Dairy Freed

Rice Pudding Pancakes with Whiskey Soaked Cranberries

 

What do you do with leftover rice? I make these quick and easy pancakes. 

Lasagna Chilaquiles

It's fun when I'm challenged at work to create great tasting dishes with a very minimal amount of ingredients. This dish came about because I had a box of no-cook lasagna noodles that got a little crushed and I am too cheap to throw them out. It turned out to be a really tasty breakfast.

Peach and Blueberry Grits

You know that feeling you get when you're happily minding your own business and suddenly realize you are the sole focus of everyone in the room and not in a good way?  Imagine you're a shy 16-year-old 'Yankee' in the south for the very first time and sitting in a rural Arkansas diner at 6:00 AM.

Tender, Flaky Biscuits

I learned many things in the six years I spent at Southern Living magazine. Making tender, flaky biscuits has to be one of the tastiest. They're easy to prepare and who wouldn't love to have these for breakfast?

While cornstarch may seem like an odd ingredient, since I don't use buttermilk or cream I needed something to help tenderize the biscuits.  If you like the acidic twang that buttermilk gives, try adding 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar to the flour mixture.  

Banana Bread

Light, airy with a rich banana flavor, this Banana Bread recipe is based on the Joy of Cooking version and is still my favorite. Over the last 20+ years I've played around with stir-ins, toppings, different size baking pans and ingredients.  Try different combinations or make up your own and let me know what you think.  

FYI, the photo is the Banana Bread recipe with the Pecan Crunch Topping.  

Lemon Poppy Seed Rolls

Working in the Southern Living Test Kitchen, I was extremely fortunate to work with some very talented people.  Of the 35,000+ recipes we tested in those 6 years, a number pop to mind as being outstanding and one of these is a milk and butter rich breakfast roll. A few weekends ago I was seriously craving these rolls and wanted to see if I could come up with something just as good without any of the milk or butter. 

Spotted Cow Beer Pancakes

Didn't you learn in college that you shouldn't let good beer go to waste? So this morning I turned a half-full bottle of Spotted Cow beer I hadn't finished last night into pancakes this morning.

Cinnamon Spaetzle with Apples and Cranberries

 

I love taking traditional recipes and giving them a little twist. In this case, I've taken a Bavarian spaetzle, typically served as a side dish for dinner, and turned it into a great dessert.  FYI, it also makes a fantastic breakfast heated up the next morning.  

Cornbread Pancakes

This is a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs pancake that's for sure. Cooked rice may seem like an odd ingredient but it's a trick I learned from my mother. I had no clue she did it because it would extend the batter and she could make more pancakes with the same amount of ingredients. I just really loved the flavor and texture. 

 

Santa Fe Green Chile and Ham Frittata

Frittatas are what I usually make when I have a bunch of leftovers. For example, today I was cleaning out the fridge found a half bag of hash brown potatoes, some leftover ham and a jar of fire-roasted salsa a friend brought over on Saturday.  I added a can of diced green chilies and used the salsa as a topping and had a great lunch.

You really don't even need a recipe. Just heat up about 3 cups of leftover meat and/or veggies, add 4 beaten eggs, a few spices and you're all set.

So, what kind of frittata can you make from your leftovers?