Farmer's Breakfast Casserole

I made this Farmer's Breakfast Casserole for the first of a series of breakfasts that I catered for a friend's family over the course of her brother's wedding weekend. By all accounts, this was a big hit. Even though I never sampled the finished product or even got a picture of the finished product, I knew that it would be delicious. This breakfast casserole is packed with good stuff. It's like an "everything" omelette!

Although I don't remember doing so, I tore this recipe for Farmer's Breakfast Casserole out of the February 1996 edition of Better Homes and Garden's magazine and placed it in my recipe files. In February of 1996 I turned 19. I was a freshman at Purdue University and a Political Science/Agriculture Economics double major. I lived in a tiny 5th floor dorm room with a difficult roommate. I had just pledged my sorority and broken up with my hometown boyfriend. I was having fun with my new "sisters" (hiding out from the crazy roomie and going to frat parties) and trying to find a balance in my life between party girl and responsible student. With all of that going on, I guess I just never got around to making this. Now I'm a "retired" high school Family and Consumer Science (Home Ec) teacher and the stay-at-home mother of two. February of 1996 seems like a lifetime ago. But apparently I had good taste in recipes, even then.

When I was flipping through my recipe files, choosing options to present to my friend for the weekend menu for her family and the bridesmaids, this recipe jumped out at me. We both agreed that it sounded delicious...but she wanted to add more veggies. The original recipe only called for green onion. I couldn't agree more. She suggested green peppers and mushrooms. I took notes. Then I went shopping and realized that zucchini would be really nice here too. Some fresh diced tomato would work well also, although I didn't add any this time. That's what I love about almost any recipe, you can really make it your own, adding seasonal ingredients and adjusting to the tastes of those who will eat it. The original recipe did inspire me, but I pretty much left it by the wayside as I created this breakfast casserole.

I decided that I would saute the requested green pepper with some sweet onion until both were tender.



I mixed the sauteed onions and peppers with 3 cups of prepared hash browns. Then I spread the mixture into the bottom of a greased (I used cooking spray) 9 X 13 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.



Then I chopped a zucchini and sliced 4-6 oz. of fresh mushrooms and distributed them over the hashbrowns. You can give this another light dusting of salt and pepper if you like.



Next, chop up 1 cup of Canadian bacon and sprinkle that over the zucchini and mushrooms.



Now for the cheese! I went with shredded cheddar. I think that this is about a cup...or more.




Next, I mixed together 6 eggs, a 12 oz can of evaporated milk, 3/4 cup of "regular" milk, and a little sprinkle of salt and pepper.



I poured the egg mixture over all of that good stuff in the casserole dish, then covered it and put in into the fridge for the night.



This dish bakes at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes, or until the center is set. Unfortunately, I wasn't around when the casserole was served, so I don't have a picture of the finished product. Guess I'll just have to make it again so that I can taste it myself. : )

Here's the recipe:

Farmer's Breakfast Casserole

3 cups shredded hash brown potatoes
1/2 of a large sweet onion, diced
1/2 of a green pepper, diced
cooking oil of choice
1 small zucchini, chopped
4-6 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup Canadian bacon, diced
3/4- 1 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar, Jack, whatever...)
6 eggs
1-12 oz can evaporated milk
3/4 cup milk
salt and pepper, to taste

Grease or spray with non-stick cooking spray a 9 X 13 inch casserole dish. Heat oil in a skillet. Saute onion and green pepper in the skillet until tender. Mix with hash browns. Spread the hash brown mixture evenly over the bottom of the baking dish. Salt and pepper. Top with zucchini, mushrooms, Canadian bacon, and cheese. Mix eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together until frothy. Pour over the ingredients in the casserole dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes until the center is set.

For a printable copy of this recipe, please click here.

Streusel Topped Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

A few weeks ago, one of my friends called to ask if I would cater some meals for the weekend of her brother's wedding. She was hostessing 6-8 extra people in her home for the weekend festivities on top of being a bridesmaid and the mother of the flower girl and ring bearer, helping with the wedding set up, re-modelling a rental property, and working her regular part-time job. I'd say that her plate was pretty full! The last thing she wanted to worry about was how to feed everyone. We agreed that I would provide breakfast on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning, in addition to bringing brunch to the salon where the bridesmaids were getting made up on the day of the wedding and lunch to her house for the family. Let me tell ya, it was a LOT of cooking and baking!

For Friday morning I prepared this coffee cake, a Farmer's Breakfast Casserole (hopefully I'll post that one tomorrow) and a big tray of fresh fruit.

This coffee cake was a big hit! I got comments like, "Are you sure that didn't come from a bakery?" and the most flattering comment from my friend's father, "My mother used to make wonderful coffee cakes like that one. Yours was better." Wow. I was feeling especially proud since I borrowed from a few of the coffee cake recipes that I've tried over the years and developed this one on my own. I probably just got lucky with the right combination, but I'm definitely holding onto the recipe and using it again!

This fragrant (there's lots of vanilla in there!) coffee cake boasts a moist, tender crumb, bursting with juicy berries, and finished the sweet, nutty crunch of two layers of streusel. It's the perfect companion for your morning coffee!

I began by mixing the streusel filling/topping ingredients: white sugar, brown sugar, chopped toasted pecans, cinnamon, and vanilla. Toss it all together and set aside.



Cream the butter and sugar and then add one egg at a time. Beat well after each egg so that the mixture becomes nice and fluffy.



Then mix the dry ingredients together.



Add the dry ingredients alternately with...



the sour cream (mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla). Mix until JUST COMBINED after each addition.



Then fold in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of plump blueberries. I toss my blueberries with flour first to keep them suspended in the batter, rather than sinking to the bottom.



Butter a 9 inch springform pan. I used to think that one springform pan was as good as another. Then, I got this Pampered Chef Springform Pan Setfrom my grandma last Christmas. I busted it out for the first time when I made this cake. It's got a glass bottom and a special tool for loosening the cake from the sides of the pan and even flawlessly removing it from the bottom. If you're shopping for your first springform pan or just looking to upgrade, this one gets my recommendation. It was easy to use and yielded a perfect cake.

Spread half of the batter in the bottom of the pan and smooth it out so that it's evenly distributed.



Then sprinkle half of the streusel topping over the batter.



Top with the remaining batter.



And finally, the remaining streusel. Now pop the whole thing into the oven for 55-70 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.



Cool on a rack, then run a knife (or the special tool provided with the springform pan) around the edges to loosen before lifting the sides off of the pan.



Cut a big slice, pour a cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy! (If you have issues with self control when it comes to baked goods, then invite some friends to join you!)



Blueberry Coffee Cake

Streusel:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 T. brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cinnamon

Toss ingredients together and set aside.

Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour + additional for tossing with blueberries
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. nutmeg
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 to 3/4 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 inch round pan or a springform pan. Combine dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well after each addition until the mixture gets fluffy. Add the vanilla to the sour cream and then add alternately with the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined after each addition. Toss the blueberries in some flour, then shake off the excess and fold them into the batter. Spread half of the batter evenly into the bottom of the cake pan. Top with half of the streusel. Top with the remaining batter, followed by the rest of the streusel. Bake for 55-70 minutes until the cake tests done. Cool on a rack.

For a printable copy of this recipe please click here!


* For Hire! If you're reading this from Northeastern Ohio or anywhere above Highway 70/74 in Indiana and would like a personal chef for your wedding weekend, drop me an email. I'd do this again!

Meal Plan and Grocery List 8/23-8/29

Hello friends! I hope that you have all had a lovely weekend. My family was finally home for the WHOLE weekend together! It's been at least a month since this phenomenon has occurred. To celebrate, we put in our last appearance at the neighborhood pool, had dinner with friends, organized, purchased school supplies, and packed my daughter's back pack. On Tuesday she heads off to her first day of kindergarten! Exciting stuff!

This week's meal plan is almost completely made up of meals I have prepared before. Good old tried and true recipes for a back to school week. Most of the meals come together pretty quickly. The exception is Monday's meal, Oven Barbecued Chicken. It's a bit time consuming, but you can make the barbecue sauce ahead and store it in the fridge until you're ready to use it, speeding preparation up considerably.

Just click on the links below to get the recipes.

Monday August 23rd

Oven BBQ Chicken

Tuesday August 24th

BBQ Chicken Salad

Wednesday August 25th

Easy Ravioli Bake

Thursday August 26th

Tomato Provolone Sandwiches with Pesto Mayonnaise

Friday August 27th

Bacon Onion and Mushroom Pizza

Saturday August 28th

Leftovers

Sunday August 29th

Zucchini-Sausage Skillet


Grocery List


Produce

3-4 onions
garlic
lettuce
4-5 tomatoes
green onion
arugula
mushrooms
flat leaf parsley
2 zucchini
4 red potatoes


Meat

2 whole chickens, about 3-1/2 lbs. each
6 slices bacon
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage


Dairy

butter
shredded cheddar
8 oz. shredded Italian blend cheese
grated Parmesan
4 slices provolone
8 oz white cheddar

Canned Goods

cider vinegar
Worcestershire sauce
molasses
tomato paste
peanut oil
1 can black beans
1 can whole kernel corn
Ranch dressing
Spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
light mayonnaise
refrigerated pesto
olive oil

Dry Goods

kosher salt
crushed red pepper
paprika
chili powder
brown sugar
Sliced sourdough or Italian bread

Freezer

2 lbs frozen cheese ravioli


Since I've already written about the recipes on the plan, the focus of my posts this week will be....BREAKFAST! Last weekend I catered breakfasts for a friend who had relatives visiting for her brother's wedding. I really need to share all of that breakfast bliss with the world, so this week I will be posting about mini quiches, Farmer's Breakfast Casserole, Coffee Cakes, and Oven Baked French Toast. Mmmm.

I hope that you all have a spectacular week! : )

Savory Focaccia Pie

I found this recipe for Savory Focaccia Pie in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. I've put it on my meal plan 3 or 4 times, but each time, I just never got around to making it. Yesterday, with a fresh-bfaked loaf of focaccia and all of the ingredients on hand, I had no excuse to put this recipe off again. The focaccia makes for a flavorful crust and the combination of Italian sausage, sun dried tomato, spinach, and fresh mozzarella produces a tasty result. There were a couple of problems with this recipe. First, the homemade focaccia that I made was too "fluffy". There was just too much bread and it overwhelmed the flavors of the toppings. Second, because there was no sauce and I used chunks of fresh mozzarella rather than shredded cheese sprinkled evenly over the pie, there was nothing to bind the toppings to the bread. They kept falling off, making for a messy dinner, and worse yet, making it nearly impossible to get all (or any!) of the toppings in a bite. A flatter, denser focaccia would have definitely helped this recipe to realize it's potential.


I began this recipe with a loaf of focaccia bread.




The recipe called for a 12 inch focaccia. This one was quite a bit bigger, so rather than cutting it into the recommended 8 slices, I cut it into 10. Brush it with some oil from the sun dried tomatoes and put the slices into a 250 degree oven to warm while you prepare the other ingredients.




The recipe called for 3/4 cup of sun dried tomato halves packed in oil with Italian herbs. Sun dried tomatoes packed in oil are expensive! I found plain sun dried tomatoes for sale by weight at my corner store. This is about 1/4 lb. of sun dried tomatoes. I only paid $1.80.




Then I poured a little olive oil mixed with Italian dipping spices over the top and tossed them around. I let the tomatoes sit, soaking up the oil for an afternoon.



When the time came to assemble the focaccia pie, I removed them from the oil and chopped them up.



I browned 8 oz. of Italian sausage and set it aside to drain on paper towels.



Then I put 4 cups of baby spinach into the skillet and cooked it in the sausage drippings until...



it was just wilted.



The recipe calls for 2 oz. of crumbled goat cheese. Try as I might, I cannot stomach the stuff. I mean it...foodie that I am, I've tried...lots of times. I know that my hang up stems from the fact that we raised sheep on our farm for most of my childhood. Sheep have a very distinct smell. To me, goat cheese tastes just like the smell of sheep. I know, crazy, right? So goat cheese was out, but I LOVE fresh mozzarella, so I went with that. You could also substitute feta.



Here are the toppings, all ready to go!



Arrange the focaccia slices into a circle and cover it in all of those delicious toppings.




Place the focaccia pie under the broiler until the cheese melts and the toppings are heated through.



And that's dinner!



Savory Focaccia Pie from Better Homes and Gardens

Start to Finish: 22 minutes

Ingredients
3/4 cup oil-packed dried tomato halves with Italian herbs (3 oz.)
1 12-inch round flat-top rosemary or garlic focaccia
8 oz. bulk Italian sausage
1 4-oz. pkg. baby spinach (4 cups)
2 oz. goat cheese (chévre) or feta cheese (I used fresh mozzarella)

Directions
1. Heat oven to 250 degrees F. Drain tomatoes, reserving oil. Place focaccia on large baking sheet and brush with 2 teaspoons of the oil. Cut in 8 wedges. Arrange wedges in circle. Place in oven to warm.

2. Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet cook sausage over medium-high heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Drain sausage in a colander, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in skillet. Cook spinach in drippings just until wilted.

3. Set oven to Broil. Top warmed focaccia with cheese, dried tomatoes, sausage, and spinach. Broil, 4 to 5 inches from heat, for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is softened and toppings are heated through. Drizzle wedges with additional oil from tomatoes (optional). Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 548, Total Fat (g) 29, Saturated Fat (g) 10, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 11, Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 3, Cholesterol (mg) 64, Sodium (mg) 1006, Carbohydrate (g) 55, Fiber (g) 2, Protein (g) 22, Vitamin C (DV%) 50, Calcium (DV%) 24, Iron (DV%) 16, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Tomato-Bread Salad

Dude. Bread Salad. Wow.

I don't know why I've never made it before, but I'll definitely be making it again. Sometime at the beginning of this decade I ripped a recipe out of a magazine. I have no idea which magazine, but this torn out little tidbit of a recipe has resided in my recipe folder for years. I stumbled across it early this summer and stuck it to my fridge. Last night, I made it my own. I used homemade focaccia bread and vine ripened tomatoes from a neighbor's garden. We grilled out burgers and sweet corn, but I was happy with just the bread salad.

I began by making the dressing. It's basically a balsamic vinaigrette. First chop 2-3 shallots and add 3 tablespoons of honey.



Then add 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Blend or whisk until combined.



Continue to whisk or blend while drizzling in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of olive oil until the dressing is thick. I used my Cuisinart CSB-76BC SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender, Brushed Chrome. It's awesome for making dressing!



Cut up half a loaf of focaccia bread (or more if the focaccia is small) and spread it out on a baking sheet. My fluffy homemade focaccia bread made for some excellent bread cubes! Put the sheet into a 350 degree oven and toast the bread for 8 minutes.



While the bread toasts, cut up 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of assorted ripe tomatoes and slice half of a red onion. Toss them into a bowl.



Add in the toasted focaccia chunks.



Then pour on the dressing.



Now for some basil. I'm not sure what was up with my basil. When purchased, it was a nice green color. When I pulled it out of the fridge for this recipe, it was suspiciously darker. But it wasn't slimy, like it was rotting. It also still smelled and tasted like basil should, so I went ahead and used it. Anyone know why my basil was discolored? Tis' a puzzlement.



I chopped it up and threw it on top of my salad before tossing.



This salad is best served immediately, but it was just as good for a midnight snack and again today at lunch. You know what might make it even better? A little parmigiano-reggiano grated over the top. YUM!



Tomato and Bread Salad

Makes: 8 servings Prep: 15 minutes

1/2 loaf focaccia bread, cut into 1/2 in. cubes (I prefer rosemary focaccia, but use whatever you like)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
salt
pepper
2-3 shallots, minced
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, cut up
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place focaccia on a baking sheet. Place in oven for 8 minutes or until nicely toasted. Set aside. Whisk or blend together shallots, honey, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Drizzle in olive oil and whisk or blend until thick. Combine tomatoes, onion, and toasted bread. Pour on the dressing and toss. Garnish with basil. Salt and pepper to taste.