Open Faced Croque Madame

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

Ham and cheese go together in perfect harmony, especially when you put an over easy egg on top of it :) This was my idea for breakfast this morning. Nick forced me to get up with him to work out this morning, and I decided to thank him for it by making him some breakfast afterward! This was really yummy. It will probably make the regular menu. Feel free to use the cheese of your choice. I used baby swiss for Nick because it's his favorite, but I used shredded fontina myself :) Delish.

Ingredients:
1 English muffin, cut in half
1-2 slices ham off the bone
1/4 cup shredded fontina (or cheese of your choice)
1 tb dijon mustard
1 egg, fried over easy (or medium if you like)
dash of butter

Directions:
Top the English muffin with the dijon, ham, and cheese. Broil on low heat for approx. 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. In the meantime, fry an egg with a tad of butter. Cook until desired and top the English muffin. YUM.

Ham, Eggs & Avocado

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

Well, I just got back from Las Vegas, where I have been for the the past 9 days, so I apologize for the lack of activity! On a plus side, I visited MANY amazing restaurants while there.  My wallet may not appreciate it, but my taste buds sure do! I took today to get my life back in order, which means I cooked something :) This is a super easy dish to make...and fast!

1 ham steak
2 eggs
Cooking spray
1 avocado
1/2 lime, juiced
2 tb salsa verde
salt & pepper to taste

The ham steak should be pre-cooked, so this really only involves a bit of heating and browning. Spray a skillet and cook on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and keep warm. Spray the skillet with more cooking spray, if needed, and crack two eggs. Cook for about two minutes, flip, and cook for another two minutes. (Cook to your preference). In the meantime, dice up an avocado and mix with lime juice. Top the ham steak with the eggs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with the avocado on the side and top with salsa.

Breakfast Buttercups

Courtesy of Cook's Country

I follow a lot of cooking blogs and this was something I stumbled across on The Bitten Word. Originally, the recipe is from Cook's Country. I made just a few modifications.

I'm always looking for ways to spice up breakfast and these just looked fun to make :) Who doesn't love ham, egg, and cheese?

• 10 medium eggs
• 10 slices thin white sandwich bread, crusts removed (I used Pepperidge Farm Very Thinly Sliced White Bread)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 10 thin slices cheddar cheese (about 5 ounces)
• 5 thin slices deli Black Forest ham (about 5 ounces), halved crosswise
• Salt and pepper

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place eggs in large bowl and cover with hot tap water. Let sit 10 minutes. Grease muffin tin with some of the melted butter.
2. Meanwhile, roll bread as thin as possible with rolling pin and press into cups of 12-cup muffin tin, leaving 2 center cups empty.
3. Layer the bread with ham and cheese. Crack 1 egg into each cup and season with salt and pepper.
4. Return muffin tin to oven and bake until egg whites are barely set and still appear slightly moist, 14 to 18 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Let sit 5 minutes. Serve immediately.