BRUNCH

Evera’s Holiday Breakfast

Prepare breakfast casseroles the night before -then pop them in the oven and bake both for an hour in the morning…easy and yummy.  Goes good with fresh fruit, apple crisp, and my favorite cranberry bread with cream cheese (all can be prepared ahead). 

Holiday Breakfast Casserole:

12 eggs
2 cup half and half

2 t mustard

Salt and pepper
Butter to grease pan
14 slices of thick cut, white bread (or just any white bread you have) torn up into pieces

1 lb Jimmy Dean (regular) cooked and drained of fat, (or 2 C diced black forest ham plus 1/2 cup already sauteed cremini mushrooms)
2 C shredded Cheddar or Swiss cheese

2 T green onions, chopped

~In a small bowl, beat the eggs until they loosen up. Add the half and half and mustard. Mix well, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

~Butter a 9X13-inch baking pan. Line the pan with torn up bread. Layer the cooked sausage and cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the entire pan. Top with green onions. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

~In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook covered for 50 minutes or until the egg mixture is set. Take off foil and bake additional 10.

Grand Marnier Holiday French Toast:

1 large loaf of French bread 

8 large eggs 

2 C half-and-half 

2 T brown sugar 

1 t vanilla extract (Bourbon Vanilla Bean) 

1 T Grand Mariner, optional

¼ t salt 

~Slice French bread into slices, 2 inches each. Lay slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Squish in the slices next to each other so you have a nice flat layer. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, Grand Mariner and salt.  Beat with whisk until blended. Pour mixture evenly over the bread slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. 

~Bring to room temperature and bake for 45-50 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Take off foil and bake additional 5-10.   

Sweet Gooey Bottom Version:

~Melt together, stovetop, and pour before laying slices of French Bread: 1 stick of unsalted butter, 1 C packed brown sugar and 2 T corn syrup.  OMIT THE 2 T OF BROWN SUGAR IN EGG MIXTURE.

Praline Topping Version:

1 stick of butter 

½ cup packed light brown sugar 

½ cup chopped pecans 

1 T light corn syrup 

¼ t ground cinnamon 

~Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Crumble on top before baking.

Grand Mariner Syrup Version:

~Combine in small saucepan: 1 C sugar, 2/3 C orange juice, 2 T Grand Mariner and 1 t orange zest.  ~Bring to a boil, simmer and serve warm.

Maple Egg Breakfast Casserole

14 slices of white bread, cubed            
12 eggs, lightly beaten

1 T maple syrup                       
1 C cream or ½ and ½

2 C cheddar cheese

~Lay bread in greased 9X13 baker. Sprinkle with cheese. Mix eggs and cream and pour over top.

~Cover, refrigerate overnight.

~Bake 350 for 1 hour. 

Egg Breakfast Casserole

14 slices white bread, cubed               
½ t onion powder

8oz shredded Cheddar cheese                
½ t Dijon mustard

1 ½ C shredded Swiss cheese, divided       
3 cups milk

7 eggs

~Lightly butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Line bottom of pan with ½ of bread cubes. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and 1 cup Swiss cheese on top of bread cubes, Spread remaining bread cubes on top of cheese.

~Mix the eggs, milk, onion powder and mustard. Pour egg mixture over the bread. Sprinkle the remaining ½ C cheese over the egg mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

~The next morning, preheat oven to 375 and bake for 30 minutes covered, then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Spinach Egg Soufflé

1 package frozen spinach (or broccoli), thawed, strained and pat dry with paper towels.

2 C cheese.

1 C Bisquick

3 C milk

4 eggs

~Mix spinach with cheese.

~Beat Bisquick, milk and eggs and pour over spinach.

~Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Apple Crisp

4 C peeled, sliced apples                      
½ C rolled oats

2/3 C brown sugar                          
¾ t cinnamon

½ C flour                             
1/3 C soft butter

    

~Place apples in pie pan or 9” square pan.

~Blend remaining ingredients until crumbly and put over apples.

~Bake at 375 for 30-35 min until apples are tender and topping is brown.

Baked Oatmeal

1 3/4 C almond milk                        
1/3 C dried cranberries or raisins

½ C unsweetened applesauce                      
¼ C chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon ground flax seed (optional)        
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

2 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)          
½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ C brown sugar

~Combine the milk, applesauce and flax seed and set aside.  In a separate bowl, combine all remaining ingredients, stir in wet mix then pour into prepared pan. 

~In greased 8X8 baker, or pie dish, bake at 375 for 40 min. Serve warm.

Breakfast Quinoa

1 C low-fat Almond milk (or regular milk), plus more for serving

1 C water

½ t vanilla

1 C quinoa, rinsed

3 T light-brown sugar, plus more for serving

¼ t cinnamon, plus more for serving

1 C (1/2 pint) fresh berries, plus more for serving or raisins

~Bring milk and vanilla to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa (and raisins if using), and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes.

~Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Cook, covered, until almost all the milk has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Stir in blueberries, and cook for 30 seconds. Serve with additional milk, sugar, cinnamon, and blueberries.

May top with roasted Pecans: 350 for 6 minutes