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Sticky Lemon Buns
If you want something a little different from traditional glazed cinnamon buns or pecan rolls, try these refreshing lemon buns with a sticky cream cheese glaze. The recipe makes 12 large buns so there will be plenty for all and maybe even leftovers for an afternoon snack. (Then again, maybe not.)
For the dough:
1 envelope active yeast
3/4 cup milk, warmed ("handwashing warm")
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 lemon, zested
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
For the filling:
1 cup sugar
1 lemon, zested
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup lemon juice
For the glaze:
1 lemon, zested and juiced
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
For the dough: In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warmed milk and let it sit for a few minutes. Stir the butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and 1 cup of the flour into the milk and yeast mixture. Stir in the salt and nutmeg. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft yet sticky dough. Knead for 5-7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth, pliable, and stretchy. Lightly grease the top of the dough with vegetable oil, and turn the dough over so it is coated in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
For the filling: While the dough is rising, rub the lemon zest into the sugar with the tips of your fingers until well combined. Add the butter and beat until thick and creamy. Add the ginger and nutmeg. Slowly add the lemon juice and whip. It should be a thin yet still creamy mixture of butter and sugar. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour, or until you are ready to assemble the rolls.
Assembly: Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with baking spray or butter. On a floured surface, pat the risen dough into a large but thick rectangle, about 10 x 15 inches. Spread the dough evenly with filling. Roll tightly, starting from the top long end. Stretch and pull the dough taut as you roll, to keep the filling inside. Cut the long roll into 12 even rolls and place each in the prepared baking dish. Cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour or until puffy and doubled. At this point, you can refrigerate the rolls. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or a towel, and place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Remove from fridge and allow to rise at room temperature for 1 hour before baking. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
For the glaze: While the rolls are baking, combine the lemon juice and cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy. (Reserve the lemon zest.) Add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth and creamy. When the rolls are done, smear them with glaze and sprinkle the reserved lemon zest over top to garnish. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving, but serve warm.
Ham and Cheese Casserole
Breakfast casseroles are like any other kind of casserole: It's best to start with a basic recipe, but then feel free to adjust the ingredients to your own (and your guests') taste and what you have on hand. This recipe is an excellent starting point, but feel free to use bacon or cubed ham in place of the pancetta, any other kind of bread instead of challah, and your favorite combination of cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon sugar
8 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, diced
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
Grease an 8-inch square baking dish and spread the cubed bread in the bottom. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another heavy skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat and sauté the pancetta until the fat is almost all rendered and it begins to get crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Whisk the eggs, milk, dry mustard, nutmeg, thyme, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
Spread the pancetta over the bread cubes, then layer the onions on top. Sprinkle grated Gruyère on next, and then pour the egg mixture over the entire thing. Press down on the top gently, so that all of the bread cubes get soaked a bit with the egg mixture. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, remove from allow to sit at room temperature while oven preheats to 350°F. Bake, uncovered, 35 to 50 minutes, until browned and bubbly. Check the interior with a knife; if it comes out clean the bread custard is baked through. (Cover with aluminum foil near the end of cooking if the top is already browned.)
Sausage and Grits Quiche
I love sausage, I love grits, and I love quiche. This casserole is definitely a triple win for me!And with the spinach, you can even pretend it's healthy.
1 (16-oz.) package pork sausage
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked grits
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar, divided
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons white cornmeal
Thaw spinach; drain well, pressing between paper towels, and set aside. Slit sausage casing and crumble into in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook about 5 minutes, until no pink remains. Drain and set aside.
Combine chicken broth, cream, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in grits, and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, whisking occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in Asiago, pepper, and 3/4 cup cheddar until melted. Mixture will be very thick. Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot grits into eggs; stir egg mixture into remaining hot grits. Stir in spinach and sausage until blended. Sprinkle bottom and sides of a lightly greased 10-inch deep-dish pie plate with cornmeal. Spoon grits mixture into pie plate; sprinkle with remaining cheddar.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, then bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving.
Lemon Cranberry Muffins
Saving your appetite for a big Christmas dinner later? Or perhaps you already spoiled it with all the candy in your stocking? Either way, if you're looking for a lighter breakfast, these sweet-tart muffins are the way to go.
¾ cup plain yogurt
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
3 teaspoons lemon zest, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups flour
½ cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (thawed), coarsely chopped
Whisk together ½ cup sugar, yogurt, oil, egg, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla in a medium bowl. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the yogurt mixture and fold until almost blended. Gently fold in cranberries. Divide the batter among 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray or lined with paper liners. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon zest in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the tops of the muffins. Bake the muffins at 400 until golden brown and they spring back lightly to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Muffins can also be made up to 1 month ahead and frozen, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. To reheat from frozen, remove plastic, wrap muffin in a paper towel and microwave on high for 30 to 60 seconds.
Bacon and Egg Empanadas
Cream cheese and cheddar give these empanadas a hearty richness that'll keep up your energy for a whole day of visiting. Throw a bag of them in the car for a great on-the-road snack.
1 teaspoon dried parsley
3⁄4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
2⁄3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons butter
5 eggs, beaten
1 (7 1/3 ounce) can refrigerated jumbo flaky biscuits
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 -2 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)
In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, parsley, seasoning salt, and pepper until blended. Stir in cheddar and set aside.
Melt butter in a 9 inch skillet over medium heat; add eggs and cook without stirring until eggs begin to set on bottom. Draw spatula across bottom of skillet to form large curds. Continue cooking until eggs are slightly thickened but still moist. (Do NOT stir constantly). Remove from heat and let cool.
Flatten each biscuit into about a 5 inch circle. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the tops of dough circles, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Top evenly with eggs and crumbled bacon. Fold dough circles in half over mixture, pinching edges to seal. Place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Brush top with egg white. Press sealed edges with the tines of a fork. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired. Bake at 375 14-16 minutes until golden brown. Remove empanadas with a spatula onto a wire rack.
When completed cooled, store in a ziploc bag. Reheat in microwave for 1-2 minutes at 50% power.
French Toast Casserole
Similar to make-ahead oven baked French toast, this recipe is similar to bread pudding in that it uses bread cubes instead of whole slices of bread. It makes adjusting serving sizes much easier for little bellies (and larger ones that need just a few more bites of breakfast).
8 eggs
3 cups milk
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3⁄4 teaspoon salt
For the topping:
2 tablespoons butter, cubed
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Toppings: maple syrup, honey, whipped cream, fresh fruit
Place bread cubes in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Dot with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving with your choice of toppings.
Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
This recipe cooks in the crockpot on low for 5-7 hours - but you know you'll be up till midnight and the kids will be up at 5am, so that works out just about right, right? Turn it down to "warm" when you get up and it'll be just fine.
12 eggs
1⁄2 cup milk
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
16 ounces sausage (maple, sage or regular sausage.)
16 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, sliced
Spray crock pot with nonstick spray and evenly spread hash browns at the bottom. Whisk 12 eggs in a large bowl and add the milk. Sprinkle in mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix well and set aside.
Slit the sausage casing and crumble the meat into a frypan. Brown over high heat, drain (reserve fat) and set aside. In the reserved fat, sauté the garlic and onions until translucent. Add sausage, onions and garlic on top of hash browns. Top with shredded cheddar and stir all ingredients until well mixed. Pour the egg mixture over everything and spread out evenly. Cover and set on low for 5-7 hours. Lower heat to warm until ready to serve.
Caramel Monkey Bread
This pull-apart is a great "nibbling" recipe if your family is too excited about Christmas to sit down and focus on breakfast. It also goes well with coffee for parents who stayed up a bit too late the night before (or who were woken up too early).
2⁄3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Cut tube of biscuits into 4 parts lengthwise. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a large ziploc bag. Add rolls and shake to coat. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick spray and arrange coated biscuits in the bottom of pan. Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts. Pour over biscuits. Bake at 350 25-30 minutes. Let cool and turn out of pan.
If preparing ahead, warm in the oven for a few minutes before serving.
Egg Puffs
These single-serving puffs can easily be adapted to each family member's taste by adding sausage, mushrooms, and onions (or any other desired ingredients) to the individual servings.
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1⁄2 cup butter, divided
1⁄2 cup flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
10 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
1 cup crumbled pork sausage, fully cooked and drained well
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
In a skillet, saute the mushrooms and onions in 1 tablespoon butter until tender. Set aside. In same skillet brown and crumble the sausage. Drain well on paper towels.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine eggs and cheeses. Melt remaining butter; add to egg mixture. Stir into dry ingredients along with sausage crumbles, and mushroom mixture. (You can also reserve the sausage and mushroom mixture and add to selected servings after filling the cups with egg mixture.) Fill greased muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Carefully run a knife around the edge of each muffin cup to loosen before removing.
Mexican Hot Chocolate
What's Christmas morning without a big mug of hot chocolate? Go gourmet and make a big batch in the crock pot on Christmas Eve. You can throw it in the fridge overnight and reheat it in the morning, either in the crockpot or one serving at a time in the microwave.
1/3 cup hot water
4 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate
1/2 can (7 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 stick cinnamon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
4 cups milk
In a small bowl, combine the hot water and the cocoa powder and stir until smooth. In the crockpot, combine the bittersweet chocolate, condensed milk, cinnamon stick, cinnamon powder, nutmeg, chili powder, milk, and cocoa powder mixture. Heat on low for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so.
Serve warm with marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or chocolate shavings.
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