White Chocolate Gingerbread Crescent Rolls

I can’t believe Christmas is only a week away. It never ceases to amaze me how fast a year goes by the older I get. And while I may have perfected my Masters in Procrastination over the years, gift buying is always an exception. I’m usually done with everything, except stocking stuffers, before the school year starts. And while I may *have* all the gifts hidden in sneaky little spots, that I can only hope I remember all of, it’s still the week before Christmas and I haven’t wrapped a single thing. Ya know what? It’s all going to work itself out, and every darn thing will get wrapped and placed perfectly under the tree, even if it’s not until 3am Christmas morning.

 

One thing I do enjoy wrapping up? Surprises, in the middle of snacks for the kids. And whether I’m serving them for brunch, for snack, or even dessert, there’s nothing quite as perfect for this as the crescent roll. Just picture it: the flaky outer pastry of a perfectly cooked crescent roll, with crumbled spicy ginger snaps, a dash of Christmas colored sprinkles, and a white chocolate drizzle are a perfect outer shell, hiding the perfect complimentary flavors inside, rich cream cheese and sweet white chocolate.

Think of it as a present for your mouth, one that’s just waiting to tickle those tastebuds.

White Chocolate Gingerbread Crescent Rolls

1 8 oz, 8 count, tube of crescent roll dough
4 oz cream cheese, softened and cut into 8 equal cubes
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
8 gingersnap cookies, crushed
red, green, and/or white candy sprinkles

Directions

1. Roll out the crescent dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
2. Fill each crescent roll with 1 cube of the cream cheese, 1 tbsp of the white chocolate chips, and a pinch of the crushed gingersnaps.

3. Start at the fat end and gently roll up the triangle to form crescent shape, repeating for the remaining crescents.

4. Bake the prepared rolls at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
5. In a double boiler, or in the microwave, melt the rest of the white chocolate chips. Drizzle the chocolate over the crescent rolls and then sprinkle the rest of the crushed ginger snaps over top. Finish off with a handful of candy sprinkles. Serve warm.

recipe adapted from Lemon Tree Dwelling

Like what you see? There’s more …

Nutella Crescents

Snickerdoodle Crescent Rolls

Sugar Crumb Crispies

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Pomegranate, Feta, and Chive Pinwheels

Everywhere we go everything is decorated. And while there may be a whole spectrum of ‘holiday’ colors, red and green are by far the stars of this show. One thing I don’t see a lot of? Festive dishes.

Hold on, let me stop you right there. I’m not talking about the traditional holiday favorites. Or even all the cute ones made to look like Holiday favorites, like our Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread or our Christmas Tree Pancakes. Those are a given. I’m talking about ‘decorated’ festive dishes made specifically with Christmas colors in mind. My Mom used to say that at least half of her enjoyment in a dish wasn’t just taste or even presentation, but about the colors and whether or not they spoke to her. She loves a vibrant presentation, and I can honestly say that I’ve come to appreciate one as well.

Red pomegranate arils and bright green chives stud a bed of snowy white feta and whipped cream cheese, and it’s all wrapped up into perfect pinwheels. Talk about the total package! Visually engaging with a mouth-watering flavor combination, these just beg to be included in your Christmas buffet or at any holiday party.

Pomegranate, Feta, and Chive Pinwheels

8 oz whipped cream cheese
5 oz crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup chives, chopped
⅓ cup pomegranate arils, rinsed and gently patted dry
4 fajita size tortillas

Directions

1. In a medium size bowl, stir together the cream cheese, feta, chives and pomegrante arils.
   2. Spread the cream cheese out evenly over all four tortillas.
   3. Roll each tortilla tightly (like you would a Swiss or jell roll) and wrap the roll in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the filled tortillas for at least one hour, or overnight if making ahead of time.
   4. Use a serrated knife to slice each tortilla into 12 pinwheels before serving.

recipe adapted from Melanie Makes

Eggnog Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread is one of the sons’ favorite things to eat, and it’s little wonder why. It’s sticky, it’s sweet, and it’s basically dessert that they have permission to eat for breakfast and they get to wash it all down with a tall glass of cold milk.

Think you don’t have time to make such a yummy dish from scratch? We’ve made this super simple to make, so simple you’d have to try hard to actually mess it up.

Even better? This isn’t any ordinary monkey bread recipe, this one is dressed specifically for the holidays, with its typically sugary sweet, pull apart pastry and a liberal buttered eggnog cream poured overtop.

Eggnog Monkey Bread

1 can (16.3 oz) regular refrigerated biscuits, no flaky layers or butter flavored

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp nutmeg

6 tbsp butter, melted

Directions

1. Mix 1/4 cup of the sugar and the nutmeg, stirring to combine.

2. Separate the biscuits and use a pair of kitchen shears to cut each one into 4-6 pieces and put the cut pieces in a large zip locking bag, or a large tupperware.

3. Add the sugar mixture to biscuits, seal, and shake well to evenly coat the biscuit pieces.

4. Transfer the sugared biscuits to a greased 6 cup bundt pan.

5. Mix melted butter and the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and pour it all over the biscuits in pan.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 28 minutes, or until golden brown.

7. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing. To remove, tip the bundt pan upside down onto a serving plate, give it a pat or two if needed to release the bread, and top it with the eggnog glaze.

Eggnog Drizzle

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp butter, softened

1/2 tsp rum extract

3 tbsp eggnog

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Directions

1. Stir together all the ingredients until evenly combined, add more eggnog if you’d prefer a thinner consistency. Drizzle the eggnog glaze over the monkey bread.

Bacon, Apple, & Cheddar Quiche

Remember all those apples we picked awhile back? We told you they wouldn’t go to waste, and once again we’ve got another recipe to deliver on that promise. And boy does it deliver. In spades.

I know some of you’re already familiar with the beautiful couple that fruit and meat can make in a dish. And for those of you who aren’t, I’m begging you to lower that eye brow and give this a try

Just imagine it; the tartness of Granny Smith apples, the smokiness of bacon and the sharp tang of cheddar are a match made in heaven. They’re a triple threat of Fall flavors that do not disappoint.

Even the hubs, who has a self-proclaimed disdain for any quiche (too much egg or some sort of non-sense), and eats fruit only if his life depends on it, gave this dish two thumbs up and a couple of appreciative, unintelligible noises around mouthfuls.

Bacon, Apple, & Cheddar Quiche

pastry
1 cup all-purpose white flour
pinch salt
2 tbsp cold butter
2 tbsp cold shortening
cold water

filling
1/2 onion
2 green apples, peeled and cored
4 slices bacon
4 medium-sized eggs
pepper, to taste
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

1. In a medium-sized bowl, use a fork to stir together the white flour and salt.
   2. Add the butter and shortening and use your fingers to rub them in to the flour until it’s evenly combined and resembles a course meal.
   3. Add the cold water 1 teaspoon at a time, stirring in between. Add the water until the mixture pulls together forming a dough.
   4. Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until it’s large enough to cover an 8″ pie pan.
2. 5. Line the pie pan with the pastry and stab the bottom section all over with a fork to ensure even baking. Use your fingers to dent the top of the crust along the rim, if desired.
   6. Bake the prepared crust at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until it just starts to turn golden.
   7. While the crust is baking, prepare the filling. Dice the onion, apples and bacon and sate them all together in a medium to large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until everything is soft.
   8. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs together until smooth and then stir in a bit of pepper.
   9. Remove the cooked crust from the oven (remove from heat and set aside if it finishes baking before the filling is finished) and layer the onion, apple and bacon mixture into the bottom of the crust.
   10. Gently pour the egg mixture over top and then finish by sprinkling the cheese out evenly over top.
   11. Return the quiche to the oven and bake, again at 350 degrees, for around 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling has set. If you aren’t sure if the filling is set, insert a toothpick into the center, if it comes out clean it’s all set.

Skinny Chocolate Cherry Muffins

Sweet, dark cherries stirred into a deceptively ‘skinny’ chocolate batter that’s then baked into healthy muffins that are sinfully delicious.

 

With these you can have your cake and eat it too, AND still feel good about it.

Pair these with a glass of milk for an indulgent start to any morning. Or enjoy them with a glass of milk (or wine, just sayin’!) for a sweet treat that’s a great ending to any day whether it’s for dessert, or a not-so naughty midnight snack.

Skinny Chocolate Cherry Muffins

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large egg whites, or one large egg
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or regular yogurt, plain or vanilla)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp  baking powder
1 cup chopped dark sweet cherries (fresh or frozen)
chocolate chips for sprinkling on top, optional

Directions

1. Prepare a cupcake/muffin tin by spraying the cups generously with non-stick cooking spray, or you can use cupcake liners (but they won’t pull away clean from the baked muffins).
   2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the applesauce, sugar, honey, egg whites, greek yogurt, and vanilla extract, mixing them until the batter is evenly combined without any lumps left.
   3. Sift together the flours, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together. Slowly stir in the wet ingredients, just until everything’s evenly incorporated, but also making sure not to leave any flour pockets lurking behind. Gently fold in the cherries using a spatula.
   4. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups, filling them as close to the top as possible. Bake the muffins at 425 degrees for 5 minutes then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of one muffin. If it comes out clean, they are done. If not, bake for about 2 more minutes.
   5. Remove the pan from the oven and allow It to rest, cooling for about 3 minutes, then carefully remove the muffins from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Muffins stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
   * These muffins also freeze well, making a great grab and go breakfast or snack option. Just put them in the refrigerator the night before to thaw, and pop them in the microwave in the morning to reheat.

Greek Quiche

I could easily eat Greek (or Mediterranean flavored ) food all day, every day. Not even joking.

I have yet to come across another flavor pallet, that is not only bursting at the seams and win robust favors jam-packed into every single bite, but all-around pretty healthy as well.

(I’m sire they’re out there, I just haven’t fallen for em yet.)

Quiche for dinner, you say? But with all that egg-y ness how can it be? The salty feta, the tangy olives, the juicy, sun dried tomatoes, the marinated artichoke, and all the traditionally Greek seasoning palette make for a Mediterranean flavor fest in every bite.

The egg is just the glue that binds it all together, and it doesn’t detract or disappoint. Far from it. Somehow it manages to get even better with every bite.

Greek Quiche

1 pre-made Quiche/Pie Crust
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
a heaping 1/4 cup of Sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), roughly chopped
1/4 cup Kalamata Olives, or regular black olives, roughly chopped
1 cup Artichokes,marinated in oil, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup of milk
4 eggs
3 tbsp fresh Oregano, diced, or 3 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Unroll/roll out the people made pie crust and place it evenly into a 9 ” pie pan. Use your fingers to gently crimp the edges. This step is purely meant to be aesthetically pleasing, and totally optional!
2. In a medium-large skillet, add the olive oil over and heat over medium to medium high heat. Once hot, add in the diced onions and cook until they just start to turn translucent, or about 6 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and let them cook together for a few minutes longer. Remove the skillet from heat, add in the olives, artichokes stirring everything together, and let the mixture rest.
3. While the veggie mixture is cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and spices. Add the cooked veggies to the prepared quiche crust. Top with the crumbled feta cheese.
4. Gently pour the egg mixture over top of the veggies, and don’t worry if it doesn’t quite completely cover everything or if it swamps the veggies, either way it will turn out fine.
5. Bake the quiche at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes to an hour, or until the top just starts to brown. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, everything is completely cooked through.
6. Remove the cooked quiche from the oven and let rest for a minute or two before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Do you share our love of all things Greek? Or Mediterranean flavored? Here’s a few other ideas you might like:

Greek Chicken Burger Sliders with Pickled Red Onions & Greek Yogurt Sauce

Greek Spinach Feta Chicken Pockets 

Greek-Style Oven Fries

Ham, Egg, & Cheese Toast Cups

Breakfast and Brunch menus usually have a lot to offer, and the range of options for those meals is pretty varied. But when your a busy parent with hungry children to feed in the am hours, the early morning menu is usually pretty basic. And after a while, even when you have the time.to whips up some eggs, and butter a few slices of toast, even that can get a bit boring for everybody over time.

So here’s one of my favorite ways to shake things up when we’re in a rut.

This is basically just your classic scrambled eggs with a side of toast. But all mashed together; and with cheese and some ham for extra flavor and protein. Ya know, basic. But ( again ) with cheese, because cheese makes everything better. I see it as an easy and convenient way to serve breakfast on the weekends (or on busy morning with a quick reheat) and the kids see it as impressive, and oh-so fancy. They love it, and I always love the giggles I get over them considering us high-falutin folk with our own cuisine.

Don’t stop here though. Ham and cheese may seem like an obvious choice to fortify your eggs with, but the options are endless. Play around with different cheeses or add any toppings that you would normally add to an omelette or frittata  – peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, green onion, tomatoes – there is no right or wrong way!

One thing’s for sure, these are sure to cure any case of breakfast boredom.

Ham, Egg, & Cheese Toast Cups

12 slices of bread
7 eggs
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup ham, cubed
½ tsp garlic powder
½ onion chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Cut crusts off of the bread and roll bread flat.
2. Butter each side of the bread and place one piece  in each muffin tin to form a toast ‘cup’, gently pressing the bread against the sides of the tin and the centers down. Patch any holes you see with another small piece of buttered bread.
3. Combine eggs, garlic powder, onion, salt, and pepper and beat with a whisk until frothy.
4. Pour some into each muffin tin, filling the bread cup approximately 3/4 of the way full. Add a few cubes of ham to each toast cup and top with shredded cheese.

5. Bake the at 375 degrees for approximately 15 minutes, or until the eggs are set.

These are freezer friendly, so if you’re trying to get a jump start on weekday breakfasts make a batch, let them cool completely, remove them from the tins and freeze in a zip locking storage bag until ready to use. A quick re-heat in the microwave on a busy morning, and you’re good to go. Literally.

Healthy Peanut Butter Cookie Overnight Oats

Ive made no secret of the fact that I’m not a morning person. Like, at all. And nobody else around here is either. If we’re lucky, were rushing out of the house headed to who knows where for the day, hopefully with enough time leftover to grab a hot cup of coffee. And if I ( or any of my progeny ) are lucky there might be some grab and go yogurts I remembered to buy on my last grocery store run, or there’s a freezer breakfast sandwich, or a breakfast burrito that we can take to heat and eat later.

 

And here’s where I tell you all about the beauty of overnight oats.

There is no cooking required! None. Nada. Simply stir together your ingredients the night before, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container, go to bed, and wake up with not only a tasty treat waiting for you, but one that’s healthy too. Does it get any better than that?

It does actually. Overnight oats are so easy to throw together even a child can do it. And the sons do 🙂

And they’re a great change of pace from hastily grabbed yogurts or cold bowls of cereal.

Healthy Peanut Butter Cookie Overnight Oats

3/4 cup Skim or 1 % milk
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar
1 cup Old fashioned steel-cut oats
1/4 cup Protein powder

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients together until evenly combined.
2. Divide between 2 small bowls, mugs, or mason jars. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least an hour (or more) so the oats soften and absorb the liquid).
3. Enjoy cold, or microwave for 30-60 seconds to enjoy warm. Top each prepared bowl with a sprinkle of chocolate chips and/or a small scoop of peanut butter (totally optional).

Banana Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup

Oh my word. You guys! This right here. These pancakes right here. These are breakfast pancake heaven. Even better? They’re breakfast pancake heaven topped with peanut butter sauce.

peanut. butter. sauce.

Have you heard of Jack Johnson? Have you heard his song ‘Banana Pancakes’?

“But, baby, you hardly even notice
When I try to show you this
Song is meant to keep ya
From doing what you’re supposed to
Waking up too early
Maybe we can sleep in
Make you banana pancakes
Pretend like it’s the weekend now”

Everybody plays hooky once in a while, right??

And a fluffy stack of banana pancakes drizzled with homemade peanut butter syrup are a must for any day of serious R&R.

On another note, the kids call these the Elvis pancakes. I may or may not have mentioned a few thousand times that the pb & banana sandwich was his favorite. Along with various other random tidbits about ‘The King.’ I also may or may not have an entire library of books on the man, and my three year old self may or may not have been convinced that I was fated to marry him, regardless of the tiny hiccup of him being dead and all.

So, banana pancakes WITH peanut butter. They’re good grub fit for just about anybody, from the working man to The King.

Banana Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 ripe banana, in this case those mushy black/brown spots are a plus
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp canola oil
pinch of cinnamon

Peanut Butter Sauce
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup water

Directions

1. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, add the banana and wet ingredients, mashing and mixing them together until all  are evenly combined.
3. Combine the dry and wet ingredient together in one bowl, stirring until evenly incorporated. It will be lumpy and somewhat thick.
4. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan/ griddle for each pancake.
5. Heat until bubbly on top, flip and cook until golden brown on each side.

Peanut Butter Sauce
1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat until boiling. Let cool slightly, and drizzle the sauce over the pancakes. Top with extra banana slices, if desired.

Sausage Breakfast Burritos

So if you’ve followed along with us for any amount of time, you know that this mama doesn’t do breakfast. Yes I make sure there are breakfast items available, but All self serve, a la carte style. Hot breakfast? Dad does giant brunches every Saturday and Sunday. Otherwise? It’s pretty much cold cereal ’round these parts.

 

But I do occasionally take pity on my crew who put up with all my whims, and all my willfulness in the kitchen. What can I say? I run a tight ship, usually it goes my way or the highway, but every now and then I hear a request or two, or I just generally try to prevent a mutiny. And that’s where these handy, dandy breakfast burritos come in.

All cooked up and pre-packaged, all ready to heat and eat.

Sausage Breakfast Burritos

1 lb ground pork sausage
1-1/2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup diced green and/or red pepper
4 eggs, lightly beaten
12 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Picante sauce and sour cream, optional

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain and set aside. Add the potatoes, onion and pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 6-8 minutes or until tender. Pour the eggs in and stir, cooking until they’re set. Return the sausage to the skillet and stir everything together to evenly incorporate.
2. Spoon the filling off center onto each of the tortillas. Sprinkle cheese evenly out over the filling. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up. Serve with Picante sauce and/or sour cream, if desired.
3. To freeze and reheat the burritos: Wrap each burrito in waxed paper and then again in foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. To use, remove the foil and the waxed paper. Place one burrito on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 2 to 2-1/4 minutes, turning the burrito over once during re-heating. Let stand for 20 seconds before eating. These also re-heat just as well in a toaster oven if a microwave isn’t an option.