Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Roasted-Potato Breakfast Nachos

Last week I posted a recipe for Raspberry-Honey butter from the amazing cookbook Homemade Decadence by Joy Wilson. It was such a simple recipe (yet very tasty) that I wanted to tackle something a little more challenging. So I paged through the book and immediately knew that I had to make these potato breakfast nachos. I mean the though of nachos for brunch just blew my mind (I tend to go for breakfast foods and nachos doesn't seem like one). These were every bit of a breakfast item as one can get! Everything from the seasoned potatoes to the toppings I used complimented each other so well. It was super filling, but left you wanting more because it tasted so delicious. The recipe provided is enough for 4-6 servings so I cut it in half which in hindsight was a good idea otherwise I may have exploded from overindulgence. It is perfect for a weekend brunch when you just want to sit and chat and not do anything after which is exactly what we did! I hope you make these because if you don't, you are truly missing out! Enjoy!  


Roasted-Potato Breakfast Nachos

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 1/2 pounds (about 5 small to medium) russet potatoes
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Italian sausages, casings removed
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon flour
2 cups milk, warmed
2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 to 6 large eggs (depending on how many you are serving)

Optional
Tomato, chopped
Scallions, sliced
JalapeƱos, sliced
Avocado, smashed with a squeeze of lime juice
Sour cream
Cilantro 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil. 

Combine the salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.

With a mandolin or using a knife, cut your potatoes into 1/2 inch thick rounds and place on the prepared baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle half of the seasoning mix over the top. Bake about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown, turning halfway through. 

While the potatoes are baking, cook the sausages in a medium to large skillet over medium heat about 5 minutes or until browned, breaking up and lumps. Add the onion and garlic to the sausage and cook about 3 minutes or until the onions are translucent. If using the red pepper flakes, add now and turn the heat to low, cooking an additional 2 minutes. Transfer the sausage mixture to a bowl or plate. 

Using the same skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter. Once melted, add the flour and whisk for a few seconds to incorporate. Slowly add in the warmed milk, whisking constantly. Sprinkle in the reaming seasoning blend that was used on the potatoes and continue to whisk for 6 minutes or until slightly thickened. Turn off the heat and add the cheese, whisking until melted. 

In a small or medium nonstick skillet, melt the remaining Tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Crack as many eggs as people you are serving and fry for 3 minutes, cover with a lid, and cook an approximately 4 more minutes or until whites are cooked through and yolks are soft. 

Assemble you nachos either on a platter or individual plates/bowls by starting with the potatoes on the bottom. Then top with the cheese sauce and sausage mixture. Place your toppings of choice on, then top with the fried egg.  



Monday, February 2, 2015

Live with Kelly and Michael


Since moving here last April, we have never attempted to go to any show tapings. My husband usually works weekdays and he doesn't know until last minute if he will have a day off so we put it on the back burner. Well for once, he knew a day off was coming so we took the time to go to Live with Kelly and Michael which also happened to be right as the snow started coming of course.



The show was an absolute blast and I would highly recommend you checking it out if you are coming out this way (I have no other shows to compare it to yet though). Everyone from Kelly and Michael to Gelman and the guest (yes singular) seemed super friendly and personable. The crowd had so much energy it was amazing. A little fun tidbit, the dancer that day was from our hometown of Indianapolis, IN. The guests that day were Kristen Stewart and Grant Gustin. If you can tell from the pictures below, Kristen wasn't actually there which was a bit of a bummer, but it didn't stop us from enjoying the show! And Grant was there to promote The Flash which started in October of 2014. Personally I haven't seen the show, but I have seen him in Glee episodes and the boy sure can sing and dance! 



Overall it was such a fun experience and I am so glad we did it! Can you see us in the top right corner of the screen? Our 15 seconds of fame lol! This was right as we were finding out that we all won a years worth of McCafe coffee.....wooohoooo! Don't be surprised if I get creative with some coffee drinks or if you are offered coffee a million times when you are over at our house!