Welcome to Sundays with the Lechlers. This blog shares recipes and events in our lives. It's written for family and friends and people who like to cook and read about good food. We all live busy lives, so we set aside Sundays to rekindle.
This is a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa and is so simple. Thaw a box of puff pastry in the frig over night. Spray a baking pan. Roll out one sheet of puff pastry. Use an egg wash around the edges to seal the two pastry sheets together.) Lay one sheet on the pan and cover the sheet with mustard of your choice. I used grainy and hot mixed. Place several slice of deli ham all over the mustard. Place your favorite cheese slice on top of the ham and little round pickles over the entire thing. (She didn't use bacon, but I had crisp bacon from breakfast, so I added that.) Roll out your next and last sheet and cover the entire thing. Making sure there is enough egg wash to seal the package. Barefoot didn't put the poppy see stuff on top, but we liked it that way and as you can see, Brooks doesn't mind it at all. Oven for around 25 minutes until it is puffed, brown, and beautiful enough for a picture.
The chicks are coming home to roost and they are hungry! I am in the kitchen dreaming up new ideas for their parties and they are my thing tasters. This is Brooks who graduated from the Citadel with many honors and as a second lieutenant and NOW HE'S HUNGRY. The army Ranger's School gets him next and I don't want to send him away hungry.
Cooke Road has been closed for several days and we like that, but we are not getting our newspaper and I missed the Cook's Corner this morning. I got on line and here is the first recipe that caught my eye. This reads deliciously and when Joe and Glenda come to visit , staying a few days, I am serving this. It's a pecan breakfast casserole. But first:
Roast beef sliders, recipe on a previous post .Andy is wild about them. and so was the Appliance Guy who was fixing one of my dishwashers.
PECAN MORNING CASSEROLE
Makes 8 to 10 servings
1 loaf raisin bread, cubed (Carfagna's babka would work well here too.)
1 package (8 ounces) breakfast sausage links, cooked according to package directions 6 eggs 1 ½ cups milk 1 ½ cups half & half 1 teaspoon vanilla ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
For the topping: (We use only ½ of this) 1 cup brown sugar ½ cup butter or margarine 2 tablespoon maple syrup 1 cup pecans
Coat a 13-by-9-inch pan with nonstick spray. Cube bread and put in pan. Cut sausage into bite-size pieces. Mix with bread. In large bowl, beat eggs, half & half, milk, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon until blended. Pour over bread/sausage.
For topping: Combine sugar, butter, syrup and pecans, and spoon over casserole. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 1 hour (35 to 40 minutes in convection oven) or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
This must be breakfast time on Cook's Corner. You've probably made this, but in case you have not, those little tater tots are tasty especially when baked to a golden crunch.
TATER TOT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
Makes 8 servings
1 bag (1 pound) frozen tater tots, baked until golden 8 eggs 1 pound breakfast sausage (or bacon) 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese Salt and pepper, to taste
In a casserole dish, bake tater tots until golden (about 15 minutes). While they bake, cook the sausage or bacon until almost done, then add chopped peppers and onions and cook until vegetables are softened. Beat eggs in a bowl. Spread meat mixture on top of tots and then pour eggs over. Bake until fluffy and slightly browned. Top with cheese and bake just until melted.
From allrecipes:
Charleston Breakfast Casserole
Prep
Cook
Ready In
Recipe By:Scott M.
"An easy, crowd-pleasing breakfast or brunch idea. Try playing with the ingredients to dress it up or down, depending on your occasion."
Ingredients
12 slices bacon
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 cups croutons
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
1 bell pepper (any color), diced
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Melt butter in the microwave, or in a small pan on the stove over low heat. Spray a 9x12 inch baking dish with vegetable spray. Place croutons in the bottom of the dish, and drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle with grated Cheddar cheese.
Crack the eggs into a bowl, whisking to break up the yolks. Add milk, peppers, mustard, salt, and pepper, and beat until well-combined. Pour over the croutons and cheese, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.
Allrecipes
Look how big Andy's Russian kale has grown already!
So far, for Daniel and Brooks' graduation party I have made two cheesecakes and 2 dishes of lasagna roll ups. I will try to do a dish a day (ahead) because we are expecting a big crowd for this event. There are so many do ahead, delicious dishes and that is a real time saver and leg saver. There will be a lot of men at this party, so to fill them up, they want FOOD. I am considering having serving help this time; that too cuts down on the serious serving and clean up.
Matt is in charge of the outside and is doing a great job. Beth is in charge of the house and decorations. Andy is in charge of the pool. I am in charge of the food. Mike and Nate are in charge of their work but lend a hand as the party grows closer. Everyone has to pay their way for things to get done.
Meatloaf done in French cast iron. These will be sliced for meatloaf sliders. Manly. Yep.
Baked Roast Beef and Provolone "Tea" Sliders on Everything Buns
I am for sure doing this for a party. You know those Hawaiian buns? Slip the entire set of buns out of the wrapper and slice the entire set of buns horizontally so you have one piece which is the entire bottom and then the top set. In a buttered baking dish slide in the whole set (entire bottom section of the package of buns) and start layering the following ingredients. After it is layered, brush it with the buttered seasoning mix and bake it in the oven for 10 minutes until it is browned and the cheese is melted. Take it out of the oven and according to the lines cut out each of the sandwiches which looks like the picture. When it comes out of the oven it looks like a sheet of Hawaiian rolls. But they are tiny sliders. Who knew? This is what happens on Mother's Day this year. Only Andy and I are here and he is studying and I am watching cooking shows, many I have never seen before. But this one really spoke to me. Note: It is NOT easy to cut the buns in one piece horizontally...at all. So I squeezed them in next to one another, put them in the oven for 10 minutes and had to cut them in servings any way, so what makes the difference. Andy was wild about them and the Appliance Guy fixing one of the dishwashers loved them too.
Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, melted, plus additional for buttering baking dish
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
3/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon dried minced onion
Pretzel salt or kosher salt
1 package Hawaiian sweet rolls
1 1/2 pounds shaved RARE roast beef from the deli counter, preferably a premium brand like Boar's Head
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
Stir together the melted butter, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion and 1 teaspoon salt.
Without separating into individual rolls, slice the top half of the bread off the bottom. Place the bottom portion of the rolls in the prepared baking dish. Layer the shaved roast beef on top, then the crispy onions, then a layer of provolone, then top with layer of pickles. Place the top section of the rolls on the sandwich stacks. Stir the spiced butter and then liberally brush over the tops of the rolls until entirely coated.
Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is ooey gooey and the tops of the rolls are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into sliders with a large chef's knife.
This is Brooks and his mother, Beth. He is graduating today Summa Cum Laude from the Citadel and his party, here, will be over Memorial Day. I found this on Pinterest and when I make it I am going to place hash browns on the bottom of the Portobella mushrooms and then bake the egg on top of the hash browns. I will spice up the potatoes with peppers or something to give them a kick because everything else is bland. This is such a good idea. This Santa Fe salad is self explanatory. One can see each ingredient. I think this will be a good do- ahead and make a stunning presentation. Also found on Pinterest.
from Art and the Kitchen
from Healthy Recipes
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
Strata, breakfast casserole, french toast bake or bread pudding. It doesn't matter what you call this, it's totally delicious and can be made ahead so it's great for feeding a crowd!It tastes like a cross between a quiche, french toast, and an omelette.
Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
10 oz / 300g bacon, diced
6 eggs
1¼ cups milk (full or low fat)
¼ tsp salt (ordinary table sale) or ½ tsp sea salt flakes or kosher salt
Black pepper
7 cups (lightly packed) baguette / french stick cut into 2 cm / 1 inch cubes (preferably slightly stale)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (Note 1)
Parsley, finely chopped (garnish - optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a large non stick pan over high heat. (Use a bit of oil if not using non stick). Add all but 2 tbsp of bacon (reserve for topping) and cooked until lightly browned. Remove from the fry pan and drain on a paper towel.
Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Place the bread in a large ziplock bag. Pour in the egg mixture, 1½ cups cheese and cooked bacon (reserve the uncooked bacon). Seal and massage the egg into the cubes. Set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (until all the egg is soaked into the bread) or overnight.
To Cook
Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
Spray a 21cm/8" springform cake tin (Note 2). Pour the bread mixture into the cake tin, pat down to compress and scatter with remaining uncooked bacon and remaining ½ cup cheese. Cover loosely with foil or with a pan lid.
Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for a further 10 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing the springform and cutting into slices to serve. Garnish with parsley if using.
NOTES
1. You can substitute with any other flavoured melting cheese eg. tasty, gouda, Monterey Jack.
2. If you don't want to make this in a springform pan, use a 10"/25cm square baking dish. Also, you can mix the bread and egg mixture straight into the baking dish instead of in a ziplock bag. The ziplock bag is used to prevent egg mixture from leaking from the springform pan while it is set aside.
It's lovely to have spring and early planting and early flowers...and rain. However, how about some sun and rising temperatures? I get a lot of cooking done when it is cloudy and rainy. Today, so far, I have made two varieties of meatloaf and in the slow cooker I have pot roast with carrots, potatoes and other slow cooking goodies. I am about to start on an unknown dessert, as soon as I figure out which one to make. Beth is gone for a few days and Mike will join her for Brooks' graduation from the Citadel (with honors I might add.) But there is no lacking a crowd here to eat. There is plenty of outside work for the sunny, warm week end, so I am cooking ahead. Oh yes, I forgot, I am putting together a fish chowder today too. The family has named that as one of their favorites.
Isn't this cute? It's a miniature orchid holder in a picture frame made of pottery and it has a picture frame back stand so that it can be presented like a picture. Found it at Giant Eagle yesterday. Cute idea for mother's day. (Wish my mother were here to enjoy it.)
Decided to make a strawberry cake. I'll let you know the results of this recipe:
Strawberry cake 1 (18.25-ounce) box strawberry cake mix 3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced 1/4 cup sugar 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 (3-ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin (recommended: Jell-O) Fresh strawberries, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Follow cake directions as written on cake mix box.
Remove from oven and cool cake completely. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine strawberries and sugar. Let macerate 20 minutes. Invert and release cake onto a decorative platter.
Whip cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla at medium-high speed until it reaches stiff peaks. Do not over whip.
Mix gelatin as directed on box. Refrigerate gelatin mix but do not let it harden, it should cool to a liquid consistency.
Using a straw, poke holes all over the cake. Pour gelatin into holes and spread over the top of the cake.
Spread layer of macerated strawberries on top of cake. Spread layer of whipped cream on top of the strawberries, making pretty swirls and ripples. Garnish with fresh strawberries. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Rainy day pot roast. (Gone in one meal.)
Don't you love the spring flowers?
Forget-me-nots are so delicate and lovely. Between pulling and killing weeds, these spring beauties make it all worth while. We have such early planting this year and Andy and I and sometimes Beth make many many trips to the nursery. Andy and Nate have started many seeds in the green house so they have an especially good start. Here's hoping the weather forgets to change.
I am putting together the menu for the first of the graduation parties here at Many Branches. Daniel from Cincinnati, graduating from Miami, and Brooks, graduating from the Citadel (with honors) will be the first of many honored for their hard work. Andy and I have been to the Andersons several times lately where they have prime rib sliders. At least that is how we use them. There are twenty to a package in the fresh meat department and they are simply scrumptious. So a big platter of those will be set our early with the starters.
Then, beef rib tips. Have the butcher take a rack of baby back ribs and saw the rack right up the middle creating baby baby ribs which are delightful and easy to eat. They can be in a crock pot which can be replenished as needed and any left overs are delicious. (Also from the Andersons, but I have had Carfagna's cut them for me as well.)
Prime rib sliders from Andersons. Delicious.
Keep watching and reading as I meander through the menu and plans. There will be all ages and ranges as far as guests are concerned. Guests are scattered all over the house and property and people just do what they want to do and there is certainly a lot to keep everyone happy. Luckily everyone gets along, unlike the Real Housewives--they honestly cannot behave as guests or any other way. It is fascinating how some people can be so rude and be asked back again and again. NOT HERE, however.
Posted by Abbey 1 c. Barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Rays)
1 c. Sweet Orange Marmalade
2 1/2 T. Soy Sauce
1/4 t. Ginger
1/2 t. Garlic Salt
Popcorn Chicken
To keep this recipe really simple buy frozen popcorn chicken. Cook chicken according to directions. While chicken is cooking, combine BBQ sauce, marmalade, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic salt in a small sauce pan. Stir and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken and toss until chicken is evenly coated. Serve atop rice.
I am going to make this to top my rice/tiny pasta dish (rice pilaf)
