Issue 028: School Daze

Hey Q-Crew!

Every time I hear people complaining about the food they got in school I stay quiet because quite a few of those inexpensive public school breakfasts were hits to me! Felt a little nostalgic and I’ve been wanting to try homemade recipes for a few of my favorites for a while. So this week we made Public School Breakfast Pizza and Airfryer Ham, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast Bars.

This month’s theme is Yardie Choice! There’s no overarching rhyme or reason to this month’s recipes other than the fact that I really wanted to make them. They either remind me of nostalgic tastes from the past that I’ve missed or new recipes I’m eager to try. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Public School Breakfast Pizza

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 3-6

Ingredients:

  • 3 plain bagels
  • 1 cup half & half
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp jerk seasoning
  • 2 italian sausage links
  • 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Step 1: Remove casing from sausage and slice lengthwise.

Step 2: Pan fry the sausage over medium heat until browned and fully cooked then dice into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Step 3: Add the butter to the hot pan.

Step 4: Mix the flour into the melted butter until you make a roux and cook for 1 minute.

Step 5: Whisk in the half and half and bring up to a simmer.

Step 6: Add the jerk seasoning and whisk until thick.

Step 7: Bake the open bagels at 400° for 5 minutes. Toasting first helps retain texture and structure.

Step 8: Spread the jerk country gravy over the bagels.

Step 9: Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.

Step 10: Top with the sausage pieces.

Step 11: Bake at 425° for 6 minutes then broil for 2 minutes being careful to watch so the cheese doesn’t burn.

Step 12: Let cool for a minute then serve! (Alternatively, these are great for weekday meal prep. Just put into an airtight container, separate with Parchment paper, and freeze after assembly for up to 2 months and reheat later!)

Airfryer Ham, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast Bars

Prep time: 45 minutes (+2 hour freezing time)

Cook time: 10 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb boneless ham steak diced
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Coating
    • 1/4 cup flour
    • 1/4 cup cornstarch
    • 1/2 cup water
    • Panko breadcrumbs
    • Cooking oil

Step 1: Put the ham into a food processor and process until ground.

Step 2: Scramble 4 of the eggs until cooked.

Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, mix the ham, scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, breadcrumbs, water, raw eggs and seasonings.

Step 4: Shape the ham, egg, and cheese mixture into bars and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Note: A musubi press would have made shaping soooo much easier and I ended up buying one for next time.

Step 5: Freeze for at least 2 hours until solid. NOTE: Leave these in the freezer until immediately before breading. The more frozen solid they are the easier to deal with.

Step 6: Mix the water with the cornstarch and flour into a light batter.

Step 7: Dredge the bars in flour, dunk in batter, then coat in panko.

Step 8: If meal prepping, simply freeze at this point in an airtight container separated by parchment paper for up to 2 months.

Step 9: If baking fresh, put in your airfryer in a single layer with space in between and brush directly with cooking oil.

Step 10: Airfry at 425⁰ for 5 minutes.

Step 11: Turn, brush with cooking oil, and airfry for 5 more minutes until the outside is brown and crispy.

Step 12: Serve hot!

Coming Soon on Ko-fi

Bonus Recipe: Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Stuffed Butter Swim Biscuits

This may not necessarily be a public school breakfast, but I’m working a tasty make ahead freezer door breakfast sandwich that makes it easy to grab, reheat, and eat on the go! Still tweaking the recipe but when it’s ready I’ll publish it on Ko-fi!

I Like It Saucy Pocket Guide!

Unlike my e-cookbooks that have a range of recipes, a pocket guide is a reference dedicated to only one subject, in this case, sauces! This mobile e-book has condiments, dipping sauces, and gravies galore.

This PDF mobile cookbook is designed to be easily viewed on your phone so that you have all the recipes on hand exactly when you need them.

Grab your copy in the Ko-Fi shop tab!

Grab an Extra Helping on Ko-fi

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Contemporary and fusion West Indian cooking... or whatever else I think up #LetHerCook