They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It's also my favorite meal of the day.
I’ve written blogs about desserts, grilling, soups, stews, kitchen tools and equipment, all kinds of food and of course San Miguel de Allende. I think that a breakfast blog is long overdue!
One of the coolest things about breakfast is that it can be sweet, savory, gooey, eggy, meaty and crispy, with cereals of all kinds and so much more. Take lox and bagels: salty, smoky lox, a bagel with a schmear of cream cheese and a slice of tomato, thinly sliced red onion and capers. There's nothing better!
When I was a kid my grandmother would cook these lavish weekend breakfast meals for my family. There would be broiled round steak with gravy, homemade biscuits, grits, sausages, bacon, toast, sliced tomatoes, breakfast potatoes and homemade preserves, jellies or jams. All of this, just for Sunday morning breakfast.
Were we able to move ourselves away from the table afterwards? I think not! But we were young and able to burn off all those calories by tree climbing, bike riding, hopscotch playing, and just plain running up and down the street. Those were some of my most memorable breakfast experiences, even if it was just a bowl of grits and a piece of toast. It was special, because it was all at Big Mama’s kitchen table.
Growing up in a Southern family, grits were a huge staple in our pantry and often on our breakfast table. It’s pretty astounding how many ways grits can be served. With my family, it was always with plenty of butter and a couple of spoonfuls of sugar. I’ve since added cheddar cheese into the mix.
One of my favorite things to make for breakfast is a frittata. They are simply full of eggy, cheesy, puffy, veggie and meaty goodness. I love making a ‘garbage’ frittata every now and then. I take available veggies from my fridge and chop or dice them. Then I sauté them with either some ham, bacon or prosciutto in a bit of butter and olive oil, whisk several eggs together and add about ¼ cup of milk. I also like to include a variety of shredded cheeses and some fresh herbs. Then I add that to the sautéed veggies and meats. I let that all cook together in the sauté pan for about a minute and than place in a 350 degree preheated oven until everything is all puffy and firmed up. That usually takes between 10-15 minutes.
When students take our Knife Skills class at The Chopping Block, we always offer them Ziploc bags to take home all of their chopped veggies. We chef instructors will always offer our students suggestions with what to prepare with those veggies, and I’m all about the frittata!
I’ve gotten into the habit of having a bowl of steel cut oats every morning for breakfast. It might take a while to prepare them, but the nutty flavor you get from steel cut oats is worth every minute. Halfway through the cooking process, I usually add a diced apple, a teaspoon of cinnamon and a handful of dried cranberries. When the oats are finally cooked, I top them with a small sprinkle of brown sugar, some fresh blueberries and a drizzle of agave syrup. I’ve never really been a fan of oatmeal, but after discovering steel cut oats this has become my “breakfast of champions”.
A couple of weeks ago, I found a recipe for a maple, bacon, brown sugar biscuit bake. Talk about a decadent yet dangerously delicious breakfast! I even added bourbon to the topping, and wow!
My all-time favorite breakfast meal is Eggs Benedict served with crispy shredded hash browns. I live for those poached eggs on top of a toasted English muffin with ham and a silky rich hollandaise sauce. Even though I live for them. I only allow myself the pleasure of eating them once, maybe twice a year. I like to think of them as a special occasion breakfast meal.
I also love pancakes and waffles, and there is nothing better then a Dutch Baby Pancake. It’s airy, fluffy, lemony and not too sweet. I usually make mine using fresh blueberries and topped off with powdered sugar.
I couldn’t cap off this list of breakfast ideas without mentioning another one of my favorites, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, breakfast potatoes. A simple breakfast of fluffy scrambled eggs, toast and some breakfast potatoes is one of the best. The best thing about crispy breakfast potatoes is that they can go alongside practically anything!
I mentioned earlier that some of my fondest memories as a kid were sitting at my grandmother Lizzie Bissic’s kitchen table and eating meals that were truly what I think food should be all about. She really instilled in me this passion I have for cooking today. I think she would have loved our upcoming Southern Brunch class and you will too!