Favorite Breakfast Recipes - links, pictures, and tips

For myself and my readers, I wanted a place with links, pictures, and tips for all my favorite breakfast recipes from a variety of different chefs/bloggers.  I am only sharing recipes that my family would give an A+ rating to.  They are all foods that we get really excited about and love to serve to friends and family.  This post will remain a work in progress, and I plan on updating it as I find more amazing recipes.

First up is a breakfast recipe from my favorite gluten free blogger, Nicole Hunn, also known as Gluten Free on a Shoestring.  Just a warning -- this recipe for Gluten Free Biscuits: Cinnamon Bun Style will be dangerous to your waistline.  The first time I made them, I continued to eat them on and off for the rest of the day.  I use Cup 4 Cup flour in this recipe.  

I made them for Christmas breakfast this year.  I highly recommend Nicole's two cookbooks -- Gluten-Free on a Shoestring and Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Quick & Easy.  Her bread book will be coming out this fall.  I can't wait!  

Do you see those doughnuts on the cover of her second book?  Nicole's recipe for Yeast-Free Glazed Chocolate Doughnuts is the second family favorite I want to share with you.  Thankfully, the recipe is on her blog too, or you would have had to buy the cookbook, which you should do anyway.  I suggest Cup4Cup or Better Batter flour for this recipe, or you could make your own gluten free flour blend.  Nicole has tips for that too!  I use Rodelle Gourmet Baking Cocoa, which is gluten free, according to their website.  It's an item I subscribe and save for delivery every 6 months on amazon.com.  I make the glaze with 2 tablespoons of half & half, then thin it with milk.  We love to serve these doughnuts with strawberries, which we dip in the leftover glaze.  I freeze all of my leftovers with the glaze on.  I microwave the frozen donuts on defrost for about a minute before serving.  

These doughnuts are great for breakfast or dessert, and they are so easy to make in my Babycakes Donut Maker.  I love this appliance!  

A new favorite of mine from Nicole is a recipe for Oatmeal Squares.  We have struggled for years to find quick and easy breakfasts for the school/work week that my girls will eat.  I don't have time to make breakfast before they leave with my husband at 7AM.  I value my sleep!  When I make Mini Mexican Chocolate Banana Muffins, I freeze the extras, but I need more options on the table than leftover muffins, Udi's Double Chocolate Muffins, and bananas with Nutella.  Can you tell my girls like chocolate?  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  :-)

I first gave my daughters these oatmeal breakfast bars for dessert. We all agreed that I should have used more of the icing, and Emma asked if she could have them for breakfast. Perfect! My master plan was to trick them into thinking I was giving them dessert for breakfast the next day.  I didn't have rice bran or molasses in the house, so I used flaxseed meal and organic raw honey instead. My flour of choice for this recipe was Better Batter.  I put GF oats in my food processor to make oat flour, and used quick cooking oats instead of old-fashioned rolled oats. I decided to use a spoon to drip on the icing instead of piping it, which I have no experience with, plus it was an easy shortcut.  I started making S's for Salerno as I went along.  These Oatmeal Squares are great for breakfast, a lunch treat, or dessert.  I also love that they were just as good on day 2, and they freeze well.  I took one out of the freezer, defrosted it for 60 seconds in the microwave, and it was perfect.  Each square is approximately 250 calories.  

Next up is a recipe from Paleo Parents for Sweet Potato Apple Hash that could be made for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  

I did use a cast iron skillet like the recipe suggested, but changed a lot of the ingredients because of what I had in the house and to suit my personal tastes.  Not being a huge fan of orange sweet potatoes, I used Hannah Yams that I purchased from Whole Foods.  Japanese sweet potatoes, which are also yellow inside, would be another great option.  I used one Gala and one Granny Smith apple, and instead of lard, I used butter.  I only buy sweet onions, so my husband chopped up a Vidalia onion for this recipe. 

I purchased Jimmy Dean Premium Pork Sausage for this recipe because it is labeled GF.  

Lastly, we used kosher salt and coarse black pepper to season up the hash.  It exceeded all my expectations.  I couldn't stop eating it!  The small amount of leftovers we had were just as amazing on day two.  I would love to try this hash with a huge fried egg on top!  Maybe next time.  :-)

Here are some links to other favorite breakfast recipes of ours on this blog:

Gluten Free Spiced Pumpkin Scones

My Favorite Fruit Smoothies 

Applewood Egg Special

Gluten Free Pop Tarts

Gluten Free Orange Upside Down French Toast

Baked Oatmeal Recipes 

Gluten Free Apple-Raspberry Puffed Pancake 

Mexican Chocolate Banana Muffins

Blueberry Scones -- you will also find a recipe for raspberry scones in this blog post

Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins



The Perfect Gluten Free Scones

Ancho-Marinated Wings

This post used to be a recipe for ancho-marinated drumettes, but I tweaked the ingredients, along with my cooking and marinating techniques.  This dish has gone from one we liked, to one we love!  I had to force myself to walk away and stop eating the wings tonight.  They were that good!  

I recently purchased a very large Pyrex baking dish from Bed, Bath, & Beyond to make a Szechuan Chicken Wings recipe given to me by a friend.  I liked her marinating and cooking technique so much that I adopted it for this recipe with amazing results.  I have even learned how to cut apart chicken wings in the last week.  My kitchen shears are definitely a necessity!  Let me tell you, I have touched more raw chicken in the past 6 weeks as a stay at home mom than in the previous 12 years of our marriage.  It hasn't gotten any less gross, but I have been enjoying all the new chicken dishes I have been cooking. 

After baking for 25 minutes, the wings are ready to be turned. 

The only downside to this recipe is that some serious soaking time, a scrubbing sponge, and elbow grease will be needed to get your glass dish looking clean again. 

 

My daughters requested that I make garlic smashed potatoes tonight to go with our wings.  It was a pretty great combination.  

Ancho-Marinated Wings

Ingredients

2 to 3 pounds of chicken wings (separated at the joint) or drumettes 

1/4 C + 2 T of orange juice

1/4 C canola oil (I use High Heat Spectrum Organic)

Juice of 2 limes

2 T honey

1 heaping tablespoon dark brown sugar

2 tsp ancho chili powder

3 garlic cloves - minced

1 tsp kosher salt

Red pepper flakes - to taste (I use 3 large pinches)

Directions

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large pyrex dish, mixing it around with a fork before adding the chicken.  Turn the chicken around in the marinade so it is coated on both sides before covering and refrigerating.  Marinate for 4 to 6 hours, turning the wings half way through.  

Remove the wings from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cook the wings for 25 minutes, then turn them over to cook for another 20 minutes.  Turn the oven to broil, brown the top of the wings, turn them, then brown the other side. Watch the wings closely to make sure they don't burn. 

Recipe Notes

Don't worry about the ancho chili powder being spicy, because it is not, but it might be hard to find.  I purchase it at Penzys Spices, and I have also seen it at The Fresh Market.  

Sometimes I remove some of the marinade before putting the wings under the broiler, and set it aside to pour on the wings when they are served.  

Inspiration for the marinade comes from one of our favorite recipes, Ancho-Marinated Mango Pork Skewers.  When we make this recipe, we use pineapple instead of mango, and we usually use center cut pork chops.

Linked to:  Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Gluten-Free & DIY Tuesday

Gluten Free Cocoa Crispy Rice Treats

You know the saying "the third time is the charm", well I saw Three Sisters Gluten Free Cocoa Snaps at Whole Foods three times before I finally caved and purchased them during a Buy 1 Get 1 Sale.  I figured I might be able to convince my daughters to eat cereal once in a while if chocolate was involved, plus I like to try new gluten free products.

As soon as I arrived home with them, I had the thought that they might be really good in Rice Krispies Treats, one of our favorite desserts.  

Marshmallows were quickly added to my grocery list.

As I was melting the butter and marshmallows, I sampled the Cocoa-Snapz.  They were much sweeter than the Gluten Free Rice Krispies I usually use, so I decided to mix the two cereals.  

My whole family loved them and decided that they were better than the plain Rice Krispies Treats I usually make.  It only took me about 10 minutes to make this dessert.  The hardest part is cleaning the pot, but today I used a stainless steel spoon that helped me scrape most of the marshmallow and cereal out of the pot.  I then patiently let the pot soak in hot water for about 30 minutes before trying to clean it, and there was nothing left to scrape off.  

Ingredients

3 T butter

1 10-ounce package gluten free miniature marshmallows

4 C gluten free crisp rice cereal  (I used Kellogg's Gluten Free Rice Krispies)

2 C gluten free cocoa crisp rice cereal (I used Three Sisters Cocoa-Snapz)

Directions

Spray a 9x13 or 10x10 pan with cooking spray.  

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large stainless steel pot.  Add the marshmallows, stirring until they are completely melted.  Remove from heat and add the cereal.  Stir until all the cereal is well coated. 

Press the mixture evenly into the pan using parchment paper, wax paper, or a buttered spatula.  Allow to cool before cutting. 

Recipe Notes

Erewhon Organic Rice Cereals are another option.  They are GMO and gluten free.  According to their store locator, they are available at Publix, Whole Foods, Walmart, The Fresh Market, Trader Joe's, etc.  

This recipe has been adapted from Kellogg's recipe for Gluten Free Rice Krispies Treats.  

Kona Cafe Breakfast - Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Yesterday, we visited Kona Cafe at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort for breakfast for the first time.  It came highly recommended from my friend Sarah over at Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW.  They also have some signature breakfast dishes that I really wanted to try.

I love the ambiance of the Polynesian and Kona Cafe.  Being there brings back memories from my childhood.  Before my parents became Disney Vacation Club members, we stayed at the Polynesian many times.  It's on the Magic Kingdom monorail line, plus you can easily walk to the Transportation & Ticket Center to catch a monorail to Epcot.  

I had no trouble making reservations for Kona Cafe the day before we went.  Keep in mind, it is September, and the summer crowds are gone.  It might not be this easy at other times of the year. 

When the chef came to visit our table, he asked what I would like to eat.  I told him that I was interested in the Tonga Toast or the Macadamia-Pineapple Pancakes.  Tonga Toast was my first choice after seeing a video of how it is made.  It is banana-stuffed sour bread French toast that is fried, then rolled in cinnamon sugar, and served with a strawberry compote and choice of ham, bacon, or sausage.  My husband and kids loved it!  Because it is not available in a gluten free version, I ordered the Macadamia-Pineapple Pancakes.  They were good, and huge!  I forced myself to eat a little more than half of them.  I was so full, I didn't have to eat again until dinner.  

After breakfast at Kona Cafe, we headed over to the Magic Kingdom.  By Labor Day weekend, the summer crowds are gone, and the fall decorations are up. 

We quickly got on all of our favorite rides, and took some fun pictures.  I made my twins pose with the Haunted Mansion twins.  I asked for a frownie face, which wasn't too hard, because they were getting a little sick of all the pictures by that point!  :-)

August 17, 2014 Update

We returned to Kona Cafe a second time for breakfast a couple of months ago, because I had heard that a gluten free version of the Tonga Toast was now available.  Sadly, Chef Josh informed me that he was no longer allowed to make it.  He did tell me though, his technique for making gluten free Tonga Toast.  He sliced GNI gluten free rolls in half after cutting a small slice off the top and bottom to make them flatter.  Chef Josh then dipped them in a mixture of egg, milk, cinnamon, and sugar.  He cooked the bread in a frying pan, then cooked sliced bananas in the same pan, before stuffing them in the GNI bun.  On our second visit, I ordered gluten free Mickey Waffles, which I had with butter and syrup, but Chef Josh told me that he can top them with a pineapple mixture when I spoke to him at lunch yesterday.  I think they would be great with the macadamia nut honey butter I had on my GNI rolls at Kona when we ate there for dinner.  

Kona Cafe would not be my first choice at Disney for breakfast, but I hope to give it a try again soon.  I have had great meals at Kona for lunch and dinner, but I prefer to eat at Boma, Trattoria al Forno, or Sassagoula for breakfast.  

January 16, 2015 Update 

Earlier this week, I had breakfast at Kona Cafe with Melissa, one of my former students from Pittsburgh.  

Since the gluten free breakfast menu was introduced last fall, I have wanted to try The Samoan, which is described as two poached eggs atop smoked pulled pork hash, and finished with hollandaise sauce.  Since the original version of this dish comes with bread, I asked the chef if I could have some Udi's toast, which was not available.  I was told that I could have a roll instead, but I really wanted to try a gluten free Stitch waffle, which I heard about from my friend Sarah from Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW.

The chef was happy to make me a Stitch waffle, but about 5 minutes later he came out with bad news.  The Stitch waffle maker had been contaminated, so he would have to make me a gluten free Mickey waffle instead.  I was sad to not have a Stitch waffle, but the Mickey waffle I received was the highlight of my breakfast.  It was super crispy, just like I like them.  

The pulled pork hash in The Samoan had way too many onions for me to enjoy it, and they had a strong taste, probably because they were undercooked.  There was something else in the dish that I found a little off-putting, because it had a slight vinegary taste.  It might have been the hollandaise, or it could have been the pork hash itself.  I found myself wishing I had ordered the steak and eggs.  Maybe next time!

The gluten free breakfast menu for Kona Cafe lists the following options:

Entrees

• Steak and Eggs - char-grilled New York strip served with 2 eggs and home-fried potatoes
• Ham and cheese omelet with home-fried potatoes
• Egg white omelet with roasted peppers and goat cheese
• Fruit plate - fresh fruit served in a half pineapple
• Two eggs, any style, with home-fried potatoes and your choice of sausage, bacon, or ham
• Pancake with your choice of ham, bacon, or sausage
• Mickey waffles with choice of ham, sausage, or bacon
• The Samoan - two poached eggs atop smoked pulled pork hash, finished with hollandaise sauce

Sides

• Bacon
• Ham
• Pork sausage
• Oatmeal (be sure to ask if they are using certified gluten free oats)
• Creamy grits
• Fresh fruit cup

Kid's Meals 

• Scrambled eggs with broccoli, tomatoes, and breakfast potatoes, served with fruit salad and yogurt
• Oatmeal and dried cranberries served with turkey bacon and fruit salad (be sure to ask if they are using certified gluten free oats)
• Mickey-shaped waffle or pancake with a side of bacon, sausage or fruit

July 30, 2015 Update

Kona recently adopted a new allergy-friendly breakfast menu that lists gluten/wheat friendly options.   I updated my list above to reflect the gluten free options on their current menu.  

Photos taken by Gluten-Free & Dairy Free at WDW

You can view Kona Cafe's menus, and make advance dining reservations on Disney's website here.  

What are your favorite gluten free breakfast dishes at Kona Cafe?  

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie

For at least 30 years of my life, I did not eat pumpkin pie.  I didn't understand what people liked about it.  On Thanksgiving, my family made several desserts, so I would just eat apple pie, and bypass the pumpkin.  Then my aunt came home from Williams-Sonoma with a recipe for Creamy Pumpkin Pie.  She made it, I tried it, and it was love at first bite.

Who knew that adding cream cheese to pumpkin pie could make it so delicious!  I love that it is light and creamy, not heavy like a cheesecake.

Mini Turkey Meatloaves

Growing up, I dreaded the nights my mom made meatloaf, which thankfully wasn't very often.  I didn't like meatloaf until I was an adult.  In my gluten eating days, I tried it at Truffles on Hilton Head Island, which serves some wickedly delicious meatloaf. Then my mom started making an amazing turkey meatloaf.  I was a meatloaf convert!  

My husband bought antibiotic free, stress free (birds are treated well) turkey at Publix for our meatloaf.  

Tonight, I had to use 2 kinds of gluten free bread crumbs because I ran out of The Fresh Market brand, my new favorite.  

I am always looking for an excuse to use Guy Fieri's Bourbon Brown Sugar Barbeque Sauce.  This sauce is over the top amazing!  You can read more about it here, in my blog post about gluten free barbeque sauces. 

Trying something a little new tonight, we used our muffin pans plus 2 ramekins to make 14 mini meatloaves.  

I brushed them with more Guy Fieri Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ sauce before putting them in the oven.  

30 minutes later, they were ready to eat, and the ones on our plates disappeared pretty quickly!  We have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow, and I was able to freeze 4 of them too.  

Mini Turkey Meatloaves

Ingredients

1 large sweet onion -- chopped

2 large red or orange bell peppers -- chopped

1 T olive oil

3 pounds of ground turkey

1 1/2 C gluten free bread crumbs

3 large eggs

1 tsp kosher salt

1 bottle of gluten free barbeque sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a muffin pan and 2 ramekins with cooking spray.  

In a large frying pan over medium heat, sauté the onion and pepper in olive oil until soft.  

Put the turkey in a large bowl, then add the bread crumbs, eggs, and salt, stirring to combine.  Add the vegetables and 1 1/4 cups of barbeque sauce.  Mix with your hands before filling your muffin pan and ramekins.  

Brush more barbeque sauce on top of each mini meatloaf and bake for 30 minutes.  

Optional -- Add a little more barbeque sauce before serving.  

Recipe Notes

My family usually cooks their turkey meatloaf on the grill.  We buy a disposable aluminum foil pan and cook it over indirect heat on the grill, cover on, for about 90 minutes.  I've also cooked it in a aluminum foil pan in the oven on 350 for about 65 minutes.  When we use a disposable pan, we put 2/3 of the bottle of barbeque sauce in with the turkey, and the last 1/3 on top.  In this picture, the meatloaf has not been cooked yet.  

Turkey meatloaf is great left over, eaten cold, right out of the fridge.  It also makes for an amazing meatloaf sandwich!  

Linked to: Gluten-Free Wednesdays