Overnight Souffle from Maggie H.

"Here's one (that probably everyone has!) that I use when we have a crowd coming for a weekend brunch."--Maggie H.

Overnight Souffle

4 cups day old bread, cubed
2 cups shredded cheddar (a combo including some pepper jack is tasty)
3 Tablespoons chopped onion
10 eggs, beaten
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard (or 1 Tablespoon prepared mustard)
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

The night before serving, butter a 9" X 13" casserole dish. Put bread cubes in casserole; sprinkle cheese and onions on top. Mix other ingredients and pour over bread. (You can sprinkle 1 pound of sausage, cooked and drained, over the eggs if you wish.)

Cover and chill for 12-24 hours.

Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly. To test for doneness, insert the tip of a knife in the center, if nothing sticks to it, the souffle is done.

Flax Oatmeal Cookies from Cathy D.

-Not a breakfast food I guess, although we eat them for breakfast, especially when we're in a hurry.
-My boys think these taste better than sugar cookies. I didn't call the cookies by their name until everyone had tried them and said they loved the taste.
-Don't overbake these. They don't taste really good when they are too hard.
-We've added cinnamon and that tastes great. I'm going to try adding a bannana or two next time we make them.

"We make a batch almost every Monday and eat them for snack, deserts, breakfast, etc. They're a cookie you can feel good about giving your kids. They keep well if you store them in an airtight container."--Cathy D.

Flax Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cups butter
1-1/4 cup sugar (we use turbinado)
1-1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
2-1/3 cups flaxseed meal (high in omega vitamins)
3 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
3-1/2 cups white flour
1 Tb baking soda
3 cups rolled oats

In bowl, cream butter and sugars; add flaxseed.

In another bowl beat eggs and vanilla together and then add to falxseed mixture.

Sift together flour and baking soda. Mix in oatmeal and combine with other ingredients.

Form dough into 1-1/2" round logs. Place in frezzer and chill.

Preheat oven to 350. Slice dough logs into 1/4" medallions. Place on parchment lined baking sheet leaving about 2" space btwn. cookies.

Bake 13-15 minutes or until slightly golden on top.

Makes approximately 108 cookies

Overnight Oatmeal

If I don't have the cranberries and figs I just use 2 cups of raisins. Sometimes we like to add walnuts or pecans and shredded coconut. I also throw in a little brown sugar. We roll our own oats and I don't know if that's the same as steel cut, but that's what we use anyway. This is really good and easy!

Buon Apetito!


Overnight Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried figs
4 cups water
1/2 cup half-and-half

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and set to low heat. Cover and let cook for 8 to 9 hours.
Stir and remove to serving bowls. This method works best if started before you go to bed. This way your oatmeal will be finished by morning.

Overnight Breakfast Souffle

If you brown up a whole lot of sausage at once and divide it into ziplocks, this one's a snap to put together! It serves 8 without any fillers, like toast, since it's got that yummy layer of hash browns in it.

Buon Apetito!


Overnight Breakfast Souffle

1 1/2 pound sausage or ham
9 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup grated cheese
2 pounds hash browns
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup diced green pepper

Put hash browns (slightly thawed), flour and green pepper in greased 9-x13-inch pan. Brown meat and add rest of ingredients. Pour in pan. refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole from Karen A.

Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole

1 loaf of sandwich bread
2 c. shredded cheese (favorite type)
1 lb. cooked bacon or breakfast sausage
8 eggs
2 c. milkdash nutmeg
1/2 t. saltbutter

Butter a 9"x13" baking dish. Line with pieces of white or wheat bread. Layer with shredded cheese and crumbled cooked sausage or bacon. Add two more layers of buttered bread, cheese and sausage. Beat together 8 eggs and 2 cups of milk with a dash of nutmeg and 1/2 t. salt. pour over the bread layers to cover top of casserole. Let sit overnight in fridge. In the morning, bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until eggs set. Cut into squares and serve with fresh fruit, orange juice and hot coffee -- yum!

"Pancakes with an extra kick" from Karen A.

"I think these are best with pure maple syrup!"--Karen A.

Three Grain Pancakes

Make a dry mixture of the following ingredients. Of course this can be made well in advance of cook time.

1/2 c. yellow corn meal
1/2 c. unbleached flour
1 c. whole-wheat flour
1 c. rolled oats
2 T. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 t. sugar (optional)

Mix the following wet ingredients and then add to the dry ones, stirring just enough to blend. [This can be done the night before.]

3 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
2/3 c. corn oil (or other vegetable oil)

Spray a hot griddle with non-stick spray, or melt a bit of butter and spread around. Drop pancake mixture by tablespoonfuls onto the griddle. Turn only once, when the tops of the pancakes are covered with bubbles. Remove to a warm plate when they are browned on the bottom. Serve immediately with maple or fruit syrup and/or applesauce.

Vanilla Scented Granola from Sandy A.

"We like a light breakfast and I make this granola once a week. It will keep in an airtight container for 2 weeks. It never seems to last that long at my house. Enjoy!"--Sandy A.

Vanilla Scented Granola

4 c. rolled oats
1 c. sliced almonds (or walnuts or pecans)
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1/4 tea. salt
1 tea. cinnamon

1/3 c. canola oil
2 Tbs. honey
3 tea. vanilla extract

Position rack in middle of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F. Lightly oil large baking sheet. Mix first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine oil and honey in a small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour hot liquid over oat mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.

Spread granola on prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 min. Place sheet on rack cool completely.

Ham-Asparagus Strata from Katie H.

HAM-ASPARAGUS STRATA

(makes:6 servings)...easy to double this recipe.

4 English Muffins torn into bite size pieces to make 4 cups
2 cups cooked ham or chicken
1 10 oz package frozen cut asparagus or frozen broccoli, thawed and well drained, or 2 cups fresh of either
4 oz process Swiss cheese, torn, or process Gruyere cheese, cut up
4 beaten eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard

In a greased 2-quart square baking dish spread half of the English muffin pieces. Top with ham, asparagus and cheese. Top with remaining English muffin pieces.

In a bowl whisk together eggs and sour cream. Stir in milk, onion, mustard and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Pour evenly over layers in dish. Cover and chill for 2-24 hours.

Bake, uncovered, in a 325 degree oven for 60-65 minutes or internal temp measures 170 degrees on thermometer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I do not recommend freezing this dish...it just doesn't taste as good.

Twelve Hour Sausage Souffle

Not everyone loves a sweet breakfast. As for me, I prefer meat, eggs and cheese. This one can be really simplified when I buy enough sausage for the month and cook it all up at once on a Saturday morning and divide it into freezer bags.

(4 servings)

1/2 pound mild or spicy bulk pork sausage
4 eggs
3 slices wheat or white bread -- crumbed
1 and 1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown sausage in skillet, stirring to crumble. Drain off fat and set sausage aside. Beat eggs until lightly colored. Add bread crumbs, milk, salt, dry mustard and sausage. Stir in cheese. Spoon into ungreased 1-quart souffle dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, bake at 325 F for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Creme Brulee French Toast

For the french toast:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
an 8- to 9-inch round loaf country-style bread
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
1/4 teaspoon salt

To make the french toast:

In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish. Cut six 1-inch thick slices from center portion of bread, reserving ends for another use, and trim crusts. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, Grand Marnier, and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
Preheat oven to 350° F. and bring bread to room temperature.

Bake bread mixture, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve hot French toast immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Of course you can leave out the Grand Marnier on weekdays--I just included it in the recipe because it adds such an elegant touch to Sunday Brunch!

Creamy, Fruity Slow Cooker Oatmeal

Slow Cooker Oatmeal, or any slow cooker breakfast, for that matter, has to be one of the homeschooling mother's greatest treasures! We use oats we get from the healthfood store or co-op and which we roll at home (with the great grain mill I got from Tuesday Morning for $35--check Ebay.)

4 servings

2 cups old fashioned oats
5 cups water, or 2 cups milk and 3 cups water, or 5 cups fruit juice, or any combination you prefer
cinnamon (optional)
dried fruits, dates, raisins, cranberries, nuts coconut, etc. (optional)
1/2 cup bran or wheat germ (optional)

Put the oats and the water, along with anything else you want to add to the mix in the crock pot, turn on to low, and go to bed.

In the morning serve it with milk, cream, syrup, more butter, brown sugar, or whatever your family likes.

You can add the fruit in the morning if you like them a little chewier. You can also use canned crushed pineapple and the juice when you mix all the ingredients in the evening. Just dump the can of pineapple into a large measuring bowl (like the glass measuring bowl from Pampered Chef) and add enough water to make 6 cups.