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

A Sizzling Summer Side

Parts of the country are already in the throes of a heat wave and it's only the third day of summer!  When it's sizzling outside, beat the heat and serve food that can be eaten cold.

Coleslaw, better known as slaw, is a great warm weather side.  It's delicious served with a variety of meat, doesn't require any cooking, can be made ahead of time and, best of all, it's cold.

In its most basic form, slaw is nothing more than shredded cabbage mixed with a dressing.  Most versions call for additional ingredients such as vegetables and seasonings.  Some versions even include apples and pineapple.

Although the ingredients run the gamut, the dressing falls into two distinct categories:  vinegar or creamy.  The former is made with vinegar and other seasonings while the latter is made with dairy products such as milk or sour cream.

My mother's slaw recipe used equal parts of vinegar and mayonnaise.  It was creamy, but with the flavor of vinegar.  My husband didn't care for the vinegar taste so I found another recipe that we all love.

The original recipe called for a head of grated cabbage.  I used to grate the cabbage, but wised up a few years ago and started buying a package of angel hair coleslaw mix instead.  If you use a mix that doesn't contain carrots and you'd like them in the slaw, finely grate a medium carrot or several baby carrots and add to the mixture.

The dressing for this slaw definitely falls into the creamy category.  It doesn't use one dairy product, but two:  milk and buttermilk.  The dairy products are whisked together with sugar, salt, pepper, mayonnaise, white vinegar and lemon juice.  Normally, I'm a fan of apple cider vinegar, but this is one time I use white vinegar.  Apple cider vinegar would make the dressing too strong.

The cabbage is added and the mixture is thoroughly combined.

The slaw needs to be made and refrigerated at least two hours before serving.  I think it's best made a day ahead of time.  This gives the slaw time to get cold plus it allows the flavors to blend.

My mother always served slaw with pot roast, but I like to serve it with baked salmon patties or meat loaf.  I still have to heat up the kitchen, but at least there's one less dish to cook.

Meat loaf, scalloped potatoes and slaw

Coleslaw

4 to 6 Servings

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar

2 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 (10 oz.) pkg. angel hair coleslaw mix or 1 head cabbage, finely grated

1 medium carrot or several baby carrots, finely grated (if desired) 

Whisk the first eight ingredients together in a large bowl.  Stir in the cabbage and carrots, mixing well.  Cover and refrigerate.  This is best made one day ahead of time.

© Margaret's Morsels 

Company's Coming

My mother was a great cook who taught me a lot about cooking and entertaining.  One of the best pieces of advice she gave me is one I take to heart:  do as much work as possible ahead of time.  This is especially good advice when having overnight guests.


I love having friends and family come for a visit.  It's a chance to catch up, renew friendships, strengthen family ties and, for those that have never been to our city, show them around.  I find it easy to prep food ahead of time for the evening meal, but breakfast is another story.


Mornings are always hectic at our house.  Depending on the day, my husband and I might have to go to work and our son might have school. Most guests don't mind a bowl of cereal, toast or fruit.  I like to have something special at least one day so this is when I pull out a recipe my mother gave me for Overnight Coffee Cake.


The best part of this recipe, other than the taste, is the cake is assembled ahead of time and refrigerated overnight.  This makes preparing breakfast less stressful the next day.  Unlike egg dishes and casseroles that need to be served hot and may not reheat well, I don't have to worry about the temperature of the cake.  It can be served hot, warm or at room temperature, depending on when our guests wake up.


When I make this cake, I measure all the ingredients before I do anything else.  In culinary practice, this is known as mise en place --  everything is measured and ready to be used.  While the butter is softening, I prepare the topping ingredients.  Once the topping is made, I'm ready to make the cake.

The combined topping ingredients.

Since the ingredients have already been measured, it only takes a few minutes to mix up the cake.  After I put the cake batter in the pan, I use an offset spatula to smooth the top.  An offset spatula has a bend in the blade which makes it ideal for smoothing cake batter or icing.  I sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake, cover the pan with foil and put the cake in the refrigerator.

The offset spatula is the one on the bottom.

The next morning, I put the cake in a preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes. I have bacon or fruit salad available if our guests want something with the cake.  Most of the time, though, they eat the cake by itself.  My nephew, Andy, was visiting and liked the cake so much, he wanted to make sure I gave  his mother the recipe before they went home.  Don't be surprised if your guests request a copy of the recipe too!

Overnight Coffee Cake

15 Servings

Cake:

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt 

Topping:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup shortening

3 tsp. cinnamon

Combine butter, vanilla and sugar; cream until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and sour cream, mixing well.  Combine next 4 ingredients; add to batter and mix well.  Pour batter into a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Combine topping ingredients; mix well and sprinkle evenly over batter. Cover and chill overnight.  Uncover and bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes or until cake tests done.

 © Margaret's Morsels