Daughter-hosted family Christmas dinner this year was to be a brunch
rther than the personal family meal she prepared on the 24th because
SIL had to work the 25th. Son and I seperately travel two hours
getting there, but since daughter was to be worn out by Christmas Day,
I took on all of the cooking but for the baked dinner ham she later
makes her yearly pot of potato soup with. Because she mentioned having
a brunch with one of her overnight refrigerated egg and potato
casseroles, I decided on al all new to us menu that did go over well
enough to offer here the recipes for. Need to feed more than the
original recipes caused me to up some of the ingredients by less than
half, but here are the originals:
MAPLE SAUSAGE and WAFFLE CASSEROLE - Cook's Country (with Picky-tried
ingredient info)
6-8 frozen waffles, 1/2" thick (Eggo Homestyle)
12 ounces maple breakfast sausage, crumbled (sweet Italian links,
de-cased)
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 large eggs
1-1/4 cups whole or low-fat milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp. salt + 1/8 tsp. pepper (fresh ground)
1. While sausage is frying and you're also crumbling it, toast the
waffles (or oven-toast them via cookie sheet for about 10 minutes per
side) and arrange the first three to four waffle layer into a buttered,
8-inch-square baking dish (tearing one of them apart to fill in
otherwise empty spots, if neccessary). Drain medium-browned sausage on
paper towels.
2. Butter 8x8" baking dish (Butter-Pam). Over the first layer of
waffles, sprinkle half the sausage and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Repeat
layering of waffles, sausage and 1/2 cup cheese. Whisk eggs, milk,
maple
syrup, salt and pepper (in a 2 quart and deep bowl) until combined.
Pour
egg mixture evenly over casserole.
3. Cover baking dish with plastic wrap (or doubled wax paper sheets)
and
place weights on top. (Use a big enough plate or container lid to cover
closest to total, and put three or four un-opened veggiie cans on top
to
weight the ingredients down into the liquids best.) Refrigerate for at
least one hour or overnight.
4. Adjust oven rack to middle position and pre-heat to 325°. Let
casserole stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before uncovering to
sprinkle 1/2 cup sheese over and bake uncovered until edges and center
are puffed, 45-50 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before cutting into
pieces
and serving.
- - -
OVEN RANCH POTATOES - Penzeys One Magazine
4 medium (red or yellow) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
(or thinner)
1 cup *Ranch salad dressing
1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black or white pepper
1/3 cup dried bread crumbs (or more, or Italian crumbs)
Toss potatoes well with dressing, salt and pepper. Place in a greased
(Butter-Pam) 13x9x2" baking pan. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Cover
and
bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 mihutes longer or
until potatoes are tender. Yields 4-6 good sized servings.
*Substitute creamy Italian dressing for a more robust flavor.
- - -
Much Easier Than You Think - CHEESE BISCUITS - Cook's Country
Bake the biscuits immediately after cutting them. Allowing them to
stand
for any length of time can decrease the leavening power of the baking
powder and prevent the biscuits from rising properly in the oven.
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat to 425 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or Reynold's Quick-Release).
2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup
cheese. Add 1-1/4 cups cream and stir with wooden spoon until dough
forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer dough from bowl to countertop,
leaving
dry, floury bits in bowl. In 1-tablespoon increments, add up to 1/4 cup
cream to dry bits in bowl, mixing with wooden spoon after each addition
until moistened. Add moistened bits to rest of dough and knead by hand
just until smooth, about 30 seconds.
3. Pat dough into 8-inch circle, wedge-cut into eight pieces. Place the
"pie" with wedges slightly apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake until
just beginning to brown, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven,
sprinkle 1-1/7 teaspoons remaining cheese onto each biscuit and return
to oven, rotating baking sheet from front to back. Bake until golden
brown and cheese topping has melted, 7 to 9 minutes. Serve warm.
Jalapeño-Jack Biscuits: Replace cheddar with pepper Jack, add 1 Tbsp.
minced jalapeño, 1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives, and 1/4 tsp. cayenne
to dry ingredients. Proceed as directed and increase baking times to 9
minutes each.
Swiss Caraway Biscuits: Replace cheddar with 1 cup grated Swiss and add
3/4 cup of the cheese plus 1 Tbsp. toasted caraway seeds to dry
ingredients. Proceed as directed, sprinkling cheese over biscuits
halfway through baking.
Parmesan-Garlic Biscuits: Replace cheddar with 1 cup grated Parmesan.
Add 3/4 cup cheese, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1/2 tsp. pepper with
dry
ingredients. Proceed as directed, sprinkling remaining cheese over
biscuits halfway through baking.
- - -
BROILED APRICOTS with BLUE CHEESE - Penzeys One - Ingredient amounts
determined by servings wanted.
Halve and pit ripened apricots, laying them side by side on a lightly
sprayed broiler pan. Fill each with a good bleu cheese (Maytag or the
like), mounding it in the center. Top with candied walnuts or pecans.
Broil to lightly brown edges of fruit and melt the cheese, or in
the absense of a broiler, put in a 450° oven for 10 minutes. Serve
warm or at room temperature.
Brunch was enjoyed by all, and Saturday's cooking and prep work caused
me not to even think about eating at all, the entire day. But I sure
did make up for it on Christmas!
PickyPiggie
(who also just may use this "pie" method instead of a rolling pin for
common biscuits.