Spinach and Feta Stuffed Breakfast Crescents

These are one of my absolute favorite things to make for parties, the kids, or just on a regular weekend morning.  They are easy, have endless variations, and pretty much appeal to everyone.  Also they are pretty cheap and feed a lot of people.  I made them last summer for Alice's Baby Shower Brunch and they were a big hit, I also make them on Sunday and freeze some and they are great for handing to the kids in the stroller when Chanel and I go for our morning runs. 

All it takes is one (or two or three) tube of crescent roll dough, eggs, cheese, a veggie and you are set to go.  The spinach and feta variety are my favorite: sometimes there is added sun-dried tomatoes.  Aaron likes to make them more reminiscent of a Kolache - eggs, cheese and bacon or jalapeno sausage.  Just chop up your fillings (spinach and tomato), whisk your eggs with a bit of half-and-half and then make a scramble.  Toss the cheese in at the very end so it melts, but doesn't burn.

Heat up your oven and get out a baking sheet.  Lay out the dough on your baking sheet and decide what route you want to go: You can use two pieces and make a pop-tart type pastry, you can just place some on top and roll it up like a crescent, you can even just bundle one together and make a little ball.  I think the crescents present the best, you can see the filling poking through the sides and they look pretty all stacked up on a plate together.  On the other hand though, for the kiddos, its nice to have everything contained so the pop-tart style might be a little less messy.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Breakfast Crescents

Ingredients:

Makes 8 Rolls

• 1 can of crescent roll dough
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup half-and-half*
• Salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup feta cheese crumbles

*I like to use half-and-half or heavy cream when I make scrambled eggs because it gives the scramble a little more volume than just eggs or eggs and water.  However, I don't recommend skim milk or even plain milk because the water seems to separate a bit from the mix and they can be drippy (still tasty, but drippy).

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a baking mat, set aside. Chop the spinach and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your eggs, half-and-half, and seasoning.  Melt a bit of butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and saute for a minute or two.  Pour the egg mixture over the spinach and stir, keeping the eggs from burning but allowing them to cook.

Just as the eggs are setting (so there is just about no liquid left), add the feta, stir together until the eggs are just cooked.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Open the can of crescents and pull each triangle apart.  Using a spoon, place a large spoonful of the egg filling in a line down the middle of the crescent and then roll it up from the wide end.  Place the filled dough on the baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake the crescents in the oven for 5 minutes.  Watch them carefully so they do not over brown.  Depending on your oven, they may need a little longer, but I would just watch them carefully.

Southwest Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast is without a doubt my favorite meal of the day.  It incorporates all of my favorite food groups: bread, cheese, eggs and bacon.  Is there even anything else you need? Yes, actually.  Breakfast sausage. Oh and hashbrowns!  See what I mean? Breakfast has all the good foods.

So it's no surprise that its my favorite meal to make in the house and I am always on the look out for breakfasts that fit a few criteria: it needs to feed a hungry boy appetites, adapt well to baby-size, come together quickly and easily, and be everything I want and expect from a delicious breakfast.  Easy right?

Well this breakfast is exactly that. It is full of potatoes, sausage, cheese, eggs and even a few veggies and has tons of flavor.  It also requires minimal prep and no crazy ingredients.  The final win for this casserole?  I didn't have to do a thing to it to serve it to my ten-month old, everything was already perfectly sized.

The steps are simple: chop your veggies, brown your meat, saute the veggies, mix, and bake. 

Southwest breakfast casserole

Serves 6

ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground sausage (we used mild Italian, but go with whatever you like)
• 1 large red bell pepper, cored and diced
• 4 gloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bunch green onions (about 8), white and green parts chopped, and separated
• 1 tbs. butter or olive oil
• 1 bag frozen diced potatoes
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups shredded cheese (we used a cheddar blend)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Remove the bag of frozen potatoes from the freezer and set it out to thaw as you prep the rest of the food.

In a saute pan over medium high heat, brown the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl to drain.  In the same pan, melt the butter and saute the bell pepper, white parts of the green onions, and garlic.  Transfer to the bowl with the sausage.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the heavy cream and salt and pepper until frothy.  Set aside.

Remove the paper towels from the bowl with the sausage and veggies.  Pour in the frozen diced potatoes so it's half potatoes, half sausage and veggies (I used about 3/4 of the bag).  Stir the mix together so its evenly distributed.

Butter an 9x9 baking dish.  Pour the sausage mix into the dish and spread it evenly. Pour the egg mixture over the sausage mixture, covering the entire pan.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove, and using a spoon stir the mixture, turning it all over so the eggs don't just sink to the bottom and bake up like a quiche and more like a scramble.  Return to the oven for 15 minutes.  Top with desired amount of shredded cheese and return to the oven so the cheese melts.

Top with sliced green onions and fresh salt and pepper before serving.