Make Ahead Brunch~ Simply Elegant Crab Strata

I used to have more time to plan somewhat lavish meals for guests.  Like having 70+ people over without catering, making all the food and decorations myself with the help of one or two of my daughters.  Those times seem to be fading quickly into the abyss of my blog and memory.

Sometimes the simplest gatherings are the most gratifying for me and most pleasing for my guests.  But even the simplest gatherings should have something special.  And special doesn't have to be labor intensive.  Not even for an Easter brunch or a spring bridal shower.  Really!

Two things to keep in mind are:
1.  Use dependable recipes.
2.  Use quality ingredients.

I have your covered on the first.  The second is up to your local grocery, and you.

This recipe comes from a small recipe book from my favorite B&B.  The collection of recipes is very much like one you would get from the ladies group at a church.  They are pretty simple, with just one short paragraph of instructions.  It is so simple, that many may overlook it when selecting an elegant dish for their spring entertaining menus.  But it really deserves more than your consideration.  It is delicious.

Remember, use quality ingredients.  Using fresh and quality ingredients can almost always change any recipe into a star, even if you aren't a top chef.  Trust me, I know from experience.  So, before your begin, shop for your ingredients.

Fresh Produce
Use fresh lemon juice instead of bottled.  Mince your own onion, don't use onion powder.  Chop up some CRISP celery.  Keeping your celery in water in the refrigerator keeps it crisp.

Flavorful Cheese
You may be tempted to skimp here, but use some nice Irish cheddar or something that is an aged, good cheese.

Good Crabmeat
Use lump crab meat that you find refrigerated.  Not imitation.  Not frozen.  Not next to the canned tuna.  I use Philips. It's good.

Now you are ready! Assemble the strata the night before.  Put the dish, uncovered, a cold oven.  Heat the oven then begin timing from there.

And be ready to give out the recipe.  Everyone will want to make it once they find out how easy it is.


Simply Elegant Crab Strata
1 small loaf fresh sourdough bread, cubed {about 8 cups}
1 lb lump crab meat
1 c chopped celery
1 small sweet onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 c real mayonnaise
juice from 1/2 lemo
1 tsp hot sauce
2 c grated sharp cheddar cheese
8 eggs, beaten
2 c milk

Grease a 9x13 or a 3 quart casserole dish.  Spread the bread cubes in the prepared dish.  In a large bowl combine crab, celery, onion, mustard, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and hot sauce; stir well.  Using a blender or food processor (even a hand mixer), combine eggs and milk well.  Add the egg mixture to the crab mixture and stir well.  Pour over top of the bread cubes.  Top with shredded cheese.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.  In the morning, place dish in cold oven.  Heat oven to 350F.  Cook for an hour from the time oven reaches 350 or until lightly browned.  Serve with additional hot sauce and lemon wedges.

Note- I made this recipe and divided it into two dishes.  But, I recommend using just one 9x13 dish.

Sopa Paraguaya~ Paraguayan Cornbread

Cornbread may be a misleading name for this recipe.  What comes to my mind when I hear 'cornbread' is a very crumbly, often dry texture of food. The corn is simply a backup singer for the cheese and onions in the recipe.  Around our house we do not call this Paraguayan Cornbread; we call it Aunt Claudia's cheesy~onion~casserole.

My sister~in~law, Claudia, has an interesting heritage.  She is American by birth but her parents are from Argentina, and she was often cared for by a family friend {much like a nanny} who is from Paraguay.  So the food she makes has many influences and is always a hit with us.  Perhaps my favorite is this cheesy dish.

I really, really, really, like cheese and onions.  I will warn you, that if are not too fond of either, this is not the dish for you. It is loaded with two pounds of cheese and four onions.  If you do like cheese and onions, this may be the side dish of your dreams.  It makes an excellent side for roasted chicken {just put some chicken pieces in a baking dish and season with Adobe then roast}.

Paraguayan Cornbread
4 medium sweet onions, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
1 c fine white corn meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 15 oz can corn
1 c whole milk
3 eggs
1/2 lb Muenster cheese
1 lb Monterrey ~Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.
Saute onions in olive oil until tender and slightly browned.  While onions are cooking, cube cheeses.  Combine baking powder, corn meal and salt.  Place softened butter, creamed corn and corn meal mixture in bowl; combine well.  Slowly add milk and eggs and mix well.

Add cooked onions to corn mixture and then add cheese.  Spoon into a greased 9x13" casserole dish.  Bake in preheated oven for 35~45 minutes, until golden on top.  Let cool for 10~15 minutes before serving {it needs to set or it will be to soft to hold any shape}.

Tips and Tricks~
*The cornbread should be served warm, not hot.  If you cut into while it's hot, you'll need a spoon to eat it with and the rest of the casserole will ooze in and take over the empty space from the missing piece.
*If you buy white corn meal in the regular grocery {instead of an international market} you may only find self~rising corn meal.  If so, you can use it; just skip the baking powder and salt in this recipe.
*The casserole is even tastier after it has been refrigerated for a day and reheated.  I don't really know why, but it is.  It can be reheated in the oven {covered}.


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Peaches and Cream French Toast~ Make Ahead Breakfast

I find it important to send the family off for the day with their tummies filled with good food.  It sets the tone for the day.  Unfortunately, more often than not lately, they have their tummies filled with cold cereal.  But with a bit of planning, I will change this.  And this is how I plan to start the change.

Peaches and Cream French Toast is an absolute favorite with my children and husband.  As with most make ahead breakfast recipes, this comes from my favorite bed and breakfast cookbook, Recipes From the Watson House.  Most of the recipes call for the dish to be assembled the night before and placed in the refrigerator, then cooked in the morning.

All though it is a family favorite, I do have to admit I would prefer it without the peaches.  I am just not a cooked fruit fan {unless the fruit is berries}.  With that said, I do eat this picking around the peaches and just love it.  I think one day I will cook this without the peaches and serve the cooked creamy toast with fresh peaches.  But, the whole reason for making this dish is to send the family off with their tummies filled with goodness and feeling peachy.

A sweet caramel made of melted butter and brown sugar is topped with sliced peaches.

Add cubed French bread and pieces of cream cheese.

Then pour a creamy mixture of eggs, half-n-half and vanilla over top.

Cover the dish, all the bread and cream swimming in the creamy sauce atop the ooey~gooey caramel, and refrigerate til morning.

You can hire a little helper.  I pay mine with bread crumbs.

Once cooked, the top gets crunchy. . .

But when you take a piece, the inside is all gooey goodness.

Peaches and Cream French Toast
1/2 c butter
1 c brown sugar
2 tbsp reserved juice from canned peaches
1 29 oz can of peaches, drained
1 French baguette, cubed
8 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces
12 eggs
1 1/2 c half-n-half
1 tsp vanilla

Heat butter, sugar and peach juice in saucepan until bubbly.  Pour into a 13x9 inch casserole dish.  Scatter peach slices over caramel sauce.  Top with bread cubes then pieces of cream cheese.  Place eggs, half-n-half, and vanilla in blender; blend to combine.  Pour egg mixture over bread and cream cheese.  Cover and refrigerate at least an hour but preferably overnight.  Bake, uncovered, in 350F oven for 50-60 minutes.

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Make Ahead Spinach Souffle

For our third anniversary my husband took me to a bed and breakfast in Chincoteague, VA.  The Inn at Poplar Corner is a beautiful replica of a Victorian home in the outer banks of the Virginia shore.  It is a charming place that we fell in love with and revisited for years {only ending when we decided to take family beach vacations around our anniversary and enjoy a night out instead of a week}.  We enjoyed biking through the seashore park to the beach, often spying the wild ponies grazing in the marshes.  We also enjoyed a home cooked breakfast each morning which we often took on the wrap around porch.  It was quite romantic.

The owners of the home each night would make breakfast for the following morning.  They made enticing meals that would feed all of the couples staying at the inn, and they did it effortlessly.  Even though it was our anniversary time, we would sit and talk to the owners some nights when we came in.  Sometimes we even sat and played cards with them.  I was even shown some of the ways they prepared food with such ease.  They would include a savory dish and something sweet along with fresh breads or muffins.  One of the dishes that I learned from Joann, one of the owners {I believed they have sold the inn now}, was Spinach Souffle.

On one of our last visits there my husband purchased their cookbook for me, Recipes From the Watson House {named for the original Victorian home across the street}.  I enjoy making many of the recipes I find in it, but the Spinach Souffle is my favorite and is always a tasty reminder of the days I spent there with my husband.

Make Ahead Spinach Souffle
1 box seasoned stuffing mix {about 2 1/2 c}
1 lb ground sausage
4 eggs
2 c milk
1 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 4 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Crumble and brown sausage in frying pan.  Drain; spread over top of croutons in baking dish.  Combine eggs and milk; mix well.  Add cream of mushroom soup, spinach, mushrooms and cheeses to egg mixture.  Stir well and pour over top of sausage and croutons.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove souffle from refrigerator.  Place in cold oven; heat to 350F.  Once oven is heated, bake souffle for 50-55 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.

Tips and Tricks~
*This is a make ahead dish that allows you to just wake up and pop it in the oven, making it great for company and holidays.  It doesn't work well to make then stick in the oven because the egg mixture needs to mingle with the croutons.
*The recipe is easy, making use of canned and prepackaged items.  With not much trouble, you could use fresh spinach {wilt it quickly in a frying pan} and fresh mushrooms.  I do this and it makes the recipe even better.
*Switch up the cheeses.  Use Parmesan or white cheddar or pepper jack.
*Keeping with the Inn's selection of serving both savor and sweet dishes for breakfast, this goes great with a berries baked with an oatmeal topping.

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Cauliflower Gratin

I've been craving cauliflower and know that I might be the only person in history who has this craving. More precisely, I've been craving Bobby Flay's Cauliflower-Goat Cheese Gratin. I made this one year for Thanksgiving, and now it has become a favorite addition to our Thanksgiving menu (mostly by me). I bought a head of cauliflower but did not buy the goat cheese because I was feeling guilty about not using the remainder of the extra large container of feta. Deciding that feta is not much different than goat cheese (they are both creamy, white and a tad sour), I came up with my own recipe (because goat cheese wasn't the only key ingredient I was missing from Bobby's recipe).

This is truly comfort food, but probably not going to be the favorite at the children's table. It is a treat for the adults though. It has a wonderful smooth texture and beautiful color. Add a dash of nutmeg for a nice flavor. I enjoyed it with a sliced tomato for my lunch.


Cauliflower Gratin
1/4 c butter
1/3 c flour
1 c whole milk
1 c chicken broth
1/3 lb Monterey Jack cheese, cut into small cubes
2 c feta cheese crumbles, divided
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 c grated Parmesan
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.

1. Bring a pot water to a boil and add cauliflower florets. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Melt butter in a deep sauce pan. Add flour and whisk to combine well. Slowly add milk and chicken broth, whisking constantly to break up lumps. Continue to whisk slowly and heat to a simmer. Remove from heat. Sauce should have thickened.

3. Add Monterey Jack cheese and 1 cup feta crumbles to hot sauce and stir. Continue to stir until the cheese is mostly melted.

4. Place cauliflower florets into a shallow casserole dish, one sightly smaller than a 9x13 works best. Top with white sauce, 1 cup of crumbled feta and grated Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Enchiladas

Maybe it is the cheese, maybe it is the unique spices, maybe it is . . . just yummy, but we {my family and I} love Mexican-style food. I know that what is normally called Mexican food, such as Taco Bell, is not really Mexican food, but that is what I refer to it as. "Mexican Food" identifies a distinct flavor and style.

One of our favorite Mexican-style dishes is Chicken Enchiladas. There are so many versions of this basic dish, but this one is simple and scrumptious. I think the key to this recipe is the whipping cream. While baking, it fluffs into a rich creamy topping.

The first time I visited my sister-in-law at her home in Illinois, she made this for us. The recipe actually came from another sister-in-law who has a reputation for being a wonderful cook. This dish is a testimony to her culinary skills. I have changed it slightly, mostly by adding the chopped cilantro and more green chilies.



Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp butter
2 4 oz cans of diced green chilies
8 oz cream cheese
3 c cooked chicken, chopped
12 10 oz flour tortillas
3 c Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 c whipping cream
Nonstick spray
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions
Saute onions in butter until they begin to brown. Add chilies and cream cheese to pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cream cheese is melted. Remove from heat. Add cooked chicken to cream cheese mixture; stir well.

Scoop a couple of spoonfuls of mixture onto middle of each tortilla. Sprinkle a bit of Monterey Jack cheese on top of chicken mixture. Roll tortillas and place in two 13x9" rectangular casserole dishes which have been coated with nonstick spray. Pour whipping cream over tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake enchiladas in 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes. Top enchiladas with chopped cilantro just before serving.



Make Ahead Tip~
To make these ahead of time, assemble the enchiladas but do not pour whipping cream over top or sprinkle with cheese topping. Then cover well and refrigerate or freeze. When it's time to bake them, pull them out and add the whipping cream and cheese topping. Bake as usual {for forzen ones, add about 20 minutes}.

Turkey Pot Pie

Here is a hearty pot pie that is certain to fill tummies on a cold night. Featuring turkey, corn and mashed potatoes, this also makes an excellent use of leftovers from holiday meals {that is if you have had your fill of turkey sandwiches}. If you lack the turkey, use a rotisserie chicken or any cooked bird for that matter.

Turkey Pot Pie
2 c mashed potatoes
2 c shredded turkey
1 c corn

1 c green beans
1 c gravy
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 recipe double pie crust
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp water

For Double Pie Crust
2 2/3 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 c butter, well chilled and sliced thin
7-10 tbsp ice water.

Heat oven to 375F.
Roll out pie crust and fit one piece into bottom of deep pie dish. Combine mashed potatoes, turkey, corn, gravy and shredded cheese. Place in pie crust. Top with second pie crust and trim excess. Use extra pieces for making decorative pieces for top of pie. Mix egg and water; using pastry brush, lightly brush the top and edges of pie with egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. Check crust after 20 minutes. If it begins to brown much, cover with foil to prevent burning. Let pie sit for 5 minutes before serving.

For Double Pie Crust
Mix flour and salt in bowl of stand mixer. Add butter; mix with paddle attachment until butter breaks into pea size pieces. Add six tablespoons of water; mix just to bring dough together. If dough doesn't pull together, add more water one tablespoon at a time. Place dough on floured surface and divide into two pieces. Shape each piece into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.

Ham and Pasta Tart

Trying to spend less and feed a family of nine can be an almost impossible task. I try to fill our meals with inexpensive but filling dishes, and pasta is certainly that.

I came across this recipe in The Great American Brand Name Cookbook Collector's Edition. This is my favorite cookbook, not only because it was a gift to me from my mother, but because everything I have ever made from it has been declared tasty.

This dish was not an exception. It was tasty and pleasantly odoriferous. It was also a luscious feast for the eyes.


I modified the original recipe, Wisconsin Swiss Linguine Tart, to make it practical for what I had in the pantry and fridge as well as make it more of an all-in-one dish. I renamed it Ham and Pasta Tart. Basically I did not use linguine and added ham, and since I lacked fresh tomatoes I used diced canned tomatoes. I also omitted the salt since I was using ham, which is already salty for my taste. Following is the modified recipe.

Ham and Pasta Tart

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter, divided
1 tsp. minced garlic, more to taste
1 thin loaf of French bread, sliced in 1/4-1/2" pieces
3 tbsp. flour
fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus an extra tbsp. or so
2 eggs, beaten
8 oz. cooked pasta (I used Bucanti, a thick hallow spaghetti like noodle)
1 c. Swiss cheese, diced
3 green onions, sliced
1 tbsp. oregano
1 1/2 c. diced ham
1/2 c. diced tomatoes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place 2 tbsp. of butter in pie dish and place in oven until butter is melted. Sprinkle the pan with minced garlic.

2. Line the bottom and sides of the pie plate with French bread slices, overlapping the pieces which line the sides. Like this:

3. Microwave 2 tbsp. of butter in a microwave dish for 20 seconds. Drizzle over bread. Bake the buttery bread in the preheated oven for 5 minutes or until it becomes lightly browned. When done, lower oven temperature to 350.

4. Melt the remaining butter in a medium saucepan. Using a whisk, stir in flour. Slowly stir in milk while stirring with the whisk. Cook, continuing to whisk, until thickened.

5. Add some fresh ground pepper and the grated Parmesan cheese. Stir.

6. Add a bit of the sauce, about 1/2 cup, to the beaten eggs. Whisk, then pour the egg mixture into the rest of the sauce and whisk together. Set to the side for now.

7. Combine the pasta, Swiss cheese, about 1/2 of the sliced green onions, oregano and diced ham in a bowl. Pour sauce into bowl and toss to coat. Fill the tart crust with the pasta mixture.


8. Sprinkle the pasta with the diced tomatoes. Bake the tart at 350 for 25 minutes.

9. Remove tart from oven and sprinkle the tomatoes with a bit of Parmesan cheese and the remaining green onion slices. Grab a fork and enjoy! No need for a plate.


I served this with one of our favorite salads: spinach leaves, cucumber pieces, goat cheese and craisins. While making the tart, I had prepared the whole bag of pasta, 16 oz., and tossed it with olive oil and sea salt; my younger children do not much care for their pasta to be mixed with anything. They enjoyed the pasta and ham separate.

A last note: As I opened the oven door and captured the terrific scent of Swiss and Parmesan cheeses mixed with green onions and buttered toast, I knew this dish would also be excellent if made with crab or shrimp. Yumilicious!