Breakfast for dinner

I am not a morning person at all. Not even the tiniest piece of me likes early mornings. I do however, lover breakfast foods. Me getting up early enough to make breakfast before I leave to go some where almost never happens. I still want those breakfast foods so once a month or so, I like to make breakfast for dinner.

I grew up with a Dad that worked swing shift and if he had worked all night and slept all day, he wanted to eat breakfast. Mom had several breakfast meals she would rotate through and we would have breakfast the week he was on midnights each month.  I love to cook, and I am told I am good at it, but my Mom makes the best biscuits!! Hands down she wins that contest. I actually like her gravy a little better than my own too!

Tuscan Soup

It doesn't matter that it was almost 80 degrees today; we love soup and eat it all year long. This is a favorite of ours. It is similiar to the Zuppa Tuscana from Olive Garden, but there are enough differences to keep making both! The original recipe called for spinach or kale, I use spinach in this one since the other recipe uses kale.


Tuscan Soup

1 lb mild Italian sausage
6 cups chicken broth
12 oz evaporated or condensed milk 
1 cup half and half
8 red potatoes, diced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1//2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp margarom
1/4 tsp thyme
Salt or garlic salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1-2 cups torn spinach

Cook the sausage in the same large stew pot you'll use to cook the soup, drain excess fat and return sausage to pot.

Add the chicken broth and evaporated milk and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat so soup simmers. Add potatoes, onions, seasoning, salt and pepper.

The soup is done when the potatoes are cooked through, about 20-30 minutes. If using spinach or kale, add during the last few minutes of cooking.

Fettuccine Alfredo

We love pasta! In fact, I think I could eat pasta at most meals and be a happy girl. I haven't made an alfredo sauce in a while so I decided tonight was the night. I didn't make the pasta though, I relied on a box to get dinner on the table quicker. I did make the sauce and that is the most important part. I started by grilling some chicken, seasoned with some roasted garlic and then sauteed some mushrooms and spinach. While the pasta cooked, I started my sauce and then combined everything as I plated it.

Alfredo Sauce

1/4 cup butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in parsley and serve