Product Review: Sugar Bowl Bakery Palmiers
With holiday cookies and festive feasts galore, ensure your family begins Christmas day on a healthful note with a well-balanced and tasty family breakfast. Make sure to try these quick, easy, and scrumptious breakfast ideas from our friends at Cooking Light, that the whole family will love! AND the best part is the casseroles can be made ahead and feed a crowd, so you won’t miss a blink of the Christmas morning festivities!
Egg and Hash Brown Casserole
This dish is like enjoying an omelet stuffed with spinach, Swiss cheese, and mushrooms, with hearty sides of bacon and hash browns, all in one package.
Ingredients
8 center-cut bacon slices
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
8 ounces sliced shiitake mushroom caps
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups shredded hash brown potatoes
1/4 cup no-salt-added chicken stock
5 cups fresh baby spinach
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 ounces reduced-fat Swiss cheese, finely chopped
Cooking spray
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
Preparation
1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Increase heat to medium-high. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic to drippings in pan; sauté for 6 minutes. Add potatoes and stock; cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add spinach, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in crumbled bacon and cheese. Place mushroom mixture in an 11 x 7-inch broiler-safe glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Uncover dish. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, milk, and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour egg mixture over mushroom mixture. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes.
4. Preheat broiler to high; remove dish while broiler preheats. Broil 3 minutes or until top is browned and just set. Let stand 5 minutes.
David Bonom, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2012
Sausage and Polenta Breakfast Casserole
Creamy and savory collide in a wonderful way—everyone gathered around your holiday breakfast table will love this one.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
10 ounce diced chicken andouille sausage
2 cups sliced green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking polenta
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
1.75 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/3 cup)
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
Preparation
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add sausage; sauté 3 minutes or until browned. Add onions, thyme, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Bring milk to a simmer in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in polenta and salt; simmer 7 minutes, stirring frequently with a whisk. Remove from heat. Add cheeses; stir until cheeses melt. Place the polenta mixture in a large bowl; let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper sauce and eggs. Add sausage mixture; stir well to combine. Spread polenta mixture into a 2-quart glass or ceramic broiler-safe baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cool to room temperature. Cover surface with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 425°.
4. Uncover dish. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or just until set.
5. Preheat broiler to high; remove dish while broiler preheats. Broil 2 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes.
David Bonom, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2012
Pineapple and Orange Salad with Toasted Coconut
Serve this all-purpose side with any of our casseroles. Assemble the night before, but stir in and sprinkle with coconut just before serving. Omit the red pepper if you prefer a very mild mix.
Ingredients
2 cups orange sections (about 4 oranges)
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
4 sliced peeled kiwifruit
1 (4-pound) pineapple, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted and divided
Preparation
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine rind and next 3 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl. Gently stir lime mixture into fruit mixture; cover and chill.
2. Just before serving, stir 1/4 cup coconut into pineapple mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup coconut.
David Bonom, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2012
The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children. She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.
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