dinner for breakfast ~ butternut squash mac & cheese

Most people know of the concept of eating breakfast for dinner. Who doesn't love a stack of pancakes in the PM, or a plate of piping hot waffles with craters of maple syrup. Don't forget the eggs and bacon!

Well, I like to reverse that concept and eat dinner for breakfast. Think of a plate of enchiladas with a poached egg on top, or the new concept of breakfast pizza that Jamie Oliver would probably not approve of (except that this version has eggs on top). So when I made Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese for dinner one night, I knew I really made it so I could have leftovers for breakfast.

This recipe features the traditional bechamel-type of white sauce with the addition of cheese whisked in. But what drew me in to this recipe in particular was the pureed butternut squash that is also in the sauce, giving it a unique taste that compliments the cheesiness. The squash, being the same orange hue as cheddar cheese, blends right in to create a creamy emulsion that's almost undetectable.

For breakfast, when I reheat pasta dishes I serve out my portion and sprinkle with some water. This helps separate the noodles, which tend to cling together once refrigerated. While this heats up, I simply poach an egg or two and plop it on top with extra salt, pepper, and finely chopped parsley.

That's all there is to it, and it makes a very tasty breakfast. Don't forget your coffee, or tea. Don't have a teapot? Head on over to the Bodum Tea Press Giveaway, why don't you, and don't forget your clean cup!

homemade egg noodles

Homemade noodles are pretty simple to make and taste really good in comparison to dried pasta. The one downside is that if you don't have a pasta machine to help roll the dough out, it takes a bit more work on your part but it's still doable.

This recipe starts off plainly with eggs, water, and salt. The flour is added and should be mixed with your hands because it's rather stiff and seemingly dry.

Once the you fully incorporate all of the flour into the egg mixture, give the dough a few kneads before covering with plastic wrap to rest. In the second picture, you can see how the flour was given a chance to hydrate and the gluten will have relaxed.

Now you're ready to shape the noodles. The part I found tricky was the rolling, mainly because I had to give the dough a few rests between rolling to reach the thinness I wanted.

After rolling, you could cut squares or whatever with a pizza cutter if you wanted, though I wanted larger strands so lightly floured the surface of the dough and rolled it up, jelly roll style. How wide you slice the dough also determines the size of the noodles (keep in mind that it will expand when cooked, too).

Separate the rolls and unwind, then lightly toss the noodles with flour. This will keep them from sticking together when the noodles air dry for a few hours. You can also cut the noodles in half if they are too long.

Fresh noodles cook much more quickly than when dried, so when you add them to soup, do so at the very end. If you're making a sauce (I'd recommend a fresh tomato sauce or a marinara to showcase the noodles instead of smothering them), make sure it's completely ready before you cook the noodles.

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homemade egg noodles
from Soups for All Seasons

Makes 6 cups noodles

ingredients ~
2 eggs
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons water
2 cups flour

directions ~

1. Beat eggs until light. Add salt and water. Work in flour to make a very stiff dough. Knead, then form into a ball, cover, and let rest 15 to 30 minutes.


2. Roll out on a floured board until very thin (you may need to let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes, covered, then come back and roll it out again). Dust top with additional flour and roll up like a jelly roll. Cut into desired widths. Spread out on a flat surface and let dry for two hours.


3. When ready to cook, drop in boiling water or broth and cook until tender (noodles should be chewy, and the insides won't look raw or mushy, probably about 2-5 minutes -- the recipe didn't give specific times).

poached eggs on a bed of crispy tortilla strips, jalapeno, and spinach

I've been doing a lot with poached eggs lately, mainly for breakfast. This creation stemmed from decided everything "breakfasty" was out of the question. Oatmeal? Too Dickens-esque. Pancakes/waffles? Too sticky. Muffin, scone? I don't feel like baking. In fact, I just didn't want anything sweet, so I set out to quickly come up with something other than scrambled eggs or an omelette.

For this dish, I sliced up an jalapeno and garlic, then heated up a skillet with olive oil while I sliced two corn tortillas into strips. Once the oil was heated, I sauteed the jalapeno a bit before adding the corn tortillas with some salt, and turning up the heat. A bit before the tortillas reach your desired crispiness, add the garlic. Remove from heat and stir in however much baby spinach you want. Place in a bowl.

Meanwhile, poach eggs. To do this, I bring a pot with enough water for the egg to be submerged (maybe 2-3 inches of water?) just to a boil, add a splash of vinegar, and lower the heat to just a simmer. From a small bowl, pour the egg into the pot after you use a spoon to stir the water. For the next 1-2 minutes, just don't touch the egg -- if you leave it alone, the egg white folds on top of itself and it's less messy. After the 1-2 minutes, you can start to gently prod the egg with a slotted spoon in case it's sticking on the bottom of the pot. After 3 minutes, remove to a paper towel-lined plate and gently pat dry. Place on top of tortilla-spinach bed, season with salt, and eat.

And that's it. Super simple, quick, and a bit different than what you might normally have for a breakfast. This would also make a great dinner for evenings when you're wiped out. I made a great spinach-jalapeno white sauce that would be lovely drizzled on top if I wanted to make this a bit heavier.