Whether you're cooking for a few friends or your entire extended family, early preparation and stress-free recipes are the key to any great breakfast or brunch. As an example, try and remember the last time you had to prepare a big Sunday breakfast for your family. Did you sleep in and take your time, or did you feel rushed and frazzled? I'm going to guess the latter. Well, have no fear because that's about to change. The three recipes you're going to learn today are fast, easy and completely stress- and worry-free.
This first recipe is one that you can make the night before with very little preparation. It combines all of your favorite breakfast foods into one casserole with sausage, hash browns and eggs. What could be better? And while it takes slightly longer to bake than the other recipes, it will most likely be done by the time you've finished getting around for the day.
Overnight Sausage and Hash Brown Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1 package (16 oz.) pork sausage
- 10 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tsp. Dijon (or any course-grained) mustard
- 1 (20 oz.) bag frozen hash browns (roughly 4 ½ cups)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Spray a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray
- In a skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until it's no longer pink; drain
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper together
- Stir in hash browns, 1 cup of cheese, and the sausage; pour in baking dish and cover
- Refrigerate overnight for no more than 12 hours
- In the morning, top the casserole with the remaining half-cup of cheese and bake for 45-55 minutes in a 350 degree oven
This next recipe can be made the morning of as it has very few ingredients and is super easy to assemble. It's like having a pancake breakfast without actually having to do all the work. With a delicious combination of bacon, apples, and pancake mix, this recipe is sure to be a winner.
Cheesy Apple Bacon Crunch
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. sliced bacon
- 1 cup apples, sliced and peeled
- 2 tbs. sugar
- 1 1/2 cup Bisquick pancake mix
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees
- Spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray
- Cook bacon until crisp; drain and crumble
- Mix together the apples and sugar
- Spread the mixture in the baking dish
- In a bowl, stir the pancake mix, milk, and eggs together; pour over apples
- Sprinkle with cheese and bacon
- Bake for 30-35 minutes
This last recipe is one that's a bit sweeter and more decadent that could easily transition to a dessert. As a plus, you probably have a lot of the ingredients already in your pantry. If you're looking for a light and healthy dish, this is the one for you!
Delicious Baked Apples
Ingredients:
- 6 apples (any kind you like)
- 1 lemon
- 4 tbs. butter
- 6 tbs. light brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tsp. orange zest
- 1 1/2 cups oatmeal (prepared according to package)
- Greek yogurt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Cut the top third off of each apple and scoop out the inside; squeeze some lemon juice inside
- Place apples in a baking dish
- Dice the carved out apples and set aside
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in 4 tbs. of brown sugar and the cinnamon
- Coat the inside of the apples with the mixture
- Pour some apple cider in the bottom of the baking dish
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until apples are tender
- When done, pour out the liquid and mix together the remaining brown sugar, orange zest and prepared oatmeal; fill each apple
- Top with Greek yogurt