A Grateful Meal

Breakfast

Balsamic Strawberry Chia Jam

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Balsamic Strawberry Chia Jam in a chia with a spoon
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I love making homemade jams. If you ever have fresh fruit starting to turn and don’t think you’ll be able to use it before it’s gone bad, don’t throw it anyway just yet. Make some jam like this Balsamic Strawberry Chia Jam! It as simple as simmering fruit on the stovetop – you’ll be done in no more than 15 minutes flat. One of my favorite flavor combinations is balsamic vinegar and strawberries. Trust me; it’s so good. While it has a nice tang, it does not turn out vinegary at all. With just a dash of added sweetness, along with the sweetness from the strawberries, it balances out the vinegar well. I once went to a balsamic vinegar tasting (I know, strange, right?). While we did dip bread in the vinegar to taste, we also used the vinegar on top of lemon and strawberry ice cream. It was one of the best flavor combinations I’ve ever had. You will need to simmer the vinegar for a few minutes before adding the strawberries to concentrate the flavor. If you have a bottle of expensive, syrupy balsamic vinegar, you can skip that step. 

Strawberry chia jam on a piece of bread with peanut butter

Why Chia Seeds?

Fruit naturally has pectin, which is a thickening agent used to make jellies and jams. And while you can certainly add some pectin or simmer the strawberries until they reach the desired consistency, I like to use chia seeds to help thicken the jam and add a little nutritional punch to the recipe. Chia seeds form a gel-like consistency when immersed in liquid. That gel helps thicken this jam into a perfect, spreadable consistency. Not only do chia seeds add the right texture, but they also add omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to be beneficial to heart health. They also add a dose of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. 

Overview of Balsamic Strawberry Chia Jam spread on a piece of bread with peanut butter and strawberries in the background

Spread it on everything!

The most obvious use for this strawberry chia jam is a PBJ or ABJ, but don’t stop there! Top off your oatmeal or yogurt (or ice cream, like I mentioned above) with this jam. Bake a wheel of brie, pour the jam on top, and serve with crackers for an easy appetizer. Whisk it into a vinegarette for an unexpected punch of flavor. The sky is the limit. 

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Balsamic Strawberry Chia Jam

Balsamic Strawberry Chia Jam in a chia with a spoon
  • Author: Melissa
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
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Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Bring vinegar to boil over medium-high heat. Simmer until vinegar reduced by half (5-10 minutes). 
  2. Add strawberries and agave. Use a spoon to help break up berries and release juices. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. 
  3. Stir in chia seeds and remove from heat. Allow to cool. Jam can be served immediately warm but will thicken considerably when completely cooled. Keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to one week or freeze for up to 3 months.  

Brunch Pizza with Eggs

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Overview of a sliced pizza with drippy eggs, sausage, and spinach on top.
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I could have easily named my brunch pizza with eggs “breakfast pizza with eggs,” but you can eat this pizza any time of the day. Although brunch is my favorite and my choice for when to eat this “brunch pizza,” so there you have it. It’s loaded with some of my favorite breakfast and non-breakfast foods. We got sweet and savory breakfast sausage and runny eggs bringing in the breakfast component. Then we have spinach, mozzarella cheese, and pizza delivering on the non-traditional breakfast items. Although, I would argue that spinach, cheese, and pizza make excellent breakfast choices. I rounded it out with garlic and red pepper flake, and it’s a masterpiece. In addition to being super delicious, it’s filling and super satisfying thanks to a nice balance of protein, veggies, and whole grains (if you choose that type of crust).

Close up of pizza slice with drippy egg, breakfast sausage, and spinach on top.

Now you might be wondering pizza with eggs? Yes, pizza with eggs. They just up the ooey-gooey deliciousness of pizza. It’s a perfect match. Trust me, if you haven’t tried it yet.

Close up of a pizza with drippy eggs, sausage, and spinach on top.

Any other cold pizza fans out there? You’re going to love this next part. It also tastes just as good cold as it does hot. I might like cold pizza more than hot, and this one delivers well in that department. I ate a couple of leftover slices this morning for breakfast brunch, and it was heaven. Which is great if you’re serving it for company. You won’t have to worry about timing the baking just right so guests can eat it hot. It will still taste great warm and even cold. 

Any way you slice it (ha, see what I did there?), this is a great recipe to have on hand for unexpected guests for some weekending brunching or an easy weeknight meal. And of course, if you want to keep the good times rolling, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter for all the latest and greatest here at A Grateful Meal. 

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Brunch Pizza with Eggs

Overview of a sliced pizza with drippy eggs, sausage, and spinach on top.
  • Author: admin
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Cuisine: Brunch, Italian
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Ingredients

    • 1 tsp. light-tasting olive oil, plus more for coating
    • Refrigerated pizza dough (whole grain, if possible)
    • ~8-12 oz breakfast sausage patties of your choosing (chicken, pork, turkey, or plant-based)
    • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
    • 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese (1 bag usually is 8 oz.) 
    • 5 oz. bag of fresh spinach, chopped finely, divided
    • 3 eggs
    • Red pepper flake, to taste (optional)

 

Instructions

  1. Remove pizza dough from refrigerator and allow to rest at room temp for about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly coat a baking sheet or pizza pan with olive oil. Allow the baking sheet to preheat in the oven for about 5-10 minutes.  
  2. Heat 1 tsp. olive in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage patties, breaking them apart as they cook until they are fully cooked and crumbled. Drain on paper towels if necessary. 
  3. Working on a surface sprinkled with flour, roll out pizza dough into about a 12 inch round (or oval like me!) Sprinkle garlic powder all over pizza dough. Remove preheated pan from oven, and transfer the seasoned dough to pan. 
  4. Save a large handful of the spinach to sprinkle on top after pizza is cooked for a fresh taste (optional) — top dough with remaining spinach, sausage, and mozzarella cheese. Aim to leave a little bit of space to place eggs later. 
  5. Bake pizza for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Top pizza with eggs, gently cracking eggs onto crust while keeping the yolks intact.
  6. Put pizza back in oven and cook for additional 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and egg whites are set. 
  7. Top with red pepper flake and extra spinach, if using. Serve immediately. 

Keywords: pizza with eggs

Orange Chocolate Granola

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Overview of orange chocolate granola on top of yogurt with chocolate chips
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Does anyone get those chocolate oranges in their stocking at Christmas? You know the ones that you hit off the table, and they break into what looks like chocolate orange slices? Yeah, those ones. They’re one of my favorite Christmas treats because orange and chocolate are two flavors that are made for one another. This Orange Chocolate Granola is the same flavor profile and can be enjoyed all year round.

Holding a bowl of orange chocolate granola on top of yogurt

When I was baking this, the house smelled amazing. You know how you’re supposed to bake chocolate chip cookies when you’re trying to sell your house so that potential buyers will feel your home is cozy and want to buy it? Yeah, don’t do that. Bake this instead. It fills the air with bright, sweet citrus aromas and the indulgent smell of chocolate paired with the toasty nuttiness of pecans. Are you drooling on your keyboard yet? I am. After the orange chocolate granola came out of the oven, my mom called, and I talked to her for at least 20 minutes. I stood at the counter the entire conversation snacking on this granola because I couldn’t get over how great it tasted. It makes a great snack and an even more perfect breakfast.

It’s also a nutritional powerhouse with dark chocolate, whole grains, high protein nuts, and dried fruit. It clearly checks all the boxes for me – tastes good (first) and nutritious (second). That might sound weird coming from a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist that taste comes first (always), but let’s get real. What good is nutritious food if it doesn’t taste good? You have to want to eat it, and this is something that I’ll want in my kitchen forever.

Orange chocolate granola with yogurt bowl next to baked sheet pan of granola and chocolate chips

The best part is that you can double or triple this recipe as it will keep for at least 3 weeks in an airtight container. It’s perfect for making it on the weekend to enjoy all week long!

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Orange Chocolate Granola

  • Author: admin
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 60 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Cuisine: Breakfast
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Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. 
  2. Mix oats, pecans, flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, whisk together the honey (or agave), orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract, and oil. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.  
  3. Spread evenly onto the baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour. Set a timer to check and stir granola about every 20 minutes to ensure that edges don’t burn. 
  4. Remove from oven and cool. Granola will continue to crisp up while cooling. Once cool, mix in dried fruit and chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. 

Spiced Eggnog Waffles

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View of eggnog waffles on a cooling rack next to a plate of waffles with syrup and coffee on the side
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I love lazy mornings. Lazy mornings are complete with snuggling with puppies, staying in your PJs, and lingering over breakfast. This is the time of year for festive, cozy breakfasts, which are my ideal lazy morning. These Spiced Eggnog Waffles make for the best breakfast fare.

Close up of an eggnog waffle on a cooling rack dusted with powdered sugar

These thick, spiced waffles are perfect for dunking in coffee or cocoa in the morning and give that subtle taste of holiday eggnog. You can dust them with a light coating of powdered sugar, cinnamon, and/or a drizzle of warm maple syrup. If you’re looking for the ultimate lazy morning, make these waffles in advance. Store the eggnog waffles in ziplock bags in the freezer and reheat in a toaster or oven until they’re warmed through. You can even double (or triple, depending on how many people you’re feeding) the batch to freeze. By doing so, you’ll take out all the work for your lazy morning, which is especially crucial if it’s Christmas morning. There’s nothing better than a breakfast that only takes five minutes to prep so you can get the most joy out of your Christmas morning.

Overview of eggnog waffles cooling on a rack dusted with powdered sugar

Even if you do decide to make these on your lazy morning, don’t fret, they’re still easy as can be. It goes something like this: mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, combine the two mixtures, but don’t overmix. Pour on the waffle maker, wait until they’re crispy and perfect. Repeat. While you’re repeating, you can pop the finished waffles in a 200-degree oven to keep nice and toasty. Top with your favorite toppings, and you’ve won the day. It’s as simple as that folks.

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Spiced Eggnog Waffles

Overview of eggnog waffles cooling on a rack dusted with powdered sugar
  • Author: admin
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
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Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole-grain pastry flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
  • 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cup eggnog
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • Powdered sugar, cinnamon, and/or pure maple syrup for topping 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the waffle iron, and spray with non-stick cooking spray. 
  2. Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl – both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. 
  3. Whisk together wet ingredients in a separate bowl – butter, egg, vanilla extract, eggnog, and milk. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredient bowl and mix together until just combined. It’s ok if there are a few lumps. 
  4. Ladle waffle batter onto hot waffle iron in about 1/4 cup increments, and cook waffles according to your waffle maker instructions (timing will vary).
  5. Serve with powdered sugar, cinnamon, pure maple syrup, and/or toppings of your choosing. 

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Lime Coconut Banana Bread

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Banana bread with limes
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Oh, yes, you read that right…Lime Coconut Banana Bread. Apparently, I’m craving all the tropical flavors. But, can you blame me? It’s like a billion degrees outside, so naturally my palette is inclined towards all the limes, coconuts, and bananas one can devour. Someone told me earlier this week that we were going to get a heatwave in Charleston. Um, I’m sorry, but isn’t that just Charleston in July? Thankfully, I’ve got limes and coconuts to comfort me until November when I can finally shut off my air conditioner.

But, I digress, this lime coconut banana bread is perfectly sweet and just the right chewy, but soft texture. I used light canned coconut milk, but you could probably use full fat. The texture will likely be a little softer due to the increased fat content.

Overhead view of banana bread

I know it’s an absolute pain because you’re mouth will be watering by the time the bread comes out of the oven, but try to let the bread cool before slicing. It helps keep that perfect texture intact.

Sliced banana bread

See! Look a that perfect crumb. It’s worth it, y’all. I may or may not have had this for breakfast, snacks, and with all my meals all week long. I also noticed another three more bananas darkening in my fruit basket. I’m pretty sure I know where they are going to end up.

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Lime Coconut Banana Bread

Banana bread with limes
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Ingredients

  • 3 medium overripe bananas, divided
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp. light oil (ex: light olive oil or avocado oil)
  • 1/2 cup canned light coconut milk
  • zest of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup lime juice (~juice of 1 lime)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat (regular or pastry)
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven for 350 degrees. Mash together two of the bananas in a large bowl. Set aside the other banana until later. Whisk egg, oil, coconut milk, lime zest and juice, and brown sugar into the mashed bananas. Set aside.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients, and mix until completely incorporated.
  3. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Pour batter into pan. Slice third banana length-wise. Top batter with sliced banana. Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from middle. Allow to cool prior to slicing.

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Loaf pan

Mixing bowls

Mixing spoons

Parchment paper

Spiced Tropical Granola

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Spiced Tropical Granola with Yogurt

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I’m a fan of easy breakfasts. The kind you can put together in a dark kitchen still blurry-eyed and half asleep. The kind you can throw in a container and dash out the door when you forgot about that 8:00 a.m. meeting. As you can tell, I am not at my finest before 9:00 a.m. This spiced granola is my answer to my morning grumpiness.

My tried and true granola recipe is heavy on the cinnamon, apple, and cranberry flavors. That isn’t exactly what I craving in these muggy summer mornings. I want all mangoes, pineapple, and ginger. So, that’s exactly what I did. I made the swaps and created this perfect lazy summer-inspired granola that I can feed myself at 6:00 a.m. when I can barely remember my name. That is if I can keep myself from eating it straight from baking sheet before it even can be put away.

Spiced Tropical Granola

Don’t forget, you can personalize this spiced granola by switching out which nuts or fruit you use. Want more mango? Go for it. Prefer walnuts? Knock yourself out. This recipe is highly customizable so feel free to get creative and make it your own.

Spiced Tropical Granola with Yogurt
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Spiced Tropical Granola

Spiced Tropical Granola with Yogurt
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Ingredients

  • 3 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
  • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped (tip: 2 oz. bag is perfect size)
  • 1/4 cup flour (all purpose or whole wheat)
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 3/4 cup honey or agave syrup
  • 1/2 cup pineapple juice
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp canola oil or light olive oil
  • 1/2 cup dried mango, chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together in bowl (oats, nuts, flour, ginger, cinnamon, and coconut). In a separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients together (honey/agave, juice, vanilla, and oil). Add wet ingredients to dry and mix together thoroughly until dry ingredients are evenly coated with wet ingredients.
  2. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray or line the baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. Spread oat mixture evenly on sheet. Bake for 50 minutes. Every 10 minutes or so, stir granola on the sheet and turn over gently with a spatula, taking care that the outside edges do not burn. Remove from oven, mix in dried fruit, and set aside to cool. Granola will crisp as it cools. Once cooled, granola can be stored in an airtight container.

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Dried mango

Airtight cereal container for storing

Silicone baking mat

Baking sheet

Spatula