Breakfast Casserole
Eunice Fisher
Clarksville, MI
Donna Barnitz
Rio Rancho, NM
Linda Eberly Miller
Harrisonburg, VA
Shari Ladd, Hudson, MI
Makes 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 1 hour
half a pkg. frozen hash browns, thawed
6 eggs
½ lb. cooked sausage, bacon, or ham
4 ozs. shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup milk
1. Mix all ingredients together and pour into a greased baking dish. (You may mix the night before to relieve the stress in the morning. Refrigerate it overnight.)
2. Bake at 350˚ approximately 1 hour, or until set. If the Breakfast Casserole begins to get too brown, cover with foil.
Tips:
1. Use hash browns with onions and peppers for enhanced flavor.
— Donna Barnitz
Rio Rancho, NM
2. Add salt and pepper to taste, if you wish.
Variations:
1. You can cut back the amount of meat to ½ cup, if you wish.
— Shari Ladd
Hudson, MI
2. You can easily double this recipe.
3. I like to add cooked vegetables to Step 1 for extra flavor and nutrition.
— Linda Eberly Miller
Harrisonburg, VA
— Shari Ladd
Hudson, MI
Breakfast Casserole (egg-less)
Jean Butzer, Batavia, NY
Makes 4–6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
1 lb. bulk sausage
30-oz. pkg. frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
16-oz. container French onion dip
2 cups sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1. Brown the sausage in a skillet. Drain.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned sausage, hash browns, French onion dip, sour cream, and 1 cup shredded cheese.
3. Spread mixture in a greased 9 × 13 baking pan. Bake at 350˚ for 45 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Breakfast Scramble
Bedford, NH
Makes 4–6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 10 minutes
½ cup onions, chopped
1 cup green or red bell peppers, chopped
1-lb. pkg. link sausage
3 cooked potatoes, cubed
4 eggs, broken into bowl
1. Put onion and peppers into skillet.
2. Mix in link sausage cut into chunks. Cook until sausage browns.
3. Stir in potatoes and heat through.
4. Stir in eggs. Continue cooking until eggs are just set.
5. Cut into wedges and serve.
Tip from Tester: I served with salsa as a side dish.
Sausage, Eggs, and Bread Dish
Betty B. Dennison
Grove City, PA
Jan Pembleton, Arlington, TX
Makes 6 servings
Prep. Time: 10–15 minutes
Chilling Time: 1 hour
Cooking/Baking Time: 1 hour
1 lb. bulk sausage
6 eggs
1½ cups milk
4 cups stale bread, cubed
4 ozs. shredded cheddar cheese
1. Brown sausage in a skillet and drain. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and then add milk.
3. Fold in cubes of stale bread, cheese, and sausage.
4. Pour into an 8 × 8 greased baking dish.
5. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. Bake at 325˚ for 1 hour. Cut into squares to serve.
Breakfast Sausage Ring
Joanne E. Martin
Stevens, PA
Makes 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40–45 minutes
Standing Time: 10 minutes
2 lbs. bulk pork sausage
2 eggs, beaten
1½ cups fine dry bread crumbs
¼ cup chopped parsley, optional
salt and pepper to taste, optional
1. Lightly grease a 9" oven-safe ring mold.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients well. Then pack into the mold.
3. Bake at 350˚ for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and pour off any accumulated fat. Return to oven to bake for 20 minutes more.
5. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Turn onto a platter and fill the center with scrambled eggs.
A Tip —
Get all your ingredients together before starting a recipe. Place them on the left side of your work area. Move them to the right side as you finish with them.
Barbara Walker, Sturgis, SD
Makes 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chilling Time: overnight
Cooking Time: 1 hour
stale or sturdy bread slices to cover bottom of 9 × 13 baking pan
1½–2 lbs. bacon, fried until crispy and broken up
2 cups shredded cheese, your choice of flavors
12 eggs
1 cup milk
1. Cover the bottom of a greased 9 × 13 baking pan with slices of bread cut to fit.
2. Sprinkle the bacon and cheese over bread.
3. Use a blender and blend the eggs and milk. Pour over the top.
4. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Bake 1 hour at 350˚.
Variations from Tester:
1. If you wish, add 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. black pepper to Step 3.
2. To add more flavor, sauté 1 thinly sliced onion and 1 thinly sliced green pepper in 1 Tbsp. butter. Scatter over bacon in Step 2, before adding shredded cheese.
3. Serve with salsa as a topping for those who enjoy some kick with their eggs!
— Leann Brown, Lancaster, PA
Sausage and Grits Casserole
Orpha Herr, Andover, NY
Makes 6–8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 1 hour
1 lb. bulk pork sausage
3 cups hot cooked grits
2½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp. butter, optional
3 eggs, beaten
1½ cups milk
pimento strips and parsley, optional
1. Cook sausage until browned. Drain well. Spoon into lightly greased 9 × 13 baking dish.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine hot cooked grits, cheese, and butter if you wish. Stir until cheese and butter are melted.
3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs and milk. Then stir into the grits mixture. Pour over sausage in pan.
4. Bake at 350˚ for 1 hour, or until set in the middle.
Tip: You can use instant or quick grits. And you can cook the grits while the sausage is browning.
Note: I was given this recipe by a co-worker in Alabama while we were both working on a clean-up project with Mennonite Disaster Service. I’ve come to love grits!
Breakfast in a Bag
Donna Lantgen, Golden, CO
Makes 1 serving
Prep Time: 1–2 minutes
Cooking Time: 12 minutes
2 eggs
Optional ingredients:
¼ cup cooked sausage
1 slice cooked bacon, crumbled
¼ cup cooked and cubed ham
thin onion slices
several Tbsp. chopped red or green bell pepper
several Tbsp. sliced black olives
¼ cup sliced mushrooms
¼ cup grated cheese of your choice
¼ cup chopped fresh tomato
1. Place a 4-qt. saucepan, ⅔ full of water over high heat. Bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, place 2 raw eggs in a sturdy plastic bag. Holding it shut, mash the eggs a bit.
3. Add optional ingredients of your choice. Press the air out of the bag. Zip close, or tie shut with a twisty.
4. Place bag in boiling water and cook for 12 minutes.
5. Remove from water and slide egg right out of the bag.
Tips:
1. If you want, top with sour cream and salsa.
2. Serve this to guests! If your kitchen allows, have a “make-your-own-omelet” meal.
John D. Allen
Rye, CO
Makes 6–8 servings
Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 10 minutes
12 eggs
½ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. whipping cream
1. Combine the first three ingredients in a large bowl. Beat until well mixed.
2. Melt butter in a skillet making sure the bottom is covered. Add eggs. Have the heat set at medium.
3. Stir constantly until eggs firm up but are not dry. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in the cream. Serve immediately.
Creamed Eggs
Deborah Heatwole
Waynesboro, GA
Janice Crist, Quinter, KS
Jolyn Nolt, Lititz, PA
Makes 4 servings
Prep. Time: 10 minutes (to hard-boil the eggs)
Cooking/Baking Time: 20 minutes
2 Tbsp. butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
¼–½ tsp. salt
pepper to taste
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and stir until smooth and bubbly and lightly browned.
2. Slowly whisk in milk. Cook until thick and bubbly, stirring continuously.
3. When sauce thickens, stir in salt and pepper. Fold in hard-boiled eggs. Heat through.
4. Serve hot over toast points.
Variation: For a little more zest, add 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce and 2 tsp. prepared mustard to Step 3 when you stir in the salt and pepper.
—Janice Crist, Quinter, KS
Tip from Tester: This makes a substantial breakfast, but also a light lunch or supper served with a salad.
— Gloria Frey, Lebanon, PA
Cheddar-Ham Oven Omelet
Jolene Schrock
Millersburg, OH
Makes 9–12 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 40–45 minutes
Standing Time: 10 minutes
16 eggs
2 cups milk
8 ozs. shredded cheddar cheese
¾ cup cubed fully cooked ham
6 green onions, chopped
sliced mushrooms and green peppers, optional
1. In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk until well blended. Stir in cheese, ham, and onions. Add optional ingredients if you wish.
2. Pour the egg mixture into a greased 9 × 13 baking dish.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 350˚ for 40–45 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Variation: Add ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper, if you wish, to Step 1.
Agnes Dick
Vanderhoof, BC
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 20–25 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 15 minutes
¼–½ lb. bacon, sliced sausage, or cubed, sliced, or chipped cooked ham
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
¼ lb. sliced or grated cheese of your choice
1. Fry bacon or brown sausage or ham in a non-stick skillet. Remove and keep warm.
2. Break eggs into a mixing bowl. Stir in seasonings. Beat with a fork; then pour into hot skillet.
3. Lay meat on top of eggs. Lay cheese on top of meat.
4. Fold one-third of egg/meat/cheese mixture into the center of the pan. Fold the opposite side over into the center of the pan to form a “blanket.” Roll or flip the whole “blanket” over and cook until done.
Omelet Roll
Anita Troyer, Fairview, MI
Makes 6 servings
Prep Time: 15–20 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 20 minutes
6 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup flour
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup browned sausage
Optional filling ingredients:
sliced mushrooms
sliced onions
cubed cooked ham
crispy bacon pieces
1. Blend eggs, milk, and flour in a blender until frothy. Pour into a well greased 9 × 13 baking pan. Bake at 450˚ approximately 20 minutes until fully cooked in the center.
2. As soon as you remove pan from oven, gently turn the pan upside down on a baking sheet. The eggs should drop onto the baking sheet in one piece.
3. Sprinkle cheese and sausage onto eggs. Add any optional filling ingredients that you wish. Starting at the narrow end of the omelet, roll it up jelly-roll fashion.
4. You can serve the eggs immediately, or refrigerate and reheat when you are ready to serve the omelet.
5. Slice and serve with salt and pepper, prepared mustard, and/or salsa, if you wish.
Baked Eggs
Carolyn Lehman Henry
Clinton, NY
Makes 6 servings
Prep. Time: 20–30 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 30–45 minutes
½ lb. bacon
12 eggs
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can cream of chicken soup
1. Saute bacon in a large skillet unto crisp.
2. Meanwhile, break eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat just until mixed.
3. Remove cooked bacon and place on paper towels to drain. Reserve 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet, and drain off the rest.
4. Pour eggs into skillet and scramble just until cooked in reserved bacon drippings.
5. While eggs are cooking, place shredded cheese and soup in mixing bowl. Stir until blended.
6. When eggs are lightly cooked, add to cheese-soup mixture in bowl. Fold together gently. Crumble in bacon.
7. Spoon into a greased 7 × 11 baking dish. Bake at 350˚ for 30–45 minutes.
Scarlett von Bernuth
Canon City, CO
Makes 5–6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 20 minutes
1 lb. fresh spinach, chopped fine
1½ cups dry bread crumbs, divided
½ tsp. salt
dash of pepper
6 eggs
¼ cup grated cheese of your choice
1. Wash spinach. Shake off water and place spinach in a large saucepan. Cover and wilt over medium heat for 1–2 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup bread crumbs, salt, and pepper.
3. Spoon spinach mixture into a flat, shallow, greased baking dish.
4. Break eggs into a bowl, being careful not to break the eggs. Pour over spinach mixture.
5. Cover with the remaining ½ cup bread crumbs. Sprinkle the cheese over all.
6. Bake at 375˚ for 15 minutes, or until the eggs are well set and the bread crumbs are browned.
Eggs Florentine
Mary Ann Wasick
West Allis, WI
Makes 2 servings
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 5–7 minutes
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cups fresh spinach, torn, with heavy stems removed
3 large eggs
½ cup milk
sliced cheese of your choice
1. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet.
2. Maintaining a low heat, add spinach and cover for 2–3 minutes. Stir once or twice.
3. Meanwhile, whisk eggs and milk together in a small bowl.
4. Pour over spinach in skillet.
5. Cook over low heat until eggs are almost set. Then add slices of cheese to cover eggs.
6. Turn off heat, and cover skillet for a minute, or until cheese melts into eggs.
7. Serve, offering salt, pepper, and cubed fresh tomatoes, if you wish.
Mexican Egg Casserole
Jan McDowell
New Holland, PA
Makes 3–4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Standing Time: 20 minutes
1 small can chopped green chilies, drained
¼ cup chopped onion
1 cup your choice of shredded cheese
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 eggs, beaten frothy
1. Spray an 8 × 8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Spread chilies and onion in bottom of dish.
3. Cover with cheeses.
4. Pour eggs over top.
5. Bake for 45 minutes at 325˚.
6. Let stand 20 minutes before cutting into squares.
Irma H. Schoen
Windsor, CT
Makes 1 serving
Prep. Time: 3 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 2–3 minutes
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. butter
¼ cup salsa, room temperature
1. Beat eggs with a fork in a small mixing bowl.
2. Stir in water.
3. Heat butter in a non-stick (or regular) frying pan.
4. Add eggs and cook to desired doneness.
5. Drain salsa a bit to remove some of the liquid. Then spoon over one-half of the egg.
6. Fold egg over salsa and slide onto dinner plate.
Santa Fe Quiche
Jeanne Allen
Rye, CO
Makes 6 servings
Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 45 minutes
Standing Time: 10 minutes
9" prepared* pie shell
3 cups grated Mexican cheese
4 eggs
½ cup milk
4-oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
1. *With the sharp tines of a fork, prick the pie shell bottom and sides. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10–12 minutes until it begins to brown. Check halfway through the baking time to see if the crust is bubbling. If it is, prick the bubbles and continue baking. This pre-baking helps keep the bottom crust from getting soggy.
2. Remove pre-baked shell from oven. Spread the cheese over the bottom.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the eggs and milk together.
4. Stir the chilies into the egg and milk mixture.
5. Pour into the pie shell and bake at 400˚ for 45 minutes.
6. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting.
Tip from Tester: Add 1 cup or so of diced fresh tomato to Step 4.
Bacon & Cheese Crustless Quiche
Deb Herr
Mountaintop, PA
Makes 6–8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 40–45 minutes
Standing Time: 10 minutes
8 slices bacon, cut into squares
½ lb. cheddar, or Monterey Jack, cheese, cut into strips
2 Tbsp. flour
4 large eggs
1½ cups milk
1. Place bacon squares in skillet and fry until crisp. Remove from drippings and place on paper towels to drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss cheese with flour.
3. In another large mixing bowl, beat eggs slightly. Add milk, bacon, and floured cheese. Mix well.
4. Spray a 9" pie pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour egg mixture into pan.
5. Place filled pan in the middle of the oven. Bake at 350˚ for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool 10 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.
Judy Ann Govotsos
Frederick, MD
Norma Grieser, Clarksville, MI
Makes 8–12 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 25–30 minutes
Standing Time: 5 minutes
1 lb. bulk sausage
1 large onion, chopped, optional
8 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
¾–1 lb. cheddar cheese
2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls
1. Brown sausage in a saucepan. Drain off drippings.
2. Unroll crescent rolls and roll out to cover greased cookie sheet, pinching up edge of dough to form edge of crust.
3. Sprinkle sausage, and onion if you wish, over crust.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs. Stir in salt and pepper. Pour over crust in cookie sheet.
5. Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Bake at 325˚ for 25–30 minutes.
7. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Then cut into wedges and serve.
Tip: You can make this ahead of time and then freeze it until needed. Before serving, defrost and reheat in the oven for 10–15 minutes at 350˚.
Tip from Tester: Add 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or thyme to the eggs and seasonings in Step 4. Or if you don’t have fresh herbs, use 1 tsp. dried basil or thyme.
Breakfast Pizza with Mushrooms
Dennie Hagner
Montague, MI
Makes 8–10 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Standing Time: 5 minutes
8-oz. tube refrigerated crescent rolls
1 lb. bulk sausage
4-oz. can mushrooms, drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1. Separate crescent roll dough into eight triangles. Place on pizza pan with points toward center. Press over bottom and up sides to form crust. (If your pizza pan is bigger than the crust, pinch up the outside edge of dough to hold the ingredients within the crust.)
2. Bake at 350˚ for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, brown sausage in skillet. Drain sausage of drippings. Spoon over crust.
4. Sprinkle mushrooms and cheeses over sausage.
5. Bake at 350˚ for 15 minutes, or until cheese melts.
6. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Then cut into wedges and serve.
Tips from Tester:
1. This is a generous amount of meat. You could cut it back to ½ or ¾ lb.
2. You could fit the crust into a 10" pie pan instead of using a pizza pan.
Sausage Cheese Biscuits
Mary Lynn Miller, Reinholds, PA
Makes 10 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 10–15 minutes
10-oz. tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
8-oz. pkg. brown and serve sausage links
2 eggs
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbsp. chopped green onions
1. Roll out each biscuit into a 5" circle. Place each in an ungreased muffin cup.
2. Cut sausages into fourths. Brown in a skillet. Drain off drippings.
3. Divide sausages among biscuit-lined cups.
4. In a small bowl, combine eggs, cheese, and onions. Spoon 1 Tbsp into each cup.
5. Bake at 400˚ for 10–15 minutes, or until browned.
Maple Toast and Eggs
Lori Newswanger
Lancaster, PA
Makes 12 servings
Prep Time: 15–20 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 18–20 minutes
12 bacon strips, diced
½ cup maple syrup
half a stick (¼ cup) butter
12 slices firm-textured white or whole wheat bread
12 eggs
1. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.
2. In the microwave, or in a small saucepan, heat syrup and butter until butter is melted. Set aside.
3. Trim crusts from bread if you wish. Flatten slices with a rolling pin. Brush one side generously with warm butter-syrup mixture.
4. Press each slice into an ungreased muffin cup with syrup side down.
5. Divide bacon among muffin cups. Break one egg into each cup. Cover with foil.
6. Bake at 400˚ for 18–20 minutes, or until eggs are done to your preference. Serve immediately.
Stuffin’ Egg Muffin
Judi Robb
Manhattan, KS
Makes 6 servings
Prep Time: 15–20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20–25 minutes
Standing Time: 5 minutes
6-oz. pkg. stuffing mix for chicken
12 eggs
3 Tbsp. real bacon bits
½ cup shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese, mixed
1. Preheat oven to 400˚.
2. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package, omitting standing time.
3. Spray 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
4. Press ¼ cup stuffing firmly onto bottom and up sides of muffin cups. Form a ¼" rim of stuffing around top of each cup.
5. Crack 1 egg into each stuffing cup. Sprinkle with bacon bits and cheese.
6. Bake 12–18 minutes, or until yolks are set.
7. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Baked Pancakes
Shelia Heil
Lancaster, PA
Makes 5–6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
your favorite packaged pancake mix for 10–12 pancakes
water, according to instructions on box
butter, optional
maple syrup, optional
1. In a good-sized mixing bowl, stir water into your favorite packaged pancake mix. Make enough batter for 10–12 pancakes.
2. Pour mixture into greased 9 × 13 baking pan. Bake at 400˚ for 15 minutes, or until cake is golden brown.
3. Cut into 10 or 12 squares and serve with butter and maple syrup if you wish.
Tip: This is a great recipe when you don’t have time to stand at the stove and make piles of pancakes. They taste just as delicious, but allow you time to do whatever else you need to do.
Fluffy “Homemade” from the Box Pancakes
Valerie Drobel
Carlisle, PA
Makes 4 servings
Prep. Time: 5 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 4–6 minutes
2 cups buttermilk baking mix
2 eggs
1½ cups milk
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix until smooth.
2. Lightly oil surface of griddle and heat to approximately 350˚. Or warm your skillet.
3. Pour batter onto griddle or into skillet in 5" circles. Cook until bubbly (about 2–3 minutes).
4. Flip, and cook 2 minutes more.
Tip from Tester: Add ¾ cup fresh blueberries to Step 1, if you wish.
Potato Pancakes (with flour)
Doris M. Zipp
Germantown, NY
Clara Yoder Byler
Hartville, OH
Makes 3–4 servings
Prep Time: 10–15 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 10–15 minutes
1 egg
1 small onion, peeled and cut in chunks
2 Tbsp. flour
3 cubed raw potatoes, peeled or unpeeled
3 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
1. Blend egg, onion, and flour in mini-food processor until onion is chopped.
2. Place mixture in mixing bowl and stir in potatoes.
3. In a skillet, heat oil until very hot. Drop scant ⅓ cupfuls of potato mix several inches apart. Gently flatten each into a 4" circle.
4. Fry until dark golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a 200 degree oven while frying the remainder.
5. Butter, sour cream, or applesauce make good toppings.
Tip from Tester: For toppings, substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream, or use sour cream with chives.
Potato Pancakes (with pancake mix)
Jan Carroll
Sugar Grove, IL
Makes 6 servings
Prep Time: 9–10 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 6–10 minutes
olive, or vegetable, oil
3 cups shredded raw potatoes, peeled or unpeeled
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup pancake mix
2 Tbsp. water
½ tsp. salt
1. Heat olive or other vegetable oil in pan. The oil should cover the bottom of the skillet ⅛" deep.
2. Mix all remaining ingredients together. Drop by ¼-cup measures into hot oil. Flatten little cakes with the back of a spoon. Fry 2–3 minutes or until golden brown. Flip over to brown other side.
3. Drain pancakes on paper towels.
Tips:
1. You can use thawed hash browns in place of fresh potatoes.
2. Not only are these great for breakfast, you can also use them as a side dish with roast beef or baked or grilled ham.
Crepes
Clarksville, MI
Makes 4–6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 15 minutes
3 eggs
½ cup milk
¼ cup flour
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. butter, melted, plus some for greasing skillet
1. Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl with a wire whisk.
2. Grease skillet with butter. Heat over medium high heat.
3. Put 2½ Tbsp. (or just a bit over half of a ¼ cup measure) of mixture in hot skillet. Immediately pick up skillet and let batter roll around bottom of pan to form a thin layer in skillet. Cook until lightly browned.
4. Flip and cook other side. You may need to use your fingers to flip the crepes.
5. Remove from skillet when lightly browned. Spread with maple syrup or your favorite jam. Roll up and enjoy.
Tip from Tester: Top the rolled-up crepes with sliced fresh peaches, sprinkled with confectioners sugar!
Banana Fritters
Naomi Cunningham
Arlington, KS
Makes 1 serving
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 10 minutes
1 large ripe banana, mashed
3 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg, beaten
½ tsp. baking powder
1. Combine mashed banana, flour, and sugar in a small bowl, mixing until smooth.
2. Add beaten egg and baking powder. Stir until smooth.
3. Spray skillet with cooking spray. Heat until hot.
4. Drop about 1–2 Tbsp. batter into skillet. Heat until browned on one side.
5. Flip and continue heating until browned.
6. Cool completely. Roll in sugar and serve.
7. You can multiply the ingredients to serve more! Cook in batches in skillet.
Old-Timey French Toast
Jennifer Kellogg
Whately, MA
Makes 4–6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5–8 minutes
1 cup milk
2 whole eggs
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. grated nutmeg, divided
16-oz. loaf of sliced bread, white or wheat
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, and half of the nutmeg.
2. Spray bottom of skillet with cooking spray.
3. Dip individual slices of bread into milk mixture and place in hot skillet. Cook until golden brown.
4. Sprinkle each slice with remaining nutmeg. Flip over to brown the other side.
5. Serve immediately.
Note: This has been a favorite of mine since I was a child. My French-Canadian grandmother used to make this French toast as a special treat.
Rhoda Nissley
Parkesburg, PA
Makes 6–8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
1 cup orange juice
6 beaten eggs
¼ tsp. ground cardamom, optional
1 stick (½ cup) butter
12 slices sturdy white bread
½–1 cup maple syrup, warmed
1. In a shallow bowl, combine orange juice and eggs. Blend well.
3. Add cardamom if you wish.
4. Divide butter between 2 10 × 15 jelly roll pans.
5. Turn oven to 450˚. Place pans in oven to melt butter. Remove from oven when butter is melted.
6. One by one, dip bread slices in egg mixture to coat both sides. Place 6 slices on each pan.
7. Bake at 450˚ for 5 minutes. Turn each slice over and bake 5 more minutes.
8. Drizzle with syrup before serving.
French Toast Casserole
Stacy Stoltzfus, Grantham, PA
Kaye Taylor, Florissant, MO
Makes 12 servings
Prep. Time: 10–15 minutes
Chilling Time: overnight
Cooking/Baking Time: 45 minutes
10 slices bread, cubed
2 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese
12 eggs, beaten well
2 cups milk
½ cup pancake syrup
cinnamon, optional
1. Place half of bread cubes in a greased 9 × 13 pan.
2. Cube the cream cheese and scatter on top of bread.
3. Put the rest of the bread cubes on top.
4. In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, and pancake syrup with an electric mixer. Pour over top of bread and cream cheese.
5. Sprinkle top with cinnamon, if you wish.
6. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bake at 375˚ for 45 minutes. Cut into squares or dish out with a spoon.
7. Serve hot with syrup. (Fruit syrups are especially good.)
Tip: We love this with fruit scattered with the cream cheese cubes: berries, diced, apples, peaches, etc.
Breakfast Bread Pudding
Jean H. Robinson
Cinnaminson, NJ
Makes 6–8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Standing Time: 30 minutes– 8 hours
Cooking/Baking Time: 1 hour
½ loaf French bread, cut into 16 slices 1" thick
6 large eggs
2½ cups milk, or half and half
½ cup honey
2 Tbsp. orange zest
maple syrup, optional
1. Spray a 9 × 12 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Lay bread slices flat in the baking pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, milk, honey, and orange zest. Pour over bread slices and allow bread to absorb liquid for 20 minutes, or overnight if that’s more convenient for you. (Cover the bread and refrigerate it if it will be standing overnight.)
4. Bake for 60 minutes at 350˚.
5. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with maple syrup as a topping, if you wish.
Scrapple
Stuarts Draft, VA
Makes 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 30 minutes
Chilling Time: 4–8 hours
1½ cup yellow cornmeal
3 cups water, divided
1 lb. ground pork sausage
½ tsp. salt
10¾-oz. can chicken broth
butter
1. Blend together cornmeal and 1 cup water.
2. In a large saucepan, combine pork sausage with salt and chicken broth. Gradually add 2 more cups water being careful to separate sausage into fine pieces. Bring to a boil.
3. Slowly add cornmeal to the mixture, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Turn into a 9 × 5 × 3 pan. Refrigerate covered.
4. To serve, cut into slices ¼" thick. Saute in hot buttered skillet until golden brown. Serve with pancake syrup or fried cornmeal mush.
Old-Fashioned Cornmeal Mush
Sara Kinsinger
Stuarts Draft, VA
Jolene Schrock
Millersburg, OH
Makes 15–18 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 35–45 minutes
Chilling Time: 4–8 hours
2 cups cornmeal
2–3 tsp. salt
2 cups cold water
6 cups boiling water
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, salt, and cold water.
2. When well mixed, stir in boiling water.
3. Pour mixture into a large heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring it well and frequently until it boils.
4. After mixture is boiling, cover the pan. Turn heat lower, but so that the mush simmers for 45 minutes.
5. Pour cooked cornmeal mush into a loaf pan. Chill until set.
6. Cut into ½" slices. Fry in butter or vegetable shortening until crispy around the edges. When browned on one side, turn to brown the other side.
7. Serve hot with honey or syrup.
Variation: For a heartier breakfast (or lunch or supper), serve with sausage gravy as a topping.
— Jolene Schrock
Millersburg, OH
Tip from Tester: For crispier fried mush, make the slices thinner in Step 6.
Grits Au Gratin
Patricia Howard, Green Valley, AZ
Lizzie Ann Yoder, Hartville, OH
Janie Steele, Moore, OK
Makes 6 servings
Prep Time: 20–25 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 60 minutes
½ cup raw grits, or 2 cups cooked grits
1 stick (½ cup) butter
2 eggs, beaten
milk
8 ozs. cheddar cheese, grated, divided
1. Cook grits according to package directions.
2. Cut butter into bite-size pieces. Grate cheese. Reserve ½ cup grated cheese for topping.
3. Mix butter pieces and remaining cheese into hot grits.
4. Beat eggs in a 1-cup measure. Fill remaining space in cup with milk. Mix egg-milk mixture into grits.
5. Spoon into a buttered 1½-quart casserole. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 350˚. Top with reserved cheese and bake 15 minutes longer.
Mary Kathryn Yoder
Harrisonville, MO
Makes 9–12 servings
Prep. Time: 10–15 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 20 minutes
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
6 Tbsp. oil
1½ cups brown sugar
7½ cups dry quick oats
1. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the peanut butter and oil together. Microwave on High for 45 seconds. Stir. Continue heating for 30-second intervals, followed by stirring, until mixture melts but doesn’t scorch. Or heat in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until peanut butter melts into oil.
2. Stir in the brown sugar. Mix well.
3. In a large mixing bowl, pour over the oats and stir together thoroughly.
4. Pour granola into a greased shallow pan. Bake at 300˚ for 15–20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.
Peanut Butter Granola Surprise
Julette Rush
Harrisonburg, VA
Makes 9 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
1 stick (½ cup) butter
½ cup apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 cup peanut butter
¾ cup brown sugar
6 cups dry oats, quick or rolled
1. Melt butter, apple juice concentrate, peanut butter, and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking or scorching. Or put the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High for 45 seconds. Stir. Continue cooking for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until mixture melts together.
2. Put oats in large, greased roast pan or baking dish and pour mix over. Stir together well.
3. Bake at 350˚ for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Tip from Tester: Stir ½ cup raisins and ½ cup sunflower seeds into the baked granola.
Blueberry Breakfast Sauce
Doyle Rounds
Bridgewater, VA
Makes 1¾ cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 7 minutes
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
⅓ cup water
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in water. Add blueberries.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
3. Serve warm or cold over pancakes, French toast, or waffles. Or allow to cool and serve over ice cream.
Stacy Stolzfus
Grantham, PA
Makes 2 cups
Prep. Time: 5 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 20–25 minutes
2 cups frozen strawberries in juice, thawed
¼ cup maple syrup, more or less to your taste
orange zest from one orange
1. Put everything into a saucepan and stir well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Keep pan uncovered while cooking.
2. Cook until the liquid is reduced to a syrupy-consistency, about 20 minutes.
3. Serve hot over French toast, pancakes, or waffles.
Tip: You can change the fruit and flavoring of this recipe to whatever you prefer: blueberries with lemon zest, peaches with cinnamon, red raspberries with lemon, etc.
Breakfast Smoothie
Jeanette B. Oberholtzer
Manheim, PA
Makes 5 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
1 banana, sliced
1–1½ cups cut-up fruit, fresh or frozen
½–1 cup vanilla yogurt
orange juice
more cut-up fresh fruit for garnish
1. Put banana, fruit, and yogurt in blender.
2. Add enough orange juice to reach 4½-cup line in a 5-cup blender.
3. Blend on high until smooth.
4. Garnish with fruit and/or fresh mint. Serve immediately.
Tips:
1. If you use unsweetened fruit, you may want to add a little honey or sugar to Step 1.
2. If you use frozen fruit, the smoothie will have more of a milk-shake consistency.
Breakfast Fruit
Mary B. Sensenig
New Holland, PA
Makes 6 servings
Prep. Time: 2–3 minutes
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup sliced banana
½ cup pineapple tidbits
½ pint strawberry yogurt
1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix fruit together gently.
2. Put in serving bowl. Top with yogurt.
Tip: Fresh, frozen, or canned fruit works well in this dish.
A Tip —
Buy fruits and vegetables when they are in season. They will be cheaper, and their quality will be greater than those that are out of season and have been shipped long distances.
Mary Jane Musser
Manheim, PA
Sharon L. Anders
Alburtis, PA
Makes 12 servings
Prep Time: 5–10 minutes
Baking Time: 35–40 minutes
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ cup shortening
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup milk
1. In a large mixing bowl, mix flour and sugar together.
2. Cut shortening into flour-sugar mixture with a pastry cutter until crumbly.
3. Reserve 1 cup crumbs for topping. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in milk. Stir into dry mixture until thoroughly mixed.
5. Put batter in two greased 8" pans. Top with reserved crumbs.
6. Bake at 350˚ for 35 minutes, or until tester inserted in center of pans comes out clean.
Variation: Use 1½ cups brown sugar instead of 2 cups sugar.
— Sharon L. Anders
Alburtis, PA
Tip from the Tester: To add flavor, add ½ tsp. cinnamon to Step 1.
Brunch Cake
Lauren Eberhard
Seneca, IL
Makes 12 servings
Prep. Time: 15 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 35–45 minutes
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. oi1
18¼-oz. box yellow cake mix
21-oz. can apple pie filling
¼ cup sugar / 2 Tbsp. cinnamon mix
1. In a large bowl beat the eggs and oil until frothy.
2. Stir in dry cake mix.
3. When well blended, stir in pie filling. Mix until everything is moistened.
4. Put batter in a lightly greased 9 × 13 baking pan.
5. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over top.
6. Bake at 350˚ for 35–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Serve warm. Add a dollop of vanilla whipped topping to each serving, if you wish.
Tip from the Tester: For added flavor use cherry pie filling instead of apple pie filling.
Cinnamon Flop
Grace Mumaw
Harrisonburg, VA
Makes 6 servings
Prep. Time: 10 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 15–20 minutes
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. butter, softened, and divided
1 cup milk
2 tsp. baking powder
1¾ cup flour, plus additional for dusting
1. Cream sugar and 1 Tbsp. butter together, stirring vigorously.
2. In a small bowl, mix milk and baking powder together. Then stir into sugar/butter mixture.
3. Blend in flour.
4. Spoon dough into a lightly greased 8 × 8 baking pan.
5. Dust top of batter with flour. Then sprinkle brown sugar (about ¼ cup) and cinnamon (about ¼ tsp.) over top. Dot with little cubes of remaining butter. (The butter will sink into cake and make yummy caves.)
6. Bake at 375˚ for 15–20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Arlene Snyder
Millerstown, PA
Jean M. Butzer
Batavia, NY
Mary Ann Bowman
East Earl, PA
Makes 12 servings
Prep Time: 15–30 minutes
Standing Time: 8 hours or overnight
Cooking/Baking Time: 30–35 minutes
3.5-oz. pkg. dry butterscotch cook-and-serve pudding mix
¾ cup brown sugar
1 stick (½ cup) melted butter
½–¾ cup broken nuts of your choice, optional
frozen dough for 18–24 dinner rolls, walnut-size
1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix dry butterscotch pudding mix and brown sugar together.
2. Place melted butter in another bowl.
3. Put nuts in bottom of bundt cake pan, or one-piece angel-food cake pan.
4. Roll frozen dinner rolls, one at a time, in melted butter, and then in brown sugar mixture.
5. Stack coated rolls evenly in prepared cake pan.
6. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and pudding mix. Pour remaining butter on top. Let stand overnight at room temperature.
7. In the morning, bake at 350˚ for 30–35 minutes. Then invert onto serving tray.
An alternative preparation method:
1. Stack frozen rolls in a greased bundt pan. Sprinkle with dry pudding mix.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine melted butter and brown sugar. Stir in 1 tsp. cinnamon. Pour over rolls.
3. Cover tightly with greased foil. Let rise on countertop over night.
4. Uncover in the morning and continue with Step 7 above.
— Jean M. Butzer
Batavia, NY
Tip: You can assemble these ahead and freeze them in the baking pan. Get them out of the freezer the evening before you want to serve them for breakfast. In the morning, proceed with Step 7.
Tip from Tester: Use grated coconut instead of broken nuts.
Cinnamon Bubble Bread
Erma Martin, East Earl, PA
Arleta Petersheim, Haven, KS
Lori Lehman, Ephrata, PA
Makes 12 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
4 7½-oz. tubes refrigerated biscuits
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. vanilla, optional
½–1 cup granulated or brown sugar, according to your taste preference
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
1. Quarter biscuits.
2. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup sugar and cinnamon together. Roll each biscuit piece in mixture.
3. Drop pieces into a greased 9 × 13 cake pan, or into a 10" bundt or tube pan.
4. Sprinkle any remaining sugar-cinnamon mixture over biscuit pieces in pan.
5. Melt butter and ½ cup sugar (or more), and vanilla if you wish, together. Pour over biscuits.
6. Bake at 350˚ for 30–40 minutes, or until baked through and lightly browned.
7. When done, turn 9 × 13 pan upside down on a baking sheet, or a bundt pan upside down onto a serving plate. Serve warm with coffee or tea!
Variation: Add ½ cup chopped nuts to Step 5, if you wish.
— Lori Lehman
Ephrata, PA
Monica Yoder, Millersburg, OH
Makes 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 6 minutes
¾ cup vegetable oil, divided
tube of 8 large refrigerated biscuits
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1. Heat ½ cup of the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Use a 1" round cookie cutter to cut a hole in the center of each biscuit; reserve the extra dough for “holes.”
3. Test the heat of the oil by dipping the edge of a doughnut in the pan. The edge will bubble if the oil is hot enough.
4. Place 4 doughnuts and holes in skillet and cook until golden brown, about 1–1½ minutes on each side. Transfer to a wire rack or paper-towel lined plate to drain.
5. Add remaining oil to the skillet and cook remaining doughnuts and holes.
6. In a large bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Gently toss the warm doughnuts in the mixture, a few at a time. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tip: You can also toss the doughnuts in confectioners sugar.
Apple Cinnamon Pan Biscuits
Gretchen Maust
Keezletown, VA
Makes 20 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15–20 minutes
3½ cups self-rising flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
⅔ cup shortening
1 large grated apple
1¼ cups milk
1. Measure flour and cinnamon into mixing bowl and stir together. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter until thoroughly mixed.
2. Grate apple and stir gently into mixture.
3. Add milk and mix lightly. Too much stirring will cause biscuits to be tough.
4. Pat dough into a greased jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400˚ just until lightly browned.
5. Add Topping if you wish. Cut into squares and serve warm.
Optional Topping:
When biscuits finish baking, drizzle with a glaze made by mixing 2 Tbsp. melted butter, 3 Tbsp. milk, 1½ cups confectioners sugar, and ½ tsp. cinnamon together. Or sprinkle with confectioners sugar.
Jam Pockets
Jennifer Archer
Kalona, IA
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking/Baking Time: 18–20 minutes
8-count tube refrigerated crescent rolls
flour for work surface
4 Tbsp. cream cheese
4 Tbsp. fruit jam, flavor of your choice
1. Carefully unroll the rolls on lightly floured surface. Divide along dots to form 4 equal rectangles.
2. Gently pinch and smooth dough to eliminate the diagonal dotted lines.
3. Place one tablespoon cream cheese and one tablespoon jam in center of each rectangle. Bring corners to the center and pinch together to seal.
4. Transfer to baking sheet and bake at 400˚ for 18–20 minutes.
Tip from Tester: Double the pleasure by placing 1 tablespoon of cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of jam on each single triangle (rather than on each rectangle, formed by 2 triangles). Or place 2 tablespoons of cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of jam on each rectangle.