Breakfast Casserole

My mom has made this every Christmas morning for as long as I can remember!  She also made it for General Conference and for other holidays.   I have blended this tradition of Christmas morning breakfast with Jason's family tradition of Orange Rolls, and VOILA!  They go perfectly together!  Just like Jason and I do!  

Definitely make this ahead, as it needs to refrigerate over night.  This is one reason it is perfect for Christmas morning.  I prepare it the day before, then put it into bake before we open presents.  About the time we are done opening presents the casserole is ready eat.

This is basically a savory bread pudding, and if you know me, you know how much I LOVE bread pudding!   I totally understand how the texture of this can be a turn off for some, but we all love it!

In a buttered 9x13 baking dish layer 

7-10 slices of White bread, cubed (I use the Franz's brand whole wheat white bread.)

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1-1 1/2 lbs of browned, crumbled turkey breakfast sausage (or cooked, sliced 20 pork breakfast sausages)

Mix together  - 4 eggs
                        2 1/4 cup milk
                        3/4 Tbsp. dry mustard
Pour over casserole and refrigerate over night.

The next morning (perfect to do while the kids are looking in their stockings, and anxiously waiting to open presents.)
                         Mix together 1 can cream of mushroom soup
                                             1/2 cup milk
Pour over the casserole and bake 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees.   

2 

Orange Rolls

These are the BEST orange rolls out there!  The dough and the icing both have sour cream, which adds a deep richness and softness to these delicious rolls.  Christmas morning would not be what it is with out these rolls, along with Breakfast Casserole after opening presents.  

The recipe comes from my mother in law's cookbook.  Another favorite of Jason's from growing up.  Perfect for a festive breakfast, or for a decadent dessert. 

For Christmas I make them the night before, I will start the dough about lunch time on Christmas Eve.  I warm them in the oven after we open presents on Christmas morning, then make and add the icing/glaze. 

1 TBSP active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (I got VERY warm, almost hot to make sure the yeast gets activated.  This is actually a very small amount of yeast for this amount of dough.)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 butter or margarine (1 stick), melted

3 1/2 cups flour

2 TBSP grated orange peel (about 2 oranges)

Glaze - 

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

2 TBSP orange juice

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1.  Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixing bowl (I use the bowl of my Kitchenaid mixer.) Beat in 1/4 cup of the sugar, salt, eggs, sour cream, and 6 TBSP of melted butter.  Gradually add 2 cups flour.  Beat till smooth.  Knead remaining flour into dough.  I use my dough hook for all of this.  I really hate kneading, so I let my dough hook work the dough really well.  

2.  Let the dough rise in a large, lightly greased bowl, in a warm place, covered.  Rise till doubled, about 2 hours.  This dough does take longer than your average dough to rise.  If I am in a hurry, then I start out by adding 2 TBSP to the 1/4 cup of hot water in the beginning.  

Knead the dough on a well floured surface.  I do this in the bowl.  I just punch it around a little bit.  (Can you tell I am really not in love with kneading dough?)

3.  Roll one half of the dough to a 12 inch circle.  Combine 3/4 sugar and orange rind.  Brush dough with 1 TBSP melted butter and sprinkle with one half of the orange/sugar mixture.  

4.  Cut into 12 wedges.  Roll up, starting with the wide end.  Repeat with remaining dough.  (I tend to always cut more than 12 wedges.  I don't count them.  I just eyeball a good width, and end up with however many.

5.  Place point side down in the three rows in greased 9x13 pan.  Cover and let rise in a warm place, about an hour. 

6.  Then bake in moderate oven.  350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Glaze - 

Combine ingredients and boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Pour over rolls when removed from the oven.  

There is a lot of glaze.  I pour it all on, all over the rolls.  It soaks into every crevice, and is SO good!

Orange Swirls

I often make my mother in law's ORANGE ROLLS.  They are delicious, and a traditional part of our Christmas morning breakfast.  We recently had a big snow and ice storm hit our area, and we were forced to stay home for some good old fashioned family time.  I asked the kids to vote for either Orange Rolls or Cinnamon Rolls.  I was secretly hoping that Cinnamon Rolls would win because we recently had Orange Rolls on Christmas, and all my friends had been posting pictures of the Cinnamon Rolls they were making during the snow storm.  I was definitely craving me some of that action!  

Orange Rolls won the vote.  The kids went to bed, and I told my husband how disappointed I was by the results.   He chuckled and said, "You're the one making them.  Make whatever you want."  I got out his mom's cookbook because that's where the Orange Rolls recipe is.  As I was flipping through the bread section I stumbled onto this recipe for Orange Swirls.  I thought they would be a good compromise between Orange Rolls and Cinnamon Rolls.   I asked Jason if he remembers his mom making them.  He looked at the recipe, and got all excited.  He remembered.  Why has he NEVER told me!  

These are DELICIOUS!

Use your favorite dough recipe.  I use this one HERE.

Roll dough into 2 large (about 16x8 inches and 1/4 inch thick) rectangles.  I do just one at a time.  

Brush dough with melted butter.  

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 4 tsp. grated orange peel, and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out.)

Spread half of it over each dough rectangle.  

Beginning with long side roll up.

Cut into 12 pieces about 1 1/4 inches wide.

Give each roll a poke on the bottom to push up the top, so that when they bake they pop up! 

Place into greased Muffin tins.

Lay a tea towel over them, let them rise for about 20-30 minutes.  

One of my rectangles was a little long, and I cut it into 14 pieces.  That left me with two more rolls than I had room for in the muffin tins.  I placed the two extras in a couple of little ramekins.  It worked great!

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or till done.  

While still warm, take them out of the tins, and glaze with Orange Icing.

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. orange grated peel (I didn't have any, still delicious.)

3 TBSP Orange Juice

Drizzle over the top with a fork.  

Place on a platter, and serve up!

Basic Roll Dough

This is a famous, award winning dough recipe that can be used for anything!  Rolls, cinnamon rolls, orange swirls etc.  

This is a very famous dough recipe.  I have had SO many people ask me for it.  As soon as someone finds out I am Myrna Ritz's daughter in law they ask me if I have "the dough recipe."  There is a good explanation for this.  Way back in the 1980's the old Monmouth Ward (congregation for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) had a Cinnamon Roll Booth at the Oregon State Fair to raise funds for additions onto the building, a satellite dish so they could watch General Conference etc.  This was back in the day when individual congregations were responsible for raising most of their own funds for such necessities.

The booth was an extremely successful endeavor!  Jason remembers working in the booth, and said that there was always a long line.  This is the Award Winning Dough that they used to make the cinnamon rolls.

It makes A LOT of dough!  I can just imagine all those women in the Monmouth ward each making a HUGE batch of this dough every night during the fair to take into the fairgrounds each day.  That thought really warms my heart.  However, since I am NOT supplying a cinnamon roll booth at the State Fair, and because that amount of dough cannot fit in my Kitchenaid, I cut it in half.

I am posting it here as half of the recipe that my mother in law gave me.  It is enough to make 2 9x13 pans of cinnamon rolls or 24 Orange Swirls.

*This dough makes rolls that freeze well.

*This recipe posted here is enough to make 2 9x13 pans of cinnamon rolls.  

2 cups milk, lukewarm  (I heat mine in a small sauce pan.)

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp.active dry yeast

2 eggs

2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup cooking oil (I use Olive Oil because that's what I usually have.)

7 cups flour

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm milk.  When yeast becomes active (foamy in the milk), add well beaten eggs and enough flour to make a medium batter (like brownie batter).  

Beat well with a hand held electric mixer, or in a free stand mixer like a Bosch or Kitchenaid with a dough hook.  

Add in the oil and salt.  Slowly add in the rest of the flour.  I add in one cup at a time, completely mixing in all the flour before adding more.  This helps to keep me from adding in too much flour.  The trick with this dough is to not add too much flour.  It needs to be just enough flour that it is barely not sticky, and really soft.  If needed turn out onto a floured surface and knead in remaining flour.   My dough hook does a great job of mixing it all in and "kneading" it for me.  

Put dough in a lightly greased bowl.  I cover mine with a tea towel and place on my stove top as I preheat the oven or bake other things.  This is always a good warm spot that helps the dough to rise in a timely manner.  

Let rise for about an hour, or till doubled in size.  

At this point you can choose what you're going to do with the dough, such as cinnamon rolls. 

For cinnamon rolls - Divide dough in half and roll out into two rectangles.   After preparing the cinnamon rolls let sit to rise while covered before baking.

For Dinner rolls - Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness, and cut with a biscuit cutter.  Place close together on a greased baking sheet.  Let rise until light.  Bake 12 - 20 minutes depending on size, in a 425 degree oven.  Brush with melted butter when they come out of the oven.  

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Most of my Gourment Club, for the second year in a row, worked together to cater the dinner before the Relief Society Broadcast at the end of September.  We were feeding 200 women!  I worked on the "desserts team."  We did 50 each of Cardamom Pear Crisp, Carrot Cakes, Decadent Chocolate Brownie bites with Ganache and Pumpkin Bread Pudding.  I took over the Pumpkin Bread Pudding.  I am obsessed with Bread pudding.  It is one of my favorite desserts ever!  I began my search for a perfect recipe on Pinterest.  I tried a few, and was thrilled with this one right HERE!

The recipe I finalized on was my top choice for a few reasons.  Most importantly it is the most delicious!  Also, I was so suprised by the ingredients!  NO cream at all!  I have never made any bread pudding before without cream!  The original is for an 8x8 dish.  That is way too small for me, so I have adjusted the measurements to make a 9x13 pan.  Also, the original has a bourbon sauce to go on top.  I replaced that with a homemade carmel sauce that I use on fresh apple cake.

15 oz. pumpkin puree, I use Libby's canned pumpkin

12 oz. evaporated milk

24 oz. coconut milk

8 large eggs

3 cups dark brown sugar

2 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp salt

2 french bread loaves

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup golden raisins                     *** I have never put in the chocolate chips or raisins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a bowl combine the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, coconut milk and eggs together and mix well.  In another bowl combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger and salt together and mix well.  Combine the puree mixture and brown sugar mixture together and blend well.  Set aside until needed.  You may leave mixture at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with spray grease.  Cut the French bread in to 1/2" cubes and put them into the pumpkin mix very gently toss to help the bread absorb all the liquid.  Pour into the baking dish.  If you are doing the chips and raisins, sprinkle them over the top and gently press them into the bread.

Bake for 45-50 minutes.  If you stick a butter knife into the center of the pudding and it pulls out mostly clean, then it is done.  It is recommended to let it sit for about 45 minutes to cool.  It falls apart completely if you dish it up right away.  It is delicious warm with a fair amount of carmel sauce drizzled over each serving, and then topped with freshly, sweetened Whipping Cream.

Carmel Sauce

4 Tbsp. butter

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup white corn syrup

3/4 cup cream, half and half or canned milk (I usually use half and half)

Melt butter, add syrup and sugar.  Cook till forms very soft ball stage (takes just a few minutes - I just wait for it to bubble)  Then, add the cream, and gently stir in till well blended.  

Raspberry Bread Pudding

If you're looking for the most delicious, warm and comforting food out there, look no further!  Here it is!

 What's not to love?  Heavy Cream?  GOOD!  Sugar?  GOOD!  Butter?  GOOD!

This is a copy cat recipe I found on Pinterest from the restaurant Kneaders in Utah.  I love Kneaders and know that their food is so yummy!  Also, my grandma has even worked with them to develop a pie recipe or two.  (I have those in my recipe box :) )  

Back in December I was invited to a Girlfriend's Christmas party and dessert exchange.  I could not decide what to make!  When I don't have the answer, to any of life's many questions, I call my mommy.  Her immediate answer was the Kneaders Raspberry Bread Pudding she found on Pinterest.  She had made it over General Conference weekend, and my whole family loved it!  It was a huge hit at the dessert exchange.  Since then I've made it for my family over Christmas break for dessert, for book club brunch and for a Relief Society (women's church group) February meeting.  Now that I have shared this delicious dish with friends everyone asks for it.  So here it is.  Also, HERE is the link to where I found it off of Pinterest. 

1 1/2 loaves aged, white bread (I use the French Bread loaves from the bakery in my local grocery store.)
1 qt. heavy cream
3 C. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
5 C. raspberries, fresh or frozen
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. apple juice

In a large bowl mix the cream, sugar, egg and vanilla. Cut bread into 1 1/2 inch cubes and add to cream mixture, coating the bread well.Let stand 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to allow cream to absorb.Mix the raspberries, sugar and apple juice, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Layer a 9×13 inch baking pan 3/4 full with the bread mix and pour fruit filling over the bread mix, spreading evenly.
Top with the remaining bread.Bake 40 minutes at 375.
Serve warm topped with vanilla cream sauce.
(If you want it to cut into nice squares you can chill it and then cut it into squares, then microwave it for 20-25 seconds per piece and top with sauce.)

Vanilla Cream Sauce
1 1/3 C. butter
5 T. flour
3 C. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 C. sugar
Melt butter in medium saucepan and add flour.  Stir 10 minutes until it has a nutty aroma, do not brown.  Add salt, cream and sugar until mix is thick.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Serve warm over the pudding.

**The first time I made it, for the dessert exchange, I made the Vanilla Cream Sauce.  Since then I have left it off.  It is way less calories, and still extremely delicious!  If using it for breakfast or brunch I would suggest you consider this option.

Dill Bread

 I really love this recipe!  It is easy and delicious!  This is a bread recipe I can make up pretty quick to go with dinner.  It is easy to throw together, and it rises really fast.  Also, it has a whole cup of cottage cheese in it, so more protein in this bread than in most.  It is really good with soup, for sandwiches, or even toasted with melted cheese on it.  I made a couple loaves on Christmas day to eat with our left over ham.  It made really good sandwiches.

 This recipe was Jason's Grandma Pedersen's.  I have no idea how long it's been in the family.  I like imagine his pioneer ancestor's making it.  Thoughts like that make this bread even more fun for me to make.  Did I mention that my kids LOVE it?

Makes 1 loaf - I always double it for 2 loaves.

1 cup creamed cottage cheese (I blend it for a bit, or put in a Magic Bullet.  I leave some chunks.

1/4 cup very warm water

1 pkg. dry yeast (1 Tbsp.)

1 egg

2 Tbsp. sugar

*2 tsp. dill seed

1 Tbsp. minced onion (I use dried)

1 Tbsp. oil

1 tsp. salt

*1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

1/4 tsp. baking soda

2 1/4-2 1/2 cups flour

* - I have never used dill seed in this recipe.  I have never had it on hand.  I just use more of the dill weed, or have even used the Pampered Chef Dill seasoning mix.  In all I use about 1 1/2 tsp. dill weed.  If you are using fresh dill, use about half the amount of the dry dill.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Soften the yeast in very warm water.  Heat cottage cheese till warm (I use the microwave.)  Add in the rest of the ingredients.  Beat and knead, or use a bread hook in a free standing mixer.  Sometimes I add a bit more flour and continue to knead or mix, till the dough is not sticky.  Place in a clean, lightly greased, or sprayed with cooking spray, bowl.  Cover and raise till double, usually takes about 45 minutes.  Form into loaf or loaves, place in greased, or sprayed bread pans.  Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Let bread sit for about 5 minutes before removing from pans to cooling rack.

Sticky Buns

Also known as Sticky Bums.  When Max was about 3, this is what he called them.  My first General Conference after I was married, I found myself alone and bored while Jason was gone at Priesthood Session.  I decided to make Sticky Buns.  I have only missed making these a few conferences since.  Other times I've made them are usually when my little brother is visiting, and he requests them.  

When I was in HS, my mom made these on occasion, and had them waiting for my friends and I after a date, or after a dance.  We would eat sticky buns and talk to my mom.  I plan to do the same thing when my kids are teenagers, because sticky buns are really good at getting teenagers to talk. 

In a large mixing bowl (free stand mixer with bread hook) - 

2 Cups flour (bread flour)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 pkgs. yeast or 2 Tbsp.

In a small saucepan, on the stove top heat to very warm, 120 degrees-130 degrees Fahrenheit.

1 cup water

1 cup milk

1/2 cup margarine or butter (I use margarine)

After it is warmed, slowly add, while mixing, into the flour mixture.

Beat in 1 egg.

Mix in with bread hook, or large wooden spoon, 4-5 cups more flour till dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.  On floured surface, knead in another cup or so of flour, till dough is soft, and not sticky, but still elastic. (I never knead it, I just use my bread hook to add in flour, till the dough is just right.)  

Place dough in greased (I spray with cooking spray) bowl.  Cover and let rise in warm place for about an hour.

Punch dough down, and let sit for 15 minutes. (This is when I get the pans ready.)  

Prepare 2 9x13 pans - 

Mix - 

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup soft Margarine

1/4 cup light corn syrup (Karo) 

Spread this mix on the bottom and sides of 2 greased (sprayed with cooking spray) 9x13 pans.  Top with 1 cup chopped Pecans. (I only put nuts in one pan, because not all the kids like the nuts, but I sure do!)

On a floured surface roll out half the dough into large rectangle.  Spread with soft butter, and sprinkle with a cinnamon and sugar mix.  Roll up starting with the long side.  Cut into 1 inch pieces (about).  I get 15 rolls in each pan.  Do the other half of the dough for the next pan.  Cover and let them rise for about 1 hour.

 Place the rolls about an inch apart in the pans.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

 Cool for about 1 minute, then invert onto foil covered, large cookie sheets.  I put the cookie sheet over the pan, then grab with hot pads and flip over.  I then use a rubber spatula to scrape all the Carmel left in the pans, onto the rolls.

They are best warm.  Eat soon after baking, pop in the oven to warm for 10 minutes, or microwave for 30 seconds, one at a time.

Cornbread

This a really yummy recipe.  It is my grandma's and was used in their restaurant Frontier Pies.  The measurements are a little odd because Grandma did the math to figure out how to transfer the recipe for 20 huge pans down to one 9x13.

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. 

Cream together -

1 1/2 cubes Margarine

1 1/3 cup sugar

Add in -

3 eggs

2 2/3 cups milk

Stir in -

2 2/3 cup flour

2 2/3 Tblsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Salt

1 1/6 cup Cornmeal

Pour into baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes.  Serve with butter, honey and Jam.