Monday, December 18, 2006
Start Christmas off right
Between gifts, gathering family together, and visiting friends, Christmas can be a hectic day. Starting it out with a hearty breakfast gives your family fuel for the day and gives you time to reflect on the holiday over a special breakfast.
These casseroles take some of the pressure off, as you assemble them the night before and just pop them in the oven in the morning. And since one casserole serves everyone, you won’t find yourself stuck in the kitchen filling orders for different styles of eggs or custom-designed omelets. Serve one of these dishes with a fruit salad and bread or rolls, and you’ve got a special meal on the table in no time at all.
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Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole
1 pound ground pork breakfast sausage
12 eggs
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1-1/4 cups milk
1 4.5-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 32-ounce package frozen potato rounds (such as Tater Tots)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
Crumble sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, condensed cream of mushroom soup, and milk. Stir in the sausage and mushrooms, and pour into the prepared baking dish. Mix in the frozen potato rounds. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, and bake until cheese is melted, about an additional 10 minutes. Makes 12 servings.
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Holiday Breakfast Casserole
1 pound ground pork breakfast sausage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
6 slices white bread, toasted and cut into cubes
2 cups (8 ounces) Cheddar cheese, shredded
Crumble sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until set, about an additional 30 minutes. Makes 8 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
For festive French toast or pancakes, substitute pumpkin pie spice for the nutmeg or cinnamon in your favorite recipe.
The Practical Pantry ©2006 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com