Grits & Greens

11/27/2023

This is a great casserole for either breakfast or dinner. I made it to clean out a lot of garden produce that needed to get used, but the vegetables can easily be modified. Enjoy!

Grits & Greens Casserole

Ingredients

1 cup grits
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 onion, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1-2 cups peppers, sliced
1-2 cups okra, sliced
1/2 lb. breakfast sausage
1 cup gouda, shredded
4-6 eggs
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 4-6
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Preheat oven to 350.
Make grits by bringing stock and water to a boil; whisk in grits and cook 20-30 minutes or until grits no longer taste metallic. Add mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste.
While grits are cooking, saute onion, celery, and peppers until softened and beginning to brown. Add sausage and cook through. Add okra and cook until softened; salt and pepper to taste.
Add cheese to grits and then mix in vegetable mixture. Using a serving spoon, make depressions (one at a time) in the top of the grits and crack and egg into each depression (it is easiest to crack and egg into a little bowl or cup and pour the egg into the depression).
Bake 20-25 minutes or until egg whites are cooked through.
*A wide, shallow casserole dish is best for this dish.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

11/20/2023

I know what I'll be having Thanksgiving morning - this Pumpkin Bread Pudding! It's quick to throw together and is best when allowed to refrigerate overnight. Easy and delicious!

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Ingredients

1 loaf challah or brioche, cubed
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
6 eggs, beaten
1 15 ox. can of pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
maple syrup, for serving

Serves 8 - 10
Cook time:1 hour 20 minutes

Preheat oven to 350.
Whisk milk, butter, eggs, pumpkin and sugar together; add cranberries, salt, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. Place bread cubes in baking dish and pour egg mixture over; make sure all bread is pressed down to get fully saturated with egg mixture. Cover and bake 1 hour; uncover and continue baking for about 20 minutes, or until browned on top.

Clean Cranberry Muffins

11/9/2023

Here's a clean-eating version of a family classic! I swapped out the sugar and shortening for maple syrup and apple sauce and made a few other alterations to make a great muffin to start your day off right.

Clean Cranberry Muffins

Ingredients

Dry Bowl

1 cup AP flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Wet Bowl
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup applesauce
1 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
zest of 1/2 an orange
3/4 cup orange juice
1 egg
Add Ins
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Makes 12 muffins
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all dry bowl ingredients in a medium bowl and all wet bowl in ingredients in a medium bowl. Add wet bowl to dry bowl and stir until combined; stir in cranberries and nuts, if using.
Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan or using an ice cream scoop, scoop into a muffin tin. Bake for one hour in a loaf pan, 20 minutes in muffins tins, or until tester stick comes out clean. Let cool until pan is cool enough to handle, then invert onto a cooling rack.

Great Aunt Ann's Cranberry Bread

11/9/2023

I found this wonderful recipe in a family cookbook and thought I would share it. It's great around the holidays when cranberries are in season. It freezes well and makes a great gift! Can be made into muffins for a quick breakfast.

Great Aunt Ann's Cranberry Bread

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
zest of 1/2 an orange
3/4 cup orange juice
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Makes 1 loaf or 12 muffins
Cook Time: 1 hour

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream shortening and sugar until thoroughly combined; add egg and zest. Meanwhile, whisk, or sift, together all dry ingredients. Add half the dry ingredients, half the juice, the remaining dry ingredients, remaining juice, mix until just combined. Stir in cranberries and nuts, if using.
Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan or muffin pan and bake for one hour or until tester stick comes out clean. Let cool until pan is cool enough to handle, then invert onto a cooling rack.

Banana Split Bread

11/9/2023

Here's another twist on a classic banana bread - this banana split bread has all the flavors of a banana split, but in a bread. Makes a great gift!

Banana Split Bread

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 cup chopped strawberries
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Makes 1 loaf
Cook Time: 1 hour

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream butter and sugar until thoroughly combined; add eggs one and a time and mix until completely incorporated. Meanwhile, whisk, or sift, together all dry ingredients and mash bananas. Add half the dry mix to the butter mixture, combine and add half the banana mash, add remaining dry mix, combine and add remaining banana mash, mix until combined, but do not overmix. Add in strawberries, pineapple, and chocolate chips and stir together by hand.
Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake for one hour or until tester stick comes out clean. Let cool until pan is cool enough to handle, then invert onto a cooling rack.

Hummingbird Bread

11/9/2023

This is a basic banana bread recipe that's been in my family for years, but with the addition of pineapple, toasted pecans, and coconut to make hummingbird...name after a cake of the same name. I like it plain, but a glaze would make it over-the-top if gifting!

Hummingbird Bread

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup chopped pineapple
1/2 tsp. apple pie spice

Makes 1 loaf
Cook Time: 1 hour

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream butter and sugar until thoroughly combined; add eggs one and a time and mix until completely incorporated. Meanwhile, whisk, or sift, together all dry ingredients and mash bananas. Add half the dry mix to the butter mixture, combine and add half the banana mash, add remaining dry mix, combine and add remaining banana mash, mix until combined, but do not overmix. Add in pecans, coconut, and pineapple and stir together by hand.
Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake for one hour or until tester stick comes out clean. Let cool until pan is cool enough to handle, then invert onto a cooling rack.

Grandma Rebecca's Banana Bread

11/9/2023

This is an easy to make family classic - it uses leftover bananas for a quick bread to throw together. Works great with fresh or frozen bananas; freezes well for using later, and is an excellent gift!

Grandma Rebecca’s Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 bananas, mashed

Makes 1 loaf
Cook Time: 1 hour

Preheat oven to 350.
Cream butter and sugar until thoroughly combined; add eggs one and a time and mix until completely incorporated. Meanwhile, whisk, or sift, together all dry ingredients and mash bananas. Add half the dry mix to the butter mixture, combine and add half the banana mash, add remaining dry mix, combine and add remaining banana mash, mix until combined, but do not overmix.
Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake for one hour or until tester stick comes out clean. Let cool until pan is cool enough to handle, then invert onto a cooling rack.

Gingerbread Bread Pudding

3/3/2023

This is a delicious and easy Christmas morning breakfast! It can be assembled a day or two in advance and cooked the morning of. So easy and full of holiday flavors!

Gingerbread Bread Pudding

Ingredients

Bread Pudding

1 loaf Pandoro (Challah or brioche will do if you can't find Pandoro)
12 eggs
2 cup half & half
1 cup cream
3 Tbsp. molasses
3 Tbsp. gingerbread spice mix
2 tsp. vanilla paste
1/2 tsp. salt
powdered sugar, for garnish
Orange Maple Syrup
1 cup maple syrup
peel of 1 orange
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves

Serves 8-10
Cook Time: 1 hour

Spray a deep casserole dish with cooking spray. Slice Pandoro in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise into 1" slices. Combine remaining ingredients (except powdered sugar) in mixer and mix until cohesive; pour mixture into a pie plate and begin dipping pieces of Pandoro into mixture.
Stand pieces in the casserole dish with the cut side down so the pointed sides stick up. Continue dipping Pandoro into egg mixture until dish is filled. Refrigerate overnight.
In the morning put bread pudding into a cold oven and allow to preheat in the oven,covered, once preheated it will take an hour for the bread pudding to cook. Remove lid for the last 20 or so minutes of cooking to allow the top to brown. Once baked, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with Orange Maple Syrup.
To make syrup combine all four ingredients in a small pan and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes.

Southwestern Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

5/11/2020

Here's another easy-to-assemble-the-night-before-and-bake-in-the-morning casseroles!

Southwestern Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb. Mexican chorizo (the ground kind, not sliced)
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 head broccoli, florets cut off
6 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup half-and-half
1 (32 oz.) bag frozen diced hash browns, thawed
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
scallions, julienned
salt & pepper, to taste

Serves 6-8
Cook time: 1 hour

Heat oven to 375.
Add the chorizo to a medium saute pan. Cook over medium-high heat until browned, crumbling it with a spoon as it cooks. Add the onion and red pepper to the saute pan, and saute for 5 minutes until cooked. Add the garlic and saute for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant. Pour the vegetable mixture into the mixing bowl with the broccoli. Add the hash browns and 2/3 of the cheese to the mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt & pepper. Then add them to the hashbrown mixture, and stir to combine. Pour the mixture a 4-quart baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the cheese and browned and bubbly. Remove and let the casserole rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with green onions and serve. This goes great with salsa or sour cream too.

Eggs Benedict Casserole

5/11/2020

This delicious breakfast casserole is best prepared the night before so the English muffins can soak up the egg mixture. I like to serve this with crab cake and use the hollandaise sauce on both, but if you'd rather not go the crab cake route, I would add more Canadian bacon to the casserole.

Eggs Benedict Casserole

Ingredients

Casserole

6 English muffins
4 oz. thick-cut Canadian bacon, diced
10-12 eggs, divided
1 cup half-and-half
chives to garnish
salt and pepper, to taste
Hollandaise
3 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. salt
Pinch pepper (you can use cayenne if you'd like)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup butter

Serves 4 - 6
Cook time: 50 minutes

Spray or butter a 9X13" baking dish.
Split the english muffins in half and cube them. Combine the English muffin cubes with the diced Canadian bacon and transfer to a greased 3-quart baking dish.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and half-and-half and season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread; press down on the bread to make sure that it is all submerged in the egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
About an hour and a half before serving, pull the casserole out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temp while the oven preheats to 350 .
Cook the casserole at 350 for about 45 minutes, until the egg custard has set. Remove from the oven and keep covered before ready to serve and slice.
Meanwhile, melt butter for hollandaise; combine remaining hollandaise ingredients in a blender and blend until egg yolks are light in color. Remove pouring plug and slowly drizzle in melted butter as the blender runs on a medium speed. Your hollandaise is now ready, drizzle over benedict casserole and garnish with chives.