Help with brunch main course / dairy issues
I could use help coming up with a main course for brunch for my husband's extended family this Sunday. It is not a fancy group and I want to make something simple and tasty. Last year I served an egg casserole with sausage and cheese as the main course and they loved it.
This year's complication: husband is now lactose-intolerant. I don't want to make him a separate main course - human nature being what it is, I fear that if I repeat the casserole for everybody else and just scramble a couple of eggs for him, there will be other special requests and I'll become a short order cook.
Most of the egg casserole/frittata/etc recipes that look tasty are full of cheese and dairy. Can anyone suggest an eggy main course that's dairy-free, that can be made ahead? Or should I forego eggs entirely? And if so, what might I serve as a main course?
Thanks for any help!
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17 Comments:
Skip the cheese and use something else besides milk for the dairy. Depending on the recipe, you might be able to skip the milk as well. Seems to me the last time I made a fritatta, it didn't require milk, but I might be wrong.
dbcurrie at 7:11PM on 12/02/08
Believe it or not, bisquick has a great casserole recepie. You could substitute milk with non-dairy creamer and leave the cheese out all together. Or, I would suggest putting out a ham (not a smithfield ham) and some scrambled eggs and fresh fruit.
Keight at 8:48PM on 12/02/08
you don't need to put milk or cheese in a frittata .... i make one with potatoes & eggs, fresh garlic & parsley.... no cheese or dairy.... and if
you want to lighten the eggs, you can add a little water in place of the milk.
brunch? why not have a spread of bagels, smoked salmon or ham, tomato, onion .... capers .... some cream cheese of course for those who not lactose intolerant.... or scones with jam.... a smoked ham... fruit salad.... everyone likes a slice of ham now and again.
pooch at 9:08PM on 12/02/08
Cheese is completely unnecessary in a frittata. Just use the ingredients you like and skip the cheese. As long as the veggies and/or meats are flavorful, nobody will ever miss the cheese.
Or make two frittatas, one with cheese, one without.
As far as the beaten eggs are concerned, water substitutes nicely for milk or cream (or just skip it all together as it's really not necessary).
On the other hand, as @pooch pointed out, eggs are completely optional for a brunch. Take advantage of the "unch" part of the equation and have non-breakfasty foods.
I almost always do a bagel and lox spread, especially for a casual group. Add some shrimp with cocktail sauce and maybe some deviled eggs for good measure.
Or hot home-baked biscuits with a variety of breakfast meats (sausage patties, bacon, ham) to be assembled into sandwiches.
Serve it all with a nice selection of fruits and/or salads.
LoCo at 9:24PM on 12/02/08
You could make a sweet potato frittata with sausage, onions and peppers (pretty much like sweet potato hash with sausage, peppers and eggs, or you could use regular potatoes), or any other frittata, for that matter. Just skip the cheese and use a bit of stock (or soy milk, if there no soy allergies in the family) instead of milk if any is required.
brooke29 at 9:30PM on 12/02/08
dont forget about the other dairy alternatives Soy is obvious but I actually like almond milk in egg dishes, also silken tofu makes a wonderful alternative to things like cream cheese and ricotta, and tofutti makes a very good sour cream and cream cheeses. I dont recomend most soy cheese, but if you up the amount of fresh herbs slightly, I doubt it will be missed. My favorite so far is almond breeze vanilla flavored milk, to make a croissant bread pudding.
huneybumper at 11:17PM on 12/02/08
I agree that frittatas can be made without dairy. The comments above have been really good. There are degrees of intolerance, though...I'm not talking about your upcoming brunch, but have your husband ask his doctor whether he might tolerate aged cheeses. I can't tolerate skim milk, only a little 2% or whole milk but I can eat aged cheddars or other aged cheeses and I can eat yoghurt as long as I don't eat a lot (fermentation, I guess). I watch what I eat, but am so glad I don't have to go without my cheese...I just can't eat a lot of it.
tennesue at 12:33AM on 12/03/08
crepes be it savory and sweet
pjracz10 at 5:14AM on 12/03/08
I like the idea of multiple breakfast breads with toppings...an assortment of bagels, scones, muffins, etc., with varied toppings. You could even go totally hotel-breakfast style and offer some granola as well (which is easy to make at home) with milk/yogurt and your favorite alternative milk to top. Have some fresh fruit as well and your guests will be all set.
producestories at 9:18AM on 12/03/08
How about doing a corned beef and new potato hash with roasted red peppers? Then served poached eggs for over top. You then can serve a variety of grain toasts, muffins, bagles, etc., and a nice fruit salad.
No need for cheese at all in any of that...but still hearty and breakfasty.
juliebugsmama at 10:46AM on 12/03/08
Goat and Sheep milk doesn't have any actose, so you can always use any of their dairy products without fear.
chisai at 11:18AM on 12/03/08
Actually, goat, sheep, and cow milks all have similar amounts of lactose.
LoCo at 12:14PM on 12/03/08
@chisai from what I've read goat and sheep milk have slightly less lactose, and some ppl with sensetivity can handle them but some of us cant handle any without problems. However it wouldnt hurt to experriment another time to see just how much your husband can handle.
huneybumper at 1:25PM on 12/03/08
I know what you mean about most egg dishes and brunch casseroles having cheese or milk. You can make an Apple Berry Bake. If you use margarine instead of butter, this recipe has no dairy!
Apple Berry Brunch Bake
Ingredients
Filling:
4 C. peeled, thinly sliced apples (about 4 medium)
2 C. fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw) or sliced strawberries
1/4 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 C. frozen orange juice concentrate (thawed)
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Topping:
1 C. Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 C. firmly packed brown sugar
5 Tbs. margarine or butter, melted
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
Directions
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square glass baking dish with cooking spray. For filling, combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix until apples are evenly coated. Spoon into baking dish. For topping, combine all ingredients in small bowl; mix well. Sprinkle evenly over fruit. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm.
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 3:28PM on 12/03/08
what about a spanish tortilla? it is just potatoes, onions and eggs but comes together well and is similar enough to a fritata. you could also always add some chorizo to make it even more exciting.
allot at 4:15PM on 12/03/08
I'm lactose intolerant, and I've found that if I bake a dairy item long enough, I can eat it. (I still take pills with extra lactase enzymes ahead of time, too, though. I'm paranoid!) The reason why this works is that some of the lactose protein becomes denatured during cooking.
You might find out how much the husband reacts to lactose -- it varies from person to person. Other than that, there are a lot of other good suggestions I won't repeat. You can also buy lactose-free milk. It's a bit more expensive, but I've found it really doesn't alter the flavor of food at all if you use 1% or higher.
Skythe at 11:03PM on 12/03/08
Thank you for all the great suggestions!
mrsfoodissues at 8:01AM on 12/06/08