For a Crowd: Bacon and Cheese Biscuits with Chive Scrambled Eggs

I am lucky enough to work in an office full of people my age who are fun to be around. There are about nine of us who take turns brining in breakfast on Fridays. Today was my “breakfast club” day and I pulled some inspiration from Pat and Gina Neely’s Breakfast Sandwich and created a crowd pleaser.

REDNECK NACHOS

I like playing tennis. I like watching Grey’s Anatomy. I like practicing yoga. I like going to the pool. I LOVE JUNK FOOD! This is sort of embarrassing to post…When it comes to food I almost have multi-personality disorder: I totally appreciate a dry aged filet, or parchment baked filet of fish, or a bowl of perfectly cooked mussels, all of those fancy foods served at five star restaurants. Many nights I try to make well balanced meals including veggies and not to much starch and all that stuff, but my favorite, I sometimes wake up craving, can’t live without: Junk Food. French Fries, Potato chips, Hamburgers, Brats, Corn dogs, BBQ, I love it, I crave it, and I am lucky that I don’t have a cholesterol problem…Last night was one of those nights, I just wanted to eat something salty, hearty, filling, and totally unhealthy. I didn’t take a photo because I wasn’t planning on posting it…like I said embarrassed…but these nachos were too good not to post. I call them Redneck Nachos, and sorry if that offends you…call them something else…but whatever you call them, they are delicious!

For 2: Open Faced Breakfast Sandwich and Crispy Hashbrowns

I LOVE breakfast food, especially when it involves an egg cooked over easy and some type of bread to absorb all the delicious runny yolk. Sunday I created an open faced sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich, and took it to the next level with a few simple ingredient tweaks. I took a short cut from the store by purchasing the pre-diced potatoes in the refrigerator section for a side dish. When the sandwich and the potatoes are plated together this brunch is hard to resist!

For Anything: Peanut Butter and Multi Chocolate Chip Cookies

I choose salty snacks over sweets ninety percent of the time, but yesterday afternoon I was hit with the cookie craving! Luckily I was able to pull together these Peanut Butter and Multi Chocolate Chip Cookies with things on hand, and in less than an hour I had the perfect afternoon snack.

For 2: Grown-up Chicken and Mac & Spinach Cheese

This is one of my favorite meals to cook and eat. Chicken fingers and Mac & Cheese are the epitome of comfort food, but these recipes have much more flavor and nutrition than the average kid’s meal. To round out the meal add a Caesar salad and your favorite glass of wine; instantly it becomes a dinner that leaves an impression.

For a Crowd: Girly Turkey Sandwiches and Easy Dip

Nothing is better than a group of girl friends getting together to celebrate one’s upcoming nuptials. Nothing is worse than said group of girls getting out of control and grouchy because of a lack of food. To ensure the fun and avoid the negative, last week I made some turkey sandwiches and a SUPER easy dip for my girls to enjoy while we were showering our friend with gifts for her wedding.

For 2: Swiss Onion Burgers with Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes

Many times it has been said, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” I agree, and I can’t imagine a food men love more than burgers. Truth be told I also adore burgers (and fries)...so, this Sunday I created a burger for the boyfriend and me for dinner, and added a little nutrition with a side of broccoli and potatoes. Okay the broccoli was nutrition…the potatoes were just delicious…and for a recipe that hit me as I was laying on the couch recovering from a fun weekend, I was surprised at how well it turned out. This maybe isn’t the best first date meal, as the onion flavor and therefore your breath will be quite strong, but if you and your date have known each other for a while and both love onions try it out…at least you will have onion breath together!

For 2: Beer Butt Chicken and Grilled Corn

Yes, this is a post labeled as dinner for two and yes, there are 3 ears of corn in the picture. I had a house guest this week, so all dinners were for 3. The boyfriend and I usually have this meal for the two of us, and then there are leftovers for later in the week so I knew we could stretch it to a dinner for 3 with an extra ear of corn. It totally worked out and there was still some leftover chicken, so watch out for a chicken salad recipe later in the week. From my grill where beer makes everything better…I hope you enjoy!

For 2: Chard Salad

Rainbow Chard is such a great veggie for so many reasons: it is super nutritious, easy to grow in multiple climates, visually appealing because of the multiple color stalks, and very tasty.  Last week I harvested about 20 leaves of rainbow chard from my garden and created a grilled veggie salad with a few ingredients, but lots of flavor.

Appetizer for 2: Bruschetta

Last week the boyfriend and I were making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. I knew that it would be a little time consuming so I made us a little appetizer of bruschetta to tie us over while the meatballs were resting (recipe for those to come later). I am so bummed I don’t have the picture to share with you; hopefully my camera will be found soon and I will add the pic…until then you will just have to imagine the crusty bread, ripe tomatoes, and garlic flavor or you could just make it for yourself…

Big Girls Small Kitchen: Tag Team

Nothing new today, just a major shout out and thank you to the girls at Big Girls Small Kitchen for posting my shrimp taco recipe on their blog!

They post great stuff and it is such an honor to be included there!  Have a great weekend!

For a Crowd: Breakfast Casserole

Sunday the Braves game started at 1pm. My friends and I had high expectations of arriving around 11am so we could have a few cocktails, hangout and enjoy the crowd. When tailgating before noon I like to arrive with some sort of brunch inspired dish, this time it was breakfast casserole, a traditional southern favorite. My boyfriend always says, “Casseroles are great because you take things you know are good, mix them together, and the combination is even better.” I think he is right; at least he was this time…

For 2: Cast Iron Shrimp with White Wine Risotto

I love risotto, like with a passion. This past Sunday I was craving some sort of shrimp scampi, but I had no desire to leave my house so I thought I can make a sudo shrimp scampi paired with a white wine risotto…it wasn’t exactly shrimp scampi, gasp – I had no garlic in the house, but it was close enough to fulfill the craving, and the risotto was the perfect compliment to the shrimp.

Cocktail: Mint Julep

This past Saturday was Kentucky Derby Day, and as everyone knows the trade mark of the Derby is the Mint Julep, well and the hats.  I ventured into the realm of cocktails this weekend and was very pleased and maybe a little scared of how much I enjoyed this drink...

For a Crowd: Hawaiian Sandwich

Ham and Pineapple have become a favorite flavor combination for many people, from Hawaiian Pizza to spiral ham with pineapple glaze; there is something about it that just works beautifully. Specifically, my best friend’s husband loves ham and pineapple anything so when I was helping her get ready for his birthday party this sandwich seemed like the perfect party staple.