Breakfast ideas

[akw94]

Hi,
I''m thinking of having a small breakfast (4-5 people) and don''t know what to make. Anyone have any ideas? I wanted to do something a little different but not too hard.
I considered a quiche but have never done one before and plus, I''m not a huge fan. Also thinking of some sort of fruit thing but different than a fruit salad.
Help please!!

 

[niccia]

Here are some ideas I have stolen from my mum

She makes an awesome quiche that I don''t have the recipe on hand for, but it is basically just the eggy part with no vegetables or cheese or anything in it (she says that keeps it light). She makes the pastry then layers a ton of crumpled up bacon pieces on the bottom, and then pours the egg mixture overtop. It is so light and fluffy and people love it.

She often makes a nice ham roast, and then makes homemade biscuits and serves that with hot mustard and fresh sliced tomatoes. It is quite delicious in the morning and something people can help themselves to easily.

Another sidedish I love in the morning is peppered mushrooms (cooked thickly sliced with a bit of butter and tons of pepper).

Plain yogurt served in pretty fruit cups or glasses and drizzeled with any type of fruit coulis is wonderful (esp raspberry), and you could make little sides of fresh fruit (sliced banana, berries, etc) for people to put on top.

 

[Blair138]

I LOOOOOOVE this recipe for French Toast Souffle. It is one of my all-time favorites. Just make sure you prepare it overnight and leave enough time in the morning to let it sit.

 

[ladypirate]

I have a great recipe for a breakfast pie at home--I''ll look for it and try to post it tonight.

 

[Octavia]

For a healthier version of home fries, you can get some little potatoes and halve or quarter them to make bite-sized pieces. Put the pieces in a container with a cover, drizzle with olive oil, and add a few pinches of salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary. Shake it up so the pieces are evenly coated, spread on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (or until tender). Super easy and delicious.

Also, if you don''t like quiche, you could try doing a "southwest scramble" or something like that. You basically cut up some peppers, onions, and sausage (if you like it), saute them, add some eggs, and scramble it all together. Top with a sprinkling of your favorite shredded cheese and some salsa if you want. I did this recently and it went over really well!

 

[mia1181]

Instead of plain fruit salad, a fun easy thing I do is make "fruit kabobs." You just thread pieces of fruit on a wooden skewer and then stick them into a piece of florist foam in a vase, or flower pot so it looks pretty.

 

[JulieN]

You will find my adapted recipe for Pastel Vasco here: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/bakers-great-cake-recipes.103863/
Notes: It took me a lot of work to get this recipe right for me. Please use your best judgment. You can make this the day before your breakfast.

For fruit salads, I plan to make this recipe later this week...

Schaner Farm's Avocado and Citrus Salad with Green Olives adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin
Note: you can substitute butter lettuce, leaves separated and torn into salad-sized pieces, for the watercress and frisee.

6 servings

4# mixed citrus (about .5 C of citrus segments per person) (any type of pomelo, grapefruit, oranges, and tangerines)
1 tsp fine zest (from your fruit
1/4 C juice from oranges and tangerines
2 T finely diced shallot
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1/4 C EVOO
2 ripe avocado
1/2 C pitted green olives (my favorite are Picholine)
1 bunch watercress, cleaned, tough stems removed
1 bunch frisee (about 2 ounces) cleaned
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Segment your citrus. (Search for a tutorial if you don't know how to do this.) If using blood oranges, remove peel and pith the same way as the rest of the citrus, but then slice into pinwheels (perpendicular to the "smiles".) Keep the blood oranges separate until you are ready to assemble the salad.

Whisk together shallot, 1/4 C citrus juice, vinegar, lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Let sit 5 minutes, then whisk in EVOO and zest. Dip a piece of fruit and frisee into the vinaigrette to taste for balance.

Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, then remove pits and peel. Slice into 1/4" slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Gently toss mixed citrus (minus blood oranges,) olives, watercress, and frisee with 3/4 of vinaigrette. Taste for balance. (You may want to add a sprinkle of salt and more vinaigrette.)

Place half of your mix down on a chilled plate. Nestle half off avocado slices and blood orange pinwheels among thise. Repeat with the other half on top.

 

[JulieN]

Some other very feminine salad ideas, but I will not include full recipes:

Mixed lettuces with Mandarins and Hazelnuts
Notes:
Pinwheel your citrus.
Hazelnuts, roast in a 375 degree oven or toaster oven, tossing occasionally, until fragrant, 8-12 minutes. Cool, then rub the skins off and coarsely chop.
If you have hazelnut oil, substitute for a little bit of your vinaigrette oil; also, a tsp of Frangelico if you have it.
Use champagne or white wine vinegar.

Roasted Cherry Salad with St. Marcellin
Notes:
"European" blend of mixed greens, such as lettuces, arugula, and frisee.
Use balsamic vinegar in your vinaigrette.
Toss fresh cherries with EVOO, pinch of salt, and kirsch if you have it.
You can use St. Marcellin or any other runny, creamy cheese with soft white bloom rind; brie will do in a pinch.
In a 375 degree oven, roast your cherries until they seem they are near bursting. Slice your cheese into however many servings you need ; the cheese is done when it begins to slouch.
Toss your greens with vinaigrette and any cherry juice from your baking pan. Nestle in the cherries; sprinkle the hazelnuts on top. Add a slice of cheese to the plate.

Think like a chef!

 

[JulieN]

I forgot to credit the last two to The Zuni Cafe Cookbook, by Judy Rodgers. (If you wanted to go check it out in your local library.)

And in the Roasted Cherry Salad, there are hazelnuts (if that is not clear,) which you should roast and then rub off the skins.

 

[ladypirate]

OK, here is my breakfast tart recipe:

Tomato, Sausage and Leek Tart

1 9" pastry shell (use your favorite recipe or a store-bought shell), unbaked
Dijon Mustard
1/2 lb Sausage, cooked and drained
1 - 2 Leeks
2 - 3 Tomatoes (optional)
Salt & Pepper
1/4 C Chopped Parsley
2 1/2 C Grated Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream

1. Preheat oven to 400 deg Fahrenheit.
2. Bake pastry shell for 10 minutes.
3. Spread Dijon mustard on shell.
4. Layer sausage over the mustard.
5. Slice leeks thinly and saute them, then layer over sausage.
6. [OPTIONAL] Peel tomatoes, slice and later over leeks.
7. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley.
8. Mix cheddar cheese with enough sour cream to hold it together (it should be kind of clumpy). Layer this mixture on top of the tart.
9. Bake 35 minutes or until bubbly.

It is delicious! I got the recipe from a B&B we stayed at last year.

If you want something sweet, here''s another favorite:

Lavender Pound Cake

2 Tbsp Lavender Buds (fresh or dried)
2 1/4 C Baker''s Sugar
3 Sticks Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Fine Salt
5 Large Eggs, at room temperature
3 C all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 C sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 325 deg Fahrenheit. Heavily butter & flour a 10" tube pan and knock out the excess.
2. Whirl the lavender buds and 1/4 C of the baker''s sugar in a spice grinder, mini food processor or blender until finely ground.
3. Mix butter, rest of sugar, lavender sugar, vanilla, & salt with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle for 4 minutes. Scrape down sides then mix for 1 more minute. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each. Add flour and sour cream (add in alternating portions: 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the sour cream, 1/3 of the flour, rest of sour cream, rest of flour), beating each addition before adding next.
4. Scoop batter into pan evenly and gently whack the pan on the counter a couple of times to expel air pockets. Bake for 1:20 - 1:35 or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Turn out onto rack to cool.

This is actually best if made the day before, then wrapped in plastic wrap until the next day. Yum!

 

[indypitty]

What about a breakfast casserole, like this, instead of a quiche? They are very good and perfect for company. I would serve with some fruit.

 

[vespergirl]

How about a frittata? It''s kind of like a big omelette that you bake in a pan - you can add things like pancetta (Italian bacon), veggies and cheese - it''s a crowd pleaser! You can serve it with a baguette, and you''re done!

 

[vespergirl]

Here''s a fritatta recipe:

Serrano Ham and Swiss Cheese Frittata
Epicurious | September 1999

If the crowd is larger than eight, make two frittatas and keep one warm. Served in wedges, frittatas are delicious hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Yield: Serves 8

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
5 large eggs
2/3 cup chopped serrano ham
2/3 cup grated Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves
1 teaspoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper


1. Heat the boiler. Heat the olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until clear and translucent, about 1 minute. In a bowl whisk together the eggs, ham, 1/3 cup of the cheese, thyme, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add egg mixture to onions and cook, without stirring, about 8 minutes, or until the bottom and edges are set but center is still soft.

 

[akw94]

Hi,
Thanks so much for all the ideas! I am looking fwd to making some decisions.

Niccia, the quiche sounds good and so does the ham roast! I like your fruit idea and was thinking of doing something like that. I thought about doing a trifle with yogurt, granola and fruit.

Blair, French Toast Souffle sounds good! I will definitely check out that recipe, thanks!

Octavia, your recipe for home fries sounds great. I do want to either have potatoes or make something with potatoes inside. I might try the home fries for dinner tonight! The scramble is a good idea too, sounds filling and tasty.

Mia, I like the idea of fruit kabobs. Sounds like it would make for a nice presentation and taste good. I know I have some skewers so I might do that, thanks.

Julie, thanks for your recipes! The Avocado and Citrus Salad sounds great. For some reason, I''ve been craving avocado lately. The Roasted Cherry salad sounds great too. I will have to save all of these for a later use!

Ladypirate, your tart sounds good, thanks! That Lavender Pound Cake sounds great also! I''m going to make Lemon Poppyseed cupcakes for the breakfast but will definitely try the Pound Cake soon.

Indypitty, thanks for your idea about a casserole. I will check out your link!

Vespergirl, I''ve been thinking of a frittata. I had never heard the word before but found a recipe for a Potato and Rosemary frittata that sounds great. Thanks for the recipe!

You''ve all given me some great ideas! Thank you so much. Now, I just have to decide.. the hard part!

 

[AmberGretchen]

LOVe the trifle idea with fruit, yogurt and granola.

I think that one main sweet and one main savory dish sounds awesome - especially if one of them is vegetarian and also has protein - I know many people that don''t like to eat meat first thing in the morning, so the trifle would be perfect for that.

You could also try some muffins or cinnamon rolls or something that could be made ahead to reduce the prep time the morning of...

 

[IloveAsschers13]

My mom makes a really good egg bake: It''s whatever meat you like (i looooove turkey sausage) and then eggs, skim milk, cheese, and bread and you bake it and it turns out fluffy and cheesy gooey. We make it when we have big breakfasts with our extended family. I also thought it would be yummy if you make this thing one of my favorite restaurant calls a "rumble"- basically mix in a BUNCH of yummy ingredients: I like basil, brie, gouda, onions, peppers, and potatoes, and then a meat, and basically make it a BIG dish of scrambled eggs... a yummy rumble! Hope it goes well. Fresh fruit is always a yummmy side.

 

[AllieLuv83]

There is a recipe for a really awesome casserole that is yummy and healthy as well. You make it the night before in the slow cooker. I believe it is just Egg beaters, canadian bacon, frozen hashbrown potatoes, and LF cheddar cheese. You layer the potatoes cheese and CB and then over the top pour the Egg beaters and set it on low over night. In the morning it smells amazing!

 

[akw94]

AmberGretchen, IloveAsschers and AllieLuv, thanks for your ideas!

With everyone''s ideas, the breakfast was a big hit! I used the ideas for the egg scramble and home fries. My eggs had sausage, peppers, avocado and were topped with cheese. I didn''t have those spices so just used what I had for the potatoes. We also had bread and lemon poppy seed cupcakes (yum!). I didn''t end up doing the fruit just b/c I couldn''t find the selection that I wanted in the grocery store but it still turned out good.

Thanks so much for all of your ideas. They made for a great breakfast with lots of compliments!