Make Ahead Breakfast

Whether hosting guests, shuttling a young family to their many activities, or preparing for a special holiday event, mornings can get very hectic. When others are placing demands on your time, but you still need or want to deliver a hearty breakfast, plan ahead and start the night before.

Hosting a group of professionals for an early morning meeting meant serving breakfast, but I didn’t want to get up an extra two hours early to make it happen. So, this recipe started from an overnight casserole which I sourced from The Chunky Chef. Because I wanted to also pair my eggs with fresh huckleberry scones, I didn’t want my eggs to also be full of bread. I considered what I might serve as individual dishes in a breakfast buffet and immediately had confidence I could adapt the recipe to include hashbrowns instead.

Loaded Breakfast Casserole

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: breakfast casserole, holiday, make ahead

Ingredients

  • 1 lb bulk breakfast sausage
  • 8-10 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 2/3 cups milk
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground dry mustard
  • 1 tsp dried parsley (or 1 tbsp fresh minced parsley)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 16 oz frozen hash browns
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere or raclette cheese
  • minced fresh parsley for garnish
  • chopped fresh chives for garnish

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, brown and crumble sausage until browed. Drain and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, dry mustard, parsley, pepper and paprika.
  • Add hashbrowns to a greased 3 quart baking dish. Top with crumbled sausage, bacon and 3/4 of the combined cheese. Pour egg custard over the top, using a spoon to gently push any potatoes down into the custard. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheeses.
  • Cover pan with foil and refrigerate overnight.
  • Remove from refrigerator, uncover, and let sit at room temperature while oven preheats to 350°F. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes, until firm and lightly golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 minutes. Serve hot, topped with garnishes.

Whenever making a baked egg dish with cheese, try to remember that cheese has oil in it. If you don’t let your eggs rest at the end of baking, you can be falsely convinced the eggs are not done because there is too much “liquid” standing. Another reason your casserole may have excess water could be from the vegetables in your dish. This can be alleviated by sautéing vegetables before putting them in the casserole. Since this is an overnight recipe, that may or may not be a good choice for your timeline. Use a thermometer and if it reaches 160°, the dish is done. Does the egg mixture bounce when touched, or does it sink? If it bounces, the eggs are done and your dish needs to rest so the oils can settle a bit. Be careful, overbaking your eggs can make them rubbery.

Serve your breakfast casserole with fresh fruit and biscuits, scones or cinnamon rolls, and then sit down and enjoy it yourself. You’ll be so glad you took a little bit of time the night before so you can enjoy this beautiful morning with your family and/or guests.

Blessings to you!
Tina


French Cheese Soufflé

While soufflés have a reputation for being challenging to make, following a few simple techniques can deliver you a beautiful soufflé each time. This is one of those recipes that encourages the exact right kitchen tools for an accurate result. In case you were thinking about getting rid of that old wooden spoon, think again!

1. Start with a spotlessly clean bowl and balloon whisk (an electric mixer with a whisk will work too)
2. If you don’t have a copper bowl, a pinch of cream of tartar is the secret ingredient to stabilize the egg white foam
3. Use a rubber spatula to fold (sweeping over & under motion) the egg whites into the soufflé base. Your goal is to keep the egg whites as puffy as possible

cheese souffle
French Cheese Soufflé
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Sausage & Egg Bake

I was looking to clean up some items in the fridge and freezer when my husband suggested an egg bake for breakfast. We had 1/2 bag of hashbrowns that needed eating in the freezer and some left over sausage from a round of pigs in blankets. So, I took stock of the veggies on hand and put together the following recipe in time for breakfast. It’s one thing I love about cooking breakfast – it’s so quick and easy! Enjoy…

Sausage & Egg Bake

Course: Breakfast
Servings: 4
Author: Tina Cusker

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup green or orange pepper, chopped
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 large handfuls spinach
  • 1/2 tomato, chopped
  • 4-5 sausage links, cooked & chopped
  • 3 cups frozen hashbrowns
  • 5 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare 11×7 pan with non-stick spray.
  • Whisk together eggs and milk. Set aside.
  • In a small skillet, saute onion and green pepper in olive oil until softened. Mix in chopped sausage and spinach, cooking until spinach is wilted. Add tomators, salt & pepper.
  • Layer hashbrowns in the baking dish. Top with the vegetables. Pour eggs over the top. Add cheese over all before sprinkling paprika.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until eggs are done. Serve with muffins or toast.

Copyright © 2020 Montana Mountain Maven / Tina R. Cusker. All rights reserved.


Chicken & Egg Salad Sandwich

Chicken & Egg Salad

Servings: 6
Author: Tina Cusker

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked rotisserie chicken, chopped
  • 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
  • 1 green onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup celery, diced
  • 20 grapes, halved
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp tarragon
  • 1/3 cup mayo
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/8 cup pecan peices

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
  • Serve equal portions on bread of your choosing. Add a pickle or baby cucumber as a garnish.

Showering the Bride

There are few things in life as memorable as a wedding or bringing a child into a family. I had the privilege to host my niece’s bridal shower this past weekend and wanted to share how we decided on a theme and carried it through from the invitations to the decor and especially into the food. In other words, we took our theme seriously!

Theme: Champagne Glitter Brunch
Wedding Colors: Lavender & Silver
Wedding Date: March 28
Shower Date: February 22
Shower Guests: approximately 25
Supporting Vendors: Party Time Plus, Allegra Printing, La Chatelaine Chocolaterie, Alex Nguyen (aquariusds) on Etsy, WeDoHoney on Etsy, Staples Office Supply and Rae Rae’s Bakery

With a little inspiration from a Google search, selecting a shower theme was really pretty easy. The bride to be has always been in love with glitter, shiny crystal things, pretty in pink things. It’s a celebratory time so you have to have Champagne, and brunch offers a fun menu that doesn’t require a lot of last minute cooking. A short planning session over lunch helped us divide up the tasks, and it didn’t hurt to have the bride’s mother be an owner in a party rental business. She provided the extra tables, white chairs and table linens, along with an easel for the welcome sign, water goblets, flatware and a few other minor supplies.

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Autumn Apple Harvest

For over two weeks I have been slicing and peeling apples by the dozens thanks to some very generous colleagues with a bounty to share. I’ve already made 5 pies, 3 dozen apple cinnamon muffins, apple cake, apple onion & yellow squash gratin, AND two dozen caramel apple cinnamon rolls. What’s next on the menu?

You’ll be the first to know when I finally decide… and hopefully I’ll get them finished before the pears and plums show up.

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