Category: Easter

Gluten Free Bacon and Egg Muffin Cups

If these egg cups look familiar, it’s probably because I have shared a few variations of this recipe over the years, in the form of a quiche, casserole, or muffin.  This is my absolute favorite rendition to date- they are the perfect blend of bacon, egg, potato and cheese. 😋

This recipe is great for family brunches, because you can prep most of it the day before and bake in the morning.  The extra step of par-baking the crust is well worth the trouble because they are DELICIOUS!

Naturally gluten free with no oddball ingredients to purchase, always a plus!

Ingredients:

  • Crust
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (I used Ore-Ida)
  • 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • pepper, about 10 grinds

 

  • Filling
  • 2 strips of bacon, cooked and diced
  • 6 large eggs
  • dash of half and half (or milk)
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup baby spinach, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. fresh chives

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Preparation:

Take the hash brown potatoes out to defrost an hour ahead of preparing.

Mist a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 400º.  Combine the egg, hash browns, cheese, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and stir together.  Divide the hash brown mixture evenly in each of the 12 muffin cups and press it into the bottom and about 2/3 of the way up the sides.

Par-bake the muffin cups for 12 minutes, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Cook the bacon, drain on paper towels and cut into small dice.  Cover and set aside.

For the filling, whisk together the remaining ingredients (eggs through chives).

Note ♪ You can prepare and refrigerate up to this point the night before.  Keep the filling separate until ready to bake in the morning.

In the morning (or when you are ready), preheat the oven to 400º.  If refrigerated, take the muffin tin out and let it sit on the counter 30 minutes before baking.  You should also whisk the filling again, as it will have settled overnight.

Carefully fill the muffin cups to about ½” from the top (they will expand).  Sprinkle the diced bacon over the top and bake for about 20 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes.  To serve, use a spoon to carefully remove the muffin cups from the pan.  You may need to run a knife or spatula around the edges to nudge them out.

The egg cups were a hit, delicious hot out of the oven, and again later as leftovers.  They keep well in the fridge for several days and you can reheat them in the microwave for a quick meal.  With all my favorite breakfast foods in one dish, this recipe is a keeper!

Notes ♪♫ When planning a brunch menu, I always include a savory dish to balance out the sweeter ones like French toast or muffins.  Check out all my favorite brunch recipes here!

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Gluten Free Chicken and Sourdough Waffle Skewers

Chicken and Waffles, Breakfast on a Skewer!

I tend to stick with the same basic brunch menu year after year, maybe changing an ingredient here or there, but leaning into what I know has worked in the past.  This year for Easter though, I wanted to try something different.

These Chicken and Waffle Skewers were a great addition to my brunch repertoire.  Unlike their full-sized version, you can sample a bite or two and still have room for all the other goodies.  Everyone seemed to enjoy them, and I thought they were great.

6 Servings

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I was featured at the senior salon pit stop

Ingredients:

Waffle ingredients:

Chicken ingredients:

  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • ½ tsp. garlic granules
  • ½ tsp. onion granules
  • ½ tsp. paprika
  • 8 chicken breast tenders
  • milk or buttermilk (see preparation)
  • 1 cup cornstarch
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • powdered sugar and maple syrup for serving

Preparation:

For the gluten free waffles, I used the batter from my Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Pancake recipe and adjusted the yield to 6 servings or 6 full-sized waffles.

Just whisk together all of the ingredients and cook on your waffle iron at 350º for 4 minutes.  Cool the waffles on a rack then cut each waffle into 4 pieces.  You can make the waffles the day before and refrigerate them.

Can you use a gluten free waffle mix, or even (gasp) buy frozen waffles?  Of course you can, I won’t tell! 😉

For the chicken, whisk together the first 5 ingredients, salt through paprika.  Cut each chicken tender into 3 pieces, they should be about the same size as your waffle squares.  Place the cut-up chicken in a bowl and add just enough milk to cover.  Sprinkle with ½ tsp. of the spice mixture.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, heat the canola oil in a deep skillet.  Add the cornstarch and the rest of the seasoning mixture to a small bowl.  When oil is very hot, use tongs to pick up one piece of chicken at a time and dredge in the cornstarch, shaking off the excess.  Add to the hot oil and cook until browned on both sides and the internal temperature reaches 165º.  If you’re not sure, use a thermometer.

Don’t crowd the pan, cook the chicken in batches if needed.  As the pieces finish, place them on a rack to drain.

To assemble, arrange the waffles on a serving dish in a single layer (if you made them the night before, pop them into the microwave for 1 minute to reheat).  Top each waffle section with a piece of chicken and secure with a skewer or toothpick.

You can sift a little powdered sugar over the top and have maple syrup to pass around at the table.

Wow, these little skewers were so tasty!  The recipe was a bit of extra work, but I think everyone enjoyed them along with my usual brunch offerings.  As I said before, it was all about trying something different.  And would you believe, I myself had never had Chicken and Waffles before?

Notes ♪ When serving alongside other courses, you can plan on 2 to 4 skewers per person depending on appetites.  I made 2 dozen for a gathering of 6 people and we did have leftovers.  They were great the next day, reheated in the microwave.

Notes ♫ For the waffles, try Better Batter Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour- Use my Promo Code MGFC30 for 30% off your full price purchase!

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Gluten Free Lemon Cardamom Sweet Bread

I have been working on this recipe for quite a while.  I wanted a sweet bread with some texture, not too soft, no gummy center.  Something that would stand up well to making French toast or bread pudding without turning to mush.  After many bakes I was finally happy with this version.  Check out the crumb!  With hints of lemon and cardamom it is perfect for Easter and spring brunches.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups milk (I used 2%)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
  • 225 g. millet flour
  • 120 g. brown rice flour
  • 143 g. potato starch
  • 45 g. almond flour
  • 52 g. tapioca starch
  • 15 g. whole psyllium husk
  • 2¼ tsp. active dry yeast
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 egg, for the dough
  • 1 egg, for egg wash
  • 1 tbsp. water
  • canola oil

Preparation:

Whisk together the first five ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat.  Continue stirring just until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes then set aside to cool.

Combine the flours, psyllium husk, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer.  When the milk mixture has cooled to room temperature, combine with the dry ingredients and one beaten egg.

Mix the dough for 5 minutes on low speed until smooth and supple, then gather it together in the bowl and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Oil an 8″ round baking dish (I got mine from King Arthur) and spoon in the dough.  Smooth the top with a spatula dipped in warm water.

Cover the bowl with oiled plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375º.

Just before baking, whisk together one egg with 1 tbsp. water or milk.  Brush over the entire loaf and score the top (reserve the leftover egg for breakfast).

Bake on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 195-200º (use a thermometer).

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a rack.  You may need to run a knife around the edges.

Let the loaf cool for at least 6 hours before slicing.  Letting it rest overnight is even better, store in a bread bag once it has completely cooled.

Here’s my breakfast, the perfect French toast with a side of bacon!

Notes ♪♫ I adapted this recipe from my Gluten Free Millet Bread, which has a softer texture.  If you prefer a soft loaf for sandwiches, check out this recipe.

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Gluten Free Carrot Cake Pancakes

Take your pancake breakfast to the next level with Gluten Free Carrot Cake Pancakes!  These pancakes have all the flavors of a carrot cake cleverly disguised as breakfast.  The recipe is not difficult and would be a wonderful treat for a special occasion or brunch.  Wouldn’t this be fun for Easter morning?

Yield: 9 pancakes

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Ingredients:

Topping:

  • maple syrup
  • Cream cheese
  • Vanilla Greek yogurt
  • ground walnuts
  • grated carrots

Preparation:

I used a box grater to shred my carrots on the medium setting.  My grater has a little measuring cup that fits into the bottom, so you can measure as you go.  Be sure to reserve a tablespoon of the carrots for the topping.

To get started, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and whisk well.  Then, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.  Stir the wet and dry ingredients together and fold in the carrots.

Let the batter rest for 10 minutes while you heat your griddle or skillet.  Spoon the batter by heaping tablespoons, about 2 tablespoons per pancake.

I used my waffle maker to cook the pancakes.  It has a pancake plate with 4 wells.  I heated it to 350º and brushed the wells with butter.

The pancakes are ready to turn when you can easily slide a spatula underneath.  Mine took some time, almost 10 minutes on the first side, and less than 5 minutes for the second side.  Remember, gluten free pancakes and waffles always take longer to cook than regular.

You can poke the pancakes with a toothpick to be sure they’re done, then serve or place them on a rack to cool.

Toppings are optional, but I wanted to echo the carrot cake theme.  So, I mashed together a little cream cheese with vanilla Greek yogurt, then finished with a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of walnuts and carrots.

Wow that was good!  You probably won’t have any leftover, but if you do, remember they can be frozen and reheated in the toaster or microwave.  I wrapped my leftovers individually in plastic wrap and placed them in a freezer safe bag labelled with the date.  They will keep for a couple of months, but I’m sure they will disappear long before then!

Notes ♪♫ You know I love Better Batter and always tell you how wonderful their flour is.  But did you know they also have mixes?  I used their Gluten Free Pancake Mix in this recipe, and it did not disappoint.  The pancakes are delicious and sure to be enjoyed by your family or your special someone.

Adapted from Taste of Home

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Gluten Free Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine, the French classic.  What’s not to love about a yummy quiche filled with bacon, cheese and onions?  I think that a quiche is one of the easiest things to make for brunch, because you can prepare most of it a day ahead then just assemble and bake in the morning.

Is quiche gluten free?

The filling of a quiche, usually consisting of eggs, cream, meat and/or vegetables is gluten free.  Only the pie crust contains gluten.  Fortunately, this Gluten Free Cream Cheese Pie Crust is easy to make, and it is perfect to use with both sweet and savory pie recipes.  And of course, I just happened to have one in my freezer, waiting for a special occasion!

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Ingredients:

Preparation:

If your pie crust is frozen, take it out one day ahead to defrost in the refrigerator.  Then let it sit on the counter for about 15 minutes before rolling it out between two sheets of parchment.

If it breaks, you can put it back into the refrigerator for 15 minutes then try rolling it out again.  With a gluten free crust, you do not need to worry about overworking the dough, so you can roll it out as many times as you need to.

Gently place the rolled-out dough into a glass pie dish, trim the edges and crimp.  Use the scraps to patch any holes or cracks (you can see I had quite a few!).  Yes, pie crust does not always cooperate, but I got it to work.  Remember, even if it’s not the prettiest it will taste great!

Place the pie dish in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Hint: you can prepare the pie crust to this point and refrigerate it overnight for baking in the morning.  Just cover it with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.

You can also prep the bacon, cheese and onion the night before.  Cook the bacon (in batches if needed) and drain on paper towels.  Chop it into 1/2″ pieces.  Grate the cheese and mince the onion.

In the morning, when you are ready to assemble the quiche, preheat the oven to 425º.  Take the pie crust out of the refrigerator while the oven preheats, so you are not placing a cold plate directly into the hot oven.  Spread the bacon, onion and cheese into the pie shell.

In a bowl, beat the eggs together with the light cream, salt, sugar and cayenne pepper.  Don’t skip the cayenne, it’s just enough to brighten the flavor without adding heat.  Pour the egg mixture evenly into the pie shell.

Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Then, lower the heat to 300º and continue baking for 30 minutes longer.

The edges should be nicely browned, and the center golden.  To test, you can insert a knife or a toothpick into the quiche, it should come out clean.

The quiche can be served warm or at room temperature.  Leftovers can be refrigerated for several days (do not freeze) and reheated in the oven or microwave.  And if you’re ogling that bacon wrapped sausage, get the recipe here!

Notes ♪♫ I always have gluten free pie crust in the freezer for when I want to make sweet or savory pies and quiche.  It’s a real time saver, especially when we can’t always grab a ready-made gluten free pie crust at the grocery store.  Get the recipe for easy, Gluten Free Cream Cheese pie crust here.

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Split Pea Soup

Another Easter has come and gone, and I’ll bet you still have some leftover ham in the fridge!  And since the winter weather just won’t give up here in New England, I’m craving soup.

Everyone has their own traditions for using up the holiday ham.  I always ring in the New Year with a pot of Lentil Soup.  After Easter though, I like to make Split Pea, which is essentially made the same way.

The ham bone, of course is what you would use to make a stock.  But what if you didn’t make a ham for Easter?  Or maybe your ham was boneless.  Well fear not, you can still use your leftovers or even pick up a ham steak and use that in the soup.  This year I actually cooked a 2 lb. petite boneless spiral ham for myself after the holiday and that’s what I used.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. split peas
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 1/2 sweet onion, diced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 48 oz. gluten free chicken stock or stock from ham bone
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp. sage
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • 1 packet beef bouillon
  • 2 cups diced ham
  • Schar Table Crackers, for serving

Preparation:

Rinse the split peas thoroughly in a colander and examine them for stray bits of barley or pebbles.  Place them in a stock pot and bring to a boil.  Cover, remove from the heat and let them soak while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Chop ham leftovers into small dice.  Set aside and refrigerate.

Cut the onion, celery and carrots into even sized small dice.  Add a little olive oil to a 5 qt. stock pot or Dutch oven and begin cooking the carrots, onion and celery over medium low heat.

Season with sage, thyme, salt and pepper.  Add 32 oz. of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and bouillon.  Simmer 30 minutes.

Drain and rinse the peas again.  Add them to the pot, stir well and continue cooking for another 45 minutes to an hour, or until the peas are tender.

As they simmer, the peas will absorb quite a bit of liquid, so add more chicken broth as needed.

When the soup is ready, partially puree it with an immersion blender (don’t forget to remove the bay leaves first).  I like to leave some of the veggies whole, but you can make it as smooth or chunky as you like.  After pureeing, add back the diced ham and heat through.

Serve with Schar Table Crackers (similar to saltines).  Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for at least a week.

Notes: ♪♫ If you have a ham bone and don’t want to make soup right away, don’t throw it away!  You can wrap it in foil then place in a freezer safe bag and store in the freezer for quite a few months.  There have been times that I would find a ham bone in the back of the freezer just in time for fall soup season.

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Individual Gluten Free Lemon Cheesecakes

Look what my wonderful daughter-in-law made for our Easter dessert! Individual Lemon Cheesecakes and yes, they are gluten free. She used gluten free golden Oreo halves for the base, so clever! 💛🍋💛

Since some of you have asked, she has kindly agreed to share her recipe!

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Ingredients:

Bacon Wrapped Sausage

The name says it all, you don’t need a recipe for this do you?  Just put these little bites of happiness on the table for your next brunch or family breakfast and watch them disappear! (they are great leftover too 😉)

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Ingredients:

  • gluten free breakfast sausage
  • gluten free bacon

Preparation:

The best part of this recipe is that you can get it ready the night before to cook in the morning.  You can make them whole or half size.  Just wrap each sausage with 1/3 slice of bacon.  Optionally, secure with 4″ skewers.  Use the amount needed for your family.

Line a sheet pan with foil (keeps the mess down) and arrange the sausages on a rack, cover and refrigerate overnight.  Alternatively, you can freeze them on a sheet pan and then place in an airtight freezer container until the night before your brunch.

Half size, cut each sausage in half and wrap in 1/3 slice of bacon.

The next morning, preheat the oven to 350º.  Bake the sausage for 15 minutes, then finish them on a hot griddle, turning frequently until the bacon is nice and crispy, and the sausage is cooked to your liking, 15-20 minutes.  Place them back on the rack for a few minutes to drain before serving.

That’s it friends, what could be easier?  So, the next time you are pondering whether to make sausage or bacon for brunch, why not make both!

Notes ♪♫ Most bacon and sausage are gluten free, but I still like to see the gluten free label for extra peace of mind.  I used Johnsonville Vermont Maple Syrup Pork Breakfast Sausage Links and Oscar Mayer Naturally Hardwood Smoked Bacon.

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Gluten Free Carrot Zucchini Muffins

Carrot and Zucchini muffins are perfect for breakfast on the go, coffee breaks and spring brunches!  The first time I made this gluten free muffin, I was so pleased with the high rise and moist crumb.  They are the not overly sweet and so are a great choice for breakfast.  As with all my muffin recipes, I think you will find that this gluten free preparation is as easy as traditional baking.

12 Muffins

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Ingredients:

  • 240 g. gluten free all-purpose flour *see notes
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp. cardamom
  • 1/8 tsp. ginger
  • 3/4 cup grated zucchini
  • 1/4 cup grated carrot
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp. milk
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • cooking spray, if your pan isn’t nonstick
  • 12 pecan halves, optional
  • 1 tbsp. melted butter, for glazing

Preparation:

Whisk together the dry ingredients, flour through ginger.  Grate the zucchini and carrots.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, olive oil, milk and lemon juice.

Add the zucchini and carrots to the egg mixture, then fold the dry ingredients into the wet.

Let the batter rest for a few minutes while you preheat the oven to 400º.

Now use a spoon to scoop out the batter, dividing it equally into the 12 muffin cups.  Use a spatula dipped in water to smooth the tops.  If you like, press a pecan into the top of each muffin.  It makes a nice presentation if you are serving these for a brunch.

Bake 20 minutes at 400º.  Aren’t they beautiful?  I love how you can see the green and orange flecks throughout.  While still in the pan, brush the tops with 1 tbsp. of melted butter to give them a nice shine.

Cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a rack.

If not serving immediately, you can store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days.  They will refresh nicely in the microwave.  I recommend freezing leftovers, wrap them individually with plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe bag.  Now that you know easy it is, I hope you will give this recipe a try.  Let me know, will you be adding it to your breakfast rotation?

Notes ♪♫ I used Better Batter original all-purpose flour in this recipe.  If you use a different flour blend that does not contain xanthan gum, you will need to add 1-1/2 tsp.

Originally published 04/12/2018     Updated 02/19/2024

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Gluten Free Apple French Toast Casserole

Did you see the Gluten Free Cinnamon Swirl Bread I posted a while back?  If not, check it out here!   I used that same recipe to make this overnight Apple French Toast for Easter.  The cinnamon swirl bread goes so well with apples!  This is a wonderful make ahead recipe for a brunch, get it ready the night before and bake in the morning!

Ingredients:

  • 1 loaf Gluten Free Cinnamon Swirl Bread
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
  • 2 tbsp. maple syrup
  • 3 apples (I used Honey crisp)
  • 7 eggs
  • 1-3/4 cups milk (I used 2%)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • cooking spray

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Preparation:

Make the Cinnamon Swirl Bread 2 days before and store at room temperature.

The night before your brunch, melt the butter, brown sugar and maple sugar in a small saucepan.  Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

Mist a 9 x 13″ glass baking dish with cooking spray and pour the butter mixture into the dish.

Peel and slice the apples and spread them over the butter mixture in a single layer.

Cut the bread into 3/4″ slices and arrange over the apples.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon.

Pour the egg mixture over the bread slices and press down with a spatula.

Mist a sheet of foil with cooking spray, cover the casserole and press down with your hands to be sure the bread slices are submerged in the egg mixture.  Refrigerate overnight.  Here’s what it should look like in the morning.

In the morning, take the baking dish out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter to warm up for at least 30 minutes before baking (going directly from refrigerator to oven may shatter a glass baking dish).  Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes at 350º then broil for 2-3 minutes to finish.

You can dust with powdered sugar (optional) and serve with real maple syrup!

Notes ♪♫ There are many breads that will work well in this recipe.  Check out my Gluten Free Millet Bread that I often use for French Toast recipes.  Be sure to make the bread two days before assembling the casserole, a drier loaf will better absorb the eggs.

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