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How to Make Eggs in a Nest

January 26, 2026 by Laura 5 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

You probably already know this little trick. But if not, here’s how to make eggs in a nest!

I go in phases of making these, mostly because I forget about them. So I figured I would post about this idea here as a reminder to all of us that this is a great and easy breakfast, lunch, snack, or supper!

Eggs in a Nest are fun because you can use a cute cookie cutter to remove the center of the bread. I’m told by experts (my children) that a cute center makes these taste even better. And here I thought it was the melted, browned butter that took them up a notch.

How to Make Eggs in a NestYum

This isn’t as much of a recipe as a little tutorial on “how I make this food.” Ingredients needed?

  • Bread
  • Eggs
  • Butter
  • Sea Salt

Step One: Cut out the center of a slice of bread with a small cookie cutter.

Step Two: Melt butter in a skillet or on a griddle. Put prepared bread onto the melted butter.

Step Three: Crack an egg into each hole.

Step Four: Sprinkle salt over each egg. Poke the yolk if you don’t like your eggs runny.

Step Five: Allow the eggs to cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip the bread/egg to cook the second side to finish cooking.

And that’s it! One of my tiny, very picky girls likes these so much she will eat three of them for breakfast!

Some of my other tiny picky children skip the Eggs in a Nest and go right for the center pieces. After I cook the above mentioned breakfast, I use the inside cut outs to make buttered toast on my griddle. These get gobbled up so fast that I’ve learned to cut an entire loaf of bread into small shapes and toast them on the griddle for our kids to enjoy.

Do you make Eggs in a Nest? Do you call them something different?

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Simple Tuna Patties (on a Simple Budget)

January 4, 2018 by Laura 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

These Simple Tuna Patties are definitely going to become a new staple around our house.

tuna patties11

Anytime we eat tuna, I like to use yellow-fin tuna in water. If I wait for sales and then stock up, I can get it for around $1.14 per 5-ounce can. There are even cheaper varieties, but those tend to include unnecessary ingredients I want to avoid. This one only contains tuna, water, and salt. :)

Since we’re talking about Simple Meals on a Simple Budget right now, how about we do a little math story problem?

Laura needs three cans of tuna to make Simple Tuna Patties. Her tuna costs $1.14 per can. What is the cost of her tuna for this recipe?

This is math in the real world, Baby. It’s the answer to, “But when will I ever use this stuff in real life?” that we all asked back in our middle and high school days. Though I’ve still never used one lick of the Geometry and Alegebra 2 I worked so hard to learn in high school so I’m still a little bit bitter about that.

Well anyway, $3.42. The answer to my tuna math problem is $3.42.

tuna patties22

I will admit that before trying these, I thought the idea of mashing tuna into patties and frying them sounded weird. So if you also saw the title of this recipe and got weirded out, let me assure you of how wonderful these taste! Every single person in my family loves these. They are easy, filling, delicious, and inexpensive. So how about another tuna story problem? This one is more complex. Prepare yourself.

Laura pays a minimum of $5.60 for one pound of grass-fed ground beef. If she makes hamburger patties for her family, she uses two pounds of ground beef. How much money does she save when making one recipe worth of Tuna Patties instead of hamburger patties?

tuna patties33

Here, I’ll make it easy. Two pounds of burger = $11.20. $11.20 take away $3.42 is $7.78 and that is how much money I save when making these Simple Tuna Patties for my family’s lunch.

(I used a calculator to solve this problem because my high school math teachers are no longer the boss of me. Also, they told me I would use the sine, cosine, and tangent stuff in my future and that was a lie. So I’ll use my calculator if I want. And I will apparently go off on a tangent. So at least I’m using that one.)

tuna patties44

Simple Tuna Patties

5.0 from 2 reviews
Simple Tuna Patties (on a Simple Budget)
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 6-8 patties
Ingredients
  • 15-ounces canned tuna in water, drained
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • Oil for frying (I recommend palm shortening or refined coconut oil as these are both flavorless and remain stable at high temperatures.)
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, stir together all ingredients except for the oil.
  2. Heat about 3 Tablespoons of oil in a skillet.
  3. Drop a large scoop full of tuna mixture into hot oil, pressing to flatten into a patty.
  4. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until both sides of the tuna patty is golden brown.
  5. Serve right away.
3.4.3177

Simple Tuna Patties on a Simple Budget

Here’s one more math story problem for you:

If Susie becomes a Simple Meals member for the tiny cost of $1.00 per week, receiving complete and easy meal plans, grocery lists, recipes, time-saving tips, and more, how happy is Susie every single week of her life? And how much time has Susie saved each week? And how much money has Susie saved? And how well does Susie’s family eat??

Well now, this one is a no-brainer. :) Join us here —>

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Want more Simple Recipes?

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  • Simple Crock Pot Chicken Soup with a Kick
  • Simple Skillet Taco Pasta
  • Last-Minute Lentil Chili
  • Simple Sweet and Sour Baked Chicken Legs
  • 20-Minute Taco Soup
  • Simple Cheesy Baked Chicken
  • Simple Creamy Chicken Stew in the Crock Pot
  • Simple Italian Beef and Broccoli Skillet
  • Simple Bacon Ranch Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple Taco Rice Dinner
  • Simple Last Minute Nacho Plate
  • Simple Chicken Cheeseballs with a Kick
  • Simple Beanie Weanies
  • Simple Crock Pot BBQ Spareribs
  • Simple Pizza Chicken Bake
  • Simple Italian Chicken and Green Bean Bake
  • Last Minute Creamy Bacon Spaghetti
  • Simple Hamburger Soup
  • Simple Parmesan Broiled Fish
  • Simple Overnight Saucy Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple 15-Minute Meal
  • Simple Overnight Melt-in-Your-Mouth Beef Roast
  • Simple 3-Cheese Crock Pot Pasta
  • Simple Oven Fried Chicken
  • Simple Honey Mustard Chicken Legs
  • The Easiest Mashed Potatoes in the World
  • Simple Garlic Butter Shrimp
  • Simple Crunchy Ranch Chicken Strips
  • Simple Crock Pot Shredded Ranch Chicken (for salad or tacos)
  • Simple Crock Pot Pizza Casserole
  • Simple Barbecue Beef Roast
  • Simple Spanish Rice Bowls
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  • Simple Grilled Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Beef Roast
  • Simple Crock Pot Creamy Stew Meat
  • Simple Cheese Stuffed Burgers
  • Simple Hashbrown Casserole (For Instant Pot, Crock Pot or Oven!)
  • Simple Lasagna Casserole (For Instant Pot or Crock Pot)
  • Simple Chili Mac
  • Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
  • From Burrito Bar to Casserole (a 5-Minute Meal!)
  • Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Roll
  • Simple Garlic Parmesan Chicken Legs
  • Super Simple Lasagna
  • The Simplest White Chicken Chili
  • Simple Lentil Nachos
Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Crunchy Ranch Chicken Strips

March 23, 2017 by Laura 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Did you get your free Simple Recipes, Volume 1 eBook yet? You will LOVE how easy it is to put real food meals on the table. As you can tell with the Simple Garlic Shrimp recipe and now this Simple Crunchy Ranch Chicken Strips recipe – we are now well on our way to Simple Recipes, Volume 2.

Simple Recipes excitement

Let’s keep the Simple Recipes coming!

ranch chicken12

Today I’m excited to share a recipe that has been a family favorite for several years at our house. Of course, seeing as I like everything to be simple now, I’ve pared down the steps it used to take to prepare this chicken. (Pick up one little piece of chicken. Dip the piece of chicken. Dip it again. No thank you.) C’mon. We have more important things to do with our lives…like attempting to have a Family Movie Night.

Attempting? Yes. Allow me to share a little issue I have as of late.

I can’t stay awake for a movie. Ever. It goes something like this:

  1. I get excited that our family has an actual free evening.
  2. We decide to have a movie night and discuss which movie to watch together.
  3. We make snacks and special hot drinks to enjoy while we’re watching the movie together.
  4. Everyone takes forever to actually get their food and drinks and get themselves into the living room to start the movie. (I’m always the picture of loving patience during this time.)
  5. I begin to get nervous, knowing my eyes struggle to stay open if it gets too late. HURRY EVERYONE!!! Thankfully, we’ve started the “get the movie set up and snacks on your plates” ritual at 8:00. Surely I can handle staying awake for a movie with it being so early, right? Well, one would think.
  6. We finally get situated and start the movie at 8:32.
  7. I finish my snack and fall asleep promptly at 8:47.
  8. I wake up just as the credits roll at the end.

Every. Single. Time.

It doesn’t matter what movie. It doesn’t matter what time we begin. (I know this because we tested to see if I could stay awake during an afternoon movie while drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee. I still got sleepy. You may as well ruin every movie for me by telling me who gets married and who dies and who the hero is because I may never watch an entire movie again.)

Well, anyway. The Simple Recipes and Simple Meals resources do everything they can to keep you out of the kitchen and offer you more family time. As far as staying awake during a Family Movie Night goes – you’re on your own. There’s obviously nothing I can do to help any of us with this need.

Simple Crunchy Ranch Chicken Strips

Simple Crunchy Ranch Chicken Strips
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup whole grain flour (rice, wheat, corn, etc) or crushed corn flakes
  • 3 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing Mix*
  • 1 cup melted butter, divided
Instructions
  1. Cut chicken into strips about 1 inch wide.
  2. Drizzle ½ cup melted butter into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  3. In a bowl, stir together parmesan cheese, flour, and ranch dressing mix.
  4. Stir in the chicken pieces until they are coated.
  5. Spread the prepared chicken pieces into the butter in the pan.
  6. Drizzle the remaining butter over the chicken.
  7. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
  8. If desired, broil chicken for about 2 minutes to crisp it up before serving.
3.4.3177

*Here’s my Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix recipe.

Simple Crunchy Ranch Chicken

Notice the recipe offers you a “cheater” method to get these chicken pieces into a pan in a short amount of time! You can dip each piece one at a time if you want, but I simply melt the butter into the pan, stir the chicken all together in a bowl with the flour mixture, then dump it into the buttery pan. It’s so simple!

Typically I prefer chicken thighs over breasts because they are juicier and more flavorful. For this recipe though, I like chicken breasts. I also keep my eye out for mark-downs at the store on chicken breasts pre-cut into strips. It’s a time saver and the mark-down keeps the price reasonable!

‘Fess up! Can you stay awake during movies?

Here are more Simple Recipes you’ll love!

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Truly, all of these recipes are ridiculously easy, good, and nourishing.

  • Simple Baked Salmon and Asparagus
  • Simple Crock Pot Chicken Soup with a Kick
  • Simple Skillet Taco Pasta
  • Last-Minute Lentil Chili
  • Simple Sweet and Sour Baked Chicken Legs
  • 20-Minute Taco Soup
  • Simple Cheesy Baked Chicken
  • Simple Creamy Chicken Stew in the Crock Pot
  • Simple Italian Beef and Broccoli Skillet
  • Simple Bacon Ranch Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple Taco Rice Dinner
  • Simple Last Minute Nacho Plate
  • Simple Chicken Cheeseballs with a Kick
  • Simple Beanie Weanies
  • Simple Crock Pot BBQ Spareribs
  • Simple Pizza Chicken Bake
  • Simple Italian Chicken and Green Bean Bake
  • Last Minute Creamy Bacon Spaghetti
  • Simple Hamburger Soup
  • Simple Parmesan Broiled Fish
  • Simple Overnight Saucy Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple 15-Minute Meal
  • Simple Overnight Melt-in-Your-Mouth Beef Roast
  • Simple 3-Cheese Crock Pot Pasta
  • Simple Oven Fried Chicken
  • Simple Honey Mustard Chicken Legs
  • The Easiest Mashed Potatoes in the World

If you haven’t joined Simple Meals yet, you are missing out on SIMPLE becoming even MORE SIMPLE! (It’s actually possible. I do the work for you.) Check it out here (and get $10 off!). Get an full Simple Meals Planning Packet in your inbox every single week!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Last Minute Lentil Chili

November 20, 2016 by Laura 18 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Raise your hand if you’re busy this week. (Unless, of course, your hands are in the middle of de-boning a turkey. You can just give me a nod.)

Our oldest son is home from college right now, so we are a family of six again. So what if he’s been “away,” living in his college dorm only 8 blocks from home? We don’t see him much and we miss him. Having him home for longer than five minutes has been a joy.

I would say that we’re taking life easy while we prepare for Thanksgiving, but would you believe our son #2 has two huge projects due for his online college history class on Thanksgiving day? What? And yes, he would have had them done ahead of time except that it wasn’t possible because of all the other projects he had due before these.

I’m telling you, these online classes my kids take are threatening to kill us all with a long slow death. (The on-campus classes are much more managable.) Well, anyway.

We’re hosting Thanksgiving this year for 15-20 people from town. Then we’ll head to Kansas to celebrate “Thanksmas” with my side of the family. I baked the turkeys over the weekend. The green bean casserole is in the freezer. Slowly but surely I’m pulling the meal together so that come Thursday, I can actually enjoy the day instead of cooking and cleaning for hours!

In the meantime, the six of us still need to eat regular meals. (They didn’t like the idea of fasting in preparation for Thanksgiving. Whatever.)

Meals like this Simple Last Minute Lentil Chili are amazing for weeks like this! Thaw no meat. Soak no beans. Just go to the stove and put this soup together.

Truth: I didn’t think I would like chili that didn’t have meat in it.

I am such a meat loving girl! We are a meat loving family.

But in fact: My family didn’t even notice this didn’t have meat in it until I told them an hour after they ate it. “Really?” they said, “It tasted like it did!”

Score.

lentil-chili

Simple Last Minute Lentil ChiliYum

3.7 from 3 reviews
Simple Lentil Chili
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 3 Tablespoons minced onion
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried red pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tsp. chili powder
  • 16 ounces dry lentils
  • 32 ounces tomato sauce
  • 32 ounces vegetable or chicken broth*
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, heat and stir olive oil with minced onion, garlic, and red pepper.
  2. Add chili powder, lentils, tomato sauce, and broth.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Bring mixture to a boil, then turn heat down to simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
  5. Serve with cheese and/or sour cream if desired.
3.4.3177

last-minute-lentil-chili

Let this chili recipe save you some evening this week while you’re busy preparing to host or travel!

More Simple Recipes

  • Simple Baked Salmon and Asparagus
  • Simple Crock Pot Chicken Soup with a Kick
  • Simple Skillet Taco Pasta
  • Simple Sweet and Sour Baked Chicken Legs
  • 20-Minute Taco Soup
  • Simple Cheesy Baked Chicken
  • Simple Creamy Chicken Stew in the Crock Pot
  • Simple Italian Beef and Broccoli Skillet
  • Simple Bacon Ranch Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple Taco Rice Dinner
  • Simple Last Minute Nacho Plate
  • Simple Chicken Cheeseballs

Don’t do all the work yourself! Let Simple Meals save your family time!

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Do you have big plans for Thanksgiving?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Baked Salmon and Asparagus

October 4, 2016 by Laura 29 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Some of you live in the land of fresh fish. Me? I live in Nebraska.

Now, Nebraska is wonderful and beautiful and I love it here (winters notwithstanding). We have beautiful farm land and vast fields and wonderful fruit trees and orchards, but we are missing one thing. We don’t have an ocean. Not even a little one.

So fresh fish? I see (and smell it) it sometimes at the store when I go to the city. But I know it didn’t come from our local oceans and I’m not sure how far it had to swim to get here.

All of this has caused me to shy away from buying fish very often.

Fish though. It’s a great healthy food option. So I’m trying. Even if I buy it frozen, at least I’m buying it. After all – what do I know? I have nothing to compare it with. Frozen fish tastes okay to me. (I mean. I do thaw it and cook it.)

Seeing as this Baked Salmon and Asparagus recipe tastes amazing – even with my pitiful frozen salmon (from shhhh…Wal-mart) – I can only imagine that those of you with a fresh fish source will cry happy tears of joy when you bite into this because your version will taste even better than what I experience.

Someday I’m going to visit my auntie on the east coast and eat some actual fish. Someday.

How Simple is This Meal?

  1. Put asparagus in a dish.
  2. Put salmon on top.
  3. Drizzle it with lemon juice and olive oil.
  4. Toss on some onion slices.
  5. Bake.

I sat in my chair working while I walked my 14-year old through the process of making this. It took him 5 minutes. You guys – it takes longer than that to make a sandwich! I am so sold on this recipe I think I’ll make it have my 14-year old make it every single week.

simple-baked-salmon-and-asparagus

Simple Baked Salmon and AsparagusYum

5.0 from 2 reviews
Simple Baked Salmon and Asparagus
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 4-5 salmon fillets
  • 1 pound (give or take) fresh asparagus
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 medium onion
Instructions
  1. Lay asparagus along the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  2. Place salmon fillets over the asparagus.
  3. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over salmon and asparagus, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Slice onion, then lay the slices over the salmon.
  5. Cover and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
3.4.3177

Don’t like asparagus? (Why? Why don’t you like asparagus??!) You can use any veggie you do like. Or use a combination of veggies. Green beans, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower – anything should work deliciously.

Now tell me. Do you have a source for fresh fish? I promise not to get jealous if you say yes.

It’s here! Check out our amazing Simple Meals program!

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Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Bacon Ranch Hashbrown Casserole

October 21, 2015 by Laura 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Bacon Hashbrown Casserole

Yum

A friend had just stopped by when I was pulling this dish out of the oven for lunch earlier this week. It smelled quite amazing. She asked what it was, so I went down the list of ingredients our lunch included, “bacon, ranch dressing, sour cream, cheese…” Then this is when she said,

“Bacon? Ranch? Cheese? With all that in it, you know it’s going to be good!”

Yep, pretty much. What’s not to love?

You might also love knowing how easy this is to make. Cook the bacon, stir in the other ingredients, spread it all in a cooking dish, put it into the oven. Easy. It does help if you have premade frozen hashbrowns and a jar of homemade ranch dressing mix ready to go. Just please put the lid on your ranch dressing before you shake it up. Please. I’m only here to help.

A big thanks to Plain Chicken for the idea for this recipe! I’m excited to think about possibilities of ways to continue tweaking this. Maybe add some cooked chicken to the mix? What else can you think of to add to this dish?

Bacon Ranch Hashbrown Casserole
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 10 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound bacon
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar or Colby jack cheese
  • 3 cups sour cream
  • 3 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing Mix
  • 1 bag of frozen shredded hashbrowns (about 8 potatoes worth of homemade)
Instructions
  1. Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces and cook.
  2. Drain grease.
  3. In a large bowl, stir together cooked bacon, shredded cheese, sour cream, and ranch dressing mix.
  4. Fold in frozen hashbrowns until all ingredients are well combined.
  5. Bake uncovered in a 350° oven for 45-60 minutes or until casserole is lightly browned and bubbly.
3.4.3177

Some recipes you’ll need to go along with this one:

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix

Homemade Hashbrowns

Lately I’ve been finding really great deals on packaged hashbrowns at the store, so I’ve picked up a few to save me some time. I much prefer homemade, but busyness doesn’t always allow me the luxury. It’s good to be relaxed and flexible about healthy eating, right? Right.

So far I’ve only served this casserole for lunch or dinner. But I also think it would be great for breakfast or brunch!

Want to make Bacon Ranch Hashbrown Casserole ahead and freeze it for later? Here’s how:

Make the casserole as directed. Before baking, cover well and freeze for up to three months. To cook and serve – thaw and bake as directed. Or, cover frozen casserole and place it into a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 225° and bake for 2-3 hours or until casserole has thawed, baked, and is heated through.

Bacon Ranch Hashbrown Casserole - Easy!

Note: This recipe is naturally gluten free. Hold onto this one if you have to avoid gluten – or so that you can bless friends who eat gluten free!

I’ll definitely be making this casserole often! Since it’s freezer-friendly, I’ll likely be making two or three at once so I can have no-brainer meals on hand for busy nights. After all, why dirty up more dishes tomorrow when tomorrow will have enough dirty dishes of its own? Right??

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

My Favorite Cheesecake Factory Salad Makeover

May 14, 2015 by Laura 11 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Who loves a Cheesecake Factory BLT Chopped Salad more than cheesecake???? This girl. I’ve only been there a few times, but I found a salad there that I love soooo much. This begs the question: A salad? At cheesecake factory? Why?

See, here’s the thing. When one goes to the Cheesecake Factory, one wants to enjoy the cheesecake right? Therefore, eating a salad as a meal preceding the cheesecake makes perfect sense. One must save room for the cheesecake! That is how I discovered this salad. Or a salad much like this.

I believe the salad I ordered at Cheesecake Factory had chopped apples and some chicken in it too (but it’s been about a year since I’ve been there so I can’t remember all the specifics). Add those to this if you like. All I know is that this salad is so good that our family devoured a huge bowl of it – two days in a row. And I want to make it again tomorrow.

Helpful hint: Want to get your kids to like salad? Add BACON.

BLT Chopped Salad with Feta Cheese

BLT Chopped Salad with Feta CheeseYum

5.0 from 1 reviews
My Favorite Cheesecake Factory Salad Makeover
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 6 cups chopped mixed greens, lettuce, or spinach (any combination you like)
  • 2 chopped tomatoes
  • ½ pound bacon, cut into bites, cooked, and drained
  • 1-2 cups sweet corn, cooked and cooled
  • 1-2 chopped avocado
  • 4 ounces feta cheese crumbles
  • Dressing:
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice of one lime (about 2 Tablespoons)
  • salt and pepper to taste (I put in a few shakes of each)
Instructions
  1. Toss salad ingredients into a large bowl.
  2. In a small jar, shake together dressing ingredients.
  3. Pour over salad and toss.
  4. Serve right away!
3.4.3177

This is a perfect spring or summertime meal. I think I could eat this every day. And believe it or not, I don’t even have to have cheesecake afterward. :)

I can’t tell you how delicious and flavorful this is. You MUST try it. Every bite is delicious.

What’s your favorite thing to get at Cheesecake Factory?

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Easy Ham and Egg Breakfast Bowls – a Quick and Filling Breakfast To-Go!

February 5, 2015 by Laura 15 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Oh man (lady – whatever). You are going to love this idea! Unless you don’t like eggs.  But for those of you who love eggs, and for everyone who wants an easy, real food meal that will pack a punch with nutrition and keep you full until the next meal…

Please allow me to introduce you to these delightful little Ham and Egg Breakfast Bowls:

ham and egg cups1

See that? The ham is the bowl. Isn’t that clever? I didn’t think of this myself, but was enlightened by my friend who was excited to tell me about her fun breakfast of the day. She knew I’d need to know about this idea. She knows me (and my hungry crew) well, don’t you think?

Everyone get out your muffin tins and get ready to have some fun.

How to make Ham and Egg Breakfast BowlsYum

You will need:

Muffin Tins
Thin Slices of Ham
Eggs
Shredded Cheese
Sea Salt
Garnish like Fresh Spinach, Green Chilies, Mushrooms, Peppers, Onion, Broccoli, or Salsa

Push a piece of thinly sliced ham down into each muffin cup.

ham and egg bowls 4

Crack an egg into each “ham bowl.” Poke each egg yolk with a fork and carefully scrambled it around inside the bowl. Sprinkle with salt, top with cheese, and garnish however you like. Bake in a 350° oven  for 10-20 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through.

You can make these ahead of time, then rewarm them for a quick, ready-made breakfast or lunch! (That’s my favorite part, of course.)

You can also scrambled up your eggs in a dish, and then scoop some out into each ham bowl if you prefer. My kids like the texture of these better if I do it that way.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Easy Ham and Egg Breakfast Bowls - a Quick and Filling Breakfast To-Go!
 
Save Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
20 mins
Total time
30 mins
 
Author: Laura
Ingredients
  • Muffin Tins
  • Thin Slices of Ham
  • Eggs
  • Shredded Cheese
  • Sea Salt
  • Garnish like Fresh Spinach, Green Chilies, Mushrooms, Peppers, Onion, Broccoli, or Salsa
Instructions
  1. Push a piece of thinly sliced ham down into each muffin cup.
  2. Crack an egg into each "ham bowl."
  3. Poke each egg yolk with a fork and carefully scrambled it around inside the bowl.
  4. Sprinkle with salt, top with cheese, and garnish however you like.
  5. Bake in a 350° oven for 10-20 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through.
3.4.3177

 

Easy Ham and Egg Breakfast Bowls

Is this idea genius, or what? You must try this! :)

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How To Have a Hot, Healthy Meal Waiting For You When You Get Home From Church (or From Wherever)

October 23, 2012 by Laura 57 Comments

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On Sunday, we got home from church at 11:55. We were eating lunch by 12:02. It was a hot meal of Lasagna Casserole, green beans, and sweet corn.

How did we do this? Oh, it is my most favorite trick I’ve come up with for eating a healthy meal in a timely manner. Why have I not been doing this forever?

But I’ve got to warn you. If you…

1. Don’t like the thought of leaving the oven on in your house while you are away, or
2. Feel like there is a food safety issue with leaving a casserole in the oven for a little extra time…

You will not like this tip. And I’m okay with that.

But I’ve done it over and over this fall and it has saved my neck, provided healthy meals for my family, and been a huge time saver!

Plus, our house hasn’t burned down even one time. Nor have we gotten sick from practicing this method. 

We have experienced an episode of extra crispy cheese on top of our Cheesy Beef and Rice. I apologized to my family, and they said, “Do it like this every time!” Apparently crispy cheese is a great addition to our culinary experience.

Here’s what I’ve been doing:

I make a casserole on Saturday and put it in the fridge. On Sunday morning I either:

  • Bake it for an hour before we leave for church, then turn off the oven before we leave, letting the casserole sit in the oven while we’re gone. When we get home, I turn the oven back on for a few minutes to rewarm while I make veggies. Or I
  • Put the casserole in the oven at 200° right before we leave for church, letting it cook slowly while we’re gone. It is hot and ready to eat immediately when we get home.

I have also grabbed a frozen casserole out of the freezer, put it directly into the oven, turn the oven on to 200°, and when we come home it has thawed and cooked and is ready for us to eat. (Always be sure to put a glass casserole into the oven and THEN turn the oven on. This prevents the glass dish from cracking as it heats slowly as the oven heats.)

This meal prep method has worked well for me with the following dishes:

  • Lasagna Casserole
  • Cheesy Beef and Rice
  • Cheesy Salsa Enchiladas
  • Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
  • Beefy Enchilada Bake
  • Bbq Brisket and baked potatoes  (cooked on low heat all morning while we’re gone)

I’ve also done this successfully with a Roast Beef Meal or a Roast Chicken and Veggies. 

I’m telling you, with just a little work ahead of time, we have been able to walk through the door and be greeted with delicious smelling food – hot and ready to eat. I not only do this every Sunday now, but I’ve been doing it in the evenings when we leave for soccer games. We get home from a game, wash our hands, steam some veggies or get out a salad we’ve made ahead of time, and we’ve got dinner.

Healthy, convenient, easy, inexpensive, quick – I’m pretty sure this method of making a meal on the fly covers it all. 

Ever tried doing this before? Have any healthy casserole ideas that would work well using this method? Are you okay with leaving your oven on a low temp when you leave the house?

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