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Tag: healthy breakfast recipe

High Protein Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Is one of your goals to improve your diet?

What you eat for breakfast can set you up for success for the rest of the day. I like to start my day with eggs and veggies. I make one of these egg casseroles about every other week, then portion it and freeze a couple of servings, whatever I’m not going to eat that week.

This is a great way to use up leftover meat or veggies and will get you well on your way to meeting your protein goals of 1-2 grams of protein per lb. of body weight per day. (I shoot for 20-30 grams of protein per meal).

This recipe is flexible, you can sub bacon or any cooked meat for the sausage. For added protein, blend a cup of cottage cheese until its smooth, and use that instead of sour cream.

Try this and let me know what you think!

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 4 small potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
  • 1 lb pork sausage
  • 1 small bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 4 cups of fresh spinach
  • 12 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease a 9×13 baking pan with butter.
  3. Layer potatoes on the bottom of the pan (you should have enough to just cover the bottom of the dish).
  4. In a large frying pan, cook the sausage on medium heat until it’s browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the peppers and onions and cook for another minute. Toss in the spinach and stir it around once or twice to wilt it (it will cook down a little more in the casserole).
  5. Spread the sausage mixture on top of the potatoes.
  6. In a large bowl, beat eggs with sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cheese until combined.
  7. Pour egg mixture over sausage.
  8. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the eggs are just set and no longer jiggle.

Anne McCranie is a Vancouver, Washington based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your tastebuds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.

Read more about protein guidelines for women over 50 here.

Pineapple Chocolate Coconut Overnight Oats Recipe

Looking for a quick easy breakfast you can take on the run? Try this tropical overnight oats recipe!

Overnight oats 1 2.16

You can use any combination of oats, liquid (cow milk, coconut milk, water, or juice), fresh or dried fruit, and nuts – the recipe below even has a little dark chocolate! Prep breakfast the night before, warm in the microwave if you like, or just grab the jar from the fridge and go. Now you have no excuse for skipping breakfast!

Why “overnight”? You may have heard me talk about the benefits of soaking your grains. The folks at Nourished Kitchen suggest you can “enhance the nutrient profile” of your grains and make them easier to digest by soaking overnight (read all about that here). You may warm the milk slightly, add all other ingredients, cap the jar and leave it on the counter. If the thought of warm milk left out overnight makes you squeamish, pop the jar in the fridge.

The basic overnight oats recipe is as follows: 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup liquid, a small amount of the toppings of your choice like nuts, and fresh or dried fruit, plus 1 tsp spices (I like cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and nutmeg) a pinch of salt, and if you like a splash of acid like yogurt, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

I recently played my favorite game of “what’s in the fridge/ pantry” and came up with this combination of fruit, nuts and coconut milk and it was delicious!

Here are the tropical oats before going in the fridge…

Overnight oats before 2.16

 

…and the next morning, ready to eat! They puff up a bit as the grains absorb the liquid.

Overnight oats after 2.16

Below is my recipe for pineapple dark chocolate coconut overnight oats. Try it and if you like it or have feedback please leave a comment below.

 

Overnight oats ingredients 2.16

 

Pineapple Chocolate Coconut Overnight Oats

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1 cup full fat coconut milk
  • 2 tsp ground chia seeds
  • 2 tsp ground flax seeds
  • 2 Tbsp chopped dark chocolate
  • 2 Tbsp chopped pecans
  • 2 Tbsp shredded (unsweetened) coconut
  • 1/3 cup chopped pineapple
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

  1. Put all ingredients into a glass jar and shake well to combine. Seal with a lid and place in fridge overnight.
  2. You may enjoy oats as is, or if they are too thick for your liking thin with a few spoonfuls of milk, yogurt, or juice. I prefer my oats warm so I heat mine for one minute in the microwave before eating.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers this recipe to tickle your taste buds. Please see your medical professional for specific dietary advice.