Help -- Breakfast Guests!

[BeckyM]

I need some quick help! We have unexpected overnight guests arriving tomorrow afternoon, and I don't know what to make for breakfast Sunday morning. I was thinking of some sort of make-ahead (refrigerate overnight) breakfast casserole or a baked french toast made the same way. I don't want to have to get up super early to get breakfast ready, but I want to have something a bit elegant and relatively healthy. Any suggestions?

[Natasha]

Hi Becky!

Try clicking on the search option on the top right hand corner of the board and typing in the phrase french toast. A couple of threads will come up. These have recipes for french toast souffle and caramelized apple french toast (or something similar). There may be other recipes on those threads too. There is also feedback on the souffle thread.

Hope this helps. Have fun with your guests.

[BarbaraL]

My standard breakfast for guests is pancakes. I also make them on vacation -- I mix the dry ingredients together and put them in a zip-lock bag. Then, just have to add the wet ingredients (no fuss on vacation). The reason I bring it up is you could do the same thing with your company. The recipe's from Joy of Cooking, so probably not as low-fat, low-cal as CL, but my family loves them. You can also serve some fresh fruit, like strawberries or blueberries -- yum! Or bacon (which my husband and daughter love, but I don't touch).

I think CL had a make-ahead French toast recipe. I'll look through my issues and post again if I find it. Good luck!

Pancakes Makes about 14 4-inch cakes

Sift before measuring:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Resift with:
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

Combine:
1 or 2 slightly beaten whole eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 to 1 1/4 cups milk

Mix the liquid ingredients quickly into the dry ingredients. Cook on hot griddle (test by dropping a few drops of cold water on griddle. If water bounces and sputters, griddle is ready).

[Beth]

Sounds like a fritata or strata might work well...an egg casserole with bread and stuff, depending on what you like (veggies, sausage, ham, etc), and you assemble the night before. We have made a couple, but I think we adapted from a couple of recipes.

Here's one:

Baked Ham Strata

12 slices firm bread
3 T softened butter or margarine
2 1/2 cups milk
5 large eggs
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3/4 pound Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese, grated
1/2 pound baked or boiled ham, diced
3 green onions, trimmed and sliced

Toast the bread and spread one side of each with butter. Cut into 3/4 inch pieces.

Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard, salt, and pepper. Butter a 13x9 pan or baking dish. place half the bread in pan. Sprinkle with half the cheese, ham, and sliced onions. Repeat with other half.

Slowly pou egg mixture over the casserole to moisten toast. Cover dish with foil and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Before serving, heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake strata 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Let the strata stand about 5 minutes before serving.

[This message has been edited by Beth (edited 09-15-2000).]

[Jeanne G]

Becky,
I have a really yummy breakfast casserole to make ahead.

Egg Casserole
4 eggs
4 eggwhites
2 C skim milk
2 slices wheat bread
1 t salt
1 t dry mustard
1 lb sausage (I use turkey sausage or see the note below)
1 C grated reduced fat cheddar chs

Brown sausage, drain on papertowels. Mix beaten eggs, milk, etc. Add cheese & sausage. Greast 11 x 7 (not 13 x 9!!) Refrigerate overnight. Bake @ 350 40-45 min.
NOTE:
I've done this with Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausage Links (cook and brown them), added blanched swiss chard(or spinach), a jar of mushrooms (I know it's cheating, but it's easy!), some cherry tomatoes (flavor & color!), and did half feta half cheddar. It turns out as beautiful as it is tasty!! It's really delicious that way too. However, when baking, it seems to be more "runny" in the middle by adding all those veggies. So last time I added another slice of bread and always when I've added those veggies it takes LONGER to cook.

Hope that helps. It's really worth the effort (which isn't much) and is great with oven roasted potatoes(mmm... olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt & pepper).
Good luck and enjoy your guests!!

[Grace]

Here are two ideas that I have - Citrus Cream Cheese pull apart rolls, and Farmers Casserole. Both can be made the day/night before, and then baked in the morning when you get up. Both are tried and true and big hits at our house. I also have a recipe for the big German Apple pancake which is something I'm "famous" for among all my family and friens. It's easy, and the apple part can be done a day ahead. Let me know if you want that recipe.

CookWare(tm) from Cooking Light(r)

Citrus-Cream Cheese Pull-Apart Rolls

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: December PAGE: 176

INGREDIENTS FOR 24 SERVINGS:
1 (25-ounce) package frozen roll dough
Cooking spray
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, melted
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (such as Craisins) or chopped dried apricots
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
2/3 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 cup powdered sugar
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:
The cream cheese mixture sinks to the bottom of the rolls. Place some foil
under the pan in case the sugar mixture runs over.

1. Thaw roll dough at room temperature 30 minutes.

2. Cut rolls in half. Place 24 halves, cut sides down, in bottom of each of 2
(9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray. Brush butter evenly over
rolls. Cover; let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 30
minutes. Sprinkle with dried cranberries. Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar,
cream cheese, orange juice, and egg; beat at medium speed of a mixer until
well-blended. Pour cream cheese mixture evenly over rolls. Combine 3/4 cup
granulated sugar, and rinds. Sprinkle evenly over rolls. Cover and let rise 1
hour or until doubled in size.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cover with foil. Bake an additional 5
minutes or until rolls in center are done. Remove from oven; cool 15 minutes.
Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over rolls. Yield: 4 dozen
(serving size: 2 rolls).

Overnight Variation: After pouring the cream cheese mixture over rolls, cover
with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12 hours. Gently remove plastic wrap from
rolls; sprinkle with rind mixture. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes or
until dough has doubled in size. Proceed with recipe as directed.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
CALORIES 174 (29% from fat); FAT 5.6g (sat 2.8g, mono 1.9g, poly 0.6g);
PROTEIN 3.6g; CARB 27.7g; FIBER 0.6g; CHOL 20mg; IRON 0.3mg; SODIUM 203mg;
CALC 10mg

CookWare(tm) from Cooking Light(r)

Farmer's Casserole

SOURCE: Better Homes and Gardens YEAR: February PAGE: 208

INGREDIENTS FOR 6 SERVINGS:
3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese wit hjalapeno peppers or shredded cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
1 cup diced fully cooked ham or Canadian bacon
1/4 cup sliced green onions
4 beaten eggs or 1 cup egg substitue
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated skim milk
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. salt

INSTRUCTIONS:
Grease a 2 quart square baking dish. Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom of
the dish. Sprinkle with cheese, ham and green onion.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, pepper and salt. Pour egg
mixture over potato mixture ini dish (The dish may be covered and refrigerated
at this point for several hours or overnight.) Bake, uncovered, in a 350º
oven for 40 to 45 minutes (or 55 to 60 minutes if made ahead and chilled) or
till center appears set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 servings

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Calories 247 Fat 12g Protein 18g Carbs 18g Sodium 516mg

[marys]

The french toast souffle (there was a thread about it recently) was very good. Not all of the reviewers seemed to agree, but everyone who ate it at my house enjoyed it. And the best part was that I prepared it the night before and just had to put it in the oven in the morning. The other good thing was that it makes 12 servings, so there was plenty for my guests and I froze the rest in individual pieces and reheated them when I wanted something other than cereal for breakfast!

[Norma]

Leslie, your trifle sounds very good. Do you serve anything else with it?

[lesliem]

This is my favorite guest breakfast and it's super fast and easy to make!

It's called breakfast trifle and starts with a layer of broken muffins- I have used carrot, bran and banana at different times. Break them up into chunks and layer the bottom of the bowl, top with some low/non fat vanilla yogurt followed by a layer of fruit. I usually use a mix of frozen berries, manadarin oranges, kiwis and bananas- then repeat all three layers.

Of course it looks best if you have a trifle bowl but any clear bowl that lets you see the layers will do.

It takes seconds to make, is healthy, looks awesome and tastes delicious!

Leslie

[SHERRY]

Another easy make ahead recipe....(not low fat though)
Cinnamon Pull-aparts

spray 13 . 9 pan with pam
melt 1 stick butter
mix in about 1/2c. brown sugar, 1/2c sugar and 1/4c cinnamon.
throw in 12 to 16 frozen dough balls, what will fit in your pan. and mix all together really well. arrange balls in pan and pour any left over mix on top. cover with saran wrap and let rise over night. In morning put in oven at 350 for 15 min or so. Watch for light brown color.

Sorry its vague, but I just make them without a recipe.

My mother in law puts it all in a bundt pan and then dumps them out on a plate when done. They are more doughy and stick this way. So it is a matter of taste.

[BeckyM]

Thanks for all the great responses! I will definitely save all these ideas/recipes for future overnight guests!

After looking through some past posts for brunch/breakfast recipes, I decided I really wanted to try those Citrus-Cream Cheese Pull-Aparts. I remembered that they looked good when I got that issue, and they got really good reviews on the posts. I decided to make those and then just do a frittata in the morning with lots of veggies and some turkey sausage. But when my friends arrived, they told me they didn't want a big breakfast, because they had some other plans for that morning. So I just baked the rolls (since I had already assembled them anyway) and skipped the frittata. The rolls turned out great, and they even asked for the recipe. So, my breakfast was successful!

Grace, your Apple German Pancake recipe sounds intriguing. Is that one that puffs up really high on the sides? I would love to have that recipe for future breakfasts!

And I definitely want to try some of those egg casseroles that people posted. Maybe I'll make the Citrus-Cream Cheese Pull-Aparts again to go with them!

Thanks again for all your help!

Becky

[Grace]

Becky,

Glad to hear your breakfast was a success, and aren't those rolls great?! I have more frozen bread dough in the freezer for another batch, but I'm actually afraid of those darn things, seeing as I have no control over myself and eat the whole pan!

Anyhow, the German apple pancake is the one that puffs up on the sides, and it's deceivingly simple! I don't have an "official" recipe to post - I had one years ago, but make this so often I do it from memory now...

6 large eggs
3 Tblsp. sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup milk (I use skim, but any kind works fine)
pinch of salt

4 or 5 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
sugar
cinnamon
butter


Preheat oven to 425º. Combine eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Slowly add one cup flour, and the pinch of salt, mixing well. Then add the milk slowly and blend.

Put one or two tablespoons of butter (the oringal recipe called for 6 tablespoons!!) in a 10-inch non stick skillet with either a metal handle, or if your handle isn't heat resistant, wrap it in foil first. Put the skillet in the oven to heat up and let the butter melt. When the butter is melted, take out the pan, swirl the butter around a little, and then pour in the batter all at once, and return the pan to the oven right away. Let it bake for about 15 minutes (watch it - you'll see when it starts to puff up over the edge of the pan), then reduce the oven temperature to 350º and bake another 20 minutes or so (again, watch it, take it out when it is golden brown and fully set).

While the pancake bakes, put a little butter in another skillet, add the apples and brown them for awhile usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes. About half way through browning, add some sugar (to taste - I usually add 3 or 4 tablespoons), some vanilla and some cinnamon, even a squeeze of lemon - whatever tastes good to you.

When the pancake is done, remove it from the oven, transfer it to a serving platter, top it with the apple mixture and you could sprinkle it with some powdered sugar, but that's not necessary. Then cut it into wedges and serve. I put syrup on mine, but whatever you like is fine!

Hope you like it - and judging by the ingredients, it's not that high in calories or fat either - if you cut in six wedges, that's only one egg per person....

[karen]

[This message has been edited by karen (edited 09-18-2000).]

[Peggy]

Grace,

Just wanted to thank you for your breakfast input ideas on this thread. I had out-of-town guests this weekend and decided to try both of your recommendations. The Farmer's Casserole and the Citrus Cream Cheese Pull-Apart Rolls were both excellent. My guests complimented both of the selections.

Thanks so much for sharing!

Peggy

[Grace]

Oh good, Peggy!!

I'm glad you liked those recipes - this board is so much fun, and whenever I come across something good lately, I always think about all you guys here, and how I can't wait to tell you all about it! It's really nice to have found a group of people who are as turned on by food (and especially more healthful food) as I am!

I'm very happy those recipes worked out for you! Have a great day! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Grace