Smith Family Favorites: Brunch Bunch

Continuing what I started, I’m now going to give you some of my family’s favorite breakfast or brunch recipes.  Some of these may strike you as odd, but I assure you they’re delicious!  Our family has sometimes been known for the “odd” but also known for good food (I like to think).

Mom’s Microwave Monkey Bread

¼ C butter/marg

½ C brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

1 T water

7.5 oz Pillsbury Flaky Layers biscuits (comes in 4 pack)

Microwave butter, sugar, cinnamon & water for 1 min or until butter is melted & sugar dissolves.  Cut biscuits in half with kitchen shears.  Mix well.  Spread into greased microwave bunt pan (must have!).  Microwave 2 ½ min or until biscuits are no longer doughy.  Flip over onto plate to serve.

German (Baked) Pancakes – similar to a popover puff

1 C flour

6 eggs

1 C milk

4 T melted marg/butter

½ tsp salt

Place all ingredients in blender until well mixed.  Pour into greased pan (bar pans work best – double the recipe for a jelly roll size pan).  Bake at 450 degrees for 20 min.  Serve with melted butter & powdered sugar.

Scrambled Pancakes

4 eggs

1 C milk

1 tsp salt

2 T sugar

4 T butter/marg

1 ½ C flour

Beat eggs well before adding milk, salt & sugar.  Add flour & mix well.  Melt marg/butter in skillet until hot.  Pour batter into skillet.  Stir & chop as it cooks until contents are similar in size & shape to scrambled eggs.  Serve with syrup or melted butter & powdered sugar. 

Homemade Hashbrowns

Potatoes, unpeeled & washed

2 T canola oil

Cookie’s Seasoning

Cut potatoes into small chunks.  Heat oil in large skillet.  Spread potato chunks into skillet; sprinkle with seasoning.  Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft.  Sprinkle with seasoning, if necessary.

Matt’s Oven Bacon – truly amazing!

1 lb. thick sliced bacon

Brown sugar

Line jelly roll pan with tin foil.  (He says Walmart’s brand heavy duty foil is the best for nonstick.)  Spread bacon slices over foil.  Sprinkle with brown sugar.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 – 30 min (the thicker the slices, the longer it will take to bake).

Goldenrod Eggs

6 T butter/marg

½ - ¾ C flour

3-4 C milk

1 hard boiled egg per person + 1 extra

Bacon bits

1 piece of toast per person (or more, depending on how hungry you are!)

Melt butter/marg in large fry pan; after melted, add 1/2-3/4 c. flour, enough to absorb the butter.  Stir in some milk on low heat until thickened.  Then add more to make a good sauce.  Separate egg yolks from the whites.  Slice the whites and add to the sauce, then mash the yolks.  Pour sauce over toast & sprinkle with mashed yolks and bacon bits. 

Eggs Benedict

English muffins

Canadian bacon / ham

Eggs, cooked over medium or poached

Hollandaise sauce:

3 egg yolks

6 T butter/marg (butter works best)

3 T lemon juice

On low heat, stir in lemon juice with egg yolks; add butter ½ at a time, stirring the whole time.  It will slowly start to thicken.  If it separates, stir in 1 T hot water.  Pour sauce over muffin that's been topped with Canadian bacon and an egg.

When we still lived in Cincinnati, we found a little bistro that served the most amazing French toast.  And you’re thinking, “Cari hates bread.  How could she say ‘the most amazing French toast?!’”  And you’d be right on target.  I do not love French toast.  But let me describe this particular dish and see if you can’t understand why even I craved this French toast: two slices of Texas toast, dipped in vanilla bean batter, rolled in Frosted Flakes crumbs, cooked to perfection, covered with crème brulee sauce, topped with sliced bananas & whipped cream & dusted with cocoa.  Seriously.  Amazing.  Even my sister, who is not the biggest fan of bananas, loved this meal.  It also comes with a side of fresh fruit and we always ordered their homemade seasoned hashbrowns for something that cut the sweetness a bit.  Every person we introduced to this French toast has loved it.  How could you not?!  Last time we went back to visit “the Nati”, the bistro had moved, but we hunted it down and had our way with that French toast.  And we look forward to doing it again.  And again.  And again.