Egg Cupcakes!!

Now that I have your attention, do I have a treat for you! After doing a little research for quick and easy, on-the-go breakfast inspiration for a variety of palettes- I came across the most ingenious idea ever that could most definitely be a crowd pleaser, Egg Cupcakes!

The weekend before Thanksgiving my soon to be brother-in-laws and their wives take a trip to Miami-Homestead for the Nascar Championship every year for the past 13 years. Never really being a fan of Nascar, I'm actually happy to say I have made it to the last three race weekends and look forward every year to return.

To keep costs down everyone brings some food items that can easily be reheated, or we'll do hamburgers and brats on the grill. The last couple years we've volunteered to cover breakfast. Last year after making a breakfast egg casserole, I had to learn the hard way the majority of my male soon to be in-laws have very sensitive stomachs. When you're staying with them in close quarters, you don't really want to make the same mistake twice. 

With that being said, this year we took our breakfast casserole idea and basically made individual egg casseroles, or what I would like to call- Egg Cupcakes! The cupcakes were a huge hit since they are prepared in muffin pans we were able to make them to each persons liking with a variety of mix-ins. I could see this working well with kids who have selective tastes, too. 

The cupcakes were quick and easy to make. We decided to prepare and bake them at home, then storing two to a ziploc baggy. They held up nicely in the cooler on the four hour drive to Miami. Then when we were ready for them in the morning, we just popped them into the microwave for about 2 minutes.

What you'll need:

• Silicone muffin pan or metal muffin tin (12-15 muffins)
• Muffin liners
• 12-15 eggs
• Milk as desired
• 1-2 tsp salt and pepper
• 1-2 cups grated low-fat cheese (I use sharp cheddar or cheddar jack)
• 3 green onions, diced small
• Blanched broccoli, mushrooms, spinach- optional
• Diced meat- optional (I used cooked crumbled turkey sausage)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In muffin cups layer 2/3 full the optional ingredients: Blanched vegetables, diced meat, cheese, green onions.
• In large bowl, whisk eggs, salt, pepper, milk, and pour into cups 3/4 full.
• Bake 25-35 minutes.
• Microwave on high for 2 minutes to reheat.

Sorry for the inconsistency

While there definitely has not been a lack of cooking going on in my home, there definitely has been a lack of blogging about what I've been up to in the kitchen. And for this, I am sorry.

I promise to get you caught up on all the wonderful recipes I have come across, and have made an attempt of recreating.

Unfortunately, I have been finding it rather difficult to keep up with the blog. Blogging has surprisingly become a hobby that I really do enjoy. I just wish I could find more time to dedicate towards my blog.

On the other hand, I am proud to say I have come a long way with wedding plans, focusing on my relationships with my family and friends, and getting everything for my classes finished in time for the end of this grueling semester.

So while I am sorry for the inconsistency of this blog, I can't say I am sorry for using my valuable time wisely for the important tasks and projects I have been able to accomplish in the last few weeks.

Crockpot Chronicles Part 2

Back in October, I posted my first recipe to the revolutionary Crockpot Cooking. That week I was able to save a Sunday afternoon for chopping vegetables, and prepping for five crockpot meals. The first trial run with the Orange Chicken went over very well, and was definitely a crowd pleaser.

In this installment of Crockpot Cooking, I am featuring the recipe to Santa Fe Chicken. We've been seeing more of those hectic days around here lately, and I thought it would be a great time to introduce a new crockpot meal in case anyone is in the same busy boat as us.

The ingredients to this recipe were already chopped, portioned, and waiting in the freezer. The night before, take the bag from the freezer to the fridge to thaw out. When you're ready to put the meal in the crockpot, if it isn't completely thawed out, run it over cool water for a few minutes.

In the bag:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp cilantro, optional
• 1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms, optional

To cook:
- Add contents of bag, plus 1 can of black beans, 1 can of corn, 1 medium jar of salsa to a crockpot. Cook on high 3-4 hours, or on low 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

Although my fiance and I both enjoyed the Santa Fe Chicken, between the two recipes, our favorite so far has been the Orange Chicken.