Recipe: Creamed Eggs (Our "secret" family recipe)

Creamed Eggs (Our "secret" family recipe)

I grew up eating this.  I was recently asked by my son for the recipe, so our family tradition continues.  I think someone could open up a breakfast restaurant featuring this...or maybe it is just my childhood comfort food and I have a biased opinion?  I have always tried to serve this as a special treat when I have house guests. This can be done at home or while camping.  It keeps great on the stove in case there is a delay in sitting down to eat....just keep it warming and stir frequently to keep it smooth and creamy.

The way it is served provides great presentation too.

This makes about a serving for 2 pieces of toast, enough for one person.  Multiply as needed.  Refrigerate leftovers because they are just as good warmed up.

2 Hard boiled eggs

Slice eggs in half and place the yellows in a bowl and mash with a fork while adding a couple pinches of salt.  Fluff with a fork to separate the mashed yokes so they look something like course corn meal.  Set aside until serving.

Dice the Whites in ½ inch chunks and place in another bowl and set aside.

Hard boiled eggs prepped for the next step      Photo Courtesy of Dustin Beach

Prepare Medium to thick Basic White Sauce

·  In a small, heavy saucepan, melt 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of real salted butter over low heat.

·  Blend 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of flour into the melted butter.

·  Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

·  Cook over low heat, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes. Cooking for this length of time will minimize 'flour' taste. This will be a thick bubbly paste.  You are making a roux.  Do not heat too high.  You do not want to burn or brown this at all.

·  Slowly add 1 cup of milk to the bubbly butter flour roux, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.

·  Continue cooking slowly,whisking frequently to avoid bottom burn and lumping.  Continue until smooth and thickened (Don’t let it boil or it will curdle and lump).

Once the white sauce has thickened stir in the diced hard boiled egg whites.  Continue to stir for several minutes to thoroughly heat the diced whites.  The whites seem to further thicken the sauce.  Test taste and adjust salt to taste adding a little at a time. 

White Sauce thickened and diced Egg Whites added         Photo Courtesy of Dustin Beach

If the sauce is done correctly it will be slightly thicker than gravy.  It should mostly stay on the toast and not be so thin as to run off the toast.  If too thick simply whisk in additional milk in very small quantities and cook for another minute while constantly whisking the sauce.  If the sauce is too thin this may mean cooking an additional amount of butter, flour, and salt together until you have a bubbly roux.  Then slowly add the hot milk mixture into the hot butter flour roux while whisking vigorously .   Do Not Mix it the opposite way.  As with any flour based white sauce roux, never add dry flour, or the cooked butter flour roux, to the hot milk mixture.  If you do it will immediately cook on contact and form tiny cooked balls of dough and ruin your entire sauce. Many make this mistake when trying to make gravy.  Have you ever had lumpy gravy?

Once your Egg White sauce is to your liking, ladle the Egg White Sauce over hot buttered toast.  For a large group consider making a big batch of toast in your oven.  Top by sprinkling the yellow mashed egg yoke over the toast and Egg White sauce.  Garnish the top of the sprinkled yellow yoke with ground black pepper.  
It's breakfast or brunch, but also looks like art!

Creamed Eggs served with a garnish of Black Pepper      Photo Courtesy of Fawn Beach

RECIPE: Turkey Carrot Chili

Turkey Carrot Chili

Turkey Carrot Chili  - Shown with Cast Iron Skillet Old Fashioned Buttermilk Cornbread with Cheese and Cilantro

This is the basic recipe.  You can tweak this to create your own favorite:  Add additional Chili powder, Hot Chili Powder, Jalapenos, etc.  Omit the carrots.  You can substitute ground beef, ground venison, or cubed beef that has been roasted to tender, and numerous other variations.  The Turkey Carrot version is nutritious and probably the most healthiest version.

Bake a batch of our Cast Iron Skillet Old Fashioned Buttermilk Cornbread for the perfect side. Add a 1/2 Cup of shredded Mex Mix Cheese and 1 Tbsp. Dried Cilantro Flakes to the Cornbread batter for another variation.

Chili

2     Tbsp. Olive Oil

1     Sweet Onion Diced

4     Stalks Celery Chopped

2     Cloves Garlic minced

1 ½ Cups Carrots sliced

1lb  Ground Turkey

1     Can Tomato Soup (Campbell’s Condensed)

1     Tomato soup can full of water

1     15 oz Can Fire Roasted Chopped tomatoes and liquid

1     15 oz Can Red Kidney Beans

1     15 oz Can Black Beans

2     Tbsp. Dried Cilantro Flakes

1     Tbsp Liquid Smoke

1     Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1     Tbsp. (About) Chili Powder - I use the plain, not spicy hot-

              Use your preference and start out with ½ Tbsp

              Then adjust per your taste.

Sea Salt to taste- adjust slowly (About a tsp.)

Ground Black Pepper to taste- adjust slowly (About ½ tsp.)

In a large deep covered pot place the olive oil, Onion, Celery, Garlic, and Carrot. Cook on medium low covered until carrots are tender.  Stir often and adjust heat to avoid burning.  If need be, add 1 Tbsp. water occasionally to keep steaming action going until carrots are tender.

Crumble the ground turkey over the cooking veggies.  Break up and stir until the turkey is cooked.  Add a few pinches of salt and one pinch of ground black pepper

Once the turkey is cooked add all the other ingredients and bring to a simmer.  Taste test and adjust your salt and chili powder to your preference.  I normally cook this with the regular chili powder (no spicy heat) then have a shaker of ground Cheyenne Pepper handy for those that like it “hot”.

After you bring all ingredients to a simmer, continue to cook for 1 hour minimum.  Stir and scrape the bottom often to prevent burning.