Talk about a show stopper this Sky-High Brunch Bake is one that will stop you in your tracks! I could not resist making it when I saw the picture in Food and Family by Kraft. It is beautiful to look at and it is quite tasty. I am keeping this bookmarked to use during the holiday season for a brunch because the green spinach and red peppers are so colorful! Don’t let the beautiful picture intimidate you because it is super simple to make if you can get past rolling out the pastry dough. Just follow the thawing directions on the box. You can thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or leave it out for about 45 minutes ahead of time. I like to thaw it out in the refrigerator. If you let it get too warm just put it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes. The pastry dough is very forgiving. The rest of the recipe is a cinch to make. Trust me by saying the novice cook can pull this off without a hitch and come out smelling like a rose!
Tag Archives: easy
Sky-High Brunch Bake
Coffee Cake
I ask myself, do I really have a part-time job? When I get off at 12 it seems to me that I have worked all day. I’ve taught 4 classes and have seen 125 students. It is nonstop for me and time just flies by. My hours are 8-12, but at 12 it is just like I have another job! I am busy to the point that I wonder what happens to my free afternoon. With more time I find myself with less time to just relax! It seems that I don’t have time to enjoy my front porch with a good book or eat lunch on my deck. I haven’t plugged in my sewing machine in 2 years! In the three years that I have had this blog many hours have been spent writing, planning, shopping , cooking, eating, and learning to use a camera. Thank goodness that I do have a busy life. What would happen to me without all this stuff to do???? Now for the recipe for this wonderful Coffee Cake that my sister-in-law gave me years ago that has saved my life for many showers, brunches, and for something sweet at 10:00 o’clock at night!
Bean-and-Beef Enchilada Casserole and a Give Away!!!
School started Monday and this is what I cooked for dinner. It is easy and filling. I just love the recipes that I am finding in the Make & Take July issue from Better Homes and Gardens. By the way it was a good first day. But, I have more news! It is my blog’s birthday. Yes, it has been three years since I started this experiment and I want to reward you the reader with two cookbooks from one of the first friends that I made as I was over whelmed with the whole blog thing. I did not know what I was doing. Well, if the truth be known I still don’t! Susan Russo from Food Blogga befriended me. I love using her blog for my class as a resource. She knows what she is talking about and is so well rounded. Check her blog out you’ll love it! Anyway, I am giving away two of her cookbooks Recipes that Every Man Should Know and The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches to a lucky reader. Just comment here on the blog. The deadline is Sunday at midnight. Good luck! And you are going to love this recipe! It is a keeper!
Filed under Main dish
Mini Cheesecakes
Summer as I know it is about to come to an end in five days. There will be no more breakfast on my front porch. Sleeping past five AM will be not be a choice. Reading a good book late at night will come to a screeching halt. Summer has been fun, but way too short. School is starting a month earlier than most schools in other parts of the country. We get lots of breaks, but I so miss the first day of school starting after Labor Day! It will be bedtime at 9:30 and the alarm will go off at 4:50! So Tuesday it is official I will a working girl again!
Filed under Desserts
Cheese Ham Ball
If you want to impress someone with a great appetizer this is for you. It will get you rave reviews no matter where you take it. My friend Marilyn has served this many, many times and it is always a hit. In fact, if she doesn’t bring it she is really in trouble. The recipe has been shared with everyone and I have it somewhere, but when I wanted to make it last month for my tennis match in Newnan I could not find it. Syble of course had the recipe and sent it to me. So I’m in the grocery store buying everything and the recipe doesn’t say what size can of deviled ham to use. Thank goodness for phone cameras and text messaging. I took a picture of both sizes of ham and sent it to Syble and the small can was the winner. Speaking of using your phone camera in the store. I get the biggest kick watching husbands shopping for groceries. There will be some conversation followed by picture-taking and more conversation, ” Okay good I’ll get this.” What a help for husbands that don’t have a clue about shopping.
Filed under Appetizer
Fresh Berry Tart
As a food’s teacher I spend a great deal of my time in the grocery store. At one time in my teaching career I had to do my shopping at Wal-Mart. I don’t have anything against Wal-Mart, but when you have over $300 worth of groceries to put in the cart, check out, and put away on your own time Wal-Mart is not the place to make the fastest getaway! Now I do all my shopping for school at Publix. It’s more costly, but easier for me to get in and out. They will open a checkout line just for me and have even brought items to my classroom that were out of stock at the time. So I love Publix! They make my life easier. I also enjoy Publix Apron’s Simple Meals. They have great ideas for quick meals! This Fresh Berry Tart was featured last week and is perfect for July the 4th. There’s no baking just really the easiest dessert you’ve ever made. When you take a bite you are going to say no way!!!!
The Best Hash Brown Casserole Ever!
This is one of my most favorite side dishes. Yes, I am a lover of potatoes cooked anyway, but especially with cheese. It’s been a hit for about fifty teens after the prom. It has shown its face at several brunches and of course with most any grilled meat.
You’ll be glad to know that I have reduced the amount of fat from the original recipe without damaging its wonderful flavor. It’s just plain delicious.
I can guarantee that this recipe will get you rave reviews no matter what you serve it with and it is simple to make. One trick that will really cut down on cooking time and will eliminate serving some crunchy potatoes is thawing the potatoes for a couple of hours. Mixing solidly frozen potatoes will result in freezing the melted butter making it hard to mix and frozen potatoes take a longer time to cook. So enjoy this all summer long when you have a crowd for your next barbecue. Don’t worry if you don’t have a crowd the leftovers are great!
Here it is right before baking:
Hash Brown Potato Casserole from Gracious Goodness
Yield – 10– 12 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds frozen hash brown potatoes
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion ( I used my small food processor)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Allow frozen potatoes to partially thaw. About 1-2 hours.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Place in a buttered 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.
- One Year Ago Fudge Cupcakes
- Two Years Ago Delicious Brownies
Filed under side dish
Bacon-and-Egg Rice
The Friday we cooked Fried Rice in my class I left school and ran errands. I wonder what went through the minds of those that passed me in the aisle at Publix. I’m sure they thought that I worked at some local Chinese restaurant or that I was too cheap to buy real perfume and just dabbed a lot of soy sauce behind my ear. I am not kidding you when I say that I had to roll the windows down in my car on the way home because the odor permeated every pore of my body. Just imagine 24 kitchens using sesame oil with a clove of garlic, ginger, onions, and soy sauce. The entire school smelled like a Chinese Wok by noon and we have a large school. This was a first, I had students checking out to go home and change clothes. The odor lingered in my room for weeks! Was the food good? Yes, it was, but I do need a much better ventilation system. Two large windows just does not cut it.
Filed under Main dish
Strawberry Buttermilk Sherbet (Ice Cream)
I made my first ice cream of the year this weekend to reduce the number of strawberries that were overflowing in my refrigerator and wouldn’t you know that the temperature would drop to the low 4o’s. March was a record high 80’s. What’s up with this ridiculous range of tempts? But, no matter what the weather is outside the strawberries are coming in like crazy and there are just so many that I can eat before they go bad. Southern Living came to my rescue with their winning recipe for ice cream, sherbet, or frozen yogurt. Whatever you want to name it make sure that you put the word scrumptious in front of it. It is the easiest ice cream you’ll ever make and what is even better is that it is low in calories. You might want to hide any straws. The mixture is so good you’ll want to drink it like a milkshake. It is that good!
Filed under Desserts
Bacon Tomato Cups
Don’t hate me for this recipe that you are going to love! It’s fantastic, easy, but not healthy. Invite at least 18 of your friends over when you decide to make it that way everyone gets two and you have no guilt. Or just have them as a main dish with a big salad. Anyway, you’ll have to balance out the calories some way to keep it all away from your hips if you know what I mean.
Here’s how I got the recipe. After Easter, Madison in my fourth period class told me that his mother had made the best biscuits with Rotel tomatoes and that was all it took. I had to have the recipe. It is really good and you can change it up for whatever meat that you might have. I think that Canadian Bacon, ham, sausage, and even chicken would work perfectly.
Filed under Appetizer
The Teacher Cooks 