On The Menu

This will be our first Christmas morning at home since the twins were born. I thought I would make it special by cooking a nice, big breakfast to go along with all of the present unwrapping! Here’s what I’m thinking will be on the menu…

Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole

1 lb sausage
6 eggs
2 cups milk or half and half
1/2 t salt
4 slices of bread,crust removed and cubed
1 cup grated cheese

Brown and drain sausage; set aside. Beat eggs, add milk and salt. Into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish, layer bread, sausage and cheese. Pour egg mixture over bread. Refrigerate over night. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Next on the menu...pancakes or waffles (depending on the kids preference that morning)! I'm a big fan of this mix from Fresh Market.

To fancy it up a bit, I thought I would make these toppings...

Eggnog Butter

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/2 t ground nutmeg

1 t rum extract

1/2 t vanilla extract

Beat butter at high speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating well. Stir in nutmeg and extracts. Cover and chill.

Orange Syrup

1 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup orange marmalade

Combine syrup and marmalade in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until mixture comes to a simmer and marmalade melts, about 5 minutes.

For something a little sweet, I thought we could round out the morning, with Paula Deen's Pineapple Upside Down Biscuits.

Pineapple Upside Down Biscuits

1 (10 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

10 maraschino cherries

1 (12 oz) package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 count)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 10 cups of a muffin tin.

In a medium bowl, combine pineapple, sugar, and butter, and mix well. Divide pineapple mixture among the muffin cups. Place a cherry in the center of each muffin cup. Place one biscuit in each cup on top of pineapple mixture. Pour about 1 teaspoon of pineapple juice over each biscuit.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool for 2 minutes. Invert the pan onto a plate to release the biscuits. Serve warm.