I started a tradition when my nieces (and later my nephew) were very young. Every year at Christmas, I took them to lunch at a restaurant and then we went shopping for toys and food for all the folks who didn’t have as much at Christmas as we always have. When the girls were very little, I didn’t have much experience handling kids on my own, so I chose a popular chain … [Read more...] about Monte Cristo Casserole
brunch
Christmas Fruit Salad
Christmas is, for me, a time of indulgence. I gorge myself on cookies and candies and appetizers and heavy meals. It is one of the special treats of the season, and motivation for a new year’s resolution. I have been known to serve Christmas breakfast buffets featuring cheese grits, cheese and sausage casserole, bacon, ham, biscuits and all manner of desserts. It’s not how we … [Read more...] about Christmas Fruit Salad
Homemade Southern Hash Brown Casserole
I rather hope this recipe becomes an internet sensation. Because I know I have searched and searched through websites, engines, magazines and books looking for an old-fashioned style hash brown casserole that doesn’t use canned soup. I cannot abide canned soup, so I finally took it upon myself to come up with a can-free casserole. I don’t know why I was so stymied, going … [Read more...] about Homemade Southern Hash Brown Casserole
Creamy Scrambled Egg Casserole
I have, for many years, been searching and experimenting with recipes for a make -ahead breakfast casserole that is all egg. The classic breakfast casserole around here is sausage, cheese and bread bound with an egg and milk custard, and I have made many variations of that. But I wanted something that didn’t include bread or other elements, because so often, a brunch spread … [Read more...] about Creamy Scrambled Egg Casserole
Almond Amaretto Cherry Muffins
A basket of nice, sweet muffins is a wonderful addition to a breakfast or brunch table, and these almond-y bites are made really moist with the addition of almond paste. A bite-sized version of my Simple Moist Almond Cake. Nice tart cherry is a great pairing with almond – if you use big Bings, you might want to snip them into smaller pieces. Almond Amaretto Cherry … [Read more...] about Almond Amaretto Cherry Muffins
