The holiday season is upon us. We concentrate on the big meals — for lunch and dinner. Sometimes, we forget about overnight guests or family brunches. At our house, I am all about dishes that taste good and are easy to prepare. If it can’t be made in advance, an easy dish to throw together is welcome, too.
Today I have some breakfast or brunch dishes that are delicious and easy to prepare. I hope they will come in handy during the holiday season and you will give them a try. Thanks for reading.
MAKE AHEAD BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
2½ cups seasoned croutons
1 pound spicy pork sausage
4 eggs
2½ cups milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 (5-ounce) can mushrooms, drained and chopped
1 cup chopped cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
Spread croutons on the bottom of a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Brown and crumble sausage in a skillet, and drain well. Spread over croutons. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until well blended. Stir in soup, spinach, mushroom, cheeses and mustard. Pour over crouton and sausage mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 1 hour or until set and lightly browned on top (check after about 50 minutes).
CHEESY BAKED EGGS
1 tablespoon butter, melted
12 eggs, beaten
1 pound shredded pepper jack cheese
1 (16-ounce) container cottage cheese
½ cup plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with melted butter. Whisk together the eggs, pepper jack cheese, cottage cheese, flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour mixture into the prepared dish. Bake for about 1 hour or until eggs are completely set.
OVERNIGHT ASPARAGUS MUSHROOM STRATA
2 teaspoons butter
1¾ cups sliced mushrooms
5 English muffins, split and toasted (with additional butter)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
½ onion, chopped
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Melt the butter in a skillet; cook the mushrooms until they begin to brown and most of the liquid has evaporated; and set aside. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and arrange eight muffin halves — cut sides up — in the bottom of the dish. Stuff the remaining halves into the spaces between the halves. Spread 1 cup of the cheese on top, and distribute the asparagus, mushrooms, red pepper and onions on top of the cheese. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, dry mustard and black pepper in a bowl, and pour the mixture on top of the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate overnight. To prepare, remove casserole from refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking; spread the remaining cup of cheese on top; and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the edge comes out clean. Let stand for about 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into squares.
EGG AND SAUSAGE CASSEROLE
1 pound pork sausage
1 (8-ounce) package refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 eggs, beaten
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Brown sausage in a skillet, drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Line the bottom of the baking dish with crescent roll dough, and sprinkle with sausage. In a mixing bowl, mix eggs and cheeses. Season with oregano, and pour over sausage and crescent rolls. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
OVERNIGHT EGGNOG FRENCH TOAST
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch slices
8 eggs
2 cups eggnog
Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch dish. Heat the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to boil. Remove and pour into prepared dish. Place the bread slices atop the brown sugar mixture. Whisk eggs and eggnog together in a bowl, and pour over the bread slices. Cover with foil, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. To prepare, remove the casserole from the refrigerator and bake with foil on in a preheated 325 degree oven for 35 minutes. Increase the heat to 375 degrees; remove the foil; and continue to bake — about 8 to 10 minutes more, or until top begins to brown.
- Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
