Creamy Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole Recipe

Oat is a common breakfast item in many households. It is a healthy substitute for bread as it contains less calories and more fiber. Oats have soluble fibers that help in regulating blood sugar levels. As it takes more time to digest, you won't feel hungry for a long time. Oats are more nutritious than bread as well. When you have bread for breakfast, you can put on different spreads, butter, and jam. If you make overnight oats you can create variation in your meal rather than having the bland oat every day.

To make overnight oats you don't need to cook them on the stove or oven. You will just keep the oats soaked in milk overnight. The oats will become soft enough for you to eat. You will get the same consistency as porridge or pudding. The taste will be as creamy as it would be if you cooked it otherwise. In the morning you can add your favorite toppings. It's an easy grab-and-go milk.

Health benefits of oats

• Oats are extremely nutritious. They contain loads and vitamins and minerals that prevent diseases and keep you healthy.
• It has antioxidants that allow better blood flow, thus keeping your blood pressure in control.
• It contains the soluble fiber beta-glucan. It reduces blood sugar and promotes the growth of good bacteria.
• It lowers cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart problems.
• Oats are very filling; they help you to lose weight.

Ingredients

Oats: It is better to use the old-fashioned oats, not the quick oats. You will get a better consistency.

Milk: You can either use full-fat or low-fat milk. You can prepare this overnight oat with almond milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk as well.

Chia seeds: If you are preparing overnight oats then it's obvious that you are a health-conscious person. So, why not double the impact? Add chia seeds that are full of nutrition. It can give the oat a pudding-like texture as well.

Greek yogurt: It will add a tangy flavor to the oat and give it a creamy texture.

Vanilla extract: It will not only give a nice flavor but also give some sweetness.

Honey or maple syrup: If you want your oat to be a bit sweet then you can add honey or maple syrup.

Toppings: You can go creative with your toppings and add your favorite fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, and even spices.

Preparation

It is important to know the perfect oat and milk ratio to make the overnight oat. You must use 1 part oats and 1 part milk. Once you get the right portion of your ingredients, take out a nice jar and put the milk first. Then add the oats and chia seeds. Also add yogurt, honey or maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Mix the ingredients till the oats are completely submerged in milk. Cover the jar and then refrigerate it overnight.

Toppings

• Maple sweet potato: Cooked mashed potato, maple syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Pistachio raspberry: Crushed pistachios, fresh raspberries, and honey.
• Hot chocolate: Chocolate and cinnamon.
• Peanut butter jelly: peanut butter, fresh-cut strawberries, strawberry jelly, peanuts.
• Apple pie: chopped apples, maple syrup, cinnamon powder
• Banana nutella: Nutella, banana, chocolate chips, and crushed hazelnuts.
• Almonds and coconut: crushed almonds and shredded coconuts.
• Blueberry lemon: blueberry, lemon zest and honey.
• Pumpkin pie: canned pumpkin and whipped cream.

Tips

• Keep the oats overnight in a jar or mason jar. The latter will help you see the right measurements.
• Use the old-fashioned oats as the quick oats will get soggy. The steel-cut oats won't be so soft.
• It is preferable to warm up the oats in the morning before eating.
• Make the quantity suitable for 5 days as you can easily store it for that period of time in the fridge. So, if you make it on the weekend, it can serve you the whole week.
• Layer up the toppings and don't mix.
• If you use cold milk, it will take a longer time for the oat to soak. So, use milk at room temperature.

Preparing oats this way will save a lot of time. You can avoid the hassle of making breakfast in the morning. With so many choices of toppings, there will be something for everyone in the family. So, your spouse can go with banana and nuts, kids with Nutella and whipped cream. It's a very healthy meal to stay energized throughout the day.

You might have tried many white and brown breads, but you may not have tasted zucchini bread. It's moist and yummy which your kids will also love. Zucchini is a great primary ingredient for making bread. When you add shredded zucchini the bread becomes extra moist. It also freezes perfectly and you can store it for a few days. The ingredients mentioned here to make zucchini bread will produce two loaves.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – 3 cups
• Baking powder – 1 teaspoon
• Baking soda – 1 teaspoon
• Ground cinnamon – 1 tablespoon
• Eggs – 3
• Oil – 1 cup
• White sugar – 2.5 cups
• Vanilla extract – 2 teaspoons
• Zucchini – 2 cups, grated
• Walnuts – 1 cup, chopped

Cooking directions

1. You must first preheat the oven to 165 degrees C.
2. Take two 8X4-inch pans and grease them.
3. Sift the dry ingredients together; that is, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
4. Crack the eggs in a bowl and add oil, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat everything together using an electric mixer.
5. Now add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat again.
6. Put zucchini and walnuts. Stir well so that they combine well.
7. Pour the batter into the pans that you had greased and floured.
8. Place them inside the preheated oven and bake for 40 to 60 minutes. When the oven timer stops, take out the pans and insert a toothpick in the middle of the bread to see whether it comes out clean. If so, your bread is done. But if the toothpick has sticky ingredients, then you need to set the over for a few minutes more to get your bread perfectly done.
9. Keep the pans on a wire rack for almost half an hour for the bread to cool down.
10. Then thaw zucchini bread overnight in the refrigerator.

Tips

If you are making zucchini bread for the first time then you should learn how to prepare it. Here are some tips for you:

• If the zucchini you bought is small or medium, you don't need to peel off the skin as it is very thin and won't affect the taste of the bread. If you use large zucchini then you have to peel it and remove the seeds from inside using a spoon.
• You can use a box grater to grate your zucchini. It is better to use the larger side of the grater.
• You shouldn't squeeze the zucchini; moisture must be present to make the bread perfectly.
• You can store the bread for 2 days at room temperature. You can put it in the refrigerator to store it for a longer time.
• The best way to store the bread in the refrigerator is to wrap it tightly using plastic. You can put it in a zip freezer bag.

Variations

You can add chopped pecans instead of walnuts on the bread. You can even skip it altogether and add chocolate chips. Cinnamon is a very soothing spice. But you can also add pumpkin pie spice to your bread. You can experiment with dry fruits like raisins, blueberries, or cranberries. You can turn this breakfast bread into a wonderful dessert by adding cream cheese frosting or vanilla icing.

Health benefits

Zucchini has multiple antioxidants. It has low fat and sugar. It will make you fuller and you can refrain from eating anything for a longer time. So, if you are planning a low-carb diet, instead of omitting bread completely from your breakfast menu, you can eat zucchini bread.

Many people like zucchini bread due to the cooking convenience and added flavors. The fact that it is extra moist makes this bread different from the other kinds of bread. Kids often don't like to eat veggies. You can trick your kid by adding zucchini inside bread. They won't even realize that they just had an important vegetable in their meal. As the zucchini melts while baking it, the bread will taste like a delicious cake. You can have it either as a breakfast dish or an afternoon snack.

If you want to try eating vermicelli a bit differently then you must try this salad recipe. Vermicelli is a popular Italian thin noodle that cooks quickly. It's healthy due to its low-carb content and so many people prefer it in their dinner or lunch menu. The lemongrass vermicelli salad brings a wonderful twist to the traditional vermicelli cooking. It is an interesting fact that though vermicelli noodles originated in Italy, it is a popular dish in Vietnam. The lemongrass vermicelli salad is also known as Bun Ga Nuong which is served with chili garlic sauce.

It is a very convenient item to cook as you can prepare a lot of things ahead. For example, you can boil the vermicelli or chop the vegetables and refrigerate them. So, when you are back from the office or encounter a surprise guest, you can entertain with this wonderful dish.

Ingredients

Chicken and Marinade

• Chicken thigh fillets or breasts – 1.2 to 1.6 lb, skinless and boneless
• Lemongrass – 1 stalk, only the white part sliced into small pieces
• Garlic cloves – 2, finely chopped
• Lime juice – 2 tablespoons
• Fish sauce – 2 tablespoons
• Light soy sauce – 1 tablespoon
• Brown sugar – 2 tablespoons
• Vegetable oil – 1 tablespoon

Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Sauce)

• Rice vinegar – 4 tablespoons
• White sugar – 2 tablespoons
• Fish sauce – ¼ cup
• Water – ½ cup
• Garlic cloves – 2, finely chopped
• Red chili – 1, finely chopped
• Lime juice – 3 tablespoons

Noodle bowl

• Oil – ½ tablespoons
• Vermicelli noodles – 200g, dried
• Carrots – 2, julienned
• Iceberg lettuce – 5 cups, finely sliced
• Cucumbers – 2, julienned
• Bean sprouts – 3 cups
• Mint leaves – a handful
• Cilantro – a handful
• Red chili for garnish
• Lime wedges for serving

Cooking instructions

Step 1

Mix the marinade with chicken and leave for about an hour. The longer you keep the chicken aside, the better all the ingredients will seep into the chicken. So, the taste will be better.

Step 2

The traditional technique in Vietnam is to grill the chicken in charcoal. But if it's not available, you can cook it in the oven or stove. Heat some oil in the frying pan and put it on medium heat. Take the chicken out that was soaked in the marinade for a long time. Make sure that the long stalks of lemongrass are left out.

Step 3

Put the chicken in the hot pan and cook on both sides till it turns brown. Remove it from the pan and cut it into thin pieces once it cools down.

Step 4

Prepare the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a mixer and set aside for 20 minutes.

Step 5

Soak the vermicelli noodles in hot water for about 3 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook it in boiling water for a few minutes. But as vermicelli is very thin the second method may overcook the vermicelli. Then drain the water and rinse the noodles under cold water. This will prevent the noodles from sticking together.

Step 6

Serve it in layers with the vermicelli at the bottom, then chicken slices, sauce, herbs, and lemon wedges.

Tips

Before cutting the lemongrass into small pieces, you should peel the tough outer layers and bring out the soft white part at the bottom. Some people may be averting to fish sauce due to its raw smell. In that case, you may avoid using it.

Serving

You can serve the dish individually in small bowls. In such a case you can place the cooked vermicelli on the bowl, then add the salad. Sprinkle herbs and sauce on top. Another interesting way to serve the dish is by placing the different ingredients in different platters; that is, have vermicelli, veggies, sauces, and cheese in different bowls or plates. Your family members or guests can choose the ingredients according to their preferences.

Variations

Lemongrass vermicelli salad is a versatile dish. You can include chicken, beef, shrimp, fish, or even tofu. You can either bake or grill them. You can change vegetables and add cabbage, bell peppers, peas, and different fresh greens.

Health benefits

Lemongrass is rich in antioxidants. So, it reduces the risk of chronic diseases. It also lowers cholesterol levels. Vermicelli is low-carb and extremely healthy.

The sauce is the best part of this dish. It gives a great balance of savory, sweet, and tangy flavors. It's a wonderful meal for dinner or lunch. People of all ages will enjoy it.