Eggs Benedict Casserole

I made this casserole to bring to a brunch our family attended earlier in the month.  I like it because it's different from the usual egg casseroles I make.  The Hollandaise sauce totally makes it.  The hardest part of this recipe is finding Canadian bacon!  I finally found some in the lunch meat section of my local grocery store, next to the pepperoni. 

The Hollandaise sauce would also be delicious over veggies like asparagus or broccoli.  Yum!

EGGS BENEDICT CASSEROLE
from SusieDavis.org

6 English muffins, cubed
10-12 oz. Canadian bacon, diced
8 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp. onion powder

Hollandaise sauce:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
4 egg yolks, beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Spread the cubed English muffins and diced Canadian bacon evenly in a 9x13 baking dish.  In a large bowl, beat the 8 eggs, then whisk in the milk and onion powder.  Pour over the muffins and bacon.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove dish from refrigerator and let casserole come to room temp (about 20 minutes or so).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake, covered for 35 minutes.  Remove cover and bake another 15-20 minutes or until center is set.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

While casserole is baking, prepare the Hollandaise sauce:

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and let cool slightly.  Whisk in beaten eggs, then whisk in cream and lemon juice until smooth.  Heat the mixture in the microwave on HIGH for 1-2 minutes, beating after every 20 seconds until the mixture thickens.*  Stir in Dijon mustard.  Serve with casserole.


*I have a pathetic 700 watt microwave.  It took me more like 3 minutes to get my sauce to thicken.  Just keep this in mind if you also have a wimpy microwave.

New Year's Day Bean Soup

I know this is an odd time of year to be sharing a recipe for something with "New Year's Day" in it's title, but I love this soup and make it year-round.  The name comes from the idea that you will make this soup with the leftover ham bone from your Christmas dinner.  Certainly that is a good plan, but what about the rest of the year when you just feel like some ham and bean soup?  Well, I simply buy a ham steak and dice it up.  Or you can get some ham hocks (which will add more flavor, but are more work to remove the meat).

My grandmother got this recipe from a co-worker a few decades back when you had to buy individual bags of each type of bean and then mix them together.  Now you can just purchase a bag of fifteen bean soup.

If you've never cooked with dried beans before, there are a few things you should know.  Most dried beans (legumes) need to soak before cooking to soften and plump them, but more importantly, soaking dissolves some of the sugars that can cause...negative gastrointestinal effects.  We all know the song about the "musical fruit," right?  Well soaking helps alleviate some of that. 

There are two methods for soaking: the long method and the short method.  The long method involves soaking the beans in a bowl, covered with cold water, for 8-24 hours (or overnight).  I recommend the long method because I think it's more effective and I've found the beans don't seem to get as mushy.  But if you forget to soak the beans the night before, all is not lost.  The short method is as follows (and quoted directly from my Betty Crocker Cookbook):  Place dried legumes in a large saucepan; add enough water to cover them.  Heat to boiling; boil 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for at least 1 hour before cooking.  Drain, then cook in clean, cold water.

NEW YEAR'S DAY BEAN SOUP

1 (20 oz) bag fifteen bean soup
1 - 1 1/2 lbs. ham bone, ham hocks, or ham steak (diced)
1 large onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 large can (29 oz) crushed tomatoes (pulse in a blender if you don't like chunks of tomato)
1 tsp. chili powder
2-3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. minced garlic


Soak beans (see above); drain and add 2 quarts (8 cups) water and ham bone, hocks, or diced ham steak.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Add remaining ingredients and cook for another 30 minutes.  If using a ham bone or hocks, remove from pot, shred meat and return meat to pot.  Season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I got this recipe out of Good Housekeeping magazine several years ago. This is a great alternative for those who love chicken cordon blue but don't like all the work involved in making it. You could always add a breadcrumb topping to make it more authentic, but I like it as is.

Just don't cut your potatoes too big or they won't cook through. To be on the safe side, you can always place your potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl with 2 Tbsp. water. Cover the bowl with waxed paper and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, stirring once. Then add them to the rest of the casserole mixture. But if you cut them small enough you can skip this step completely.

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU CASSEROLE
adapted from Good Housekeeping magazine

1 lb. baby red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes
2 - 3 broccoli crowns, cut into florets
8 oz (1/2 lb.) cooked ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 can (10.75 oz) cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together soup, milk, parsley, garlic, and pepper until smooth. Add potatoes, chicken, broccoli, ham, and cheese and stir to evenly coat. Pour mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake, covered, for 50-55 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and cheese begins to brown.

Ham and Potato Casserole

Here's a great way to use up your leftover holiday ham. If you don't have leftover ham, a ham steak should do. I used a brown sugar ham steak and the sweetness from the sugar added a pleasing dimension to the flavor of this casserole. If you use smoked ham, you may want to use a low-sodium cream soup to minimize the amount of salt.

If using a ham steak, I recommend cooking it in a skillet first to draw out the excess water so your casserole doesn't turn out runny.

Slice your potatoes 1/8 of an inch thick or thinner to ensure they cook through.

HAM & POTATO CASSEROLE
adapted from End of the Line Ham Casserole on Allrecipes.com

2 cups diced, cooked ham
4-5 cups scrubbed and thinly sliced potatoes
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of celery soup
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup dehydrated minced onion
black pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup french fried onions, slightly crushed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish. In a large bowl, combine soup, milk, onion, and black pepper. Stir in potatoes and ham; pour into casserole dish and spread evenly. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Remove casserole and sprinkle with cheese and french fried onions; bake, uncovered, for another 20 minutes.

Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

This is a Christmas morning tradition in our household. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law, Cindy. It calls for hashbrowns and honestly I prefer the shredded variety, but the diced kind (Southern style) work as well. You can use left over ham, bacon, or sausage. I don't use onions and green peppers because I have digestive issues with those two things, but I will add a Tbsp. or two of minced dried onion instead.

You can make this up the night before, refrigerate it, then bake it in the morning. If you do so, let it stand at room temp at least 15 minutes before baking.

HASHBROWN BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

12 large eggs
16 0z. frozen hashbrowns, thawed
1/2 - 1 lb. diced ham or bacon, or breakfast sausage
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Saute onion and pepper with chosen meat until tender (and meat is cooked through).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Stir in meat and veggie mixture, hashbrowns, and cheese. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until center is firm and edges are lightly browned.