Easter Breakfast Casserole

March 19, 2013 by

A Pinch of Joy: Easter Breakfast Casserole

One of my Colorado cousins made this casserole for breakfast when we were guests in her home.  It was wonderful and I made it just the way she did for a time.  She included 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and a small onion (about 1/3 cup) diced finely.   Then I got acquainted with church kitchens and things changed!  First to go, of course, were the onions and the Worcestershire sauce.  Some people didn’t like onions and some couldn’t handle the peppery flavor of the Worcestershire.  But the heart and warmth was still there.

This is a very popular dish for youth groups to prepare when they are charged with providing Easter breakfast.  It is perfect for that because it can be made the night before and is easy to make by kids who have little to no kitchen experience.

The recipe continued to evolve  mostly through necessity. Like using donated ingredients.  The original recipe called for eight slices of bread.  Do you know how many varieties of bread in how many different sizes Moms have on hand when a teen tells them they need a loaf of bread in half an hour?  Hence the cubes and measurements.  If the bread is moist, go for the full four cups, if it is on the dry side lean more toward 3/12 cups.  Same with cheese.  Have slices instead of shreds?  A sharp knife and quick work makes two cups of strips.  Not enough cheddar.  Any yellow cheese will work.  Somebody brings in mozzarella or Swiss?  Mix it in with the yellow cheese.  And divide it among a couple of batches.  Lesson learned?  Everyone is welcome and whatever you have to contribute to the group is important!

One church full of great cooks with many years of experience documented their favorites well.  The casseroles were setting on the counter waiting for me to put them in the refrigerator  while we closed our youth meeting.  One of the octogenarians noted for her culinary skill, generous heart and frugal ways was  hanging around in the background as the kids charged out.  We chatted as I broke out the aluminum foil.  Then she asked me if we had used the recipe from the notebook in the drawer.  Oh yes, mam, I said, we followed it perfectly.

Well, honey, she said, I always add one more.

One more what? I asked.

Whatever it needs, she said.

And that day, Gladys taught me to tilt the pans.  If the bread was moist and some of the custard collected in the corner, all was well.  If the bread looked dry and there was no excess custard, we mixed more custard using one egg to half a cup of milk and added it to the pan. A bare spot got a handful of cheese.  When the casseroles suited her, I prepared to add the foil.  Gladys asked if I had butter.  Uh no – there is some margarine in the refrigerator to slice over the top.  Why?

Because, Gladys said, you need to melt a stick of butter for each of those pans and pour the whole thing over the top.    Use the best and be generous.   Now, there’ll be some butter in the refrigerator when you come in the morning.  I’ll pick up some when I get the expired bread from the grocery for the homeless shelter tonight.  You’re welcome, honey.  Gladys patted my arm,  wisped up the stairs and out the door to the next good deed.

Isn’t that a perfect lesson for Easter Morn??

One more thing –  given generously.

And that’s why there are seven eggs in this recipe’s final version  instead of the original six.

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Easter Breakfast Casserole

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Easter Breakfast Casserole

A hearty, hot breakfast casserole perfect anytime.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups bread cubes
  • 1 cup diced ham
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups milk
  • 7 eggs beaten
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup butter melted

Instructions

  1. Break or cut bread into bite sized cubes.
  2. Place in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
  3. Dice ham into small cubes between ½ and ¼ inches to make 1 cup. Layer evenly over bread cubes.
  4. Sprinkle cheese evenly over bread and ham.
  5. Combine eggs, milk and salt, whisking until well mixed. Pour over bread, ham and cheese layers. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
  6. Remove foil, melt butter and pour over top of casserole before baking.
  7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown and set in the middle.

Notes

Charlene A Pinch of Joy

http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2013/03/easter-breakfast-casserole/

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Scottsdale Potatoes – Hashbrown potato casserole

December 18, 2012 by

Baked Hash Browns with Cheese

 My  mother was introduced to these creamy, cheesy potatoes while visiting family in Arizona.  Apparently that’s where they got the name Scottsdale!  She always called them that and I have seen them in some old cookbooks with that name.  Recently I’ve seen them labeled Funeral Potatoes – a name which belies their yumminess but apparently takes into account the fact that it can satisfy large numbers.  The recipe can be assembled ahead of time and baked while other foods are being prepared.

If you want a holiday or family dinner dish that travels well – this is it.  Bake it at home and carry it hot or let it cool and warm it when you arrive.  Or assemble it at home and bake when you arrive, depending on your schedule and the hostess’s oven space.

It also makes a comforting addition to any meal –especially when the weather is cold outside.  I make it and we will eat several meals (with moderate portions)  from it because the “leftovers” are almost as good as the first time fresh out of the oven.  You can also add around 2 cups of browned ground beef to the mixture or 1 – 2 cups of diced ham to make this a main dish.   And you can enforce portion control by baking the potatoes in serving size baking dishes.  I added ground beef and did the serving size dishes for the photo.  You can also put them in tart pans and bake them crispy to make an appetizer.   Love these ‘taters!

I prefer the shredded hash browns because I like the texture of them in the finished dish over the diced hash browns. I don’t have a huge mixing bowl, so I spread half the frozen potatoes in the greased 9×13 pan and the rest in my large mixing bowl. Either cream of chicken (lighter flavor) or cream of mushroom soup (deeper flavor) will work.  I also like to buy the cream of chicken with garlic or with herbs for a nice flavor change.  Add all the remaining ingredients to the shredded hash browns in the mixing bowl – EXCEPT the melted butter.  When you have everything mixed, spread it over the potatoes in the 9×13 pan.  Everything melds together while baking.  Melt butter in microwave.  Timing may vary according to your microwave – mine takes about 30 seconds at 75% power.  Pour melted butter evenly over casserole.  I like to leave the top plain, but the original recipe called for 2 cups of finely crushed cornflakes spread over the top.

 If feeding large quantities meets your requirements, go to my facebook page and “like” to access the Exclusive Downloads.  There you will find a Scottsdale Cheesy Potato recipe to feed one hundred people from my mother’s church cookbook (so you know it is good!)

To save this recipe to your ZipList Recipe Box, click the blue button.  To find out more about ZipList, click here.

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Scottsdale Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 1 32 ounce bag frozen hash brown potatoes
  • 1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 16 ounce container sour cream
  • 2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup butter or margarine melted

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients except melted butter.
  2. Spray 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.
  3. Spread casserole evenly into pan.
  4. Melt butter in microwave and pour evenly over casserole.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
  6. An alternate recipe calls for a topping of 2 cups of finely crushed cornflakes spread over the top.
http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2012/12/scottsdale-potatoes/

 

 

 

 

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Holiday Sweet Potatoes

November 15, 2012 by

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet potatoes are one of the oldest known foods, cultivated by Native Americans for centuries.  They were a major source of nutrition for early colonists – so very appropriate for Thanksgiving! —  and later soldiers during the Revolutionary War.   Often  called yams from a similar African tuber, sweet potatoes are much more nutritious.   They are an excellent source of calcium, vitamins A and C, potassium and manganese among other nutrients.  They are low on the glycemic scale and are often recommended to diabetics for blood sugar control.   There is an enzyme in sweet potatoes that converts the starches of the young plant into sugars as the potato matures.  Sweetness increases during storage and cooking.

If using fresh sweet potatoes, choose ones that are firm, dark and blemish free, then store in a dry cool place, where they will keep up to a month.  Wash well before cooking with the skins on.  Many of the nutrients are near the skin so leaving it on during cooking helps preserve them.  The skins are very easy to pull off when cooked – much easier than peeling raw. Sweet potatoes can be boiled, steamed, baked,  roasted or microwaved.  Or made into yummy, festive dishes like this one!  I found those cute little ramekins at a tag sale.  They hold about a half cup which is perfect for “have one of every dish” holiday dinners.   (Secret portion control!)  The sweet potatoes are made richer with cream and egg and are perfectly complemented with the pecan topping.  A delectable, healthy treat even when it is not a holiday!

For your holiday menu, you might also like Sunny Broccoli Salad, Fruity Cranberry Relish. Blushing Peach Pie, or Spiced Pineapple Carrot Cake.

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Holiday Sweet Potatoes

Holiday Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

    Ingredients
  • 40 ounce can of sweet potatoes or yams
  • OR 3 lbs fresh sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled.
  • 1/3 cup sugar or sugar substitute equivalent
  • 2 tablespoons half and half OR milk
  • ¼ cup butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 egg
    • Topping
  • 1 cup pecans plus ½ cup
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ cup sugar or sugar substitute equivalent
  • 2 Tablespoons butter

Instructions

  1. Prepare topping by pulse 1 cup of pecans in food processor until it forms a coarse meal.
  2. Add sugar, cinnamon and butter and process until blended.
  3. Pour into small bowl, add remaining pecans and set aside.
  4. Put sweet potatoes in food processor with butter and seasonings. Process about 30 seconds and taste. Add sugar according to sweetness of sweet potato and adjust seasonings, if needed.
  5. Add egg and process until smooth and well blended.
  6. Use cooking spray to oil 8 ramekins and pour mixture into prepared pan.
  7. Bake at 375 until topping browns, about 30 minutes for ramekins.
  8. Eight servings. About 20 carbs per half cup serving, 4 grams of protein
http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2012/11/holiday-sweet-potatoes/

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Quick Cheeseburger Quiche

September 11, 2012 by

Cheeseburger Impossible Pie

This was probably originally a Bisquik Impossible recipe, but we’ve always called it quiche.  Maybe to fool the mommy cook – or the small diners and their daddy –  into thinking there was  an exotic gourmet dish on the table in the after work scramble!   When I started looking for lower carb options, this recipe surprisingly filled the bill!  It is 13 carbs per serving and has 22 grams of protein to recommend it – besides its tasty heartiness.  This goes together quickly – especially if you keep browned ground beef on hand.   It’s a great weekday meal – about 35 minutes from start to steaming finish.  If you like a bit of Italian flair, try adding Italian seasoning along with the salt and pepper. You can also vary the cheese.   Served with hot vegetable and crisp salad, this is a good dish for those cool fall days.  Enjoy!

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Quick Cheeseburger Quiche

Quick Cheeseburger Quiche

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef OR 2 cups already browned ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup biscuit baking mix
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 eggs

Instructions

  1. Spray 8x8 square pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Brown ground beef and drain excess fat. Spread in bottom of baking pan.
  3. Distribute the next four ingredients evenly over ground beef
  4. In small bowl, mix together milk, eggs and baking mix. Pour over meat and seasonings.
  5. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown.
http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2012/09/quick-cheeseburger-quiche/

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Mock N Cheese aka Cauliflower Gratin

April 19, 2012 by

Cauliflower Gratin as substitute for Macaroni and cheese

Cauliflower, Mark Twain once sniffed, was nothing but cabbage with a college education. Boiled and buttered, the way grandma used to do it, cauliflower was nothing to write home about.  Now it is on restaurant menus and is a sought after addition to meals.  Cauliflower began to appear on vegetable trays, in snack packs and anywhere a crunch was needed. Cooks everywhere took a closer look when low carb dining became important to a large part of the population.   Cauliflower is only 5 carbs per serving and it’s somewhat bland flavor and good texture makes it an acceptable substitute for potatoes, pasta and rice.   This recipe uses it as a substitute for Mac n Cheese.  (Mock N Cheese! My sister, Vee, told me it was not a good name if I had to explain it.  First she hinted ever so diplomatically with a laugh and a hmmmm — or maybe it was a snort like a hmmmm.  Was she right? )

Precook the cauliflower in the microwave, covered, just enough to make it crispy soft – you can  put a fork in it, but it retains some of its crispness.  While it is microwaving,  begin to make the roux in a large pan.  The onion and garlic aren’t enough to jump out, but they give a depth to the dish.  Same with the nutmeg – although you can smell it during baking, you can’t really taste it.  The cheese does play a part in the flavor, but you can adjust to what you have on hand and what your tastes are. The milk and cream can vary, as well.  If you have whole milk use 2 cups of it.  Two cups of half and half work or if you want a richer flavor use all cream. You can leave the cauliflower in sections, just as you placed them in the baking dish and pour the cheese sauce over it.   You will have a proper cauliflower au gratin then –especially  if you also sprinkle a couple tablespoons of seasoned bread crumbs over the top before baking. To make it a substitute for macaroni and cheese,  run a sharp knife through the partially cooked cauliflower in the pan until the texture is somewhat reminiscent of large elbow macaroni.  Pour on the cheese sauce and bake for Faux Roni?  Mock N Cheese?  Good stuff!

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Mock N Cheese aka Cauliflower Gratin

Mock N Cheese aka Cauliflower Gratin

Ingredients

  • 1 head of cauliflower, about 3 pounds
  • ½ small onion, diced
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups grated cheese (cheddar, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack)
  • 2/3 cup parmesan cheese (or Swiss)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • pepper to taste
  • Pinch of nutmeg

Instructions

  1. Turn cauliflower upside down and cut all around the stem with sharp knife. Remove tough leafy stems. Do not cut the florets apart.
  2. Spray 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. Rinse cauliflower sections and place without draining into baking dish. Cover dish with upside plate or piece of waxed paper. Microwave 3 minutes on high.
  3. Turn oven to 400 degrees.
  4. In large pan, melt butter over medium heat.
  5. Add onion and garlic and saute’ until fragrant, 1-3 minutes
  6. Add flour and stir to form a roux. Cook, stirring contantly about 1 minute. Lower heat if necessary to avoid browning the roux.
  7. Add cream/milk slowly, whisking to keep the mixture smooth.
  8. Bring mixture to slow boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thick, smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.
  9. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper and grated cheese, stirring until cheese is melted.
  10. Pour evenly over the cauliflower in the 8x8 baking dish and sprinkle grated parmesan evenly over the top.
  11. Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2012/04/mock-n-cheese-aka-cauliflower-gratin/

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