Easy Entertaining: 5 Breakfast Entrees for Entertaining

I love breakfast! I love to eat breakfast foods any time of the day. Breakfast allows you to serve sweet foods, savory foods, or both! I think that makes breakfast especially great for entertaining. Breakfast has an ease about it. It can be very informal but still feel special. Breakfast is approachable.

If I'm eating breakfast at a restaurant, my toughest decision is whether to choose something sweet or something savory. If that's the hardest decision of the day, you know that's a great day! So, I would encourage you to offer something sweet and savory when hosting a breakfast or brunch.

Here are some ideas for a great breakfast options that can be prepared ahead of time.

Quiche or Frittata
These easy entrees only differ by one ingredient. A quiche has a pasty crust with an egg-based filling. A frittata is simply a crust-less quiche. Quiche and frittatas are easy ways to use up leftovers. This frittata features mushrooms, asparagus, and cheese. It is delicious!

French Toast Casserole or Bread Pudding
I was making a French toast casserole recently, and I thought to myself "I'm making bread pudding for  breakfast." Dessert for breakfast; what a meal! I like the idea of a bread pudding because it can be sweet or savory. My RDtip would be to use skim or nonfat milk for the custard for a lighter French toast casserole. This French toast is peach and pecan. Peach is one of my husband's favorite flavors, and I love pecans. What a great marriage of flavors!

Pancakes or Waffles
Make a large batch of pancakes and waffles. Freeze the extra. Frozen pancakes and waffles reheat easily and are ready whenever you need them.

Parfaits with Homemade Granola
I love making homemade granola. It makes the house smell fantastic! I make granola about once a month with old fashioned oats, pecans, almonds, brown sugar, honey, and warming spices. I'll post my recipe soon. Parfaits are like a healthier breakfast sundae. A parfait elevates humble granola, yogurt, and fruit to a fancy layered breakfast treat. Add fresh herbs for a flavorful garnish to further elevate your parfait.

Breakfast Sandwiches
This is a great way to use leftovers from the week. Think about what breads you have leftover: biscuits, wheat bread, rolls, tortillas. Then, fill them with leftover protein: ham, turkey, egg, etc. Add cheese, veggies, and enjoy! Leftovers never tasted so good!

I would love to see how you are entertaining, so tag your entertaining pictures with #EasyEntree and #EasyEntertaining. And tag me @RDtipoftheday, so I can see what you do and maybe even feature you on the blog or Instagram.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Entertaining Made Easy: 6 Easy Entrees

I love people; I love food. So naturally you would think I would love entertaining. You would be right, but I sometimes have a little entertaining anxiety. Will the food turn out okay? Do I have all the ingredients? Will my guests like the food? Did I make enough food for everyone? How can I make sure the food will be ready in time or at the same time? AHHHH?!?!?

Sorry for the mini freak out. Most people are at least a little concerned about entertaining. The most fear usually stems from the dreaded entree - the center of the meal. Here are some of my favorite ideas to take the fear out of entrees. Hopefully with this Entertaining Made Easy series, your fears will be eased, and you will become a better host or hostess.

1) Casseroles
I love a casserole! You throw several things together in one pan, bake, and serve! They usually have a grain, meat, and cheese or sauce component. Who doesn't love cheese? Who doesn't love a sauce? Or a cheesy sauce!?! Casseroles are also  a great way to entertain because they stretch the protein or meat component of the meal, which tends to be one of the more expensive food items. So, casseroles are quick, easy, inexpensive and most importantly delicious!
Try: Mexican Casserole, Lasagna, Baked Ziti. . .

2) Build Your Own Salad
I love this idea! Maybe it's the dietitian in me, but if you are worried about entertaining, this is a great solution! Offer your guests choices. Try 2 types of lettuces, 2-3 vegetables or fruits, 1-2 crunchy things (like nuts or baked tortilla strips), 1-2 proteins (meat, beans, etc), and 2 types of cheeses, and 2-3 types of salad dressing. Your guests get to pick and choose what they like, and they assemble the entree themselves. I like the idea of having a couple "recipe cards" to help guests pair ingredients to make fantastic salads. Stay tuned for 5 fantastic salads.

3) Fajita or Taco Bar
This is another easy entree. Grill some chicken and steak or brown some ground beef or turkey. Assemble some toppings. And you are ready to have a party. Your grocery list would look something like this:
Fajita Bar: Corn and flour tortillas, meat for grilling, onions, bell peppers, sour cream, and cheese
Taco Bar: Soft tacos, hard tacos, ground meat, lettuce, tomato, onions, salsa, sour cream, and cheese
You have a party for under 10 ingredients!

4) Breakfast Bar
I love breakfast. I love breakfast in the morning, as a mid-morning brunch, or in the evening as "brinner." Sauce some bacon or sausage, have a few sides (think biscuits, scones, fruit, jam/jelly), and you are ready to start your day . . . or a party!

5) Baked Potato Bar
This bar is as simple as it sounds. Bake some potatoes a few hours before the party. Set out toppings - BBQ meat, sour cream, cheese, chives, broccoli, and chili. This is great for your friends who are gluten-free, vegan, or vegetarian. You can pick-and-choose toppings to fit personal diet preferences. *RDtip: watch for gluten in some BBQ sauce and chilli's.

6) Soups
Soups hold really well. You can keep them warm through a party in a Dutch oven or slow cooker on low for <4 hours; always remember food safety! 
One of my sweet friends that I've known since middle school came to visit me recently. She brought frozen gumbo with her. That was the sweetest idea! I made rice and cornbread to accompany her delicious gumbo. I love the idea of bringing something with you as a house guest as a way to say thank you. So, thank you sweet Mal for your thoughtfulness. May Mal inspire you to celebrate the holidays and remember to be thankful for those around you.

So, those are some ideas for easy entertaining with easy entrees. We will go into more specifics in this series to give you even more entertaining ideas. I would love to see how you are entertaining, so tag your entertaining pictures with #EasyEntree and #EasyEntertaining. And tag me @RDtipoftheday, so I can see what you do and maybe even feature you on the blog or Instagram.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

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Easy Empanada Recipe and Chipotle Dip

This is a quick, easy weeknight dinner. Or you could serve these as a tasty appetizer depending on the size of your empanadas. Also, this is a great way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Here's the recipe:

Easy Empanada

Filling:

1 1/2 cups chicken cooked and shredded

1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Salt

10 dashes Chipotle hot sauce

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

2 ounces reduced fat cream cheese (neuftachel), room temperature

Dough

Pie Crust

All purpose flour

2 Tablespoons Milk

Chipotle Dipping Sauce

4 oz sour cream

10-15 dashes Chipotle hot sauce (depending on your spice tolerance)

1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder

Pepper to taste

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

• Mix the filling ingredients in one bowl. 
• Roll out pie dough on a lightly floured surface. Use a 4 inch cookie or biscuit cutter. If you don't have that, use a glass. Cut out 12-16 pie crust rounds. Place on a baking tray lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. 
• RDtip: Use a 1 Tablespoon scoop to put filling into each pie round. Be careful not to over-stuff the empanada. 
• Fold each piece of dough in half to make the circles into semi-circles. Use a fork to crimp the edges closed.
• Brush each empanada with milk to help it brown.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes on 400*F until the pie dough is crisp and golden brown.
• Mix all ingredients for the dipping sauce. 
• Enjoy!

For even more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

Chicken Marsala: An Easy Entree

Did you know that today is National Italian Food Day? Here's an easy entree, Chicken Marsala, to make to celebrate today or for Valentine's Day.

This Chicken Marsala is delicious. It will make your house smell wonderful. It has 10 ingredients (if you don't count the salt and pepper) and is simple to make. 

Chicken Marsala with Orzo
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup Marsala cooking wine
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
2 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon butter
2 cups cooked orzo
2 teaspoons fresh parsley for garnishing

Heat oil in Dutch Oven over medium high. (Thanks for my Le Creuset hubby!) Add mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes. Move mushrooms to the sides of the pan. Add chicken to the middle of the pan. Add thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook chicken 2-3 minutes on each side. Add wine. Cook 1-2 minutes. RDTip: You want to cook the alcohol off in the pan. So, cook the alcohol until you can no longer smell it. Add chicken stock, and cook for 8 minutes. Mix butter and flour into a paste in a separate bowl with a fork. Add paste to the pot. Cook 2-3 minutes until thickened. 
Cook orzo according to directions on package to yield at least 2 cups cooked pasta.
Serve Chicken Marsala over orzo.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Makes 4 servings (1/2 cup cooked orzo with 1/4 of the Chicken Marsala recipe)

I hope you enjoy this recipe. It was a hit in my home! This is a great, easy entree to entertain with. It holds well in the dutch oven for 20-30 minutes. This would be a great entree to make for Valentine's day. Enjoy!

Follow me, RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter for more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating. You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.