Brunch Recipes






What's on the menu?

Hash Brown Casserole

350 F

This was my "go-to" breakfast casserole for Chimneyrock's monthly payday party. I always made two casseroles and they were the first items on the table to go. I baked them in Dollar Tree aluminum casseroles pans so I didn't have to bring dishes home. Hash brown casserole is one of the easiest and most delicious types of casserole you will find anywhere. This recipe combines frozen hash browns with sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and various other ingredients. It is perfect as a side dish, as the main course, or it makes a great breakfast dish. This recipe is very simple; just combine all of the ingredients, pour into a baking dish, place into the oven and bake. It cannot get much easier than that. If you are the type of person who requires meat in your dishes, you could add some cubed ham into the mix. Remember to allow for an hour or more for the casserole to cook and brown. I would make these the night before a Pay Day party at school and get up two hours early and put them in the oven. It helps to have an insulated carrier if you are taking this to a party. This is the first dish to get eaten up!

  • 2 lbs frozen hash browns (I prefer the shredded, but the cubed can be used)

  • ½ cup butter or margarine (melted)

  • 1 (10 ¼ ounce) can cream of chicken soup

  • 1 pint sour cream

  • ½ cup onion (peeled and chopped), or a frozen bag of onions (easiest way)

  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

  • salt and pepper to taste (be generous)

Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish or larger with cooking spray (or lightly grease with olive oil or butter).

In a large bowl combine hash browns, melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, onion, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Pour into the casserole dish.

Place into the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the top has browned.

Low Carb Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole

  • 1 pound ground pork or ground pizza sausage

  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

  • 6 large eggs

  • 1 /8 teaspoon salt

  • 1 /8 teaspoon pepper

  • 1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)

350 F

Preheat oven to 350°.

Brown sausage in a skillet.

Whisk together eggs, seasonings and shredded cheese.

Drain sausage and allow to cool.

Blend sausage and egg mixture and pour into a 9" pie pan.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until firm.

Eggnog Quick Bread

  • 2 eggs, beaten

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 cup eggnog

  • 1 stick butter, melted

  • 2 teaspoons rum extract or rum liquor

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

350 F

Combine eggs, sugar, eggnog, butter, rum and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture. Stir just until moistened. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 60 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator. To make three smaller loaves for gift giving, bake at 350 degrees 35 to 40 minutes.

Yield: 1 loaf

Potato Onion Pie/Quiche

350 F

This is one of the first recipes that I taught Sammie. She adores this pie (or quiche). It can be made without first baking the crust and with the convenience of frozen hash browns and onions. Any combination of cheese may be used. It is so easy and it is true comfort food. It is just as good cold as it is reheated. I always make two because there always seems to be plenty of extra potatoes and onions left over. The second pie may have less of the potatoes but more egg and cheese.

  • 1 frozen 9” deep-dish shell

  • 1 or 2 thinly sliced potatoes or 2 cups frozen hash browns

  • 1 medium onion, chopped or sliced (in a pinch, use frozen onions)

  • 4 Tablespoons butter and/or olive oil

  • 3/4 cup shredded Swiss, cheddar, Colby or any combination cheese

  • 2 eggs, beaten

  • 1 cup milk

  • Salt and pepper to taste (I like to add a dash of cayenne and garlic powder.)

Precook the pie shell 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil or butter. Add onions and potatoes and cook stirring frequently until potatoes are barely tender or translucent. Sprinkle with favorite seasonings. Transfer mixture to pie shell, sprinkle with cheese. Beat eggs with milk, season to taste. Pour over ingredients in pie shell. Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees; reduce heat to 350 degrees for 40 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes.

Sausage Gravy

Stove Top

Breakfast for dinner was a tradition at our house. Often it was cinnamon toast and oatmeal, but sometimes if we were lucky, it was biscuits, grits, and sausage gravy. Dad’s favorite was always cream gravy, or as he called it: “Cowboy Gravy”. We always had to have cowboy gravy with our fried chicken. And sometimes, the sausage was made into patties and the gravy was truly just milk gravy. It was still plenty good over hot puffy biscuits, grits, or even toast.

  • 8 ounces pork sausage

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour

  • 2 1/3 cups milk

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ teaspoon pepper

Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove sausage and drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon of drippings in the skillet.

Whisk flour into hot drippings until smooth; cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cook, whisking constantly, 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened. Stir in sausage, salt, and pepper.

Southern Grits Casserole

  • 6 cups water

  • 2 cups uncooked grits

  • 1 stick butter, divided

  • 1 (12-oz) package shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

  • 1 pound ground pork sausage, browned and drained

  • 12 eggs

  • ½ cup milk

  • Salt and pepper to taste

350 F

Bring water to boil in a large saucepan. Stir in grits. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Add 4 tablespoons butter and 2 cups cheese. Stir until butter and cheese melt. Add cooked sausage. In a bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Stir into grits. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Dot with remaining butter and top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes until lightly browned.

Yield: 16 servings

Creamy Cheese Grits

Stove Top

These are always good served at a Payday Breakfast or brunch. Keep them warm by serving in a Crock Pot.

  • 5 cups water

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 ¼ cups uncooked quick-cooking grits*

  • ½ (8-ounce) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

  • ½ (8-ounce) block Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

  • ½ cup half-and-half

  • 1 Tablespoon butter

  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

Bring 5 cups water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in grits; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in Cheddar cheese and remaining ingredients until cheese is melted and mixture is blended. Serve immediately.

*Stone-ground grits may be substituted. Increase liquid to 6 cups, and increase cook time to 50 minutes.

Creamy Garlic Cheese Grits

  • 4 cups of water

  • 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter

  • 6 small cloves of garlic, minced well, or to taste

  • ½ cup of heavy cream

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup of uncooked quick grits

  • 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

  • Additional salt and pepper, as needed

  • Hot sauce, optional

Stove Top

Put the water on to boil. Melt the butter in a small skillet. Finely mince the garlic and add it to the melted butter, cooking just until tender. Remove and set aside.

Just as the water is about to boil, turn down to medium and stir in the cream. Add the salt, and then slowly add in the grits, stirring constantly the entire time you are adding them in.* When the grits begin to bubble, turn heat down to a medium low simmer, and continue cooking, stirring often, until mixture is thickened and creamy, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and butter from the skillet and stir in the cheese. This is a good time to wash out the skillet and start your eggs! Cook the grits only long enough for the cheese to melt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with a couple dashes of hot sauce if desired.

*For creamy grits, slowly stir in the grits to the boiling water/cream mixture, a little at a time - don't dump them in all at once. Then while they are cooking, continue to stir them often the entire time they are cooking, until creamy and thickened. If grits are kept holding and thicken too much, add additional cream and beat to loosen.

Variations: Stir in cooked and well drained collard greens, or fresh baby spinach leaves. Try using different cheeses. Some to consider include all Cheddar, Gouda, smoked Gouda or other smoky cheeses, Asiago, Parmesan, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack. You can also combine with an ounce or two of cream cheese cubed to replace part of the shredded cheese.

Creamy Grits

Stove Top

If you grow up in the South, you cannot have too many grits recipes! Whether you use quick or stone ground, add shrimp or greens, cheese or garlic; you can’t call yourself a Southern cook unless you can make a great plate of grits. (I like mine with sausage gravy.)

  • 1 quart water

  • 1 cup yellow stone ground grits

  • ½ cup milk

  • 1 cup chicken stock

  • 1 tbsp. salt

  • 1 teaspoon white pepper

  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream

Bring water to boil in heavy pot. Add remaining ingredients and return to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Grits are done when they are a thick and creamy consistency.

Serve with lots of real butter!

“Dob”

No Bake

Granny Fern was like most good, dedicated cooks. It was a loving gesture to keep her family well fed and happy. She had many wonderful dishes, but I don’t think there was a grandchild who didn’t love her pancake and “dob”. I say pancake in the singular because she served one plate-sized pancake. I guess when you have that many mouths to feed it is more efficient to serve one large pancake to each rather than a bunch of small pancakes. She had an old black frying pan and a small, old aluminum coffee pot she kept on the stove at all times. She kept bacon grease in the coffee pot and she would pour a little grease in the pan, add the pancake mix (and she made her own fresh, not from a box) and, shortly, out would come a light, delicious pancake. She also made her own syrup. But the Smith tradition was to eat her pancakes with “dob”. The Smith family calls peanut butter “dob”. In this case, the peanut butter is mixed with syrup. Any flavor of syrup will do, but, generally, Karo is preferred. My own mother bought peanut butter in large jars. And I mean large jars. They looked like small fish bowls of peanutty goodness. I think both my brother and my son ate a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich almost everyday of their young lives. Granny Mary preferred her peanut butter mixed with honey and occasionally half a ripe banana. I like my “dob” crunchy and licked from a spoon.

  • creamy or chunky style peanut butter or as the Smith’s call it: “Dob”

  • Karo white or brown syrup, or any brand, homemade, or maple

  • Pancakes (preferably one plate-sized rather than several smaller)

Mix the peanut butter and syrup to any ratio, perhaps 4 parts peanut butter to 1 part syrup for sandwiches, but half and half for pancakes. Spread onto hot pancake instead of just plain syrup.

Barb's Version of Dob

  • ½ cup maple syrup, honey, corn syrup (Karo), or pancake syrup

  • ¼ cup Jif Crunchy peanut butter

  • chopped peanuts, optional

Microwave

In microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, combine syrup and peanut butter. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave thirty seconds more. Stir until creamy and well combined. Excellent over biscuits, pancakes, French toast, waffles, toast, and ice cream. Excellent sprinkled with chopped peanuts. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator.

Family French Toast

  • 6 thick slices bread

  • 2 eggs

  • 2/3 cup milk

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Stove Top

Beat together egg, milk, desired spices and vanilla. Heat a lightly oiled griddle of skillet over medium-high flame. Dunk each slice of bread in egg mixture, soaking both sides. Place in pan, and cook on both sides until golden. Serve hot. Frankly, we don't really measure anything anymore. We just go by eye. I don't think we have used vanilla in years.

Southern Cornmeal Hoecakes or Fried Cornbread

Stove Top

Dad loved these better than pancakes.

  • 1 1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal

  • 2/3 cups buttermilk or can use regular milk, too

  • 1 egg

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2/3 cup oil or bacon grease

Mix meal, milk, egg and salt together. Drop by spoonful into hot oil. Brown on one side then turn and fry until golden brown on both sides.

Serve with butter. Some people eat these like pancakes with syrup. They are good with any meal and great with collard greens!

Breakfast Bundt Cake

  • 1 cup diced ham

  • 2 cups tater tots, still frozen

  • 1 dozen whisked eggs

  • 1 can (8) Pillsbury Grands biscuits diced up (raw)

  • 2 cups cheese, your choice

  • 1/4 cup milk

Stove Top

Mix all together. Put in a greased bundt pan. Bake at 400º for 45 mins. When done flip onto a platter and cut and serve. You can use any meat or any veggie you want. The key is not to add too much bread. The tater tots add just the right amount of potatoes. They shred up and you would think they were hash browns.

Baking Bacon: How to Make Perfect Bacon Every Time

Why should you bake your bacon?

  • Baked bacon does not curl – you get nice straight bacon pieces every time.

  • Cooks evenly – no white fatty pieces on one end and burnt bacon on the other.

  • No splattering of bacon grease all over the place.

  • No need to babysit the bacon. You don’t even have to turn it over!

  • Tastes delicious.


What you will need:

  • Shallow baking sheet

  • Foil (heavy-duty preferable)

  • Metal Cooling Rack (optional)

  • Non-stick cooking spray (optional)

  • Paper towels

400 F

  1. Line the baking sheet with foil. (You will want to use a baking sheet that has enough of a rim that it contains the bacon drippings.)

  2. If using a metal cooling rack, spray the rack with non-stick cooking spray, and place the rack inside the baking sheet.

  3. Place the bacon slices in a single layer either directly on the foil or on a rack. Make sure not to overlap slices.

  4. Turn the oven on and set to 400º. Do not wait for the oven to preheat. Go ahead and place the pan in the oven.

  5. Cook the bacon for 12-17 minutes. Cooking time depends on the thickness of your bacon, and how long it takes for your oven to come to temperature. Start checking your bacon around 10 minutes to ensure your bacon doesn't burn.

  6. When the bacon is golden brown, the bacon is done.

  7. Once the bacon has reached your desired, level of crispiness, remove immediately and place on paper towels to soak up the bacon grease.

Here are some tips:

  • The oven should be cold when you put the bacon in – do not preheat.

  • Make sure you are watching the bacon closely during the last few minutes of baking to ensure that the bacon doesn’t burn.

  • Remove the bacon from the rack or baking sheet right after removing from oven. The bacon will continue cooking as long as it is left in the pan or bacon fat.

  • It is easy to flavor up the bacon. Try black pepper or brown sugar sprinkled on the top before baking – it will give your bacon a whole new flavor.

  • Want to freeze your bacon? Under-cook your bacon by a couple of minutes, let it cool and then place it in Ziploc bag. To reheat, pull out a couple of slices and cook in the microwave on medium power for 30 seconds.


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