<p>Here’s my stand-by brunch casserole–much easier than quiche and every bit as good. You asked for easy recipes, I believe, and this is just that! It serves 4, but I always double it and bake it in a 9x13 baking dish. Mix it up the night before. Give it a stir before pouring into baking dish. We like to serve it with salsa.</p>
<p>1 T butter
3 green onions, thinly sliced
6 beaten eggs
2/3 C milk
3/8 t seasoned salt
3/4 C cooked bacon, crumbled
11/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C sauteed mushrooms
Saute onions in butter. Add to beaten eggs along with remaining ingredients, reserving 1/4 C of the cheese. Pour into sprayed (pam) 8x8 baking dish and bake (350) until set–about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with reserved cheese and return to oven, just until cheese melts. **Ham and sausage can also be used, along with other varieties of cheeses. “No Meat” is also an option. I’ve used different meat/cheese combos and labeled them on the buffet–all received rave reviews…</p>
<p>At least 20 times I have made this the day before and reheated the next day with outstanding results. </p>
<pre><code> Sausage and egg casserole
</code></pre>
<p> 1 pound Italian hot sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
5 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 cup half and half
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey jack
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Sauté sausage in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until brown and cooked through, breaking up with back of fork into small pieces, about 10 minutes. Add shallots and garlic and sauté 3 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes and 2 tablespoons parsley; stir 1 minute. Spread sausage mixture in prepared dish. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Whisk eggs, egg yolks, half and half, whipping cream, 1 1/2 cups cheese, and salt in large bowl to blend well. Pour egg mixture over sausage mixture in dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons parsley over. Bake until top of casserole is golden brown and knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if these work for a party because they can’t be made ahead, but we made up this recipe and they are yummy.</p>
<p>Egg Cups:</p>
<p>We make these for breakfast sometimes and they can be customized for individual tastes:</p>
<p>For each egg cup:
one slice bread
butter or margerine
egg
cheese - We use American
Fillings such as ham, bacon, chopped tomatoes, scallions, diced onions, cream cheese or whatever</p>
<p>Butter each slice of bread and then squish it flat with your fingers. Place the flattened bread butter side down into the cups of a muffin tin.
Break one egg into each cup. Add the fillings you like.
Top with cheese.</p>
<p>Bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes.</p>
<p>Carefully remove from the muffin tins and enjoy while they are hot.</p>
<p>I love quiche. Deviled eggs also go really fast at every party I’ve ever been to that had them.</p>
<p>Mollie Katzen’s Chillaquile Casserole from Still Life with Menu is very good and very easy. </p>
<p>Chilaquile Casserole
Serves 4-6</p>
<pre><code>12 corn tortillas (usually small)
OR
6 flour tortillas (usually quite large) (Stale is fine)
1 medium chili pepper, chopped and seeded,
OR 8 ounces canned chilies
2-3 cups grated cheese - your choice of type
4 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
</code></pre>
<p>Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.</p>
<p>Butter or oil a 2-quart casserole dish. Tear half your tortillas into bite-sized pieces and spread them evenly in the dish. (You can mix corn and flour tortillas, but shame-shame if you have stale corn and flour tortillas at the same time!) Spread half the chiles and half the cheese on top. At this point, add any extra ingredients - thinly sliced tofu is nice, and so are shredded leeks or beans. Tear the remaining tortillas and layer them on top. Then top the casserole with the rest of the chiles and cheese.</p>
<p>In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and the four eggs. (You can omit two egg yolks if you wish.) Add salt and pepper to taste - just a dash of each works well.</p>
<p>Bake for 35 minutes, uncovered. The custard softens and fluffs the tortillas, which is why it’s fine to use stale tortillas - no one will know. The cheese melts around the chilies and any other goodies you have added. The top turns crusty and golden.</p>
<p>I go to this site when I’m looking for brunch recipes. It is a site for Bed and Breakfasts/Inns, and they post recipes too. You can find any French toast variation you could possibly imagine. </p>
<p>When I do brunch, I almost always do one of the overnight French toast recipes. Easy and fantastic.</p>
<p>There is a place in our lives for good old Bisquick:</p>
<p>10 eggs
1 c. shredded cheese
10 oz package frozen chopped broccoli or spinach
1 c. cooked crumbled sausage, ham or bacon
1 c. bisquick
~1.5 cups milk
salt and pepper</p>
<p>Mix all the ingredients. Pour into greased baking dish. Bake at 350 about 40 minutes.</p>
<p>I’ve had hardcore foodies go insane over this.</p>
<p>I use a 9 x 12 pan, which gives me room to play with the recipe. Sometimes add carmelized onions and/or mushrooms. If you make the recipe bigger, just bake a little longer and keep an eye on it.</p>
<p>The brunch was a hit! I used a little bit from each of you. Two assemble-ahead recipes, one a crustless quiche, the other a french toast casserole made with wholegrain bread and served with hot maple syrup. Cooked up some sausage as well as turkey bacon. Bought bagels (with butter and cream cheese). Made a mixed greens salad and purchased crab cakes (served with cocktail sauce, sliced lemons, and parsley). A layered fruit bowl (fresh pineapple, melon, strawberries, kiwi) with bowls of honey yogurt and whipped cream. We also had a tray of other sweets (barely touched) and some grapes and soft cheeses (also barely touched) but these were in another room until most folks had finished eating.
Lots of coffee consumed, some mimosas, a few bloody and virgin Marys, and some ad lib vodka plus other juices.
A friendly crew, lots of food. I won’t stress nearly so much next time. Thank you all for your suggestions.</p>
<p>I do the make ahead french toast and the strata. Serve with fruit salad and muffins. Sparkling apple cider and coffee. </p>
<p>I saw a great recipe for a polenta casserole yesterday. Buy one of those tubes. Slice it up and layer it in a baking pan. Sprinkle goat cheese and fresh basil on top. Another layer of polenta rounds and finish with more goat cheese and basil. Put in oven at 350 for half hour. Haven’t tried it but it sounds yummy to me!</p>
<p>So glad that jasmom’s brunch was a success!</p>
<p>I have a related challenge: I volunteered to have a brunch for out-of-town wedding guests the day after my friend’s daughter is getting married. We are talking 35-40 people (the list has grown…) and I will be at the wedding the night before. I will want to do as much prep as possible the morning before or even 2 days ahead. </p>
<p>Most of my brunch ideas have worked for 8-12 people. (I really don’t think I want to make crusts for 6 or more quiches…did I mention that I work more than full time?) These logistics are a bit different. Any ideas?</p>
<p>The recipe sounds great except for the tube polenta. A friend brought one to our house when he came to visit and I later used it. (Cut slices and fried, topped with gorgonzola, and ran under the broiler.) It tasted really strange to me–kind of chemical. It’s the first time I’ve ever used polenta I didn’t make myself, and I doubt I’ll do it again.</p>
<p>^^OK…I haven’t used polenta at all so that’s interesting. I have noticed the tubed polenta at Trader Joes so I’ll have to check out the ingredients. They’re usually pretty good about offering foods without additives and junk.</p>
<p>I just want to say–have something without dairy ingredients for the lactose intolerant folks. I gave my DH the job of asking about things like this before our last brunch and “he forgot”. Well one of our guests had suddenly become lactose intolerant and I couldn’t think fast enough to come up with something he could eat.</p>