Category: Food

Have Some Ham…Make Croque Madame

CarrieLeave a comment

This weekend I was having some girlfriends over for brunch.  I decided to try Paula Deen’s Croque Madame Casserole.  Let me tell you.  This is a must have for your next brunch menu.  It is rich and delicious.  Mind you, it is not something you should make if you are counting your calories!

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Ingredients
8 tbsp butter, 1/4 c flour, 2 c milk, 2 tbsp mustard, 3/4 tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 10 slices bread, 3/4 lb ham, 8 oz grated swiss, 6 eggs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400. Grease an 8×8 square baking dish. (I used an 8×11 baking dish instead).Melt 6 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over low heat until bubbling. Whisk in flour and cook for one minute. Whisk in milk and cook until thick and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes more. Whisk in mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Pour a thin layer of sauce in the baking dish and cover it with 5 slices of bread. Then top the slices of bread with half of the ham slices and half of the swiss. Repeat the layers once more and finish the casserole with another layer of sauce to cover the entire dish. Bake for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet, cook 6 eggs over easy. You can work in batches. Season with salt and pepper to taste. After the casserole is finished baking, cut the casserole into 6 portions and top each portion with an egg. You have a delicious meal ready for your guests.

Check out this cute grater that I found at Love the Cook in Cape May!
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Five Things

Sadie2 Comments

I would consider my “Signature” or most requested dishes.

5. Vegetarian Black Bean Soup. I just blogged about this a few weeks ago, but I’ve been making this for a few years now.  It’s a great and easy riff on traditional tortilla soup, and it turns out great every time!  Definitely a crowd pleaser.

4. Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and almonds.  I’ve seen a few Food Network personalities make versions of this dish, so one Thanksgiving I decided to combine a few recipes and give it a try.  It quickly became a staple at my family’s Thanksgiving table.

3. Rice Krispie treats.  This one is so easy, but so good.  Whenever I make a version of rice krispie treats to bring to a party, they get raves. I love them too, but I feel like people don’t realize that all I did was melt butter and marshmallows and add cereal. I usually make them because I need to pull something together at the last minute, and quickly realize that I could have made a soufflé and gotten fewer compliments.

2. Granola.  I saw a recipe for granola about three years ago and decided to give it a try. At the time, I didn’t even realize you could bake granola at home.  Three years later, my mother requires me to make a big batch to leave with her every time I visit her house.

1. Buttermilk Pancakes.  My grandmother trained me to make these with my great grandmother’s recipe at a very early age.  By the way, this is my great grandmother Sarah Church, aka Sadie.  This is my number one requested dish by friends and family hands down.  They are simple, light, and fluffy every time!

What is your best dish?

Savory Crackers: a Super Bowl Must-Have

Carrie1 Comment

We all know the SuperBowl is coming up this weekend.  Here is something you should try if you can get your hands on it.  I have never seen it in a store myself.  You will be able to find it at the Bread and Cheese Cupboard this summer because the taste is simply irresistible.IMG_0824
This seasoning mix is used to whip up a batch of seasoned crackers that are so addicting you won’t be able to put the bag down. Along with this handy dandy bag of seasoning you need is four sleeves of Saltine crackers shown below, 1 3/4 canola oil, and a 2-gallon plastic bag for mixing. Open the bag, pour the oil, dump in the crackers, re-seal the bag, and start turning the bag to evenly distribute the seasoning mix. In a couple of turns and a couple of hours, you will have a tasty cracker that will make you want to buy more packets of seasoning. Debut this at your SuperBowl party and your party will be a hit!

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