Rice Krispies never tasted so good

This is not another one of those breakfast casseroles. I know, the name sounds tired, but this casserole is super tasty, and makes even a great easy supper. I make it quite a bit, both for brunch after Mass (set the oven on Timed Bake and come home to a hot yummy brunch), and for dinner.

I know I said the Rice Krispies never tasted so good, but those were actually just a substitute for cornflakes when I made it one evening recently and discovered I didn't have Corn Flakes. Rice Krispies worked just as well. And the recipe says refrigerate overnight, but you can throw it together ten minutes before it goes in the oven. I think making it the night before is just convenient when you want to eat it for breakfast, but don't operate well in the morning.

Ham and Swiss Breakfast Casserole

10 slices of bread (I have used leftover hamburger or hot dog buns just to use them up)

1 # deli ham, diced

8 oz, swiss cheese, sliced or shredded

6 eggs

3 c. milk

1/2 t. garlic salt

pepper, to taste

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

4 T. butter, melted

1 c. cornflake crumbs (I did not crush the krispies)

Grease 13 x 9 pan. Lay bread slices on pan bottom (I almost never use 10 slices -- I think I max out at 8 overlapping them. Just make sure the bottom of the dish is well covered with bread).

Place diced ham on bread, making sure bread is covered. Cover ham with cheese, either slices or shredded. 

In a large bowl, beat eggs lightly (until whites and yolks are combined) with milk. Add seasoning to eggs. 

Pour egg over cheese. Top with cheddar cheese.

Mix melted butter and cornflake crumbs and sprinkle over the top of the cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour (or until center of casserole puffs up as high, or higher, than sides).

Serve with some fresh fruit, or fruit and yogurt for a nice brunch, or with a salad for dinner.

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Source: my mom

Poaching in progress

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My friend Kim at Starry Sky Ranch has joined with two other women to create Snapshots Around the World. This week's subject is "eggs" and I just happened to have this photo that I recently snapped when I was poaching eggs -- quite a few eggs for my very hungry husband and teenage boys.

It's best to place each egg you are poaching in a small bowl or glass so that you can place the container close to the simmering water and drop it gently. Always add a teaspoon of white vinegar to your poaching water and it will help hold the whites together.

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Nigella's Meatloaf and Noodles Romanoff

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I'm always on the lookout for a great meatloaf recipe. I think I have lamented before that my children are not big fans of meatloaf. One of the boys really enjoys my Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy, but another has decided he does not like mushrooms and can't quite get past them to eat the meatloaf. Picky kid.

Anyway, I saw this recipe in Nigella Lawson's Nigella Kitchen and was intrigued by the recipe, mostly because of the eggs that are enclosed inside the meatloaf. It reminded me of our family's favorite Chicken Pot Pie with the hard boiled eggs. Also, completely topped with bacon -- who can resist? I wouldn't serve it regularly with all that bacon on top -- not very healthy -- but it's definitely worthy of a once in a while treat.

A few notes on the recipe -- I used butter to cook the onions instead of the duck fat offered as a choice. A few days later I saw Jamie Oliver cook with duck fat and he has me convinced that it would well be worth it once in a while to use it, though I'm not certain I could even find it at the store. I did not use 4 onions, but one large which was probably close to a pound. Also -- I had no intention of making gravy so I used the bread slice trick (seen at the Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy recipe) to soak up the fat.

Also, on the Noodles Romanoff -- simple, simple recipe, but the kids loved it so much I decided to post the recipe.You can probably use a teaspoon of dried chives if you don't have fresh, but you won't get the same exact flavor.  If you don't have chives in the garden, or even just in a bed outside the back door, definitely pick up a plant. In no time at all you'll have plenty of chives (in fact, you might want to put your plant in a pot because they take over the garden).

Nigella's Meatloaf

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4 eggs (only boil three)

4 onions, 1 pound

5 T. duck fat or butter

1 t. kosher salt or 1/2 t. table salt

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

2 pounds ground beef, preferably organic

2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

10 ounces (approx. 20 slices) bacon

1 large roasting pan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and then boil 3 of the eggs for 7 minutes. Refresh them in cold water.

Peel and chop the onions, and heat the duck fat in a thick-bottomed frying pan. Cook the onions gently sprinkled with the salt, for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the onions are golden and catching in the fat. Remove to a bowl to cool.

Put the Worcestershire sauce and ground beef into a bowl, and when the onion mixture is not hot to the touch, add to the bowl and work everything together with your hands.

Add the remaining raw egg and mix again before finally adding the breadcrumbs.

Divide the mixture into 2, and in the pan, make the bottom half of the meatloaf by patting half the beef mixture into a flattish ovoid shape approximately 9 inches long. Peel and place the 3 hard-boiled eggs in a row down the middle of the meatloaf.

 

Shape the remaining mound over the top of the eggs and pat into a solid loaf shape. Compress the meatloaf to get rid of any holes, but don't overwork it.

 

Cover the meatloaf with slices of bacon, as if it were a terrine, tucking the bacon ends underneath the meatloaf as best you can to avoid its curling up as it cooks.

 

Bake for 1 hour, until the juices run clear and once it's out of the oven let the meatloaf rest for 15 minutes. This should make it easier to slice. When slicing, do it generously, so everyone gets some egg. Pour meat juices over as you serve or do what you will gravy-wise. 

 

Noodles Romanoff

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8 ounces wide egg noodles

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipped cream cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup or more half & half or cream

1 T. chopped fresh chives

1 t. salt

1/8 t. ground black pepper

1 clove crushed garlic

2 T. butter

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

In a large pot with boiling salted water cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain. 

In the noodle pot, mix together the sour cream, cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese, chives, salt, ground black pepper, and garlic. Add a few tablespoons of half & half or cream. Heat on low and stir to a smooth texture.

Stir in butter or margarine to hot egg noodles. Stir into sour cream mixture. Add more cream as necessary to get a creamy texture.

Arrange noodles on warm platter and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

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Ham and Egg Casserole

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Last week was one of those weeks when I was glad just to have food in the house, much less yummy homemade dinners. I had to kick the menu to the curb a few times just to get dinner on the table. Fortunately I had bought the ingredients for this yummy egg casserole, but realized when I went to make it on Sunday that it was a recipe that would not work for popping in the oven and setting delayed bake -- it required more than just throwing it together and forgetting about. But, it did not require so much work that I couldn't throw it together while I sipped a glass of wine and chatted with my husband when he arrived home from work. The whole gang loved it too, which means it's a good go-to on nights when things are a little crazy (remember, breakfast is not just for mornings!)

A few things about the recipe -- first, I followed the recipe pretty closely and put it in a 13 x 9 dish as directed, but the potatoes did not get very crisp even though I cooked them twice as long as recommended (Abby's look more crisp than mine). I thought that would bother me, but they were very tasty just the same and I think the kids might have liked them better that way. I think I would still cook them twice as long and I've adjusted the recipe below. I added 1/4 cup of finely diced onion and 1/4 cup finely diced green pepper to my potatoes, for more of a Denver style egg dish, and I loved the flavor (maybe that affected the browning?). If your people don't like either or both of those ingredients, I'm sure the recipe would be just as awesome without.

Second, this recipe is a little high on the fat. If it's an occasional thing for you, don't worry about it. I might fiddle with the cream/milk thing next time and see what happens. I used half & half this time. I think this recipe has great potential in terms of subbing out one ingredient for another, but I really liked the ham/green pepper/onion/potato combo and so did my people.

Ham and Egg Casserole

2 12-ounce bags frozen, shredded hash browns, thawed overnight in fridge
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 c. finely diced green pepper (optional)
1/4 c. finely diced onion (optional)
1 boneless ham steak, diced
1.5 to 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
A few dashes of hot sauce


Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Squeeze moisture out of thawed potatoes, then put them in a large bowl. Pour melted butter over potatoes and stir until well-combined. Line ungreased casserole dish with buttered potatoes, and press to make a crust. Bake 20 minutes or until potatoes are just crisped and brown on the edges.

Remove dish from oven and set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk eggs, cream and hot sauce.

Sprinkle ham over potato crust. Then add cheese. Pour cream and egg mixture over ingredients.

Bake 30 minutes or until set and gold and bubbling at edges.

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Source: modified from Confabulation in the Kitchen

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Jalapeno Cheddar Breakfast Bake

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Last Sunday I planned to make a breakfast casserole to take from the oven as we walked in the door from Mass. I love using my delay bake feature on my oven to have brunch ready when we arrive home. We attend a noon Mass and we're usually pretty hungry afterward. When we walked in the door, I had berries sugared and hanging out in the fridge, and breakfast was piping hot and smelling fabulous.

As I assembled the casserole in the morning, I went digging through the freezer for some bagels I had left over and I designed this casserole around the fact that they were Jalapeno Cheddar Bagels. It turned out truly yummy and I will hang on to this one -- it's a keeper.

Jalapeno Cheddar Breakfast Bake
serves 6

1 pound bulk breakfast sausage
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
salt and freshly ground pepper
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 jalapeno cheddar bagels, cut into bite-size pieces *

In a medium skillet, brown sausage. Add jalapeno peppers to pan a few minutes before sausage is completely browned. Drain and set aside (I squeeze the sausage with dry paper towels to get almost all the extra grease out).

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, salt and pepper (about 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper -- more or less to taste).

In a greased 13 x 9 casserole, place bagel pieces, sausage and cheese. (You can layer it if you want or just toss it together). Pour milk and egg mixture over the top. Let set for 10 minutes if you are going to bake immediately. Otherwise, chill until ready to bake (you can assemble the night before if desired).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place casserole on middle shelf. Bake for 45 minutes or until egg is completely cooked and bagel pieces are golden brown.

* I buy these bagels at Panera. If you can't get them, or would rather not, you can use plain bagels, or your favorite savory flavor.

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Asiago Cheese Bagel Bake

We are almost to the end of the holiday dishes -- just two more to go. This one is uber fattening, so if you are sticking to your New Year's diet, go away, quickly.

I found this recipe perusing the Panera bread website. They made a change since the last time I was there and they have recipes! They are, of course, recipes in which you are to use their products. I, however, did not, but the recipe was five star anyway. Delish, delish. The boys raved and my husband raved and the only one who didn't rave was Peach who said it was too cheesy! No such thing, I say. It was very cheesy and decadent, but very yummy and so easy to make. I put it together at about 11 p.m. on a Saturday night and put it in the oven for delayed baked on Sunday before Mass. We came home to the fragrance of Asiago Cheese and bread baking. Mmmm. This dish would be awesome for a meatless supper, as well.

The recipe as seen at the Panera website called for Asiago Cheese bagels. I used plain old Thomas' bagels purchased at the grocery store. I can't imagine this dish being improved by an Asiago Cheese bagel, but if you're inclined, please do. And be sure to serve this casserole with a nice fresh fruit salad -- your arteries will thank you. ;-)

Asiago Cheese Bagel Bake

8 large eggs
1/4 t. salt
2 c. whole milk
1 t. fresh chopped tarragon or 1/2 teaspoon dried (I used dried)
1/4 t. paprika
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 ounces Monterey Jack or medium Cheddar cheese, grated
6 ounces Asiago cheese, grated
4 Asiago cheese bagels

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, salt, milk, tarragon, and paprika. Season with pepper.

Mix the grated cheeses together in a bowl.

Cut the bagels into bite-size pieces.

Grease a 2-quart soufflé or casserole dish.
Starting with the bagel pieces, alternately layer bagel pieces and grated cheese into the dish. Pour the egg mixture evenly over everything, cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour, until the top is golden brown.

Over Easy

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Tough stuff, I know. Actually this was tough stuff for me. My husband has been putting up with messed up eggs for almost 24 years. He likes them over easy, and I almost always break the yolks trying to flip those suckers over. Or I overcook them. Poor guy never gets them just right.

Until now.

Voila.


Perfect over easy eggs and I didn't even have to flip.

The Farmer's Wife taught me how. Go see how she did it. Apparently you can teach these old dogs new tricks.

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Deviled Eggs for My Men

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I never met a man who didn't dive into a plate of deviled eggs the way a kid dives into a bowl of candy. My own husband was probably fed deviled eggs in the high chair, so I guess it's comfort food for him, but my own sons are the same way, as is every other man I've ever fed deviled eggs to. It's a good thing they're cheap!

We had the season's first grilled burgers on Saturday night and I made a dozen deviled eggs to go with. They were cold and creamy and good to the last bite! I use my mini Cuisinart to make them in just minutes, but you can do the same thing with a standard Cuisinart, or even a fork and spoon. You can really do different things with deviled eggs seasoning-wise, but I pretty much stick to standard. They're a little tangy, a little sweet and a little salty.

And thanks to my Aunt Lois who gave me this darling egg plate over 23 years ago.

Deviled Eggs

one dozen eggs, hard boiled and peeled
(use my tried and true method found here)
2 T. mayonnaise
3 T. Miracle Whip
1 t. yellow mustard
2 t. cider vinegar
1 t. Worchestershire
a couple dashes Tabasco
salt and pepper to taste
paprika

Cut eggs in half lengthwise.
Scoop out the yellow and place in the bowl of the Cuisinart
(If you don't have a food processor, put them in a medium-sized bowl).


Reserve whites.
Pulse the yolks for about 15 seconds until the are crumbly.
(If you're not using a processor,
mash them with a fork until they're pretty smooth.)
Add mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, mustard, vinegar, and Worchestershire.



Pulse for about 30 seconds until completely combined
(or stir with a spoon until combined).
Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco.


Pulse until combined and scrapes the sides of the bowl
(or stir and scrape).
Pulse again and taste.
Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Scoop out the yolk filling by the teaspoonful
(I use an infant spoon to make it easier)
and place the filling back into the egg white.
Sprinkle with paprika
(only because that's the way the women-folk in my family do it).



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