Italian Brunch Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package sweet Italian sausage 
• 8 green onions, sliced (1 cup)
• 2 zucchini, diced (about 3 cups) 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and chopped
• 1 (16-ounce) Italian bread loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 
• 6 large eggs 
• 1 1/2 cups milk

Preparation

1. Remove and discard casings from sausage. Cook sausage in a large skillet, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink; drain.
2. Add green onions and next 3 ingredients to skillet. Sauté 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in roasted bell peppers. Drain and cool.
3. Spread 4 cups of bread cubes in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with half each of the sausage mixture and cheese. Repeat with remaining bread, sausage, and cheese.
4. Whisk together eggs and milk. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cover and chill 8 hours.
5. Bake, covered, at 325° for 1 hour or until bubbly and hot.

Southern Living
JANUARY 2003
 

Shortcut Sangria

Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 quarts or 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup vanilla-flavor syrup
• 2 oranges (about 6 oz. each), thinly sliced $
• 1 lime, thinly sliced
• 1 cup orange juice $
• 2 bottles (750 ml. each) dry red wine $
• Ice cubes
  

  Preparation

• 1. In a pitcher (at least 3-qt. size), combine syrup, orange slices, lime slices, and orange juice.
• 2. Add wine to pitcher; mix, and pour into ice-filled glasses.
• Nutritional analysis per cup.
• 

Bird's Nest

Learn how to make these bacon-and-egg toasts that make for a fun breakfast or an easy dinner.

Ingredients

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• 1 slice bacon                               
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• 4 (1-ounce) slices multigrain bread, lightly toasted                               
• 4 large eggs                               
• 4 teaspoons grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese (about 1/4 ounce)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1.  Position an oven rack in the middle setting. Place a jelly-roll pan on rack. Preheat oven to 400°.
2.  Place bacon on heated pan, and cook until crisp (about 4 minutes); crumble. Cut a hole into the center of each toast using a 3-inch biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter. Reserve cutouts.
3.  Arrange bread slices on hot pan; crack one egg into each hole. Sprinkle eggs evenly with crumbled bacon, cheese, and sage. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes or until egg whites are set. Sprinkle with pepper, and serve with toast cutout.

Mini Caprese Bites

1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved

10 to 14 fresh small mozzarella cheese balls, cut into thirds*

32 (4-inch) wooden skewers**

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. 1. Thread 1 tomato half, 1 piece of cheese, and another tomato half onto each skewer. Place skewers in a shallow serving dish.
2. 2. Whisk together oil and next 3 ingredients. Drizzle oil mixture over skewers; sprinkle with basil and salt and pepper to taste.
3. *1 (8-oz.) package fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, may be substituted.
4. **Wooden picks may be substituted.
5. Serve these mini tomato and mozzarella skewers in individual glasses as an appetizer at a seated dinner party, or arrange on a platter for your buffet!

Note: Grape tomatoes vary in size from week to week at the grocery store; some pints we found had only 24 while others had more than 40. Good news, you should still have enough mozzarella balls because they are generally sold in 8-oz. containers that have more than enough.

Bacon-Parmesan Tassies

Ingredients

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• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened $
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• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 large egg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled $
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• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Preparation

1. 1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add flour to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Shape mixture into 24 balls, and place on a baking sheet; cover and chill 1 hour.
2. 2. Place dough balls into cups of a lightly greased 24-cup miniature muffin pan; press dough, forming a shell.
3. 3. Preheat oven to 375°. Whisk together half-and-half and next 2 ingredients. Sprinkle bacon into pastry shells; top each with 1 tsp. cheese. Drizzle half-and-half mixture over cheese. Sprinkle chives over half-and-half mixture.
4. 4. Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack and cool 5 minutes. Serve warm.
5. Pair with: Sauternes, or Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, or German Riesling.

Southern Living
JUNE 2011

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