Thanksgiving Breakfast Help
Ok, so I've been recruited to cook breakfast on Thanksgiving morning for 10 starving high school kids and one giant hubby before they go out to tape the yearly football game against their rival team.
The breakfast will be at our house, so I will have access to all of my equipment, such as it is. The palates seem to be somewhat adventurous and most are good eaters. I'd like to be able to enjoy most of the meal with them.
I was thinking maybe sausage gravy with biscuits, a fritatta (I'd love some ideas, especially unconventional ones), bacon done in the oven. Any breakfast casseroles? Don't want to stand at the stove doing pancakes. Has anyone tried the overnight French toast casserole in Sally Schnieder's Improvisational Cook?
I'm open to lots of ideas. After my chocolate peanut butter crispy bars (now named Muerm Munch - our last name is Muermann), I have a high bar set ahead of me!
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31 Comments:
Yes, overnight French toast - mine has brown sugar and pecans on top - bacon in the oven, and sausages as well. Frittatas, I'd not go really exotic, but shrimp are nice, and if the budget is a concern, leftover pasta makes truly divine frittas. I'm particularly fond of seafood pastas, but that's just me. I do chop up the pasta a little before I add it to the egg mixture, just to make it easier to serve and eat. Another budget-friendly option is a potato and onion fritatta, essentially a Spanish tortilla, which can be served just warm, rather than steaming hot. How about a fruit salad piled in a big bowl; it can be done ahead except for tossing in bananas at the last minute.
lemons at 2:13PM on 11/05/08
Re-frittata: you could make a sweet potato frittata with onions and peppers (kind of like a sweet potato hash with eggs); very seasonal, and absolutely delicious. Plus, the sweet potato, onion & pepper part can be cooked the night before and you'll have minimum work on it in the morning! You can either keep it vegetarian (since you already have bacon and sausage gravy) or throw in some meats (I know what my OH would choose).
I was eying those peanut butter crispy bars, now I think I really need to make them!
brooke29 at 2:41PM on 11/05/08
I always make a strata with bacon or ham in the middle. Just get a couple loaves of white bread trim all the crusts off butter one side of bread place buttered side down in a large rectangular pan cover the entire bottom, a layer of any kind of cheese then bacon bits(real ones) then a 2nd layer of bread. Beat 8 eggs with 3 cups 1/2 & 1/2 salt & pepper pour over, refrigerate overnite, bake 1 hr. covered 350. So while thats baking in the morning toss together some fresh fruit, bagles and things like that. You can even make it with rye and use swiss cheese and chopped sliced corned beef.
joanpieroni2 at 3:23PM on 11/05/08
Oooh, fruit salad! I didn't even think of that.
A vegetarian fritatta is a great idea and I love that I can basically set it up the night ahead. Will definitely do the french toast and the biscuits with gravy and bacon. Should I make some nice rolls or something for those who don't eat gravy? I saw a recipe on Saveur for rolls that you can make up to a week ahead of time and bake as needed. This is gonna be fun!
You HAVE to make the crispy bars. If you make them with salted butter like Deb suggests, they're not super sweet. I stuck with the rest of the recipe though and used milk chocolate for the center and dark for the top. They're rice krispy treat nirvana and a pan of evil rolled into one.
scarletini at 3:28PM on 11/05/08
*gasp* A Reuben strata. Omnomnomnomnom.
scarletini at 3:29PM on 11/05/08
How's about breakfast "calzones"? You could make a couple of large ones or some small ones the night before and just reheat the next morning. Fill with eggs, hashbrowns, cheese, bacon--what ever you like! If you get pizza dough from the store it would be even easier.
dhorst at 3:39PM on 11/05/08
My favorite frittata is a red and green one-- chopped tomato, fresh basil and spinach, diced red onion, and parmesean and mozzarella cheese bubbly on the top. Super tasty and easy.
How about fruit turnovers for the sweet component? Like little breakfast pies with fruit filling. You can use regular pie crust or puff pastry. You could assemble them the night before and bake them off in the morning.
Laurel E at 4:31PM on 11/05/08
I saw your heading and before I even read thought overnight french toast! :) I love the ease of it and actually am planning to make it myself that week as I have 20 coming.I also love the idea of baked eggs.
love2cook at 8:03PM on 11/05/08
Do you have a waffle iron--or you could buy one, since most are reasonably priced. If you're worried about having 'extras,' cooking some pumpkin or other seasonal quick breads might be a good thing to do beforehand. I also know kids love those cinnamon roll things, if you're not scared of working with yeast.
HeartofGlass at 8:30PM on 11/05/08
My goodness but I think this is my favorite set of responses. Great ideas all.
Overnight french toast is a killer idea. I'm also a big fan of a cheesy grits and sausage casserole. You can make it with any sort of grits or cornmeal you like. You cook it about 95% of the way on the stove top, add a boat load of cheese (I like cheddar) and some good, spicy and cooked breakfast sausage (I'm a big fan of Jimmy Dean hot) and then put it into a pyrex baking dish. You can do that a day or two ahead of time and put it in the oven for about 30 or 45 minutes until its bubbling and you can't help but burn yourself on it.
ccbweb at 8:58PM on 11/05/08
I would go with Quiche. Get frozen pie dough, fill with whatever fillings you want. A favorite of our is Rosted Red pepper, charmelized onion, and proschuito. You can prep everything days ahead and throw it together in the morning and let the oven do the work. Too easy
nhfoodie at 9:54AM on 11/06/08
I think you have some great ideas. I've made a french toast casserole and a hash brown casserole from CookingLight.com which were delicious and easy. Have you ever had a breakfast taco or burrito? You could easily do a spread with all the fixings: warm tortillas, scrambled eggs, browned crumbled sausage/chorizo, black beans, sauteed diced potato/onion, shredded cheese, and salsa. Let everybody pile on their favorite toppings, roll 'em up, and there's your taco/burrito.
Esmeralda at 10:23AM on 11/06/08
Make a strata. The easiest thing about it is that you make it the night before. All you have to do is get up and pop it in the oven. I make one with white bread, hot sausage, onions and tomates. Toss in anything you like and let it sit over night then bake 24 hours later.
gammypie at 11:03AM on 11/06/08
I've made waffles, frozen them, and reheated them all on a rack in the oven. Otherwise it'd take forever. They take to reheating much better than pancakes.
lemons at 11:05AM on 11/06/08
Cinnamon rolls for thanksgiving breakfast. They will be getting fruit pies that night; but, homemade cinnamon rolls are truly magic things. I make them every year for Thanksgiving, one pan for my inlaws and one for my parents. There are never leftovers.
jennywren at 6:32PM on 11/06/08
baked oatmeal is the yummiest thing ever! http://bandb.about.com/od/miscrecipes/r/baked_oatmeal.htm
after it comes out of the oven (you can cook it the night before) heat it up, sprinkle with brown sugar and pour a little warm milk over it....oh so stinking good, i know what i'm making for breakfast now....
oh yeah, nuts and fruits are a great addition!
sfred at 7:54PM on 11/06/08
Biscuits! I love biscuits and being from the west coast, I'm not used to finding incredibly good ones. Anyone who makes homemade biscuits is my hero! However, I'm not a gravy person... So maybe just set out some warm biscuits (plain) and have an assortment of interesting jams/spreads on hand. That way you don't have to make some other type of bun and the gravy people will still be happy. I would love a good (easy?) recipes for biscuits if anyone has some. Oh you could also use leftovers for Thanksgiving dinner and sandwiches post T-day!
oregonpinot at 7:57PM on 11/06/08
@oregonpinot--Hmm, we've always used biscuits for strawberry shortcake...is it possible to have a cranberry version? Perhaps incorporating leftover cranberry sauce? I just may give it a try. Let me know what you do.
dhorst at 8:54PM on 11/06/08
I seldom eat breakfast on Thanksgiving Day, because I know what a glutton I am and pretty much save my appetite for the big meal.
BITTER at 8:55PM on 11/06/08
I have a fantastic recipe in my blog for my favorite make-ahead breakfast. English muffins with a great bacon, egg, cream cheese mix. Yum.
You can make them ahead and bake them on the day of. Take them out the night before, and they only need around 15 minutes in the oven. They have everything you want in breakfas, are super easy, and everybody loves them!
here's a link, but the post is really long so I've included the important stuff here.
http://culinarybliss.blogspot.com/2007/10/halloween-working-backwards.html
Mom's super delicious breakfast thingies
preheat oven to 350
mix
1 lb. bacon, baked, cooled, and crumbled (you can fry it, I just find baking a million times easier)
1 pkg. softened cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
12 hard-boiled eggs
2 sliced green onions
1 tsp. garlic salt
Mix together. Pile atop sliced English muffins. Top with shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
Freeze here. Once you've got them at room temperature, bake at 350 for around 15 minutes, or until everything is melty, gooey, and perfect.
These are so easy to take with you, too!
Good luck, and happy turkey day!
culinarygoddess at 11:04PM on 11/06/08
Breakfast Pizza!
http://debbie61497.blogspot.com/2008/11/breakfast-pizza.html
MollieBeth at 11:05AM on 11/07/08
Wow, thanks so much everyone! Now I have a ton of ideas swimming around in my head. I love the breakfast taco/burrito bar idea so much that I may make that for dinner tonight..lol. And quiche..I was going back and forth between that and fritatta/tortilla. I'm definitely doing the overnight french toast.
And pizzas and cimmaminamon rolls (not scared of yeast) and mom's breakfast thingies and turnovers and more biscuits for the next day's turkey sammiches and oh no, I'm going to have to invite more people over....
scarletini at 11:55AM on 11/07/08
chinese rice porridge. with plenty of leftover turkey
disneydreamscometrue at 10:25PM on 11/08/08
@scarletini ~ I'm free for T-Day breakfast. I don't have to have dinner on the table until the crack of noon!
PerkyMac at 10:28PM on 11/08/08
We always have cinnamon rolls.
KarynMC at 11:50AM on 11/09/08
This makes a great casserole those cold winter mornings...I like to serve it with homemade cinnamon rolls and warm spiced fruit compote.
Cheddar Bacon Baked Grits Casserole
2 cups whole milk
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup hominy quick grits
1 1/2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese
10 slices turkey bacon (or pork bacon, whatever floats your boat) fried crisp and chopped fine
1/4 cup green onions, chopped (about 4) (optional)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, cut into very tiny pieces
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 1 1/2-quart casserole or an 8 inch square pan. Bring milk, water, salt and pepper to boiling in 2-quart saucepan. Gradually add grits, stirring constantly; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick. Be careful when stirring, because at this point it might pop out of the pan at you.
Stir in the cheese. Then stir 1 cup of the hot grits into eggs; stir back into remaining hot grits in saucepan, add bacon and onions. Pour hot mixture into casserole. Dot with butter; sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered 40-45 minutes or until set. Eat hot for slightly soft and creamy grits or let stand about 10-15 minutes for firmer grits that you can slice.
This is my family’s favorite winter breakfast….they’ll even eat it cold! We’ve always made this with turkey bacon, just because it’s healthier but it’s also very good with regular bacon.
elderberry44 at 10:49PM on 11/09/08
@scarletini -- Invite me over!! =)
kfarrel3 at 12:24AM on 11/10/08
I'm going to try the grits casserole one of these days. Being in New Jersey though, I dunno if I can spring grits on these kids. :D
@Perky: Crack of noon? I don't get out of bed until then unless it's a pecial occasion (like when I have to get out of bed by 9 to cook breakfast). How do you eat "dinner" at the crack of noon?
@kfarrel: Come on over, and bring family, friends, vagrants, anyone else you can find.
scarletini at 10:17PM on 11/10/08
On FN their is this recipe for a day after Thanksgiving that is to die for and I will find it It is just insane it was aired about 7 years ago.
pjracz10 at 4:21PM on 11/11/08
If you go to the FN web and look up an old show that used to air called calling all Cooks and then go to thanksgiving there are a few recipes one called Polly's Dayafter Thanksgiving carry over and another one she does something like 4 onion breakfast casserole.
pjracz10 at 4:51PM on 11/11/08
Paula Dean has a wonderful baked french toast casserole. that is to die for. Or you could make an easy blintz souffle that you just put frozen blintzes, eggs, vanilla, o.j., and sour cream. Bake in the oven and it only takes a few minutes to assemble. Easy and different.
flomarv at 8:33PM on 11/14/08