Trifles Make Perfection ... Breakfasts!

Um, actually the quote is from the famous Michelangelo and is supposed to read, "Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle." I guess I'm just trifling with him. 'Tis no small trifle, though, to mess around with the mighty Michelangelo. Ok, Ok, I'll stop now.

This breakfast was no teasing matter! I've had a long week with a schedule chock full of kids and school related activities. My girls are back at their school in grades 4 and 7, and my son is homeschooling with me for grade 7. It's BUSY around here ... not insane, just constantly full. Coupled with that is that I literally drop into bed each night, and welcome the coma state I can enjoy until the alarm goes off, and the cycle begins anew.

So, when my eyes greeted the dawn this morning, I thought that I was due a little pampering, even though it meant providing it for myself. So, before I started the infinite pile of laundry, cleaning up the garden, and straightening up all the household clutter, I thought I'd treat myself to a fun breakfast.

Not too long ago, while doing some inane chore, I was half listening to a cooking show (I think it was called "Down Home with the Neely's), and they prepared a savory breakfast trifle. What caught my attention about this trifle was that it contained regular breakfast ingredients, but presented them in a pretty dish. I remember thinking to myself how clever that was, and that it would be a fun thing to serve at a brunch or special breakfast. Well, today I wanted a special breakfast, so a "trifling" I went.

I didn't have the instructions or ingredient list from the show, but I remembered enough that I was able to put this together really quickly. The layers, starting at the bottom are: 1) cheesy grits, 2) crumbled crisp bacon, 3) creamed eggs, 4) finely shredded cheddar cheese, 5) chopped seasoned fresh tomatoes, and 6) chopped green onions and chives. My hubbyman, who won't eat grits due to the NAME (eye roll), saw this and immediately asked where his was. I felt a moments guilt telling him there wasn't one for him, but my guilt soon passed when I remembered he had a cinnamon roll waiting for him.

Here's what you need:
1 serving of cheesy grits (I make mine in the microwave according to the package directions. Be sure NOT to put a lid on it ... trust me, cement does not have as firm a grip as boiled over grits.) Do you like grits? I LOVE grits. My dad was a southern boy, plus grits are cousins to polenta, so there you have it.

2 slices of bacon cooked crispy. You could substitute your favorite breakfast meat here ... sausage, ham, etc.

2 eggs - scrambled creamy style. I added 3/4 teaspoon cream cheese to my eggs and scrambled them on low heat. YUM.

1/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese. You could use your favorite cheese here.

1 roma tomato - any chopped fresh tomato will work. I seasoned mine with some Lawrey's garlic salt and pepper. Hmmm ... salsa would probably work, too.

1 green onion sliced, including both white and green parts
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh chives

In a trifle dish, or other glass serving dish, layer the ingredients as outlined above. The glass will be hot, so the cheese will melt just perfectly. Serve with some fruit and fresh orange juice. Just look at those layers. What do you think? I think YUM!

Do you eat breakfast? I try to everyday; however, my breakfasts typically are not huge. I know that eating a good breakfast is no trifle thing. This breakfast trifle was a BIG breakfast, and I really enjoyed all the flavors. Having the ingredients layered provided bursts of flavor in every bite, as compared with just eating them on a plate. I'm already contemplating my next savory trifle ... perhaps with hashbrowns as the base. YUM! Oh, one more thing, this is gluten-free, all the way baby!