On the Fifth Day of Cooking/Baking

It's all about breakfast today!  On the fifth day of Christmas, our first recipe is from the website allrecipes.  When I saw this recipe, I immediately thought of Christmas and breakfast: Gingerbread Pancakes.  I am sure your house will smell amazing when you start making them.  Our second recipe is a breakfast casserole.  For those of us who do not go out to eat on Christmas day, we will be in the kitchen getting that Christmas meal ready.  So, why not make something the night before and then on Christmas morning, all you have to do is pop it in the oven?  This recipe is called Christmas morning casserole. Happy Cooking everyone!


Recipe One: Gingerbread Pancakes (Courtesy of Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 1/2 cups water

Directions

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon in a bowl; set aside. Beat the egg in a separate mixing bowl with the vanilla and molasses until smooth. Whisk in the water until completely incorporated. Stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until just combined -- a few lumps are okay.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

Recipe #2: Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole 

(Courtesy of Just A Pinch Website)

Ingredients

12	slices of cubed bread (i use Texas toast bread)
1/2	pound of medium sharp shredded cheese
8	eggs
2	cups of milk
2	cups of ground ham, shrimp, crab meat, mushrooms or crumbled bacon.
1/2	stick of butter, melted

Directions

1

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS:
Use Pam spray and grease a 9X13 baking dish.

2

 Prepare the bread. I use frozen Texas toast bread. (easier to cube frozen, thaw slightly) You can use French bread if Texas toast is not available. Remove the crusts from the bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, and place the cubes in the baking dish.

3

 Top with the cheese. Beat the eggs and add to the milk and pour over the bread and cheese. Top with cooked ground ham, cooked sausage, shrimp, crab meat, mushrooms or crumbled bacon, whatever you desire. (I've tried them all, and they are all yummy!) Pour the melted butter over all. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.

4

 CHRISTMAS MORNING:
Remove the casserole from the fridge, and heat it up slowly so your cold dish doesn't break. I let mine sit on the counter for about an hour and put it in the oven when I put it on pre-heat. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes to 45, depending on the heat of your oven and the altitude. High altitude may take almost an hour to bake. Check periodically with toothpick. When your casserole is done, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes so when you cut it, it will come out of the dish in a square.