A Yearly Tradition

A couple of years ago, I wrote about the cheese ball, German Christmas cookies and Kool-Aid punch my mother made every year at Christmas. Today, I thought I'd share a Christmas tradition that started quite by accident.

One year when my son was young, I invited some in-laws over to watch him open presents and eat breakfast with us on Christmas morning.  I wasn't sure what I was going to cook, but I knew I didn't want to spend all morning working in the kitchen.  As I was going through my recipes, I came across a quiche recipe a cousin had given me two months earlier.  I decided it would be the perfect dish for a Christmas morning breakfast. Not only would I be able to join everyone in the festivities, I could do the majority of the work the night before!

Bacon Quiche is very similar to Quiche Lorraine -- a bacon and cheese quiche -- with a few differences.

• Bacon Quiche doesn't use a quiche pan or pie plate.  It's made in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish.

• You don't have to make the pie crust for Bacon Quiche.  It uses a package of refrigerated pie crusts, a real time saver on Christmas morning!

• Bacon Quiche uses an entire package of bacon, whereas most Quiche Lorraine recipes use less.

• Instead of cream -- half and half, whipping or heavy -- Bacon Quiche uses milk.

• Bacon Quiche uses Cheddar cheese not the traditional Swiss or Gruyere found in Quiche Lorraine.

The filling ingredients can be assembled the night before and stored in the refrigerator.  The next morning, put both pie crusts in a glass -- not metal -- baking dish.  I made the quiche in a metal pan once and, although the filling was good, the crust never did get brown.  Sprinkling the pie crusts with flour helps keep the crust from getting soggy.

Add the filling and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. 

Add a side of fresh fruit or a fruit salad and breakfast is ready!

Since the quiche was easy to make and so well received, I decided to make it again the next Christmas.  I didn't realize it at the time, but I created a Christmas tradition that we'll be observing for the 14th time tomorrow morning.  To keep it special, I only make the quiche on Christmas.  This gives my family something to look forward to, just like the day we're celebrating.

Bacon Quiche

6 to 8 Servings

1 (14.1 oz.) pkg. refrigerated pie crusts

1 (12 oz.) pkg. bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled

6 eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Put both pie crusts in an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Flour the bottoms and sides of the pie crusts.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour on top of crusts.  Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes.

Filling ingredients can be assembled the night before and stored in the refrigerator. 

© Margaret's Morsels

Brunch for a Bunch

  

I've always thought eggs Benedict was the perfect brunch dish.  Not only is it delicious, it also looks elegant:  a toasted English muffin topped with Canadian bacon, poached egg and a dollop of Hollandaise sauce.  As much as I like eggs Benedict, it wasn't something I wanted to fix at home, especially for a lot of people.  Poaching all those eggs wasn't something I wanted to do!  A couple of years ago, I found a recipe in the newspaper that lets me serve eggs Benedict without poaching a single egg!

Eggs Benedict Casserole uses the same basic ingredients as eggs Benedict, but they're not used in the same way.  The casserole starts by cutting the Canadian bacon into pieces and placing half of them in the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.

Instead of toasting the English muffins, they're split in half,

cut into 1-inch pieces and placed on top of the Canadian bacon.

The remaining Canadian bacon is sprinkled on top of the English muffins.

Eggs are whisked with milk -- it helps bind the casserole -- salt and pepper and poured over the ingredients in the baking dish.

Although salt and pepper aren't used in traditional eggs Benedict, they enhance the flavor of the casserole.

Cover the baking dish and refrigerate overnight.  My experience has been the longer the casserole is refrigerated, the softer the finished product. Since my family prefers a firmer texture, I refrigerate it a minimum of four hours and no more than six.

Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and let it sit at room temperature.  Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue baking until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Traditionally, Hollandaise -- a rich sauce made with butter, egg yolks and lemon juice -- is spooned over each serving.  You can make Hollandaise from scratch or, what I do, use two packages of Hollandaise sauce mix.  If I'm making the casserole for a bunch, I fix both packages of sauce.  If I'm only cooking for the three of us, I fix one package the day I make the casserole and the other when I reheat the leftovers.  Instead of pouring the Hollandaise over the casserole, I serve it separately so people can take as much or as little as they want.

The next time you need brunch for a a bunch, whip up a batch of Eggs Benedict Casserole.  Add some grits or Potatoes O'Brien, a fruit salad and some muffins and you've got a meal that won't break the bank!

Eggs Benedict Casserole

8 Servings

2 (5 oz.) pkg. Canadian bacon, cut into pieces

6 English muffins, split and cut into 1-inch pieces

8 eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

1 tsp. salt

dash of pepper

2 (1.25 oz.) pkg. Hollandaise sauce mix, prepared according to pkg. directions

Place half the Canadian bacon in a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the English muffin pieces into the baking dish and top with the remaining Canadian bacon.  Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together and pour over the ingredients in the baking dish.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or a minimum of four hours.

Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and let it sit at room temperature.  Cover the dish with foil and bake at 375° for 35 minutes.  Uncover and continue baking until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 10 to 15 minutes.  

Prepare the Hollandaise sauce according to the package directions.  Serve with the casserole.

© Margaret's Morsels

Celebrate Mom

Mother's Day is big business in the restaurant world.  According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother's Day is the most popular day to eat out.  This is precisely why I don't want my family to take me out to eat on Mother's Day!  While I appreciate the sentiment, I'd rather go out to eat when it's not as crowded, prices aren't inflated and restaurants aren't in a hurry to turn the table and seat the next patron.  If, for one reason or another, your mom feels the same way, fix her a home cooked meal instead.  If that thought scares you because you're not a cook, check out the recipes below.  This baker's dozen includes recipes for the novice as well as the experienced cook and those in between.  Click on the words in bold to see the recipe.  If none of these are mom's cup of tea, check my blog for lots more recipes.  

Bright and Early:

Baked Omelet Roll:  Six ingredients, a blender, 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan and spatula are all you need to make this impressive looking dish.  You can add meat, vegetables or cheese as a filling, but make sure whatever you use is fully cooked.

French Toast Souffle:  Although the word "souffle" may sound intimidating, this recipe is really easy to prepare.  You don't even need a souffle dish! It's baked in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.  When baked, it makes a delicious sauce that can be spooned on top instead of using syrup.  It has to be assembled and refrigerated the night before it's baked.

Salads:

Chicken Tender Salad:  A bed of salad greens topped with chicken tenders, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, shredded cheese, croutons or potato sticks and some dressing would cost upwards of $8.00 in a restaurant.  This homemade version -- which can be made with a package of salad mix and a box of frozen chicken tenders -- tastes just as good and is a fraction of the cost.

Chicken Salad:  This is the best chicken salad I've ever eaten!  It takes time to make, but it's worth the effort.  It's best when made a day ahead of time so the flavors have time to blend.  Add some celery sticks, croissants and a congealed salad to round out the meal.  To impress mom, place scoops of chicken salad on a lettuce lined platter and top each scoop with a sprig of parsley.

Cherry Gelatin Fruit Salad:  This recipe only uses four ingredients and all of them are sugar-free!  It can be made using a decorative mold, individual molds or a 2-quart serving bowl.  It's a nice accompaniment to chicken salad.

The Main Event:

Easy Pork Chops and Apples:  There's no need to peel apples or brown pork chops with this recipe.  Spread canned apple pie filling in a baking dish, add the pork chops and top everything with packaged stuffing mix. Serve a vegetable or two on the side and you've got a meal that was easy to prepare.

Broccoli Quiche:  You don't have to make the pie crust, cook the broccoli or, if you don't mind spending a little extra, grate the cheese to make this quiche.  Add a green salad and some fresh fruit and you've got a meal mom will love.

Baked Ziti:  If you can boil water, you can make this pasta dish.  It's so tasty, mom will never guess it only costs .67 cents a serving!  Add a green salad and some garlic bread and you've got a filling meal.

On the Side:

Potatoes O'Brien:  This recipe uses frozen steak fries instead of fresh potatoes.  This makes the dish quick to prepare because you don't have to peel potatoes.  It also makes cooking time minimal.  This is delicious served with a baked omelet roll.

Macaroni and Cheese:  This side dish is tastier than anything you get from a box!  The hardest part of the recipe is boiling water.  You don't even have to cook the sauce on the stove; the ingredients are mixed up in a bowl.

Bread Basket:

Cinnamon Muffins:  This was the first Mother's Day recipe I ever posted on my blog.  These muffins start with a package of yellow or white cake mix and require more mixing than measuring!  The muffins can be made in a regular size muffin tin or miniature ones.

Sweet Endings:

Lemonade Pie:  You won't need any measuring cups or spoons to make this no bake pie.  You will, however, need a can opener and an electric mixer.  Unlike a lot of no bake pies, this pie gets it creaminess not from Cool Whip, but from cream cheese.  You need to allow four hours for it to firm up in the freezer before it's served.

Sour Cream Cherry Cheesecake:  Mom will never guess this cheesecake isn't made from scratch.  A package of no bake cheesecake mix is doctored up and the result is a cheesecake that tastes homemade.  If you don't like cherries, substitute your favorite flavor of pie filling instead.

© Margaret's Morsels

Treat Mom to Dinner

If you want to do something special for mom on Mother's Day, treat her to a dinner made especially for her.  You don't have to be an experienced cook to make the quiche recipe I'm sharing today.  You don't have to make the pie crust, cook the broccoli or, if you don't mind spending a little extra, grate the cheese.

The recipe starts with a deep-dish frozen pie crust.  Make sure it's a deep-dish crust or the filling will overflow.  If you don't want anyone to know you used a frozen pie crust, remove the crust from the foil pan while it's frozen and place it in a nicer pie plate.

Remove the crust from the freezer -- transfer to another pie plate or leave in the foil pan -- and thaw at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.

To keep the crust from getting soggy when the quiche filling is added, the pie crust needs to be partially baked which is known as blind baking.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to blind baking.  One suggests lining the pie crust with foil and adding uncooked dried beans, rice or pie weights to help the crust retain its shape.  The other way is how my mother taught me which is to "dock" the pie crust.  In baking, dock means to prick the pie crust -- including the sides -- with a fork.

These holes allow steam to escape which keeps the crust from bubbling.  Put the pie crust on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

While the pie crust is baking, make the filling by combining the eggs, milk and cream of broccoli soup.  Remove the pie crust from the oven and sprinkle Cheddar cheese on the bottom.

Leave the pie crust on the cookie sheet and add the filling.  The filling will completely fill the pie crust.

The quiche takes an hour to bake so you'll need to cover the edges of the pie crust with foil or, what I use, a pie crust shield.

The quiche is done when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove the quiche from the oven and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Return the quiche to the oven until the cheese melts, about 3 to 4 minutes. 

To round out the meal, serve a salad and some fresh fruit.  Add some flowers, a card -- maybe a present -- to make Mother's Day extra special for your mom.

Broccoli Quiche

6 to 8 Servings

1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie crust, partially baked
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

6 eggs

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of broccoli soup (undiluted)

2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400°.  Thaw pie crust at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes.  Prick the pie crust -- including the sides -- with a fork.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350°.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over the bottom of the pie crust.  Combine the eggs, soup and milk in a large bowl; pour into pie crust.  Cover the edges with foil or use a pie crust shield.  Bake on a cookie sheet for 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Return to oven and bake until cheese melts, 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

© Margaret's Morsels

Assemble Today, Bake Tomorrow

It's nice to have a wide variety of recipes to choose from:  family favorites handed down through the generations; crock-pot recipes that cook all day; recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less; recipes for comfort food that nourish the body and soothe the soul; recipes that can be assembled the night before and baked the next day.  The last category is a real timesaver, especially when you want to serve a nice breakfast.

Although not a souffle in the traditional sense, French Toast Souffle is a light airy dish that elevates French toast from ordinary to extraordinary. Although the word "souffle" may sound intimidating, this recipe is really easy to prepare.  You don't even need a souffle dish.  It's baked in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.

Start by cooking a combination of brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a saucepan.  If you've never worked with cooked sugar before, take it from me, it's hot.  I have the scar to prove it!  Don't touch the mixture with your hands and try to avoid splatters.  Pour the mixture in the baking dish, spreading it to cover the bottom completely.  It hardens fast so work quickly.

The original recipe used a loaf of cinnamon bread cut into 1-inch thick slices.  I've never been able to find unsliced cinnamon bread so I substitute a loaf of sliced cinnamon bread.  Since the slices are thin, I use two slices for each serving.  Stack the bread on top of the brown sugar mixture, inserting a toothpick in each serving to hold the two slices together.

The remaining ingredients -- eggs, half and half, vanilla and salt -- are combined and poured over the bread.  For additional flavor, a dash of cinnamon can be added to the mixture, if desired.  Cover the pan and put it in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, remove the pan from the refrigerator and let it stand at room temperature while the oven preheats.

This is what it looks like after being

refrigerated overnight.

It takes 40 to 45 minutes for the souffle to cook, but it's worth the wait! When cooked, the brown sugar mixture melts and becomes a delicious sauce that can be spooned over the French toast in place of syrup.

Add some bacon and fresh fruit and you've got a meal that everyone will think you spent hours preparing!

French Toast Souffle

6 Servings

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

12 pieces sliced cinnamon bread 

8 eggs, beaten

3 cups half and half or light cream

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

dash of cinnamon (optional)

In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup; cook and stir until the mixture comes to a boil.  Boil uncovered 1 minute. Pour into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish, spreading to cover the bottom evenly.  Arrange bread, two slices per serving, on top of the brown sugar mixture, inserting a toothpick to hold the slices together.  In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over bread slices.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Let the baking dish stand at room temperature while the oven preheats.  Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and puffed and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Remove toothpicks before serving.  Refrigerate leftovers.

© Margaret's Morsels

Brunch: Part 3

This is the third of a three part series on brunch.

Brunch is such a versatile meal.  You can serve breakfast, lunch or a combination of the two.  When restaurants serve a brunch buffet, they usually offer a selection of sweet items.  When I serve a brunch that's more breakfast than lunch, I prefer to offer something with just a hint of sweetness that also doubles as the bread.  Fruit bread, scones or muffins are all good choices.

Muffins are quick and easy to prepare.  They're usually mixed in a bowl with a spoon.  Muffins run the gamut; they can be sweet or savory, fruit or vegetable, plain or fancy.  When you make muffins, there's one important rule:  don't overmix the batter.  If you do, the muffins will be tough.  Mix the batter only until the ingredients are moistened.  It's ok if there are lumps in the batter; they'll disappear during baking.

One of my favorite muffins, Coffee Cake Muffins, taste like coffee cake, but with the ease of preparing muffins.  Unlike most breads that are best served hot from the oven, these muffins are best made a day ahead. Since the muffins are already baked, there's one less thing to do the day of the brunch.

Coffee Cake Muffins have a brown sugar mixture similar to a streusel that goes in the middle and on top of the muffins.

Line the muffin cups with paper baking cups and lightly spray each one with nonstick cooking spray.  Put one tablespoon of batter in each cup.

Sprinkle half the brown sugar mixture evenly among the 12 cups.

Put the remaining batter on top of the brown sugar mixture, using about 3 tablespoons in each cup.

Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar mixture on top of the batter.

Bake the muffins and remove them to a wire rack to cool.  The muffins can be served as is or with a powdered sugar glaze.  Drizzle the glaze on the muffins while they're still warm.  Once the muffins are completely cool, store them in a single layer in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Without the glaze.

With the glaze.

If you're serving Baked Omelet Roll and Potatoes O'Brien, add a breakfast meat -- bacon, ham, sausage -- and some fresh fruit or a fruit salad.  A batch of Coffee Cake Muffins will round out the meal and make a sweet ending to brunch.

Coffee Cake Muffins

12 Servings

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

glaze (optional)

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and, if desired, pecans.  Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in the center of the mixture.  Stir together egg, milk and oil; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.

Place paper baking cups in muffin pans and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray.  Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each of 12 cups; sprinkle evenly with half of brown sugar mixture.  Top evenly with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining brown sugar mixture.  Bake at 400° for 22 to 24 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove muffins to wire rack to cool.

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine in small bowl, stirring until smooth.  Drizzle over warm muffins.

© Margaret's Morsels