breakfast for dinner – the ultimate comfort food
by kathrine glass – friend of the appreciator and wanna-be mayor of her house!
ever have one of those days when you want something for dinner that is really satisfying but not too high in calories; something quick and easy to make with an equally easy clean up; something to de-complicate dinner instead of adding to the stress of your really long day? oh – and something that the whole family will love? of course you have!
while I fancy myself a pretty good cook, well, recipe follower, i love a good dinner that needs no real recipe and takes me back to my childhood days. this one is a favorite! my grandmother evelyn use to make me this dish when i would stay overnight with her. the two of us would sit around her huge dining room table, eat “breakfast for dinner” and watch “off-limits” television shows i wasn’t allowed to watch at home. two things that felt a little risky and rebellious to me. what fun!
not only does the dinner conjure up fond memories of being with my grandma, it also really makes me feel good! kind of like a big bear hug does. what could it be? grandma evelyn’s breakfast for dinner, of course! basically it’s canadian bacon, hashbrowns, swiss cheese, eggs and some salt and pepper. pretty simple stuff but when you put it all together i guarantee it’s an adult and kid pleaser alike!
what you need:
– canadian bacon or ham slices. now days i often use honey ham thinly sliced. i like the extra sweetness and think the thin slices of ham are better than it’s thicker canadian bacon cousin. i usually use two – four slices per.
– thinly sliced baby swiss, mozzarella, monterey jack or provolone cheese. i prefer the baby swiss for the little extra bite and it balances out the sweet ham very well. but it really doesn’t matter. just use whatever light, white cheese you have in the fridge. i usually get the pre-sliced kind and use one and a half slices per.
– hashbrown patties. i prefer ore ida but i am sure any will do. i use one and a half per.
– two eggs per.
– salt and pepper to taste or use paula deans house seasoning, which i prefer. it’s good on just about anything. that recipe to follow.
– and feel free to make yourself a mimosa or go with your usual red or white wine. it is dinner, after all!
what to do:
– begin to cook your hashbrowns according to the package instructions. make them crispy so they can stand up to the layers of ham, cheese and eggs.
– heat your oven to 450.
– about 3/4ths through the cooking time of the hashbrowns start cooking your eggs. i like mine poached with the yolks a little runny. i have these great little things called poachpods which have made my life super easy when cooking eggs. no more egg whites all over! and the more pods you have the more eggs you can cook at one time. they won’t stick together! love those little pods!
– your hashbrowns should be done just a few minutes before your eggs. take one of the hashbrowns and cut it in half. lay one full hashbrown with the half hashbrown to make a supersized hashbrown. season to your liking.
– take one piece of cheese, cut it in half and layer both pieces on top of the hashbrowns so that it connects the two pieces.
– layer the ham on top of the cheese.
– take the extra half of slice of cheese and layer on top of ham.
– put into the oven until the cheese begins to melt.
– gently place the two eggs on top of the hashbrown stack.
– i usually pop it back in the oven for a minute or two just to make sure everything is heated up nicely. seems like my timing is always just a little off so a last minute touch up works well.
– season with salt and pepper and/or paula deans house seasoning.
– add a bowl of fruit, apple sauce or other favorite side and serve! i try to always keep pre-packaged fruit in it’s own juices and natural apple sauce, both with no sugar added on hand for busy days and exhausted nights!
Paula Dean’s House Seasoning
– 1 cup salt
– 1/4 cup black pepper
– 1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months
