I pretty much want it in my mouth.

The problem with blogging lots of sweet treats is that I end up eating lots of sweet treats…and my jeans are starting to rebel. While I’m not one to diet, I am trying to focus on making healthier choices.

One of my biggest weaknesses is baking sweet breads for our weekend meals. So today I decided to give these strawberry muffins from Dashing Dish a try. Do you guys ever read Katie’s blog? Holy moly, it’s totally amazing, and she makes eating healthy look like something I can totally handle.

I handled these strawberry muffins quite well, if I do say so myself.

These muffins use oats instead of white flour, stevia instead of sugar, and strawberry Chobani Greek yogurt in place of the oil. They are stuffed with fresh strawberries, and come in at just under 100 calories.

Take that, my too-tight jeans! I’ve got your number.

Skinny Strawberry Muffins

12 muffins

Skinny Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients

2 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup strawberry Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup baking stevia (you can also use sugar; start with 1/2 cup and add a litte extra, depending on your taste)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup strawberries, diced, and divided

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 muffin tins with foil liners, or spray REALLY WELL with cooking spray--the oats tend to stick! I used a silicone muffin pan and it worked great.
Place all of your ingredients (except the strawberries) in a blender or food processor, and blend until oats are smooth. My blender is not super-powerful, so I had to stop and stir quite a few times until my mixture was smooth.
Pour batter into a medium sized bowl, and fold in your strawberries. Divide remaining 1/2 cup diced strawberries over the top of each muffin.
Divide batter into each muffin liner. Bake for 25 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

from the totally awesome Dashing Dish

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/breakfastbrunch/skinny-strawberry-muffins/

XO, Ashley

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Ham, Gouda and Potato Bake (for the crock pot!)

March 6, 2013 By Ashley | 26 Comments

I love having a big, family breakfast on the weekends.

$Ham, Gouda and Potato Bake on www.kitchenmeetsgirl.com - Don't pay for an overpriced breakfast when you can make this one at home for a fraction of the cost - and calories! #recipe #breakfast$

With our schedules, we barely see each other on weekday mornings, let alone have the opportunity to sit down and eat breakfast together. So when the weekend rolls around, I’m ready for a laid-back morning around the table.

Enter: karate lessons. I’m finding out just how time-consuming these can be. We’re at the dojo three to four nights a week and on Saturday mornings. So much for my laid-back mornings!

But I solved my problem with the same kitchen appliance I use on busy weeknights: my crock pot.

I’ve typically only used this method for breakfasts on holidays or on weekends when we’re entertaining overnight guests. But it also works fabulous for feeding a hungry kiddo on the go. Or a hungry hubby. Or, just me.

$Ham, Gouda and Potato Bake on www.kitchenmeetsgirl.com - Don't pay for an overpriced breakfast when you can make this one at home for a fraction of the cost - and calories! #recipe #breakfast$

We loved this breakfast because it’s completely customizable. Don’t like red peppers? Leave ‘em out, or substitute green peppers instead. Prefer sausage over ham? Easy-peasy: just brown up some sausage and throw that in instead. If you’re not a Gouda fan, just add in your cheese of choice!

I served ours over a toasted English muffin half, because that’s what I had in my breadbasket last weekend. However, these would be absolutely awesome rolled up in a tortilla with a bit of salsa–and even easier for eating on the go.

What’s your favorite quick weekend breakfast?

$Ham, Gouda and Potato Bake on www.kitchenmeetsgirl.com - Don't pay for an overpriced breakfast when you can make this one at home for a fraction of the cost - and calories! #recipe #breakfast$

Ham, Gouda and Potato Bake (for the crock pot!)

serves 8

Ham, Gouda and Potato Bake (for the crock pot!)

Ingredients

4 cups frozen diced hash browns
8 ounces chopped ham
1 cup shredded Gouda
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
8 English muffins or tortillas, for serving

Instructions

Spray the ceramic insert of a 3 1/2 to 4-quart crock pot. Combine hash browns, ham, cheese, and red pepper and place in your crock pot. In a medium bowl, stir together soup, milk, eggs, and spices. Pour over potato mixture in your crock pot.
Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. Serve mixture over English muffins or wrapped in tortillas.

from Skinny Slow Cooker magazine: Better Homes and Gardens 2012

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/breakfastbrunch/ham-gouda-and-potato-bake-for-the-crock-pot/

XO, Ashley

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Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread

March 4, 2013 By Ashley | 13 Comments

We eat Italian food nearly once a week.

And by Italian, I mean spaghetti and meatballs. Folks, I live with a 5-year old who isn’t willing to try much more than macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and yep–spaghetti.

So I try to jazz up our spaghetti nights however I can, which usually involves doing something with bread. Anyone else a huge bread fanatic? As in: you could easily eat this entire loaf yourself and call it a meal?

Now, the Tall Boy loves the loaves of garlic bread you buy from your grocer that come pre-sliced and filled with seasoned butter–and as much as I love butter, those loaves are actually too buttery for me.

This bread was the perfect solution: you can control the amount of butter to your tastes, and there is a huge pile of melted cheese on top. Melted cheese makes me happy.

On my loaf, I used Kraft’s Italian Five Cheese shredded cheese: it has a combination of Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, Asiago, and Parmesan all shredded and ready to go. While there are times I prefer to grate my own cheese, a quick spaghetti night dinner is not one of those times.

My pictures don’t do this bread justice. Under that layer of cheese is five cloves of garlic, sautéed in butter.

Garlic + butter = heaven.

Add your sautéed garlic to a bowl with some softened butter, a few spices, and smear it all over your halved Italian loaf. Press the halves back together and wrap that bad boy in foil. Baking your loaf this way steams the bread and infuses it with the garlic-butter flavor.

Garlic-butter infused bread = heaven.

Bake it at 400 degrees for 15 minutes – then unwrap it, sprinkle Italian blend cheese on top and broil for a few more minutes, or until the cheese starts browning just a bit on top.

Also? Here’s the best tip ever from the trusty Cook’s Illustrated: when using a serrated knife to slice your cheesy bread, place your finished bread cheese side down on your cutting board. Slicing through the bread first keeps that gooey cheese in place!

Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread

Ingredients

5 garlic cloves, finely minced or grated
8 tablespoons (or less, depending on your tastes) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 Italian bread loaf or baguette, halved horizontally (mine was about 16 to 18 inches)
1 1/2 cups Italian blend cheese, like Kraft Italian Five-Cheese Blend

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 and position oven rack to the middle position.
Cook your garlic, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/2 teaspoon water in a small skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic turns straw colored - about 10 minutes.
Mix your sauteed garlic with the remaining 7 tablespoons butter, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl; smear it over the cut sides of your loaf. Press the buttered sides together, and wrap the loaf in foil. Place it on a foil lined baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes.
Unwrap bread from foil and place the buttered sides up back onto your baking sheet. Turn on broiler. Sprinkle your bread with cheese, and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
Remove bread to cutting board, and slice, cheese side down.

adapted from Cook's Illustrated

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/breads/easy-cheesy-garlic-bread/

XO, Ashley

Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast & Breads

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Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

February 27, 2013 By Ashley | 24 Comments

Excuse me while I drool over the easiest french toast bake I’ve ever made.

We made this last weekend for a lazy Sunday morning breakfast after enduring over 14 inches of snowfall – and preparing for (potentially) another foot in the coming days. I’ve never seen this much snow in my hometown in my lifetime, and apparently many other residents hadn’t, either.

Grocery stores sold out of staple items, including bread, milk, and eggs. It was like we were preparing for the apocalypse; but after being quite literally stuck in my house the Thursday before, we made darn sure we were well stocked with the basic necessities.

Cinnamon rolls topped our list.

These were so easy, and Doodle absolutely loved them. I found this recipe on Pillsbury’s site and used a can of their reduced-fat Cinnabon cinnamon rolls as the base. So much easier than making my own rolls, and just as tasty, especially when you’re baking them in an egg and cream batter heavily spiced with cinnamon.

Heaven!

This dish smelled amazing while it was in the oven, and Doodle kept running into the kitchen to see if it was “done yet.” If you want to know the truth, so did I.

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

4 generous servings

Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 can (12.4 ounce) Pillsbury reduced-fat cinnamon rolls with icing
3 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream or half-and-half (I used fat-free half-and-half and this still turned out great)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
1/2 cup maple syrup

Instructions

Heat oven to 375. Melt butter and pour into the bottom of an ungreased 8x8 pan. Open can of cinnamon rolls; cut each roll into 8 pieces and place evenly over butter in the bottom of your dish. Set aside icing container.
In medium bowl, beat eggs. Add in cream/half-and-half, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla and whisk until well blended. Gently pour over roll pieces. Sprinkle with pecans if desired; drizzle with 1/2 cup syrup.
Bake 20 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Meanwhile, remove cover from icing; microwave on half-power for 10 to 15 seconds or until the icing is thin enough to drizzle.
Drizzle icing over top and sprinkle with additional pecans, if desired

recipe from Pillsbury

http://kitchenmeetsgirl.com/breakfastbrunch/cinnamon-roll-french-toast-bake/

XO, Ashley

Filed Under: Breakfast & Breads

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