Breakfast Together

Start the day off right with a family-style menu featuring superfast recipes.

Busy schedules often keep Julia Smeds Roth and her two teenage daughters from enjoying a meal together. This full-time working mom spends most of her afternoons and evenings at ball games, practices, and school functions, leaving little time to cook supper. So she and the girls make it a point to share breakfast and catch up each morning. It also gives Julia satisfaction to know the girls will begin their day with plenty of nourishment -HOLLEY JOHNSON

Mini Sausage-and-Egg Casseroles

MAKES 10 SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN., BAKE: 30 MIN.

Use 1 (16-oz.) package of crumbled pork sausage instead of the patties, if desired. Simply cook in a nonstick skillet until browned and crumbled.

8 (1 ½-oz.) sourdough bread slices, cut into ½-inch cubes

Vegetable cooking spray

1 (12-oz) package fully cooked pork sausage patties, chopped

2 ½ cups 2% reduced-fat milk

4 large eggs

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

½ cup buttermilk

1 (10 ¾-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1. Divide bread cubes evenly among 10 (8- to 10-oz.) ovenproof coffee mugs coated with cooking spray, placing in bottom of mugs. Top evenly with sausage. Whisk together 2 ½ cups milk, eggs, and Dijon mustard. Pour evenly over bread mixture in mugs.

2. Whisk together buttermilk and cream of mushroom soup. Spoon over bread mixture in mugs; sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Place coffee mugs on a baking sheet.

3. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until casseroles are set and puffed. Serve immediately.

Note: Unbaked mugs of casserole can be covered with plastic wrap, then foil, and frozen up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as directed.

Sausage-and-Egg Casserole: Omit coffee mugs. Arrange bread in 2 lightly greased 8-inch square baking dishes or 1 lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Proceed as directed, increasing bake time to 1 hour or until casserole is set. Note: An unbaked casserole can be covered with plastic wrap, then foil, and frozen up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as directed.

Banana Breakfast Bread

MAKES 1 LOAF

PREP: 15 MIN.; BAKE: 1 HR., 10 MIN.; COOL: 2 HR., 10 MIN.

This can be doubled easily, so make two loaves to last all week. Try toasting slices and serving with cream cheese or peanut butter.

½ cup chopped pecans

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ cup sugar

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

4 medium-size ripe bananas, mashed

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 (7-oz.) package dried fruit bits

Vegetable cooking spray

1. Place pecans in a single layer in a jelly-roll pan.

2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

3. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine sugar and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.Stir in pecans and fruit bits. Pour mixture into an 8 ½-x 4 ½-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.

4. Bake at 350° for 55 to 60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan, and cool on wire rack 2 hours or until completely cool.

Honey-Ginger Fruit

MAKES 7 CUPS

PREP: 20 MIN.

The combination of grape juice, honey, and ginger adds punch to whatever fruit you have on hand. Serve it alone or over yogurt or warm biscuits.

1 cup white grape juice

3 Tbsp. honey

1 ½ tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 pt. fresh strawberries, halved

3 oranges, sectioned

½ honeydew melon, chopped

1 cup seedless green grapes

1. Combine grape juice, honey, and ginger in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, tossing to coat. Serve immediately.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Aug 2007
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