Mushroom Business

Here's something other than  potatoes to serve

 along with your roast beef. 

 This is a savory mushroom strata/bread pudding/
side dish/casserole....a mushroom business. 

It's another oldie but goodie recipe from 

Peg Bracken's cookbook of 1966.

 You can prepare it in the morning or the day before.
 Love anything I can make ahead.

 Butter 6 slices of bread.

 Cut the bread into squares.

 Put half the bread into a buttered 8" square casserole.

 Slice the mushrooms. I used a little over half of a

 1-lb package that I had leftover. 

Saute the sliced mushrooms until fragrant,

 about 3 minutes.

 Add the chopped celery, onions, salt, and pepper.

Stir in the mayonnaise.

 Spread this mixture over the bread squares. 

 Top with the remaining bread.

 Slightly beat the 2 eggs and 

combine with 1-1/2 C milk.

 Pour over the bread. 

Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

 About 1 hour and 15 minutes before you want to 

serve it, spread the top with the mushroom soup.

 Bake uncovered for 50 minutes at 325.

 Remove from oven and sprinkle the top with

 cheese. I used Cheddar or a Cheddar/Jack blend.

Whatever you have on hand...Swiss, Parmesan, etc.

 Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes

 until nicely puffed. Serve.

Double the recipe and use a 9X13 casserole.

Mushroom Business

1/2- 1 lb mushrooms, sliced

Butter, about 2 T

1/2 C chopped onions

1/2 C chopped celery

1/2 C mayonnaise

3/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1-1/2 C milk

6 slices white bread

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 C shredded cheese (your choice)

Lightly butter the bread slices and cut 

them into 1-inch squares. Put half of them
 (3 slices) into the bottom of a buttered
8" square casserole. Saute the cut-up
mushrooms in a skillet with 1 T butter
 until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped
onions and celery, salt and pepper.
Then stir in the mayonnaise.
Spread this mixture on top of the

 bread squares. Top with the remaining bread
 squares. Pour over this the two eggs slightly
 beaten with the 1-1/2 C milk. Cover and
refrigerate at least an hour or overnight.

Finally, an hour and 15 minutes before 

you want to serve it spread the 

mushroom soup on top. Bake uncovered  325 

for 50 minutes, then remove from oven 

and sprinkle with the cheese. Return to oven 

and bake another 10-15 minutes until nicely puffed.

6 servings

Enjoy!

note: The original recipe also had 1/2 C

chopped green pepper.

 It's optional. If I have it I use it.

Links: A Stroll Thru Life,
Coastal Charm, Between Naps On The Porch,
Designs By Gollum, Funky Junk

Cream Cheese Ball

My friend Sheila has been asking me to post my
recipe for the chipped beef cream cheese ball
...so here it is.
This makes one small cheese ball.
It's with pastrami or any chipped beef.

It's nice to set out for a snack.

For a party double the recipe and make one large ball.

Or make two small ones and roll each one into
 something different.

 I used both green onions with chives from my
garden because that's what I had available.

Combine softened cream cheese, onions,
garlic salt, and W-sauce.

 Finely chop the pastrami.
 You'll have about 1/2 C.

Stir half into the cheese.

Blend well. Refrigerate until it's
firm enough to shape into a ball.

Roll into the remaining chopped beef.
You can also roll it in chopped pecans.
serve with crackers.

I also like it spread on toasted sourdough
bread for a snack.

Cream Cheese Ball

1 8-oz package cream cheese

2-oz pastrami-about 1/2 C 

(1/4 of an 8-oz package)

2 green onions-about 1/4C 

1t Worcestershire sauce

1/2 t garlic powder

Soften the cream cheese.

Finely chop the pastrami and green onions.

Combine the cream cheese, half of the chopped pastrami

(about 1/4 C) the green onions, garlic salt, and

Worcestershire sauce until well blended. 

Chill until it's firm enough to roll into a ball.

Roll the ball into the remaining chopped

pastrami. You can also roll it into finely

chopped pecans. Make one of each!

Enjoy!

Links: Designs By Gollum

The Breakfast Club

What are having for breakfast?

Strawberry Puff Pancakes

Oven puffed pancake filled with fresh strawberries,
a sprinkle of lemon juice and dusted with powdered sugar

We usually have one of our favorites.

Swedish Pancakes
Thin crepe-like pancakes sprinkled with lemon juice
and cinnamon or powdered sugar.

Swedish Pancakes with Mini Chocolate Chips
and Fresh Raspberries

Baked Apple Pancake
Oven baked batter with slices of apple and layers of cinnamon,
 brown sugar mixture, topped with extra lemon juice.

Tuesday Pancakes
Very light sour cream and cottage cheese pancakes
are topped with raspberry sauce and
 a sprinkle of powdered sugar

French Muffin Puffs
Light muffins rolled in butter then cinnamon sugar.

Spinach, Tomato and Cheese Omelete

Puffins
Mini muffins made with pancake batter and
mini chocolate chips, dipped in maple syrup.

Pumpkin Oatmeal
Oatmeal with pumpkin, pumpkin pie spices and brown sugar.

Buenos Dias!
Baked eggs, cottage cheese, Monterey Jack cheese,
 green chilies puffed in the oven.

Baked Apple Oatmeal
A hearty combination of oatmeal and chopped apples, are
mixed with cinnamon, brown sugar and milk then baked in the oven.

Cinnamon Roll Swedish Pancakes
Cinnamon roll filling spread onto Swedish pancakes
then rolled and sliced, dust with powdered sugar

My Favorite Waffles

My Homemade Granola
Oatmeal, pecans, and almonds, flavored with brown sugar,
honey, vanilla and a touch of cinnamon are baked until crunchy.

Coffee Love

Frothed milk in our coffee....always!

We always have breakfast together.

(Click on any of the blue titles for the recipe.)

Enjoy Your Morning!

Links: Between Naps On The Porch,
A Stroll Thru Life, Funky Junk

Apple Cranberry Crisp

While this is baking the smell of apples and
cinnamon filling the house are as nice as any of
 our other Christmas decorations.

I mixed this up quickly. Much easier than pie.

 Apples and cranberries.

Crumbly topping.

Decorated with a ring of cranberries

 Bake for 30 minutes at 375.
A nice crunchy topping on warm apples
and cranberries.

 A little Christmas cheer with our
afternoon coffee.

Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Leftovers are also good with breakfast coffee.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

4 large apples

1 C fresh cranberries

plus more for garnish

1 sprinkle flour, about 1T 

1 squirt lemon juice, about 1 t

********

Peel, core and slice the apples.
Combine with the cranberries in a large bowl.
Add a squirt of lemon juice and sprinkle with
 a little flour. Toss and put into a buttered pie dish.

Topping

1/2 stick butter, melted

1/2 C flour

1/2 C oatmeal

3/4 C brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

Combine well with a fork until crumbly.
Sprinkle over the top.

Bake 375 for 30 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream if desired.

Enjoy!

Links: Savvy Southern Style,
Designs By Gollum