Mountain Man Breakfasts

Mountain Man Breakfasts

Mountain man breakfast is a standard Dutch oven breakfast, and there are many different takes on it.  I will share a couple of my favorites and hope you will enjoy. These are easy enough to throw together on a weekend for breakfast for a group, and my forever reminder that if you can cook it in a 9x13 you can cook it in a 12” Dutch oven  - so these can be done at home or camping – enjoy….

Mountain Man Breakfast

 

Version #1

This was baked in a 16" Cast Iron Skillet

 2 C Croutons
1/2 Package frozen hash browns
1/2 lb. crisp cooked bacon
1/2 lb. browned sausage
1-2 C Shredded Cheese – your choice – we like Colby Jack
12-18 Eggs

Beat the eggs (optional you can add ½ Milk) and set aside. – this part is scientific – dump croutons, hash browns, sausage, and crumble the bacon into a lightly greased 12” Dutch Oven (or 9x13) pan. Mix up just a little to spread the love around. Sprinkle with cheese, and pour the eggs over the mixture and bake for 30-40 minutes @ 350° or 8 briquettes on the bottom 16 on top. Best test for doneness it to stick a toothpick in the center and if the eggs are set – it’s done.

Version #2

1 package frozen hash browns – I like the cubed or “Southern Style”

2 C cubed ham
½  C diced onion
8-12 eggs
2 C shredded cheese
 

Beat the eggs and set aside. Mix hash browns, ham and onion together and pour into a 12” Dutch Oven  top with eggs and bake 30-40 minutes @ 350° or 8 briquettes on the bottom 16 on top. About 10-minutes before it’s done top with the cheese and melt.  Best test for doneness it to stick a toothpick in the center and if the eggs are set – it’s done.

Version #3

8 slices of day old bread – I like the hearty farm breads or homemade bread – but you can use any…

24 link sausages browned and sliced into pieces (Kitchen scissors work best)
8 eggs
½ tsp salt
¾ tsp mustard powder
2 ½ C Milk divided
4 C shredded cheese
1 Can cream of mushroom soup

Spread the bread cubes into the 12” Dutch Oven (or 9x13 pan) sprinkle the browned sausage and cheese over the top. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl until smooth; add the salt, mustard powder, and 2 cups of milk and whisk until evenly blended. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat an oven to 350°. Whisk together the cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 cup milk; pour over the casserole. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 1 1/2 hours.

Just a few examples, these are all very good hearty breakfasts for large groups of people, and fairly inexpensive too.  I like to serve mine with salsa and tortillas you can eat as a casserole or roll them up for a breakfast burrito.

Have fun cookin’

Cyndi

Mediterranean Chicken

So I really need to get a grip on my day to day aspects, so I can blog more than once a month... Sorry all.

So the other day while shopping, saw this new product and it sounded intriguing, Swanson’s ® Flavor boost – 100% natural concentrated broth - and I had a coupon so I thought I’d give it a try. I took the recipe on the back of the box and tweaked it Cyndi style – I hope you’ll like it. I sure did…

Mediterranean Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 tablespoon butter
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces 
1 package (8 ounces) sliced fresh mushrooms (about 2 1/4 cups) 
1 clove garlic, minced – I used the bottled pre minced – It’s easier
1 pint grape tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups) 
3 green onions, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup) 

1 small green peppers

2 tablespoons fresh basil – thinly sliced
3 packets Swanson® Flavor Boost™ Concentrated Chicken Broth 
2 tablespoons water 

Salt and Pepper to taste

Feta cheese

Rigatoni pasta

Prepare pasta to package directions – drain and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch skillet (I like my cast iron) over medium-high heat, add the chicken and cook until well browned, stirring often.  Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic, tomatoes, peppers and onions to the skillet; cook and stir for 1 minute.  Return the chicken to the skillet, season with salt and pepper to taste , stir in 1 tablespoon of basil.  Stir in the Flavor Boost and water; toss with pasta. Serve; topped with feta and remaining basil.

I served this to my family with bread sticks, a very healthy dish; I can picture this with chopped zucchini and maybe some olives also.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Have fun cookin’

Cyndi