Hello hello.
Yes, quinoa for breakfast again. It might not scream “sleepover,” but trust me, the food and the company make it just as cozy.
I spent my childhood dreaming about sleepovers. I loved them most when my best friend from across the street came over — any farther away and I’d fall apart. Honestly, not much has changed.
Our sleepovers usually started on Saturday nights after watching SNICK. If you know SNICK, you know the ritual. We’d demolish a bag of cheddar Chex Mix like it was a delicacy, build pillow forts on the living room floor, and pile on blankets. Once we even attempted to sleep outside in a tent — only to end up with her dad on a cot on the patio. That was the full extent of my camping career: clearly not a wilderness person. Woods, outhouses, and bugs? No thanks.
The mornings after, we’d sometimes make silly videos. One was a review of our favorite Bath & Body Works scents back when they had maybe ten options. Country apple and cucumber melon were our standards — none of the seasonal marshmallow-scented nonsense that would now make us swoon. And we talked about 90210, endlessly.
Sleepovers were a test of my mom’s patience. With three kids in the house, late nights meant a few days of meltdown-level exhaustion and bratty behavior. Still, there was nothing like staying up late on a summer night or a snow day with a friend. Those were the best.
Twenty years later, my sleepovers haven’t changed that much. SNICK might be replaced by a Nicholas Sparks movie marathon, the Chex Mix might be paired with wine, and Bath & Body Works conversations would still be welcome. The difference? I’ll serve a trendy grain — quinoa — with vegetables sautéed in bacon grease (the only way I really like them), and top everything with a runny egg. Sounds pretty good, right?
I mean, that actually sounds like fun. When can you get here?
Quinoa Breakfast Skillet
Yield:
4 servings
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Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 small sweet potato, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, chopped
- 1/2 green pepper, chopped
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock or water
- 4 eggs, cooked your desired way
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook until the fat renders and the bacon is crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the sweet potato, onion, peppers, mushrooms, and garlic to the skillet, tossing to coat. Cover and cook 5–6 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are tender.
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Add the rinsed, uncooked quinoa to the vegetables and stir for 1–2 minutes to lightly toast it. Pour in the stock or water and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook about 15 minutes until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed. While the quinoa cooks, prepare the eggs as you like. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then serve the quinoa in bowls topped with eggs and the cooked bacon.
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