Dawn Hoover, the Mobile Register's Spice of Life columnist, sent this to me last year. I've been holding onto it and waiting for the right time to make it. Easter sounded perfect. We had my Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole last year, so this year I wanted to change it up some. My Mom actually made this and brought it with her to my house. Oh. My. Gosh. This was probably my favorite thing we had for Easter Brunch. I kid you not. The swirls of cream cheese throughout the potatoes was scrumptious. The oat topping with the pecans and cranberries and the crunchy apples...Oh...I just can't say enough. You DEFINITELY have to try this. I hope you can make it as good as my Mom did! I will be requesting this from her more often. I even ate the leftovers cold right out of the fridge. Yeah, I guess I'm weird like that because it was awesome!
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1 40-oz. can cut sweet potatoes (Mom used about 7 fresh sweet potatoes)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
2/3 cup chopped cranberries (Mom used Craisins)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats (uncooked)
1/3 cup cold butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese, potatoes, 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon with mixer until well blended. Spoon into 1-1/2 quart casserole; top with apples and cranberries. Mix flour, oats and remaining sugar in medium bowl; cup in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (I just use my fingers). Stir in nuts. Sprinkle over fruit layer in casserole. Bake 35-40 minutes or until heated through.
*You can make this the day before and make the topping before you bake it the next day.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Kraft Foods- Sent by Dawn Hoover)
This is another brunch recipe that's quick and easy. Its prepared the night before and stuffed in the fridge overnight. English muffins always go on sale in the grocery stores. This is the time of year for asparagus and if you have leftover Easter ham try it out on this (that is, of course, if you didn't make this for Easter!) I roasted my asparagus to get the most flavor out of it. Trim off the tough ends, toss with olive oil and salt and pepper, and roast in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. If you like asparagus, try it out in a dish like this!
4 English Muffins, torn into bite size pieces (4 cups)
2 cups cubed cooked ham (10 oz)
2 cups cut up fresh cooked asparagus (I roasted mine)
4 oz. shredded Swiss Cheese (I used Mozzarella)
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sour cream
1-1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion (I omitted this)
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard (I omitted this)
In greased 2-qt casserole square baking dish spread half the muffin pieces. Top with ham, asparagus, and cheese. Top with remaining muffin pieces.
In bowl, whisk together eggs and sour cream. Stir in milk, onion, mustard and salt and pepper. Pour over layers in dish. Cover and chill for 2-24 hours (I did mine overnight).
Bake, uncovered in a 325 oven (mine was set to 350. If you do this watch the baking time) for 60-65 minutes or until internal temperature reads 170 (I see if its golden and it its set in the center). Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
I totally forgot to take a picture of these! I made them the day before and had to keep Clay and my stepson off of them Saturday night! The little size was just perfect for popping in your mouth. I did change it up by chopping up the pecans and adding them to the filling. They did not look as pretty as these, but I guess that's why these were photographed for a magazine and mine were not! My Mimi said she used to make these and they're called Pecan Tassies. Definitely a Southern thing. The thing that took the longest was shaping the shells in the mini muffin pan. If you had a tart shaper (like this one) it would make things a lot easier. I know what I'm ordering in my next Pampered Chef order! These are yummy and I'm thinking about putting them on the Holiday Baked Goods Gift List.
**Photo Courtesy of Taste of Home
3/4 cups butter, softened
6-oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups all purpose flour
Filling:
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
48 pecan halves
In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour, beating until mixture forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes. For filling, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, eggs and butter.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Press onto the bottoms and up the sides of greased miniature muffin cups (or use a tart shaper). Spoon filling into cups; top each with a pecan half (I chopped the pecans and added them to the filling).
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown (Mine were in about 22 mintutes). Cool for 2-3 minutes before removing from pans to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Taste of Home)
These are SO yummy! Really a favorite with the men. My brother said its like his favorite Waffle House meal all combined in one little package. Everybody wanted leftovers to take home, but these were the first to go! If you have some of the eggs and sausage leftover, wrap them in a torilla with cheese for a breakfast burrito the next day.
1 20-oz. package refrigerated hash browns
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives (I omitted these)
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 eggs
1/2 lb. Jimmy Dean sausage
2/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups shredded cheese
Preheat oven to 375 degrees (mine was at 350, so I left them in longer) Grease a large baking sheet; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together potatoes, the 2 beaten eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt (I used more salt than that...those potatoes are bland!) Shape mixture into 12 mounds (about 1/3 cup each) on prepared baking sheet. I only got 9 mounds out of it. Press the back of a tablespoon into each mound, making a nest. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and set.
Meanwhile, beat together the 12 eggs, milk, the 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper (If you only get 9 nests like I did, 8 eggs would work). In a 12-in skillet melt butter over medium heat; pour in egg mixture. Scramble the eggs with a spatula over medium heat. Fold them around the pan until they are cooked through, but still glossy and moist. Remove from heat.
In another skillet, cook sausage over medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spatula. Cook until no longer pink. Drain on paper towels. Add to the eggs and mix in about 1/2 of the cheese. (I still used the 12 eggs and 1 whole roll of Jimmy Dean, but I had lots leftover. I just wrapped them in a tortilla and make a breakfast wrap the next day!)
Spoon about 1/3 cup of egg mixture into each potato next. Sprinkle cheese over eggs. Return to oven; bake about 2 minutes or until cheese melts. If desired, garnish with chives.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)
This cheesecake was exactly what I was hoping for: light and creamy. Cheesecake is not the first thing I would order off of a dessert menu. Most of the time it is too dense and heavy for me. This cheesecake was awesome. I think my father-in-law said, "out of this world!" This is on my go-to list of dessert recipes now. It was very easy to make. And because it chills in the fridge, its great to make ahead of time. The tricky part is knowing when its ready to come out of the oven. This was my first try at a cheesecake and I just left it in a few minutes extra to be on the safe side. There were cracks on the top, so I don't know if that's normal or if I could have done something different to prevent that. Either way, it was divine. This is a must-have recipe!
40 Nilla Wafers, crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened, divided
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla, divided
3 eggs
1 8-oz. tub cool whip, thawed
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix wafer crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
Beat 3 packages of cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 50-55 minutes or until center is almost set. I baked mine an additional 5-10 minutes. The cake still "jiggled" but the top was set when I touched it. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake (I don't know if you are supposed to do this right out of the oven, or after it cools slightly. It pulled some of the cake up when I did it). Cool completely in pan.
Beat remaining cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in cool whip; spread over cheesecake. Refrigerate 4 hours. Remove rim of pan before serving cheesecake. Garnish with fresh berries.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Kraft Foods)
I am really looking forward to Easter on Sunday! We do Easter at my house, and so it is really a chance for me to get to show-off in the kitchen :) The Menu I have planned for this year should be a winner. I have made most of the things before and they are fantastic! I am going to post a pasta dish Thursday for dinner and then I'm going to take some "cereal" nights. I will have SIX recipes to share with you guys for Easter! I thought maybe I would do it a little different if you wanted me to. I usually post the recipes after I make them. Since I've made most of these, I thought I might go ahead and post them in case you would like to add them to your Easter spread. I can add the pictures and any comments after Sunday. Let me know if you would like to see it done that way this week. The recipes are awesome!
Taco Pasta Toss- Thursday 4/1
Easter Menu 2010:
Ham- courtesy of my Mimi and Papa
Oat Topped Sweet Potato Crisp
French Toast Mini Loaves
Ham-Asparagus Strata
Scrambled Eggs and Sausage in Potato Nests
Pecan Goody Cups
Vanilla Mousse Cheesecake
My mouth is watering already. I love getting in my kitchen and cooking a great, delicious meal for my family. I know you guys want to come over too! My house is small, so I can't squeeze you all in...but I can post the recipes early if you'd like me too!!
Happy Early Easter!
Heather from Saving Money Living Life contacted me a few weeks ago about The Fairhope Foodie and wondered if I would be interested in doing a Guest Post for her blog. Of course! Heather runs a frugal blog based out of Birmingham, Alabama called Saving Money Living Life. Be sure to check out her blog. And while you're there, see what I had to say in my guest post!
