Breakfast Recipes

Breakfast Recipes

I’ve been asked for my legendary (in my house anyway ;-) pancake/waffle and French toast recipes. So here goes….

Pancake or Waffle Batter

4 cups Gold Medal Buttermilk biscuit mix (or Bisquick Mix)
(For a healthier batter replace at least one cup of biscuit mix with whole-wheat flour)
¼ cup sugar
2 cups of water
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of vanilla

Preheat griddle to 375 - 400’

Blend biscuit mix, sugar and optionally whole-wheat flour together. Add the two eggs to one cup of water and blend with a fork, then add to dry ingredients. Add vanilla to another cup of water, blend and add to batter. Mix with a whisk until all ingredients are incorporated. If making waffles, you may need to thin the batter with up to another ¼ cup of water.

If your griddle isn't non-stick, lightly oil the cooking surface before cooking the first batch. Ladle batter onto hot griddle. Subsequent batches should not need an oiled surface.

Makes about 24 pancakes depending on the diameter of the batter puddle and how think the batter is. Left over pancakes are great with peanut butter and honey or jelly.

I am not sure if Bisquick has shortening in it, like the Betty Crocker mix does. If Bisquick’s pancake batter recipe calls for oil, use it.

Variations:
Flavor the batter before cooking. I have used various flavors (chocolate, pistachio, butterscotch) of instant pudding or Jello instant gelatin (strawberry, or lemon). When using Jello, use the real Jello product not the no-sugar version. When using Jello, you can omit the ¼ cup of sugar in the batter recipe.

In the fall I like to add 2/3s of a can of Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Filling to batter to make a great pumpkin pancake. Cracker Barrel’s Apple, Blackberry or cherry pie fillings make a great replacement for syrup. Our favorite combo is pancakes with chocolate pudding topped with warm cherry pie filling.

Once you get the batter on the griddle you can sprinkle flavor chips (chocolate, butterscotch, white chocolate, etc) into the batter before it sets.


French Toast

Preheat griddle to 325 – 350’

A loaf of good bread (sourdough, whole wheat, etc) preferably un-sliced, or thick sliced.
4 eggs or 1 cup of Eggbeaters
1 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of vanilla
Pepper to taste
Butter for cooking

Blend milk, eggs, pepper and vanilla together for the bread wash. Slice the bread in ¾ inch thick slices. Soak both sides of the bread in the wash. Place a small piece of butter on the griddle and push around until the butter melts. Put the soaked bread onto the butter pool. Cook about 5-7 minutes per side. Add fresh ground pepper to each side as it cooks for a heartier flavor.

Variations:

During the winter holidays I like to substitute egg nog for some of the milk in the wash. Gives the French toast a seasonal flavor.

Bonus Recipe:

Fusilli with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Watched Giada De Laurentiis make this on her Food TV show. When I made it at home it came out fantastic!

Recipe SummaryDifficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 18 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tablespoons of oil reserved
1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed
2 (8-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
16 ounces fusilli pasta
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
8 ounces water-packed fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed
Salt and freshly ground pepper (optional)

Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same skillet, and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fusilli in boiling water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta (do not rinse). Add the pasta, sausage, 1/2 cup Parmesan, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve, passing the additional Parmesan cheese alongside.

Here’s the link to the original recipe on the FoodTV web site.

Enjoy......