Eggs Benedict Casserole with make-ahead directions

Served this during the holidays to our family. It was a recipe that my sister, Marla Payne, discovered on Pinterest. It provides the tastes of traditional Eggs Benedict but is a lot easier to prepare and can be made ahead.

Eggs Benedict Casserole  

12 servings12 oz. Canadian bacon chopped

1 pkg. (6 total) English muffins each split then cut into 1-inch pieces

8 large eggs

2 cups whole milk

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried chives

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 recipe Blender Hollandaise Sauce (recipe follows)

1. Spread English muffins pieces evenly on an ungreased baking sheet and toast in preheated 350° oven for a few minutes; flipping bread and continuing to toast until nicely toasted. Set aside.
2. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Evenly layer half of the Canadian bacon followed by an even layer of all of the toasted English muffin pieces followed by an even layer of the remaining Canadian bacon.
3. In a large measuring cup or mixing bowl (something with a spout) whisk together eggs, milk and all Casserole seasonings until well blended. Pour egg mixture evenly over casserole. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. The next morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees F and remove casserole from refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Remove plastic wrap then cover casserole tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes then uncover and continue to bake until a toothpick inserted into center of casserole comes out clean, about 15 – 20 minutes longer.
5. Prepare hollandaise sauce when there is about 5 minutes left of baking time. If you are expecting leftovers then serve Hollandaise Sauce over individual servings. If not expecting leftovers then you are welcome to pour it over the casserole.

Blender Hollandaise Sauce

10 tablespoons (142g) unsalted butter (if using salted butter, skip the added salt)

3 large egg yolks (use pasteurized eggs if concerned about raw eggs)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

 

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

 

1/8 teaspoon cayenne, optional

1. Melt the butter slowly in a small pot. Try not to let it boil—you want the moisture in the butter to remain there and not steam away. Melt the butter: 
2. Melt the butter slowly in a small pot. Try not to let it boil—you want the moisture in the butter to remain there and not steam away
3. Turn off the blender, taste and check consistency of the sauce. It should be buttery, lemony and just lightly salty. If it is not salty or lemony enough, you can add a little more lemon juice or the remaining salt to taste. If you want a thinner consistency, add a little warm water. Pulse briefly to incorporate the ingredients one more time.
4. Store until needed in a warm spot, e.g. next to the stove top. Use within about 30 minutes.

Loose Sausage McMuffin — Quick & Easy Breakfast

With just a little advance preparation, a quick breakfast is ready in minutes. 

Prepare the loose sausage and cheese filling in advance, refrigerate, and then simple spread on a toasted English muffin, heat in the toaster oven or a microwave, and breakfast is ready!

Loose Sausage McMuffin 

1 lb. bulk sausage

5 to 6 oz. grated cheese (such as Cheddar or American(

English muffins

1.  To make Sausage Spread: Brown sausage in a hot skillet on medium high; pour off grease. Add cheese to the skillet and heat on low until melted and the mixture is spreadable. Refrigerate until ready to use.
   
   
   
   
2. To Assemble Open-faced Breakfast Sandwich: Split English muffins and toast. Spread some sausage-cheese mixture on each muffin half; press down firmly. Heat in toaster oven of microwave. Or, simply heat a portion of the sausage-cheese mixture in the microwave to heat and then spread it on toasted muffin.
   

Recipe without photos:

Loose Sausage McMuffin  

1 lb. bulk sausage

5 to 6 oz. grated cheese (such as Cheddar or American(

English muffins

1.  To make Sausage Spread: Brown sausage in a hot skillet on medium high; pour off grease. Add cheese to the skillet and heat on low until melted and the mixture is spreadable. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. To Assemble Open-faced Breakfast Sandwich: Split English muffins and toast. Spread some sausage-cheese mixture on each muffin half; press down firmly. Heat in toaster oven of microwave. Or, simply heat a portion of the sausage-cheese mixture iin the microwave to heat and then spread it on toasted muffin.

Cooking with Kids: Fast & Easy English Muffin Pizzas

I recently was a workshop presenter for Wellness Day at a local grade school. The topic was "Nutritious After School Snacks." With the help of eager fifth grade students, this is one of two recipes we made in a 25 minute span of time.

To read about the Wellness Day event, including  student comments and reactions, go to the Abilene App blog: Garfield Wellness Day - "Kids Cooking" Healthy Snacks

Fast & Easy English Muffin Pizzas  Makes 8 mini pizzas

Prep: about 10 min.; Bake: 10 min.

Tools/Equipment: Toaster oven or regular oven, baking sheet, pot holder(s), cutting board & knife, measuring cups (½ cup + 1 cup), silicon scraper or spoon, foil

Ingredients

   4 whole wheat English muffins, split

   About ½ cup canned pizza sauce (or make your own by adding Italian seasoning to

   tomato sauce

   1 to 2 cups shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

Step-by-Step Preparation

1.  Preheat the oven to 375°. Cover the baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.

2.  Place the English muffin halves cut side up onto a baking sheet.

Since the English muffins weren't sliced all the way through, it was necessary to cut them open. This 5th-grader grips the knife properly while making sure his fingers are also positioned correctly.

3.  Spoon some of the pizza sauce onto each one.

4.  Top with mozzarella cheese.

Another 5th-grader adds low-fat shredded mozzarella to the pizzas.

5.  Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the cheese is melted and browned on the edges.

Variation: Top mozzarella cheese with slices of pepperoni (look for low-fat varieties for a healthier snack)

This 5th-grader is cutting each pizza in bite-sized pieces for sampling.

In addition to the pizzas, we also made Chocolate Smoothies.

Kids in the Kitchen - Speedy English Muffin Pizza

Kids in the Kitchen – A quick-fix meal that kids can easily assemble. If you keep Ground Beef Mix on hand, it makes this recipe especially fast and easy. Find additional recipes for kids under the For Kids tab at the top of this page.

Speedy English Muffin Pizza         Yield: 12 individual pizzas

1 (6 oz.) pkg. English muffins

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 cup (about 1/2 pkg.) Ground Beef Mix, thawed

1 1/2 to 2 cups of shredded cheese (such as Mozzarella, Cheddar, Parmesan)

1.     Split English muffins in half (a fork works well for this task). 

2.     Toast English muffin halves and place on a baking sheet with cut side up.

3.     Combine tomato sauce and Italian seasoning; spread approximately 1 to 2 tablespoons of sauce on each muffin.  Add Ground Beef Mix.  Top with approximately 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Spoon meat mixture generously over English muffins.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, and top with grated cheese. 

4.     Bake in preheated 350° oven until cheese is melted, lightly browned, and bubbly (about 10 to 12 minutes).

Microwave alternative:  Place prepared muffins on a microwave safe plate and heat in microwave.


Variations: Use pepperoni or cooked chicken in place of the Ground Beef Mix, or leave off all meat for a vegetarian-style pizza.