Guest Breakfast Casserole

You know that recipe. The one you rummage for when you realize you haven't planned a breakfast for your weekend guests. Your weekday Cheerios won't do. No, no... you're playing host and the morning calls for something with hostess heft. Pretty presentation protein. Entertaining ease.

Screw a different recipe every time. Instead, figure out a formula that works and vary to suit your mood, the season or whatever you have in your fridge.

The formula is easy: bread, eggs and half and half. Then add a 1/2lb meat, 2 cups veggies, seasoning and give it a good soak. Cheese it and bake it.

This version has Cajun flair, since I was welcoming guests for Mardi Gras, but there are near endless options. Spinach and swiss cheese. Bacon and asparagus. Just stick with the proportions and you'll be all set. Look how smart you are!

Guest Breakfast Casserole

Cooking spray

1 baguette, cut into 1-inch slices on the diagonal

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 lb. andouille sausage, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 shallots, chopped

8 eggs

3/4 half and half

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (I prefer Tony Chachere's)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Spray a 9x12 casserole dish with cooking spray. Arrange bread slices on the bottom of the dish. Tear up smaller pieces to fill in the holes between slices. 

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and add andouille. Cook sausage for 5-6 minutes, until brown and remove from skillet with slotted spoon. Add peppers and shallots to pan and cook until softened, about 6-8 minutes. Allow sausage and pepper to cool before spreading over bread. 

In a large bowl, mix eggs, half and half and seasoning. Pour over bread and pepper mixture. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. 

In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the casserole and bake (covered) for 45 minutes, just until eggs set. Remove foil in the last few minutes to give the cheese a bit of color. Coo slightly and enjoy!

Goat Cheese Pistachio Scones

Sometimes I like to be a fancy lady. You know... the kind who cooks in pearls with her hair done. I've got the lipstick part down, but I need to work on the rest. Confession, I frequently wear Crocs when I cook... hangs head in shame. 

Certain foods make me feel fancy and ladylike too. Grown up tea party stuff. I had a few friends over for brunch recently and decided to be a fancy lady. Horrendous, dishwashable shoes were put away. We used cloth napkins and sat at a table like real adults. This called for legit tea party food... enter Goat Cheese Pistachio Scones. 

These are legitimately two of my favorite things. Goat cheese is the crack of the dairy world and I could single-handedly consume a pound of pistachios in under 6 minutes if it weren't for the shell cracking to slow me down. Witnessing this would probably not help you think I was more ladylike. Thank the shells! 

Salted pistachios are great to snack on, but would have overpowered in a scone. I had trouble finding unsalted pistachios in my market, so I rinsed thoroughly under water and dried them out in the oven before I got started with the scones.

Dried, crunchy, chopped and de-salted. Scone-time!

The key to making any dough like a scone or a biscuit is to have very cold wet ingredients. When then butter grinds up into tiny pieces, as opposed to being melted, it will give off steam while baking. This creates air pockets, which gives the pastry luscious lightness with those buttery flakes we all love.

For this dough, I froze the goat cheese crumbles ahead of time and took the butter straight from the fridge.

Combine with mixed dry ingredients in a food processor just until it looks like small pebbles. Then you'll add the pistachios, combining lightly with a fork.

Make a well in the middle and add beaten egg and cream. Then use a fork to gently rake the dry ingredients into the wet.

The mixture looks weird and lumpy. The dough will be very loose. Don't freak out, this is going to be okay.

Dump onto a floured surface and use your hands to gently pat the dough together. The warmth of your hands will start bringing it together. Keep at it just until it sticks. You don't want to overwork the dough.

Form into a 1.5 inch thick disc and slice like a pie. 

By lightly working the dough, you've preserved all of those lovely buttery bits and lumps of cheese. They're like little treasures when you find them in the baked scone.

Brush with a bit of cream and top with pistachios.

There isn't a Croc in sight, 10 points to ladydom. Brunch your way to fancytown, because these scones are the real deal.

Goat Cheese Pistachio Scones
1/3 cup pistachios, shelled, plus 2 tablespoons
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus some for flouring your surface
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles, frozen

1 egg

3/4 cup cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If starting with salted nuts, rinse pistachios under cold water. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and cook for about 10 minutes, just until the nuts dry out.

In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; just until combined. Add cold butter and pulse until butter pieces are about the size of peas. Turn out mixture into a bowl and lightly stir in pistachios and goat cheese. Form a well in the middle of the mixture. In a separate dish, beat egg and cream together. Pour milk into well in butter/flour mixture and use a fork to gently combine the two. When the liquids are absorbed, the mixture will be quite lumpy with dry spots.

Flour a clean surface and turn out dough onto board. Using your hands, lightly form the dough into a 1 1/2 inch disc. Cut into eight wedge shapes. Place scones on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush with a bit of cream and top with remaining chopped pistachios.

Bake for about 15 minutes, just until the edges start to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and serve warm. Scones are best enjoyed within 1-2 days. Enjoy!

Coffee Cake

The countdown has begun... Christmas is almost here. The company parties are done, the presents are bought and wrapped and it's just a few days until we head down to STL in the Honda family sleigh. And of course, the holiday movies.

"Grace? She died 30 years ago." 
"They want you to say the grace... the BLESSING."
"Oh... I pledge allegiance to the flag..."

Because in my book it's not Christmas until you watch Family Vacation and quote it for days afterward. But let's get back to real Graces.

My Aunt Grace's coffee cake is a great option for Christmas morning fare. It's easy enough to take on in the morning, but tasty and impressive enough for relatives and guests alike. Let's all just hope Cousin Eddie doesn't show up at your place.

Cold butter is the base of a crumbly topping and cake.

A quick buzz in the food processor makes the dry ingredients and butter come together in a crumbly mix. You'll reserve one cup for your topping.

The batter will be lumpy since you started with cold butter, but it wall make for a deliciously moist final cake. Top with the reserved crumble topping and in to the oven. Maybe open a present or two? Or maybe enjoy a mimosa or two! It's a holiday after all.

Serve warm, survey all of your lovely prezzies, remind yourself of your blessings and strategize how to politely ask for a gift receipt.

Coffee Cake
1 stick butter, cold and cut into cubes
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 and grease and flour a loaf pan. Combine dry ingredients and butter in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. (Note: You can use a pastry cutter in place of a food processor). Reserve one cup of crumble mixture.

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients with milk and egg, stirring until smooth. Pour into loaf plan and top with reserved crumble mixture.

Bake for 45-60 minutes. Test by sticking a wooden skewer in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is done. Allow cake to rest in the pan for five minutes before removing from pan.