Brunch Fit for a King

Brunch fit for a King

Is it sacrilegious to even entertain the thought of serving any grain other than grits for Christmas day

brunch? Just hear me out. I’m a huge grit advocate, but sometimes you need a little change of pace. I

along with all the Brown family cousins will vouch for a less familiar breakfast grain, cream of wheat. The

name says it all! Cream of wheat is a type of farina which is milled from wheat. The Brown family

affectionately calls it “Creama Creama”. My Grandma often included this little-known dish in her daily

breakfast spread. She cooked grits too but we requested her cheesy cream of wheat every time. The

texture was pure velvet and the taste savory with ribbons of cheddar cheese and butter.

I prefer to have at least one “make ahead” dish in my holiday cooking lineup. Who wants to spend their

morning slaving in the kitchen? Quiche is a go-to brunch/breakfast our boys request for special

occasions, and I love a good breakfast casserole too! I was searching for something a little different this

year and came across a recipe using cottage cheese to make a super fluffy egg casserole. If you watch

Tik-tok or follow any foody influencers on Instagram then you have likely seen people putting cottage

cheese on everything!! I heard there is a shortage so be sure to stock up on cottage cheese well in

advance. The addition of sausage makes this dish a meal. You can prepare this dish a few days in

advance so you can enjoy watching everyone open gifts instead of standing over a hot stove.

One of Honey’s most requested catering dishes is candied bacon. We can’t replenish this sweet and

savory favorite fast enough at events. I recently discovered a newer version of this well-known dish that

includes the addition of a cracker. The bacon cooks around the cracker and forms a perfect little morsel

that is easy for folks to grab. Be prepared to make this for breakfast, brunch, appetizers, and snacks.

Your family will insist you include this dish on every menu. If you like a little heat add a sliced jalapeno to

the top of each bacon wrapped cracker before cooking.

No outstanding meal or event is complete without a specialty drink. I am not a coffee connoisseur, but I

have a cup most mornings. While in New Orleans, I fell in love with a drink called Café au lait, French for

“coffee with milk”. This simple recipe is equal parts coffee and warmed milk. All sources insist you use

coffee with chicory. Chicory is the ground root of the endive plant that the French added to coffee to

soften the bitter edge. I also add a little ground cinnamon to my coffee grounds when brewing. The

smell is divine and gives the coffee a hint of spice. Most recipes call for milk but when researching this

recipe I found that Emeril Lagasse and Café Du Monde suggested the use of half and half along with

milk. Emeril knows best!! I can’t promise this recipe will taste as magical as sipping a café au lait while

strolling the French Quarter in Nola but it’s worth a shot.

Cheesy Creama Creama

2 c Whole Milk

2 c Water

½ tsp Salt

¾ c Cream of Wheat

3 tbs. Butter

1 c shredded Cheddar

Bring milk, water, and salt to a boil. Gradually add cream of wheat whisking constantly until well

blended. Return to a boil for 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir

in butter and cheddar. Serve immediately.

Candied Bacon

20 Club Crackers

1 lb Bacon

½ c Brown Sugar

1 Tbs. Chili Powder

1/2 tsp. Pepper

½ tsp. granulated Garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil.

Mix brown sugar, chili powder, pepper, and granulated garlic in a bowl.

Cut bacon slices in half. Wrap each cracker loosely with bacon. Sprinkle sugar mixture over each cracker.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Fluffy Cottage Egg and Sausage Casserole

1 dozen Eggs

1 lb. ground Sausage (cooked and crumbled)

¾ c plain Flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

1 tsp dry Mustard

1 tsp Hot Sauce

2 c Cottage Cheese

3 c Pepper Jack Cheese

4 oz diced Pimentos

2 Green Onion (chopped)

2 Tbs Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Crack eggs into a mixer bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add flour, baking powder, salt,

pepper, dry mustard, and hot sauce and mix well. Fold in sausage, cottage cheese, pepper jack cheese,

pimento, and green onion.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cover with foil if the top starts

to get too dark. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

You can put together this dish a day or two before. Allow the dish to sit at room temperature before you

cook. It may take a little longer to cook if it’s cold.

Cinnamon Café Au Lait

2 c whole Milk

2 c Half and Half

4 c Coffee with Chickory

1 tsp. Cinnamon

Sugar to Taste

Add cinnamon to your coffee grounds. Brew coffee.

Heat milk and half and half over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to bubble slightly turn off the

heat. Slowly pour the brewed coffee into the pot and stir to combine. Transfer the café au lait to a

warmed coffee pot and serve immediately with sugar to taste.