Happy holiday season! Of course, my favorite part of any holiday is the food, and I really love breakfast. In my family, breakfast is a little less hectic and more relaxing. Everyone wakes up at a varied pace, grabs some food and an appropriate beverage while still in casual and comfortable attire. We have mood-setting holiday music in the background. I don’t usually light the fireplace on holidays anymore; there is a video of one on the television to encourage holiday spirit. The food is casual, so the dining room table is not a mandatory location. 

The most popular dishes are usually biscuits and gravy or Belgian waffles, but I like to mix it up occasionally when the mood takes me. Breakfast is a big part of my daily routine because it starts me off well, and I often skip lunch and might not eat until dinner. Depending on holiday plans, lunch might not be until later in the afternoon or into the early evening. My four children are adults now, but for a couple of decades I often didn’t sit down long to eat at gatherings while I was encouraging them to eat and behave like semi-responsible humans. My plates were more a quick snack, so breakfast was helpful to keep me from being overly hungry and grumpy. 

My family loves a good quiche or breakfast casserole as well as French toast. Quiche, for those who don’t know, can be described as a savory breakfast pie. It can be filled with just about any combination of ingredients you enjoy. Quiche Lorraine is a classic well-known combination of eggs, cream, bacon and cheese. It comes from the French-German region of France. My personal favorite I created decades ago: caramelized onion, roasted potato, sausage and a little maple syrup all baked into a custard-filled crust. For years, Incredibly Delicious had a garden vegetable quiche that was a staple on the menu. It was fantastic. It had zucchini, yellow squash, sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan all heaped over the top and held together by a savory custard. A breakfast casserole is arguably a quiche without a crust baked in a casserole dish. 

My eldest son has eaten French toast is its various forms more than any person I have met. He has spent an enormous amount of time lifting weights, and I have come to understand that French toast can easily be translated into a protein dense, yet delightful breakfast. My wife makes a delicate and meticulously flavored version that is a little more sugar forward but worth every bite. For busy mornings I prefer overnight French toast that is baked fresh in the morning. French toast, with its roots in Roman cuisine, is known in French as “pain pardu,” meaning lost bread. It is a way of using stale bread. Maple syrup, especially the good stuff, is a great topping for French toast, but I prefer a light dusting of powdered sugar, whipped cream and fresh berries. My brother loved to eat it with peanut butter when we were growing up. 

As much as I love eggs Benedict, omelets, huevos rancheros, shakshuka or even a traditional egg with meat and potatoes, those all take more effort and attention in the moment and need to be enjoyed immediately. I have come to appreciate dishes that are enjoyable at a casual pace during times when spending time together in a low-stress environment is my goal, while not sacrificing the availability of delicious foods and beverages. 

Quiche 

Ingredients

• 1 frozen pie crust, or homemade if you prefer
• 1 cup cooked and chopped meat, bacon, sausage, ham or chicken
• 1 cup cheese (use what you enjoy)
• 1-2 cup vegetables (optional, use combinations you enjoy)
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons shredded or grated parmesan cheese 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Sprinkle meat evenly over bottom of pie crust. Sprinkle cheese evenly over meat. Evenly distribute vegetables over cheese, if you decide to add them.
3. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt and pepper until combined. Pour egg mixture over filled pie crust.
4. Sprinkle parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
5. Place quiche on a baking sheet, in case there is a spill or leak. Place it in the oven and bake until eggs mixture is set.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool a bit before slicing with a serrated bread knife. Enjoy! 

Overnight French Toast 

Ingredients

• Leftover bread, ideally croissant or brioche, can be an assortment (amount will vary)
• 1 cup dried fruit, shredded coconut, fresh fruit (optional)
• 8-12 eggs, depending on the size of your casserole dish
• 2-3 cups heavy cream, depending on the size of your casserole dish
• 1/4-1/2 cup sugar, depending on the size of your casserole dish
• 1 tablespoon vanilla 

Instructions

1. Slice the bread into an appropriate size to be enjoyed, if it is not already. Distribute the bread slices into casserole dish in a shingled pattern.
2. Evenly distribute optional toppings over the top of the bread.
3. In a bowl, combine eggs, cream, sugar and vanilla. If you use a larger casserole dish, you will need to increase to the larger egg and cream measurement. It will depend on the bread size and type.
4. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the bread in the casserole dish. Let sit for a couple of minutes, as it soaks into the bread. You may need to add a little more to fill if desired.
5. Wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge overnight. Or bake immediately.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7. Remove plastic wrap, and place it in oven. Bake until custard is set.
8. Top with your favorite topping. Enjoy!

About

Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education.

Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.