breakfast is my number one meal time, if i didn't make that clear on tuesday. and wes and i make no secret of the fact that when we do open our restaurant it will be breakfast oriented. so it should come as no surprise that we eat a lot of bacon. 

but lately, wes has made a small tweak to our usual bacon practices that is an absolute game changer. one of the things about cooking that captured my heart is the crazy idea that you can add just a little bit of one ingredient to completely enhance and change the way something tastes. in this case, a little brown sugar makes already delectable bacon, irresistible. 

want to step up your bacon game? here is how. 

brown sugar bacon
serves: 4 pieces
prep time: 10 minutes (or as long as it takes your oven to preheat)
cook time: 20-25 minutes
total time 30-35 minutes
ingredients: 4 pieces thick cut bacon. 2 tbs brown sugar. rimmed baking sheet. parchment paper. 

start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. line your baking sheet with parchment and lay the bacon flat.

sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bacon. 

cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes, starting to check the bacon at 20 minutes and then every minute or two until it is crispy and the edges are caramelized. 

remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack until cool enough to enjoy.

xo, a

brown sugar bacon
serves: 4 pieces
prep time: 10 minutes (or as long as it takes your oven to preheat)
cook time: 20-25 minutes
total time 30-35 minutes
ingredients: 4 pieces thick cut bacon. 2 tbs brown sugar. rimmed baking sheet. parchment paper. start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. line your baking sheet with parchment and lay the bacon flat. sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bacon. cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes, starting to check the bacon at 20 minutes and then every minute or two until it is crispy and the edges are caramelized. remove from the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack until cool enough to enjoy.

i make no secret about the fact that breakfast is my favorite meal. i don't care if i don't eat my first meal till two in the afternoon, i am NOT skipping my breakfast. 

gimme all pancakes, eggs, breakfast burritos, avocado toast and granola. i love it all. 

and i have been CRAVING some baked eggs. i LOVE baked eggs. they are the perfect one stop breakfast shop and you can doctor them up with pretty much any ingredients you like. this is a pretty base recipe, and you could easily add in other fresh veggies, some chorizo, sausage or bacon.

our garden is currently going off with fresh herbs. we have a plethora of basil, thyme and parsley and they made the perfect fresh compliment to the deliciously decadent runny yolk and perfectly baked egg whites. mmmmmmmmmmm i am drooling all over again just thinking about it. 

herb & tomato baked eggs
serves: 4
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 25 minutes
total time: 30 minutes
ingredients: 4 eggs. 1 tbs olive oil. 1 cup diced brown onion. 1 (15oz) can diced tomato (or 15 ounces of fresh if you have them). 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tsp paprika. 2 pinches red pepper flakes. 20 basil leaves, 17 chopped and the chiffonade the other 3. 5 thyme sprigs, leaves removed. 2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped. 4 tbs white cheddar cheese, grated. 1.5 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 4 small oven safe dishes. tortillas or crusty bread for serving. 

start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. then begin to make the sauce. in a small saucepan, combine the olive oil and onions. season with .5 tsp of salt and half the pepper. cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and starting to brown. about 5-7 minutes. 

add in the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant. about 1 minutes. 

add in the red pepper flakes and paprika and give it a good stir. mix all your herbs, but the chiffonade basil. keep that aside for final garnish. 

pour in the diced tomato and all but 1 tbs of the fresh herbs. season with another .5 tsp of salt and the other half of the pepper. simmer until all the ingredients are well combined. 3-5 minutes. 

pour equal parts of tomato sauce into the base of each dish. 

crack one egg into each dish and season with the remaining salt. sprinkle with the remaining fresh herbs (minus the chiffonade basil) and the cheddar cheese on top of the egg. 

bake for 8-10 minutes till the egg white is set and the yolk is still runny. if you don't like a runny yolk, cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. remove from the heat and serve hot! 

enjoy with tortillas or your favorite crusty bread. 

xo, a

herb & tomato baked eggs
serves: 4
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 25 minutes
total time: 30 minutes
ingredients: 4 eggs. 1 tbs olive oil. 1 cup diced brown onion. 1 (15oz) can diced tomato (or 15 ounces of fresh if you have them). 2 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tsp paprika. 2 pinches red pepper flakes. 20 basil leaves, 17 chopped and the chiffonade the other 3. 5 thyme sprigs, leaves removed. 2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped. 4 tbs white cheddar cheese, grated. 1.5 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 4 small oven safe dishes. tortillas or crusty bread for serving.
start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. then begin to make the sauce. in a small saucepan, combine the olive oil and onions. season with .5 tsp of salt and half the pepper. cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and starting to brown. about 5-7 minutes. add in the garlic and continue to cook until fragrant. about 1 minutes. add in the red pepper flakes and paprika and give it a good stir. mix all your herbs, but the chiffonade basil. keep that aside for final garnish. pour in the diced tomato and all but 1 tbs of the fresh herbs. season with another .5 tsp of salt and the other half of the pepper. simmer until all the ingredients are well combined. 3-5 minutes. pour equal parts of tomato sauce into the base of each dish. crack one egg into each dish and season with the remaining salt. sprinkle with the remaining fresh herbs (minus the chiffonade basil) and the cheddar cheese on top of the egg. bake for 8-10 minutes till the egg white is set and the yolk is still runny. if you don't like a runny yolk, cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. remove from the heat and serve hot! enjoy with tortillas or your favorite crusty bread.