Monday, August 13, 2007

BREAKFAST





















Breakfast Casserole

This is a great recipe to make ahead for your house guests and one we have been using for years.

4 eggs

6 slices bread,

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese,

2 cups chopped ham or 1 lb sausage (scrambled)

1 tsp dry mustard

2 cups milk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Cut crust off bread and line bottom of casserole. Mix all other ingredients and pour over bread. May be refrigerated several days or frozen before baking (if not completely thawed, allow more time for baking). Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Quiche

This recipe comes from the Woodbourne Family Cookbook. Woodbourne was our ancestral home in Virginia and in 1972, my great Aunt Katherine Conway Haymes put together a history book filled with recipes. Recipe books seem to be all the rage, don’t ya think?

Decide if you are going to use refrigerated pie dough for two pie plates or
thaw 2 frozen pie shells.

Line unbaked shells with 1/2 lb Swiss Cheese, cut into strips.

On top of cheese put 1 lb cooked sausage, dried ham or crab meat (w/ a splash
of Sherry).

Combine:1 1/2 cups milk 6 eggs1 tbs flour 1 tsp salt/1 tsp pepper

Beat well and pour into shells. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Ham & Egg Cups

I saw this recipe on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and we unveiled our creation at Christmas Brunch last year. It was delicious, divine and de-easy!

1/4 lb mushrooms, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely copped shallot (or onion)

Unsalted butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

3 Tbs. sour cream

1 Tbs. Finely chopped fresh tarragon

12 slices Virginia ham or honey ham -without holes (10oz.)

12 medium eggs

Garnish: fresh whole tarragon leaves

Accompaniment: buttered English muffins

Special Equipment: a muffin tin with 12 muffin cups Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Prepare Mushrooms: Cook mushrooms and shallot in butter with salt and pepper in a large heave skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and liquid they give off is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in crème fraiche and tarragon.

Assemble and bake: Fit 1 slice of ham into each of 12 light oiled muffin cups (ends will stick up and hang over edges of cups). Divide mushrooms among cups and crack 1 egg into each. Bake in middle of oven until whites are cooked but yolks are still runny. About 15-20 minutes. Season eggs with salt and pepper and remove (with ham) from muffin cups carefully, using 2 spoons or small spatulas. If you have tough fingers, just pick them up by the edges of the ham. Serve two per guest, one with a tarragon leaf or other green herb leaf for garnish, and the other with a sliver of tomato or red bell pepper.

French Toast Casserole

First made at a roadside tavern not far from the city of Albany in 1724, there are few dishes more truly American than the breakfast favorite known as "French toast". So American is the dish that very few can understand why it is not called "American toast", "Albany Toast" or even "New York State toast". The confusion comes because the owner of the tavern at which the dish was invented had a very poor knowledge of grammar. When Joseph French decided to name the dish after himself he should have written his invention as "French's toast" (that is to say, the toast of French). Because he did not know how to use the possessive apostrophe, however, the dish appeared on his menu simply as "French toast".


1 (16 oz) Challah Bread Loaf, cubed

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, cut into pieces

6 Large eggs 4 cups Half and Half

1/2 cup butter or margarine , melted

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

1 (10 oz) jar strawberry preserves.

Arrange half of Challah bread in a lightly greased 13 x 9 pan. Sprinkle with cheese pieces and top with remaining bread. Whisk together eggs, Half n Half, Butter/margarine and maple syrup; pour over bread mixture, pressing bread cubes to absorb egg mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours. Bake, covered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 more minutes. Heat sliced strawberries and strawberry preserves in a saucepan over low heat and serve over casserole. French bread may be substituted.


Hash Brown Casserole

Hash browns have the ability to make or break a breakfast. Some mornings, no matter how good the eggs might be -- the portions seem too small without a solid side dish. Burnt or underdone potatoes can leave a bad impression that lasts the entire day. But on the other hand, the taste of great hash browns can travel right from the mouth to the soul. Browns with the edges crisped to perfection are the stuff of legends.

1- 30 oz package frozen hash browns (shredded
style)
thawed

1- 8 oz container of Sour Cream

1- 10 1/2 oz can condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 stick plus 2 tbs butter, melted

3 cups cornflakes

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine hash browns, sour cream, soup, cheese, onion and about 2/3 of the melted butter. Spread in pan. Cook for 30 minutes. Re-melt reserved butter and combine with cornflakes; spread over casserole. Return to oven and cook an additional 15 minutes, until topping is lightly browned.

Cheese Grits Casserole

The Clark family was introduced to Grits back in 1976 when we arrived in Atlanta. It is amazing how many ways you can each grits: sweet, savory, but always creamy. This is a warm cozy recipe with a touch of zing (pepper sauce). A great accompaniment to your brunch. Good with shrimp for dinner!

3 cups water

3/4 cups quick grits

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
cheese, divided

3/4 cup Evaporated Milk

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish. BRING water to a boil in a medium saucepan; slowly stir in grits. Cover pan; reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes.

ADD 1½ cups cheese, evaporated milk and butter to saucepan; stir until cheese and butter are melted. Add eggs, hot pepper sauce and pepper; stir well. Pour into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

BAKE for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

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