Ah, breakfast for dinner. I mentioned before that I’m not a big fan of a huge breakfast for breakfast, but having it for dinner fills me with giddiness! It’s like I’m walking on the wild side, breaking all the rules – well, one of them at least.
The variations on this meal are endless. Some of the guests that pop in from time-to-time are: waffles, pancakes, hashbrowns, homemade bread, fruit salad, scones and smoothies. But there are 4 things that are essentials to the perfect breakfast for dinner meal: scrambled eggs, bacon, grits and homemade biscuits. They’re all simple to make, but easy to totally screw up.
I have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve that will help you get these elements just right every time.
Bacon
Our favorite is Uncured Peppered Turkey Bacon that can be found at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.
I’ve screwed up and overcooked bacon so many times that I’m sure an apology is in order. My bacon history is full of smoking pans, crusty Foreman Grills and mushy paper towels in the microwave. I came across a great tip months ago that changed the way I cook bacon forever.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Lay the bacon out in a single layer and back for 10-15 minutes, depending on how crispy you like it.
Scrambled Eggs
Crack about 6 eggs in to a bowl. With a fork, scramble your eggs. Add 1/2 cup milk, salt and pepper. Scramble a little more to combine.
Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot and the butter is melted, pour in the egg mixture. Let it sit undisturbed for about 2 minutes. Then, with a spatula or wooden spoon, begin to slowly stir and loosen the cooked eggs. Continue to slowly stir until the eggs are no longer runny. Chop up any large pieces and continue to cook for another minute. Serve immediately.
Grits
If you’re “not from around here”, you may turn your head up at the thought of eating grits. But, here in the good ol’ south, we love us some grits. For me, instant grits do not make the mark. I always go for the “old fashioned” or “stone ground” varieties. They need to cook a little longer, but that’s a small price to pay for much, much better texture and taste.
Follow the directions from the container for the amount you would like to prepare. Then, add butter, salt and milk or heavy cream. the amounts totally depending on your taste at the amount you prepared. I also think that 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and some garlic powder are necessary, but if you’re a grits purist, you can stop before going there. If the grits get too thick as they cool, add more milk (NOT water).
Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits (from Whole Foods)
makes about 10 biscuits
-INGREDIENTS-
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I find this in the bulk bins)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 tablespoon milk
-PREPARATION-
Preheat oven to 425°F.
1. Sift flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Add butter and use your fingertips or a pastry cutter to work butter into flour until no pieces larger than peas remain. Stir in buttermilk, stirring just until mixed.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, gather it into a ball and knead once or twice, just until it holds together. Press down on dough until it is about 1/3-inch thick. Cut little biscuits out with a round 2 inch cutter.
3. Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Press scraps together and cut out more biscuits. Brush tops of biscuits with milk and bake until biscuits are golden, 12-15 minutes.
flour | sugar | eggs | butter 