Today’s Recipes: Baked Hash Brown Potatoes, Blueberry Coffee Cake, Maple-Candied Bacon, Ricotta and Roasted Red Pepper Frittata, Savory Ham and Swiss Mini Muffins, and Tyler’s Homemade Granola!
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I Love Brunch! I definitely have followed in my mother’s footsteps, because it was her favorite meal too. There is something about getting to sleep in a little, waking up in a great mood, and sitting down to a sumptuous feast that always puts a smile on my face. And if you happen to have a glass of champagne waiting for me, I guarantee I’ll be even happier, LOL!
Brunch has always seemed special to me – a blend of breakfast and lunch, with many more options than either alone. If I am at a formal buffet, I tend to walk up and down, surveying all the options before finally figuring out just what I want to eat that morning. It is just too much fun!!
For today, in honor of celebrating the dawn of the New Year, I have put together six options for your holiday. It isn’t quite the same as seeing them displayed before you in all their glory, but it is as close as I can get. You can modify the recipes if you want to stay vegetarian, make just a few of them, or be totally gluttonous and make everything in one sitting.
The coffee cake, candied bacon and granola can all be made ahead, making it easier on you in the morning. The hash browns, frittata, and muffins all bake at the same temperature and can be baked one right after the other, or if your oven is big enough, two at a time. With a little planning, you can have everything arrive at the table piping hot!
New Year’s Day is always a great day. There are parades to watch and football games to enjoy. If you’ve had a bit too much fun the night before, you get to sleep in. Sometimes people throw big parties, and other times it is just family, but no matter how you celebrate, the start of the New Year is always full of promise and excitement! Who knows what the year will hold?
I hope you enjoy these recipes and whether you are watching the Rose Bowl parade or rooting for your favorite football teams, you can serve your family these festive delights and treat yourself as well!
Tyler’s Homemade Granola
2015-07-21 17:22:33
Yields 4
Ingredients
- 2 lb of rolled oats
- 3/4 cup of raisins
- 1/2 cup of almonds, chopped
- 1/2 cup of walnuts, chopped, or other nut of choice
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 stick of butter
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1 tbsp of salt
- 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, raisins, almonds, and dried cranberries, walnuts, salt and honey. Stir until well incorporated.
- In a small saucepan add sugar and water and simmer until slight caramel color comes to the liquid. Add butter in small pieces and stir well with a wire whisk. When butter is thoroughly incorporated, pour caramel sauce over oats. Stir well, spread out on a sheet pan and allow to cool.
The Heritage Cook ® https://theheritagecook.com/
Ricotta and Roasted Red Pepper Frittata
2015-07-21 17:23:09
Yields 6
Ingredients
- 1⁄2 cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1-1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
- 8 eggs, beaten
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 small red or Yukon Gold potato, peeled and sliced into 1⁄8-inch rounds
- 1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and cut into 1⁄4-inch strips
- 3⁄4 cup homemade or store-bought ricotta
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 425°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1⁄4 cup of the pecorino, parsley, 1⁄2 tsp of the salt, oregano, and eggs and season with black pepper. Set egg mixture aside.
- Heat the oil in a 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining salt, onions, and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and soft, about 20 minutes.
- Remove skillet from heat. Add the egg mixture to the skillet and stir to distribute the onions and potatoes evenly. Scatter the peppers over the top, spoon the ricotta over the mixture in 6 dollops, and sprinkle with the remaining pecorino. Bake until lightly browned and the center is set, about 15 minutes.
- Run a rubber spatula around the edges of the frittata to loosen it. Slide or invert the frittata onto a warmed serving plate. Season with more black pepper, if you like; serve immediately.
Notes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
The Heritage Cook ® https://theheritagecook.com/
Maple-Candied Bacon
2015-07-21 17:23:48
Yields 5
Ingredients
- 16 slices of thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon (16 oz)
- 4 tbsp maple sugar (avail at most gourmet grocery stores) or light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.
- Arrange the bacon on the paper and bake for 8 minutes, until almost crisp. Drain the oil from the baking sheet. Sprinkle the bacon with the sugar and bake for 8 minutes, until glazed; cool.
Notes
- Yield: 4 to 5 servings
The Heritage Cook ® https://theheritagecook.com/
Baked Hash Brown Potatoes
2015-07-21 17:24:44
Yields 6
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lb russet potatoes
- 1 cup chopped bacon or about 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, sliced
- 1 egg white
- 4 green onions, roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Peel potatoes and wash. Finely shred, using a mandolin, or food processor with the grater attachment. Place in a kitchen towel and squeeze dry. Place in a large bowl.
- Take a 9-inch ovenproof skillet and add bacon and sliced shallots. Set over medium heat and render fat, 4 to 5 minutes. Shallots will caramelize. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and shallots and put in bowl with the potatoes (reserve the bacon fat and pan.) Add egg white, green onions, and thyme leaves and season well with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Spoon mixture into the hot pan with the bacon fat. Pack it in well pressing down with a large spoon to compress the mixture a little. Drizzle the top with some extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When it starts to get golden brown and crispy around the edges flip the hash brown over and pop into the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow it to cool slightly before running a knife around the edges and then inverting the potato onto a cutting board. Slice into wedges, garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley and serve.
Notes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
The Heritage Cook ® https://theheritagecook.com/
Savory Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Muffins
2015-07-21 17:25:31
Yields 48
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, softened, for brushing pan
- 1-3/4 to 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (depending on how much moisture is in the air)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 6 oz baked ham, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1-1/4 cups)
- 6 oz Gruyère, or other Swiss cheese, coarsely grated (about 1-1/2 cups)
Instructions
- Position 2 racks in upper third of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Generously brush two 24-cup mini muffin pans with softened or melted butter.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour with baking powder, salt and pepper.
- In a medium bowl, lightly whisk eggs, then whisk in milk and olive oil. Using a rubber spatula, fold wet ingredients into dry until barely mixed. Fold in ham and cheese. Fill muffin tins with about 1 tbsp batter in each cup.
- Bake muffins until golden, about 15 minutes, switching pans between racks halfway through. Transfer to a rack to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Muffins can be served warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Yield: 48 mini muffins
Adapted from New York Times recipe
Adapted from New York Times recipe
The Heritage Cook ® https://theheritagecook.com/
Blueberry Coffee Cake
2015-07-21 17:27:47
Yields 1
Ingredients
- For Topping
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, sieved if lumpy
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- For Cake Batter
- 1 cup thick, cultured sour cream
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 -1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp unsifted bleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsifted bleached cake flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup superfine sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Film the inside of a 9-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, thoroughly combine granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and cinnamon; set aside.
- Combine sour cream and baking soda in a medium-size mixing bowl. The mixture will swell and puff a bit as it stands.
- Sift flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg onto a sheet of waxed paper. In a small mixing bowl, thoroughly toss blueberries with 1-1/2 tsp of sifted mixture. The blueberries must be well coated with the flour mixture, so that they remain suspended in the cake batter.
- Cream butter in large bowl of a freestanding electric mixer on moderately low speed for 2 minutes. Add superfine sugar and beat 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
- On low speed, add half of sifted ingredients, the sour cream-baking soda blend, and then remaining sifted mixture. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl frequently with a rubber spatula to keep the batter even-textured. The batter will be moderately thick. Fold in blueberries.
- Scrape batter into prepared baking pan. Smooth over the top with a rubber spatula or flexible palette knife. Sprinkle topping evenly over surface of batter.
- Bake cake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until set and a wooden pick inserted in the cake withdraws clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack for at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares for serving. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Yield: makes one 9-by-9-inch cake or 16 squares
The Heritage Cook ® https://theheritagecook.com/
Thank You!
The Food Hound
These dishes all look amazing– I’ll have to make Tyler’s granola and see how it stands up to my beloved Barefoot Contessa’s version 🙂 Have a lovely new year!!
Jane Bonacci, The Heritage Cook
I haven’t tried Barefoot Contessa’s version, but since I love everything she makes, I’m sure it would be a favorite too. The other one that I really crave is the one from Plumpjack Cafe (San Francisco and Lake Tahoe restaurants). I posted that recipe in May – and you may want to take a look at that recipe too! Enjoy!!