Holiday Recipes
I made this for GNO brunch
Cheesy Bacon & Egg Brunch Casserole
8 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces (1 loaf) Italian bread cut/torn into 1 inch cubes (5 cups)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
5 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
½ tsp ground mustard
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Reserve 2 tbsp of the drippings. Drain bacon, crumble and set aside. Add onion to drippings in skillet; cook and stir until softened.
Spread ½ of the bread cubes in 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Layer with ½ each of the onion, bacon, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Spread (or dot) with cottage cheese. Top with remaining bread cubes, onion, bacon, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.
Beat eggs until foamy. Add milk, mustard, nutmeg and pepper and beat until blended. Pour over top of casserole evenly. Lightly press bread cubes into egg mixture. Let stand 10 minutes.
Bake in preheated 350F oven 40 to 50 minutes or until center is set and top is golden bown.
12 servings
Can be assembled one day ahead and refrigerated. Use 2 cups of milk.
Requested:
2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
4 ounces softened cream cheese
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp instant espresso powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract (use real)
Preheat oven to 325F. Coat an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan or three mini pans with cooking spray.
Combine flour and baking powder in a large bowl.
Combine sugar and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer; add eggs, sour cream, cocoa powder espresso powder and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Add sugar mixture to flour mixture and mix by hand until combined. Transfer to pan or pans.
Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 65-75 minutes (or around 50-55 for mini loaves). Cool in pan for five minutes then remove onto wire rack.
Requested:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. instant espresso powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter softened (don't use margarine; if you use salted butter, leave out the extra salt)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
powdered sugar
Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso, baking powder, cinnamon, chili powder and salt in a bowl.
Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until combined, scraping down the sides. Whisk together eggs and vanilla, then add to butter mixture and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and beat on low until combined. Cover dough and chill for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 350F; line baking sheets with parchment paper (a godsend!).
Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar two times, then arrange on baking sheets two inches apart. Bake until tops are cracked yet still soft, 10-11 minutes; do not overbake. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.
Makes about 50.
What I'm making for Christmas Day brunch:
Can be assembled the night before, covered and refrigerated.
1 lb. bulk breakfast sausage
7 eggs
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. each salt and ground black pepper
8 frozen buttermilk biscuits partially thawed and cut in half
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375F. Coat a 7 x 11 inch baking dish with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet.
Brown sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking into chunks. Transfer cooked sausage to paper towels; set aside. Reserve drippings for gravy.
Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, salt and pepper in a large measuring cup; set aside.
Layer biscuit bottoms in prepared dish. Sprinkle half of sausage over them and top with half the cheese. Repeat with biscuit tops and sausage. Pour egg mixture over the top and bake for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of casserole and bake until eggs are set and a toothpick inserted into a biscuit comes out clean and tops are golden, 10-15 more minutes (165F internal temperature). Let casserole stand for ten minutes while you make the gravy.
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups whole milk
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in sausage drippings reserved from casserole in a saute pan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth; cook two minutes, stirring. Slowly whisk in milk until mixture is smooth. Cook until slightly thickened, 5-8 minutes. Stir in sage and seasonings. Serve over casserole.
Makes 8 servings of both.
Cheesy Bacon & Egg Brunch Casserole
8 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces (1 loaf) Italian bread cut/torn into 1 inch cubes (5 cups)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
5 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
½ tsp ground mustard
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Reserve 2 tbsp of the drippings. Drain bacon, crumble and set aside. Add onion to drippings in skillet; cook and stir until softened.
Spread ½ of the bread cubes in 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Layer with ½ each of the onion, bacon, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Spread (or dot) with cottage cheese. Top with remaining bread cubes, onion, bacon, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.
Beat eggs until foamy. Add milk, mustard, nutmeg and pepper and beat until blended. Pour over top of casserole evenly. Lightly press bread cubes into egg mixture. Let stand 10 minutes.
Bake in preheated 350F oven 40 to 50 minutes or until center is set and top is golden bown.
12 servings
Can be assembled one day ahead and refrigerated. Use 2 cups of milk.
Requested:
2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
4 ounces softened cream cheese
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp instant espresso powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract (use real)
Preheat oven to 325F. Coat an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan or three mini pans with cooking spray.
Combine flour and baking powder in a large bowl.
Combine sugar and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer; add eggs, sour cream, cocoa powder espresso powder and vanilla and beat until smooth.
Add sugar mixture to flour mixture and mix by hand until combined. Transfer to pan or pans.
Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 65-75 minutes (or around 50-55 for mini loaves). Cool in pan for five minutes then remove onto wire rack.
Requested:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. instant espresso powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter softened (don't use margarine; if you use salted butter, leave out the extra salt)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
powdered sugar
Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso, baking powder, cinnamon, chili powder and salt in a bowl.
Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until combined, scraping down the sides. Whisk together eggs and vanilla, then add to butter mixture and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and beat on low until combined. Cover dough and chill for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 350F; line baking sheets with parchment paper (a godsend!).
Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in powdered sugar two times, then arrange on baking sheets two inches apart. Bake until tops are cracked yet still soft, 10-11 minutes; do not overbake. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.
Makes about 50.
What I'm making for Christmas Day brunch:
Can be assembled the night before, covered and refrigerated.
1 lb. bulk breakfast sausage
7 eggs
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. each salt and ground black pepper
8 frozen buttermilk biscuits partially thawed and cut in half
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375F. Coat a 7 x 11 inch baking dish with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet.
Brown sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking into chunks. Transfer cooked sausage to paper towels; set aside. Reserve drippings for gravy.
Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, salt and pepper in a large measuring cup; set aside.
Layer biscuit bottoms in prepared dish. Sprinkle half of sausage over them and top with half the cheese. Repeat with biscuit tops and sausage. Pour egg mixture over the top and bake for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of casserole and bake until eggs are set and a toothpick inserted into a biscuit comes out clean and tops are golden, 10-15 more minutes (165F internal temperature). Let casserole stand for ten minutes while you make the gravy.
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups whole milk
1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter in sausage drippings reserved from casserole in a saute pan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth; cook two minutes, stirring. Slowly whisk in milk until mixture is smooth. Cook until slightly thickened, 5-8 minutes. Stir in sage and seasonings. Serve over casserole.
Makes 8 servings of both.