Company's Coming: Breakfast for Ten

My in-laws visited this weekend, which would have been two extra people for meals. That really isn't difficult because most of us cook a little too much and end up with leftovers as it is. It's the unexpected visitors that can throw a wrench into meal plans. My nephew ended up coming with them, and Saturday two teen friends ended up visiting my sons as well. I ended up with ten people for breakfast, and had to do a little creative cooking.

This first recipe is a variation of another potato dish I've made, but I changed it to make it more of a breakfast dish. It was a huge hit with everyone. I did forget to add chopped green onions which would have worked well. I served the potato and ham casserole, the next recipe for scrambled eggs and served it with whole wheat toast. Biscuits would have really been nice, but I didn't have the ingredients.


Ham & Cheese Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
Shredded hash browns
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups chopped ham
ground black pepper
1/2 stick margarine or butter (1/4 cup)

Spray a 9x13 baking pan with pan spray. Slice the cold margarine and place around the bottom of the pan (not exact). In a large bowl place the frozen hash browns, cheese, and ham. Mix with a wooden spoon. In a measuring cup or small bowl, put in the soup and the milk. Add black pepper. (I used a 3-4 good shakes) Mix with a whisk till combined and pour in the bowl with the potatoes. Mix gently with the wooden spoon and dump into the pan on top of the margarine. Smooth is over so it's even, cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees F. for 45-50 minutes till hot and bubbly. Serve warm.


Scrambled Eggs and Ham

Ingredients:
18 eggs
1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham
salt and pepper
1/2 cup milk
pan spray

Whisk together the eggs and milk. Season with the salt and pepper. Spray a pan with pan spray, heat on medium for a few minutes, then add the diced ham. Cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through, then add the eggs. After a minute or two stir with a spatula or wooden spoon. Every few minutes stir the eggs from the bottom of the pan, as they start to firm up, keep stirring until they are cooked to desired doneness. I usually cook so they are all firm, but they aren't browned or dry.

Don't be afraid to get creative with your recipes. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. Sure, a few have backfired, but many have ended up as "keeper" recipes.

On OFL we have menus for an Easy Weekend Brunch and Crock Pot Breakfast Recipes.

~Brenda