We made it home safely last night, in case you were worried. Some how between yesterday and today I have contracted a terrible head cold and am feeling a bit like my head has been turned into a giant marshmellow. How romantic, just in time for Valentine's Day.
If you're wondering what to make your sweetie for Valentine's Day brunch, you should try this recipe (although it might be a little late to be wondering that... you probably should have already gotten whatever you plan to make). The guys really like it, but then again, it contains bacon.
Denver Omelet Casserole
serves 25
56 eggs
3 1/2 cups of Half and Half
3 Green Bell Peppers, chopped
2 med. Onions, chopped
6 cups Ham, cubed
6 cups Bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together eggs and half and half. Stir in remaining ingredients and pour into a large, shallow greased baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until center is set. Serve with salsa and sour cream.
Family-size:
Serves 8
16 eggs
1 cup Half and Half
1 cup Ham
1 cup Bacon
2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
Follow instruction above. Pour into greased 9x13 baking dish.
Showing posts with label Breakfast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Breakfast. Show all posts
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
A New Adventure: Christmas Break
Menu: Homemade Caramel-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls, Sausage and Fruit
The semester has come to an end, for me at least. For the next month, I’ll be frat boy free. The only animals I will have to contend with will be my neurotic dog and cat. I will only be cooking for two, and it will certainly be an adjustment. But, it will give me time to experiment. My first task is to come up with a tasty side dish for my husband’s office Christmas soirée. They are having a contest for tastiest dish or dessert. They had a similar contest for Halloween. I made mini monster cream puffs with cheesecake filling. They were adorable and delicious. I was told that that competition would be judged on taste rather than ghoulish appearance. I was told wrong, ironically, by the person that ended up winning the prize… Coincidence? I think not! So, I need to come up with something all-star to make up for my lost prize (I contend that it should have been mine. I was cheated! I was framed! I was robbed!) Sorry, it’s been a rather sore subject with me. My other hope is to make a little money off the baking-challenged this holiday season by hocking my cakes, cookies, and pies. So, if you live in the Atlanta area and are jonesing for some fantastic baked goods, or need a gift for that person who is impossible to buy for, I’m your baker! Cookie Platters R Us, once you try my peanut butter fudge, you’ll never go back… or something like that.
So after today’s, the recipes may be more “family sized”. I may only be cooking for two, but I still feel the need to cook enough food for at least four on any given night. This turns out to be good for my husband’s friends as he tends to like to invite them over at the last minute for dinner. At least he calls me before inviting them now.
The cinnamon rolls I made today turned out spectacularly. I was quite pleased. The recipe isn’t mine, it’s true. I found it on the Betty Crocker Website. But, it needed a little tweaking (as most recipes you find on the internet do). The guys really loved them. I know this because I was late getting them out (traffic was a mess, 3 accidents on my way to work! I will not miss Atlanta traffic while I am on Christmas break). Anyways, the guys came sniffing around the kitchen the minute I pulled the first pan from the oven. They proceeded to stay in the kitchen or just outside the kitchen door and chat. Stuffing their faces and burning their fingers on a hot, sticky mess. When I told them there was milk in the fridge to go with the rolls, you’d have thought I said free beer or gold (which is equally valuable to the average frat boy).
Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Makes approx 24 rolls
1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 cup Pecan Halves, approximately
1 cup Butter
4 ½ cups Bisquick Mix
1 cup Cold Water
4 tbs Margarine, the soft and easily spreadable kind
½ cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 tsp cinnamon
Heat oven to 450. Generously grease 24 regular sized muffin cups with Spray Pam. Put 2 teaspoons of butter, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and approx 3 pecan halves (I put more pecan halves in each one because I love them so) in each cup.
In a large mixing bowl, mix water and Bisquick together. Beat vigorously with a fork until the dough comes together. You want a soft dough, but not a sticky one. If it’s sticky, add a little extra Bisquick; if it’s crumbly, add a little extra water. (Unlike most baking, this recipe does not call for exact science, so you’re free to fudge a little). Smooth the dough into a ball on a surface sprinkled with Bisquick (I suggest a countertop covered with plastic wrap, for easy cleanup). Knead 5 times. Pull the dough into 2 even balls. Shape one ball into an elongated rectangle. Roll out until dimensions are approx. 15x9. Spread 2 tablespoons of margarine over the dough. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ cup of brown sugar. Starting on the 15 inch side, roll the dough tightly to form a log. Pinch to seal. Cut into 12 1 to 1 ¼ inch slices. Place each slice in a muffin cup. Repeat with the other ball of dough. Put the muffin tins on a foil line baking sheet (the butter mixture in the cups can run over the edge).
Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately invert pan on a heatproof plate. Leave the pan/s over the rolls for a minute (but not too long or the rolls will stick to the pan). Serve with cold milk.
Note: The beauty of this recipe is that it’s super easy, and the end result is delicious. No waiting for the dough to rise, no anxiety over exact measurements. In fact, I didn’t really bother measuring out the cinnamon and the sugar when I was sprinkling it over the dough before rolling it. It makes it easier to sprinkle evenly if you leave the cinnamon in the jar (which is conveniently equipped with a sprinkle top)
Note 2: If you don’t have 2 muffin pans, don’t worry, you can use an 8x8 pan. Just evenly spread the butter, nuts and brown sugar over the bottom of the pan. Cut the rolls into 20 even slices (between 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches). Place them side by side in the pan. You may need to add another couple minutes cook time. The rolls will be more like pull-apart sticky buns as the center ones won’t get golden brown on the outside.
The semester has come to an end, for me at least. For the next month, I’ll be frat boy free. The only animals I will have to contend with will be my neurotic dog and cat. I will only be cooking for two, and it will certainly be an adjustment. But, it will give me time to experiment. My first task is to come up with a tasty side dish for my husband’s office Christmas soirée. They are having a contest for tastiest dish or dessert. They had a similar contest for Halloween. I made mini monster cream puffs with cheesecake filling. They were adorable and delicious. I was told that that competition would be judged on taste rather than ghoulish appearance. I was told wrong, ironically, by the person that ended up winning the prize… Coincidence? I think not! So, I need to come up with something all-star to make up for my lost prize (I contend that it should have been mine. I was cheated! I was framed! I was robbed!) Sorry, it’s been a rather sore subject with me. My other hope is to make a little money off the baking-challenged this holiday season by hocking my cakes, cookies, and pies. So, if you live in the Atlanta area and are jonesing for some fantastic baked goods, or need a gift for that person who is impossible to buy for, I’m your baker! Cookie Platters R Us, once you try my peanut butter fudge, you’ll never go back… or something like that.
So after today’s, the recipes may be more “family sized”. I may only be cooking for two, but I still feel the need to cook enough food for at least four on any given night. This turns out to be good for my husband’s friends as he tends to like to invite them over at the last minute for dinner. At least he calls me before inviting them now.
The cinnamon rolls I made today turned out spectacularly. I was quite pleased. The recipe isn’t mine, it’s true. I found it on the Betty Crocker Website. But, it needed a little tweaking (as most recipes you find on the internet do). The guys really loved them. I know this because I was late getting them out (traffic was a mess, 3 accidents on my way to work! I will not miss Atlanta traffic while I am on Christmas break). Anyways, the guys came sniffing around the kitchen the minute I pulled the first pan from the oven. They proceeded to stay in the kitchen or just outside the kitchen door and chat. Stuffing their faces and burning their fingers on a hot, sticky mess. When I told them there was milk in the fridge to go with the rolls, you’d have thought I said free beer or gold (which is equally valuable to the average frat boy).
Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Makes approx 24 rolls
1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 cup Pecan Halves, approximately
1 cup Butter
4 ½ cups Bisquick Mix
1 cup Cold Water
4 tbs Margarine, the soft and easily spreadable kind
½ cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 tsp cinnamon
Heat oven to 450. Generously grease 24 regular sized muffin cups with Spray Pam. Put 2 teaspoons of butter, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and approx 3 pecan halves (I put more pecan halves in each one because I love them so) in each cup.
In a large mixing bowl, mix water and Bisquick together. Beat vigorously with a fork until the dough comes together. You want a soft dough, but not a sticky one. If it’s sticky, add a little extra Bisquick; if it’s crumbly, add a little extra water. (Unlike most baking, this recipe does not call for exact science, so you’re free to fudge a little). Smooth the dough into a ball on a surface sprinkled with Bisquick (I suggest a countertop covered with plastic wrap, for easy cleanup). Knead 5 times. Pull the dough into 2 even balls. Shape one ball into an elongated rectangle. Roll out until dimensions are approx. 15x9. Spread 2 tablespoons of margarine over the dough. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and ¼ cup of brown sugar. Starting on the 15 inch side, roll the dough tightly to form a log. Pinch to seal. Cut into 12 1 to 1 ¼ inch slices. Place each slice in a muffin cup. Repeat with the other ball of dough. Put the muffin tins on a foil line baking sheet (the butter mixture in the cups can run over the edge).
Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately invert pan on a heatproof plate. Leave the pan/s over the rolls for a minute (but not too long or the rolls will stick to the pan). Serve with cold milk.
Note: The beauty of this recipe is that it’s super easy, and the end result is delicious. No waiting for the dough to rise, no anxiety over exact measurements. In fact, I didn’t really bother measuring out the cinnamon and the sugar when I was sprinkling it over the dough before rolling it. It makes it easier to sprinkle evenly if you leave the cinnamon in the jar (which is conveniently equipped with a sprinkle top)
Note 2: If you don’t have 2 muffin pans, don’t worry, you can use an 8x8 pan. Just evenly spread the butter, nuts and brown sugar over the bottom of the pan. Cut the rolls into 20 even slices (between 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches). Place them side by side in the pan. You may need to add another couple minutes cook time. The rolls will be more like pull-apart sticky buns as the center ones won’t get golden brown on the outside.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Ooo La Oui
Friday Menu: Brunch: Crepes and Sausage.
I love crêpes. They are one of my favorite street/café food in France. Although, I think I prefer the savory buckwheat ones called galettes. Those they fill with all sorts of delightful things such as juicy brat-like sausages, or ham and cheese or tomatoes, onion and a fried egg or just about anything you can imagine. Mmmmm… When I studied abroad we would have galette parties and have everyone bring something to put in the galettes, rather like a French Stone Soup. But, buckwheat flour isn’t sold at Sam’s and I’m not about to trek all the way to Whole Foods just to make galettes for the guys (although, now that I’m talking about it, I might do it for me. Galette party at my house, everyone bring something!). So, I decided to stick with the sweet ones, which are every bit as delicious, and again, filled with every sweet thing imaginable. I once had a bananas foster one one time…
Crêpes (pronounced like crap with a French accent) are very easy to make. They are generally served for dessert in France, and are traditionally eaten in the wintertime. And, if you want to really impress your friends and family, you can learn to flip them in the air rather than turn them with a spatula. My dad taught me when I was in 6th grade, and I have impressed everyone ever since. Ok, maybe not everyone, but I have impressed a few people… There’s also an old tradition that if you can flip it and catch it in the pan with your left land, while holding a coin in your right hand, you’ll become rich. When it comes to fillings, the most common way you find them is either with butter, sugar and cinnamon, or Nutella. Nutella is a chocolate-hazelnut spread that is out of this world. I would eat it with a spoon if it wouldn’t make me gain 100 pounds. (How did I get so skinny in France, this was literally about 36% of my diet, the rest being bread, yogurt, and pasta. Maybe it was the yogurt…). Fruit is also a very popular filling. For the guys, I’ve got a few different kinds of pie filling, whip cream, and of course, Nutella.
If you’re wondering just what exactly crêpes are, they are, in the words of the movie Talladega Nights “Those skinny little pancake thingys”. Yup, that’s what they are. Skinny pancakes. You’ll find a rather pathetic version at IHOP (ok, call me a foodie, but I simply can’t call those soggy, floppy things crêpes, they don’t deserve the circumflex).
So, without further ado, here is the recipe for crêpe batter.
(Oh… so who’s bringing the wine to the galette party?)
Sweet Crêpes
24 large Eggs
8 cups Milk
12 tbs Butter, melted
6 cups All Purpose Flour
3 tsp Salt
1/3 cup Sugar
Mix all ingredients well, until there are no lumps (It may be easiest to give a mix in the blender). Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour (can be made a day ahead of time. Heat a non-stick omelet pan over medium-high heat (or whatever setting you would put it at to make pancakes). Run a stick of butter over the pan to grease (do not melt too much butter in the pan as it will ruin the crêpes. The easiest way to do it is to unwrap part of a stick of butter and then run the butter over the hot pan quickly while holding onto the still wrapped end) Pour a small amount of batter into the pan. This will vary depending on pan size, but for an 8 inch skillet, it will be slightly less than ¼ cup. Swirl the batter around as you pour to evenly coat the surface of the pan. The crêpe will cook quickly, usually less than a minute or so per side. When the bottom has become light golden brown and crisp, flip it over to the other side. Cook for an additional minute. Serve warm with a selection of tasty fillings (strawberry lavender jam was another of my favorites… L I miss the jam lady at the Rennes market!!!)
I love crêpes. They are one of my favorite street/café food in France. Although, I think I prefer the savory buckwheat ones called galettes. Those they fill with all sorts of delightful things such as juicy brat-like sausages, or ham and cheese or tomatoes, onion and a fried egg or just about anything you can imagine. Mmmmm… When I studied abroad we would have galette parties and have everyone bring something to put in the galettes, rather like a French Stone Soup. But, buckwheat flour isn’t sold at Sam’s and I’m not about to trek all the way to Whole Foods just to make galettes for the guys (although, now that I’m talking about it, I might do it for me. Galette party at my house, everyone bring something!). So, I decided to stick with the sweet ones, which are every bit as delicious, and again, filled with every sweet thing imaginable. I once had a bananas foster one one time…
Crêpes (pronounced like crap with a French accent) are very easy to make. They are generally served for dessert in France, and are traditionally eaten in the wintertime. And, if you want to really impress your friends and family, you can learn to flip them in the air rather than turn them with a spatula. My dad taught me when I was in 6th grade, and I have impressed everyone ever since. Ok, maybe not everyone, but I have impressed a few people… There’s also an old tradition that if you can flip it and catch it in the pan with your left land, while holding a coin in your right hand, you’ll become rich. When it comes to fillings, the most common way you find them is either with butter, sugar and cinnamon, or Nutella. Nutella is a chocolate-hazelnut spread that is out of this world. I would eat it with a spoon if it wouldn’t make me gain 100 pounds. (How did I get so skinny in France, this was literally about 36% of my diet, the rest being bread, yogurt, and pasta. Maybe it was the yogurt…). Fruit is also a very popular filling. For the guys, I’ve got a few different kinds of pie filling, whip cream, and of course, Nutella.
If you’re wondering just what exactly crêpes are, they are, in the words of the movie Talladega Nights “Those skinny little pancake thingys”. Yup, that’s what they are. Skinny pancakes. You’ll find a rather pathetic version at IHOP (ok, call me a foodie, but I simply can’t call those soggy, floppy things crêpes, they don’t deserve the circumflex).
So, without further ado, here is the recipe for crêpe batter.
(Oh… so who’s bringing the wine to the galette party?)
Sweet Crêpes
24 large Eggs
8 cups Milk
12 tbs Butter, melted
6 cups All Purpose Flour
3 tsp Salt
1/3 cup Sugar
Mix all ingredients well, until there are no lumps (It may be easiest to give a mix in the blender). Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour (can be made a day ahead of time. Heat a non-stick omelet pan over medium-high heat (or whatever setting you would put it at to make pancakes). Run a stick of butter over the pan to grease (do not melt too much butter in the pan as it will ruin the crêpes. The easiest way to do it is to unwrap part of a stick of butter and then run the butter over the hot pan quickly while holding onto the still wrapped end) Pour a small amount of batter into the pan. This will vary depending on pan size, but for an 8 inch skillet, it will be slightly less than ¼ cup. Swirl the batter around as you pour to evenly coat the surface of the pan. The crêpe will cook quickly, usually less than a minute or so per side. When the bottom has become light golden brown and crisp, flip it over to the other side. Cook for an additional minute. Serve warm with a selection of tasty fillings (strawberry lavender jam was another of my favorites… L I miss the jam lady at the Rennes market!!!)
Monday, November 23, 2009
But... It's Not Themed!
Monday Menu: Lunch: BBQ Little Smokies, Chips and Fruit Dinner: Tacos, Spanish Rice and Green Beans
For the week of Halloween I did a special themed menu. Funny names and spooky food. Halloween is my birthday, and my favorite time of the year, so I thought it would be fun… Little did I know it would come back to haunt me. This morning I received an e-mail alerting me to the fact that the boys were “disappointed” that I had not done a thanksgiving themed menu for this week (not a stitch of turkey anywhere on the meal plan), and requesting that I do a Christmas theme for next week’s meals. All of this is code for “Kristen you’ve spoiled them, and they’re a bunch of whiney babies”.
I figured they were done with themed menus after a slight mishap with some chicken wings that caused food coloring to be banned (unfairly… see the whiney baby part above and maybe add wuss to it). Besides, why do a Thanksgiving meal when, on Thursday, they are all going home to have Thanksgiving meals? So, now I’m at a loss. What exactly can I do to make a Christmas themed meal? While I’m sure they would love a meal of nothing but Christmas cookies, that is out of the question, and I’m fairly sure immoral somehow. Elf shaped meatloaves seems wrong. And, as I mentioned before, food coloring has been banned. A horrifying thought just came to me! Does this mean they’ll want themes for every holiday? Am I doomed to fashion Easter bunny meatballs? What on earth will I serve for Presidents’ Day? How do I get myself into these messes?
On a lighter note, I served this casserole up this past Friday, and apparently it was a big hit. Something about the sausage and the crispy hash browns and the cheese…
Sausage and Hash Brown Bake
Serves 20
18 cups Frozen Hash browns (do not thaw)
7 pounds Bulk Sausage (browned and drained)
6 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
26 Eggs
1 1/4 cups Milk
3 cups Small Curd Cottage Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 shallow (2 inch deep) commercial baking pans. Layer pans equally with hash browns, sausage and cheese. Beat together eggs, milk, cottage cheese, salt and pepper. Pour over hash brown mixture. Bake uncovered 45-50 minutes or until hash browns are crispy and center is set.
For the week of Halloween I did a special themed menu. Funny names and spooky food. Halloween is my birthday, and my favorite time of the year, so I thought it would be fun… Little did I know it would come back to haunt me. This morning I received an e-mail alerting me to the fact that the boys were “disappointed” that I had not done a thanksgiving themed menu for this week (not a stitch of turkey anywhere on the meal plan), and requesting that I do a Christmas theme for next week’s meals. All of this is code for “Kristen you’ve spoiled them, and they’re a bunch of whiney babies”.
I figured they were done with themed menus after a slight mishap with some chicken wings that caused food coloring to be banned (unfairly… see the whiney baby part above and maybe add wuss to it). Besides, why do a Thanksgiving meal when, on Thursday, they are all going home to have Thanksgiving meals? So, now I’m at a loss. What exactly can I do to make a Christmas themed meal? While I’m sure they would love a meal of nothing but Christmas cookies, that is out of the question, and I’m fairly sure immoral somehow. Elf shaped meatloaves seems wrong. And, as I mentioned before, food coloring has been banned. A horrifying thought just came to me! Does this mean they’ll want themes for every holiday? Am I doomed to fashion Easter bunny meatballs? What on earth will I serve for Presidents’ Day? How do I get myself into these messes?
On a lighter note, I served this casserole up this past Friday, and apparently it was a big hit. Something about the sausage and the crispy hash browns and the cheese…
Sausage and Hash Brown Bake
Serves 20
18 cups Frozen Hash browns (do not thaw)
7 pounds Bulk Sausage (browned and drained)
6 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
26 Eggs
1 1/4 cups Milk
3 cups Small Curd Cottage Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 2 shallow (2 inch deep) commercial baking pans. Layer pans equally with hash browns, sausage and cheese. Beat together eggs, milk, cottage cheese, salt and pepper. Pour over hash brown mixture. Bake uncovered 45-50 minutes or until hash browns are crispy and center is set.
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