K-cup Red Eye Gravy, Ham and Grits

Remember my bright idea to use a second brew from a K-cup to make red-eye gravy? I finally got some ham and gave it a try. While it was delicious I think my first experiment with K-cup Sausage Gravy and Grits was my favorite. The sausage gravy was savory and very rich. The red-eye gravy was lighter and had some sweetness to it. My favorite part was how rich my cup of coffee tasted after having a few bites of my breakfast. This just proves coffee is a huge part of any breakfast. Whether you drink it or eat it; it just makes your morning better. I think I will continue to use K-cups to enrich my recipes. It really adds complexity to gravies or sauces. I hope you will give it a try for yourself. Be sure to come back and let me know how it improved your recipes.

K-cup Red Eye Gravy, Ham and Grits
Serves 1

Ingredients

2 tsp. butter or margarine, divided
1 slice ham
1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1 short second brew from K-cup
1/4 cup quick grits
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Splash of heavy cream

Directions

Melt a tsp. of butter in pan over medium heat. Add ham to pan, cook over medium heat until brown on both sides. *CAUTION* The ham will splatter, pop and spit at you. Be careful!

Add chicken bouillon and brown sugar to a coffee cup and brew a second cup of coffee over the top. Use the picture of a tea cup or the smallest cup setting on a Keurig. 

Place grits, 1 cup of water and salt in a 2 cup microwave safe bowl. Cook on high for 2 minutes. Stir and microwave 1 minute. Stir again and microwave one more minute. 

When ham is browned, add the coffee, sugar and bouillon mixture and simmer until reduced by half. Season with black pepper to taste.

Season grits with remaining butter, cream and additional black pepper (optional), stir to combine. Serve along side of ham and topped with red eye gravy.

Linking to:
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?

Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Spatulas On Parade: Wonderful Wednesday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Love Bake Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends

K-cup Sausage Gravy and Grits

When I first got my Keurig people kept telling me that they would brew two cups of coffee from one K-cup. I tried it and I was less than impressed. The second cup was too weak for my taste. Then this morning it came to me, I wonder if you could use that second brew for red-eye gravy? Well I didn't have ham, but I had turkey breakfast sausage. So the experiment began. I placed two slices of sausage in a pan and using a spoon I crumbled it as it cooked. Then I put some beef bouillon in a coffee cup and brewed a second cup of coffee over the top. I used the picture of a tea cup or the smallest cup setting since I was making one serving. I also put on some grits to cook. When the sausage was browned I added a little butter and flour and cooked stirring often until I could no longer smell the flour. Then I added the coffee and bouillon mixture and simmered until nice and thick. It was well seasoned because of the bouillon and all it needed was black pepper. It made a deliciously rich and dark gravy. It did not taste like coffee, it just had a deep, rich, flavor. It was delicious! I loved it over the grits. Such a warm and savory breakfast courtesy of a K-cup. I can't wait to bring home some ham and try a red-eye gravy. So run, don't walk to your Keurig and use that K-cup from your morning coffee to brew up something tasty for breakfast. You will not be disappointed.

K-cup Sausage Gravy and Grits
Serves 1

Ingredients

2 slices turkey breakfast sausage
1/2 tsp. beef bouillon
1 short second brew from K-cup
1/4 cup quick grits
Kosher salt, to taste
2 tsp. butter or margarine, divided
1 tsp. flour
Black pepper, to taste
1 tsp. heavy cream

Directions

Place sausage in a pan, cook on medium high breaking up with a spoon until crumbled. 

Add beef bouillon to a coffee cup and brew a second cup of coffee over the top. Use the picture of a tea cup or the smallest cup setting on a Keurig. 

Place grits, 1 cup of water and salt in a 2 cup microwave safe bowl. Cook on high for 2 minutes. Stir and microwave 1 minute. Stir again and microwave one more minute. 

When sausage is browned, add 1 tsp. butter and flour. Cook stirring often until it no longer smells like flour. Add the coffee and bouillon mixture and simmer until thick. Season with black pepper to taste.

Season grits with remaining butter, cream and additional black pepper (optional), stir to combine. Serve topped with sausage gravy.

Linking to:
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends

Mexican Coffee Mug Cake

Here is another Fun with Coffee idea. This is a great way to use coffee to make an individual low fat dessert for one. I learned about using the microwave to bake angel food cake mix in a mug from one of those recipe books you see in the grocery store line. I tried their recipe for a chocolate mug cake. It was fine but it gave me the idea to experiment and boost the flavor. I have try many combinations, mixing different ingredients into the basic recipe. It was this experiment that tastes like a Mexican Coffee or Mexican Hot Cocoa that got me to post about it. It is delicious! It has a light texture but a rich deep flavor. I love the coffee, it makes the chocolate flavor darker. The cinnamon is great with the chocolate too. It adds spice and just warms everything up. I will keep experimenting but I see myself making this version time and time again. Such a quick little dessert and you don't have to heat the house up using the oven.

Mexican Coffee Mug Cake
Serves 1

Ingredients

1/4 cup angel food cake mix
2 tsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. cool coffee

Directions

Combine cake mix, cocoa and cinnamon in a two cup coffee mug. Stir well until combined. Add coffee and stir well. Microwave on high for one and a half minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Easy Egg Nog Latte

At this time of the year I love to replace the cream or creamer in my coffee with egg nog. It is so good! Ok replace may be an under statement? It ends up being more of a latte than coffee with cream. Either way it is delicious and very easy. Just brew your favorite coffee with a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg. Warm your favorite egg nog and combine. I am enjoying mine today as I do a little holiday baking. I love it! You get the taste of egg nog without the traditional thick, dessert sweetness of egg nog out of the carton. I hope you enjoy this great Christmas coffee beverage too.

Easy Egg Nog Latte
Serves 1

Ingredients

Favorite Coffee (I used Community Dark Roast)
ground Cinnamon
ground Nutmeg
Favorite Egg Nog (I used Borden's)
1 Splenda packet, or to taste (optional)*

Directions

Brew coffee with a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg over the grounds. Pour 1/3 to 1/2 a coffee mug of egg nog. Microwave for a minute on high. Add splenda and fill mug with coffee and stir. Garnish with another sprinkling of nutmeg and enjoy!

*Note: I found I like one splenda to sweeten this latte, but it is delicious without too. Just depends on my mood that day.

Salted English Toffee Coffee

One night dear sister brought over a Salted Hot Cocoa Mix from Starbucks. It was delicious. The next morning still savoring the salted chocolate goodness, I set out to make a hot beverage of my own. I came up with Salted English Toffee Coffee. It has a nice ring to it doesn't it? It is so delicious. It reminds me of English Toffee candy. If you decide to use real brown sugar you may need to use a little more than 2 teaspoons. When I tried it, it was not toffee tasting or sweet enough. The brown sugar splenda was so much better. I hope you will enjoy this drink all holiday long.

Salted English Toffee Coffee
Serves 1

Ingredients

2 tsp brown sugar splenda*
1 tsp hot cocoa mix*
non-dairy creamer, to taste
pinch of sea salt
1 mug freshly brewed coffee

Directions

Combine dry ingredients in a coffee mug. Pour hot coffee over ingredients stirring to combine.

*Note: I used the teaspoon I use to stir my coffee to measure these ingredients. I used a level or softly rounded spoon.

Linking to:
Turnips 2 Tangerines: Four Seasons Blog Hop
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
Horrific Knits: Fall Into the Holidays
My Personal Accent: Blog Strut Owl Style
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo

Fun with Coffee

I grew up on Community Coffee a Louisiana original. My family always brews Community Dark Roast. I keep Dark Roast and Cafe Special in my house. Cafe Special is a little smoother than the Dark Roast. When it starts to get cold outside, my coffee consumption goes up. In fact, I am drinking Spiced Coffee made with Dark Roast Community right now. Here are a few things I like to do with coffee.

Coffee Tip

Sprinkle ground cinnamon over your coffee grounds when you brew your morning coffee. It is delicious! You may never make a pot without it again.

This Spiced Coffee is amazing. I got this recipe from Anne Thornton's show Dessert First. It makes the house smell like the holidays. It fits just perfectly in a half pint jar for giving too. Wrap the entire jar in a holiday tea towel, tie with a ribbon and the recipe. Makes the perfect hostess gift.

                       
 

Spiced Coffee
Serves: 8

8 Tbsp. Ground Coffee
1 Tbsp. Orange Zest
2 tsp. Cinnamon, ground
1 tsp. Nutmeg, ground
1 tsp. Cloves, ground
8 cups of Water

Combine all ingredients breaking up any clumps. Place mix in filter basket of coffee pot and brew with 8 cups water.

Note: Use dried orange zest if giving as a gift. You don't know when the recipient will be using the coffee and fresh may spoil the batch. Microwave the grated zest of orange on a paper towel-lined plate, tossing every 30 seconds, until dry, about 1 1/2 minutes. 

Diet Coke Blāk

Do you remember Coke Blāk?

It was a coke product with a slight flavor of coffee that was discontinued in the states.

Well .... I started freezing left over coffee in ice cube trays for iced coffee and blended coffee drinks. My sister reminded me of Coke Blāk. She suggest adding an ice cube to Diet Coke.

I tried it, and it is so good. It works best if you place the coffee ice cube on top of regular ice and pour a room temperature diet coke over the top. 1-1/2 Tbsp of black coffee added to 12 oz diet coke works too. I hope you enjoy this tip.

Linking to:
See Ya in the Gumbo
It's Fall Y'all
Fall Into the Holidays
The Tumbleweed Contessa: Cinnamon Saturday Dishes