Easter Breakfast with Rebecca Lang

Here I am, the prodigal daughter – almost back. I can’t say that I’m really back because I’m still stranded in a sea of boxes. Anyway, I’m here now and I have missed you. The past two months have been a blur of packing, renovating and looking for stuff. And I’m still in the "looking for stuff" phase. I will certainly be writing a post about moving and my beautiful new kitchen (that I still can’t believe is mine) soon!

For now, we have pressing matters. Sunday is Easter and I have not even thought about what we are going to eat. I feel like it would be a travesty if we did not have ham. Why is it ham and Easter go hand in hand? Seriously, I have no idea what we will be eating for lunch or dinner as I still cannot find some of my pots and pans, but I do have some ideas for breakfast thanks to Rebecca Lang. I had the pleasure of meeting her last week and watching her demo some Easter breakfast/brunch fare at the Cook’s Warehouse in Atlanta (Midtown). I had never taken a class at Cook’s Warehouse before – and what a treat! That store is heaven for anyone who likes cooking and baking tools and gadgets.

Rebecca Lang is a chef, food writer and contributing editor for Southern Living and the author of several cookbooks. Her most recent is Southern Living’s Around the Southern Table. Rebecca was kind enough to provide me a copy and I have to say, I love this book. The intro begins, “I was a girl fascinated by biscuits, fried chicken and pound cake.” (Hey, me too -- and I still am!) I love how she writes about cooking with her grandmothers, her cherished family heirloom dining room table and the gift of Southern hospitality.

Rebecca has a very warm and engaging manner and her recipes are as down to earth as she is. She showed us how to make her cathead biscuits – made with bacon grease, whole buttermilk and White Lily flour, of course. She ingeniously used the biscuit crumbs in a skillet casserole that was so yummy. (The recipe is in her book.) She spoke of her grandmothers making biscuits and the big influence they had on her life. I really did feel we were kindred spirits –and afterward when we spoke, we discovered that her husband is from my hometown and I know his people. I love how the South is such as a small world!

Definitely check out Rebecca’s book and blog. I will definitely keep you posted on any of her recipes I try. (Country Ham Jam and Tomato Gravy are recipes that definitely must be investigated!) For now, I leave you with the Sausage and Cheese Soufflé recipe she shared with our class. It is a make ahead breakfast casserole and in my current chaotic state, I think I can handle it. I can put it together tomorrow night and pop it in the oven Easter morning while the kids gorge themselves on candy. I hope you all have a wonderful Easter and/or simply a glorious spring weekend – and I will be back soon.

Sausage and Cheese Soufflé

1 pound ground pork sausage

4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

8 large eggs

2 cups milk

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (Cayenne)

1 pound croissants (about 20 medium) cut into one-inch cubes

Garnish: minced fresh chives

1. Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 10 to 13 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Grate cheese on the large holes of a box grater.

3. Whisk together eggs and next six ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in croissant cubes. Add sausage and cheese; stir well. Pour into a lightly greased 13-x9-inch baking dish. Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dish from refrigerator, and let dish stand at room temperature while the oven preheats. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until set. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately.

Makes: 8 servings

Hands-on Time: 20 minutes. Total Time: 9 hours, 15 minutes

Recipe courtesy Rebecca Lang, Around the Southern Table (Oxmoor House, 2012). Special thanks to Gretchen Howard Public Relations for inviting me to attend Chef Lang's demo.

Potlucks, Sweet Potato Casserole and a Giveaway!

I just love a potluck. Churches put on some of the best potlucks around – and my church is no exception. Yesterday we had a special homecoming celebration and people brought their best homemade dishes to share. There were the potluck essential meats – first and foremost, ham. There was also some turkey, but believe it or not, no fried chicken. Then there were the salads – green salads, pasta salads, fruit salads and deviled eggs (that I will put into the salad category).  And there were veggies – my favorite was some plain ol’ lima beans. But, what do you have more of than anything at a potluck? Casseroles! The perfect one-dish meal that’s easy to transport and easy to heat up.  There was squash casserole, green bean casserole, scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and lasagna.

And finally, my favorite part – the dessert table. We had a couple of cakes that were donated by a local bakery. But, there were plenty of homemade specialties like skillet apple pie, buttermilk pie, caramel cake and cookies. I made my Mama’s banana pudding – and it was a hit. The only taste I got of it was by scraping the bowl clean!

Potlucks can be a bit stressful. You wait in line, you don’t know what’s ahead, you don’t know what that mystery casserole is, your baked beans are running into your squash casserole, and worst of all – you hear after the fact how good something was that you missed out on! Here are a few tongue-in-cheek rules to help you navigate the potluck most effectively:

Rules of the Potluck

Mr. Time for Good Food navigates the table.

1. Try to survey the scene before you start dipping – that way you won’t fill your plate too soon and miss out on the good stuff at the end of the table.

2. Go for small portions of lots of different things and plot a return for seconds of your favorites. Plate space is precious.

3. As with any buffet, don’t fill up on bread!

4. Definitely hit the dessert table before you are finished with your meal to get first dibs on the best stuff!

5. And while we are on the topic of desserts, go for the imperfect-looking cookies, misshaped cakes, and puddings and pies in real dishes. You know they are homemade!

Casserole Perfection

To help you prepare for the potlucks in your life, I would like to offer my first giveaway! I was recently sent a copy of The Casserole Queens Cookbook, a cookbook compiled by two Austin, Texas casserole mavens Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock. They launched a company that helps busy people eat at home by delivered home-cooked casseroles right to their door. The cookbook features classic and creative new takes on casseroles that are sure to be a hit at any potluck.

I especially like how the authors infuse a touch of humor and 1950s kitsch in their writing and the look of the cookbook. Yet it is packed with practical information like how to stock your pantry, helpful kitchen tools, shortcuts and tips on freezing. They also provide recipes in the back of the book for homemade Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken Soup so you can cut the canned stuff (if you so desire) that is at the heart of so many casserole recipes. A while back, I tested their sweet potato casserole recipe and it was delicious (please forgive the lack of photo - the lighting was terrible). I think it would be great along with your turkey at Thanksgiving!

Sweet Potato Casserole

From The Casserole Queens Cookbook

8 large sweet potatoes

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2/3 cup pecans, toasted

½ cup all-purpose flour

5 tablespoons of unsalted butter (plus more for greasing casserole dish)

¾ cup heavy cream

½ cup pure maple syrup

1 large egg, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash the sweet potatoes, dry well and put on a baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour or until soft. Remove the potatoes from the oven and reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Put the brown sugar, pecans, flour and butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a separate bowl, mix cream, maple syrup, egg, vanilla and salt. Peel the baked sweet potatoes and add the flesh to the bowl. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until smooth. Pour the sweet potato mixture into a well-greased 9 x 13-inch casserole and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the pecan topping evenly over the dish. 

Bake for 40 minutes or until heated through and the top has browned. Serves 6-8. 

Note: I did not use a food processor when I made this – just mixed the crumb mixture together by hand. Granted, it was not as crumbly as I would have liked, but it works if you don’t have a processor or don’t feel like getting it out!  

The Giveaway

And now for the giveaway, I will choose one winner randomly on Monday, October 24, 2011. To enter:

1.  Leave a comment telling me your favorite potluck dish or casserole. Is there any particular dish you’d like to see me cover?

Bonus Points:

2. “Like” Time for Good Food on Facebook. (Or, let me know that you have already “liked” me.)

3.  Follow @timeforgoodfood on Twitter. (Or, let me know that you already follow me and your Twitter handle)

Please leave a separate comment indicating that you have done these things. Please be sure to leave your email address (if you are commenting without using a profile), so I can get in touch with you. Open to U.S. residents only.

Thanks and best of luck!