Breakfast Casserole with Biscuits and Bacon

Wake up to a comforting baked egg dish that’s ready in just over 30 minutes.

Breakfast Casserole with Biscuits and Bacon

It’s raining this morning, and I’m thinking about how good it would be to have something baked for my breakfast. September is a transitional month in Missouri; the weather can change on a dime. But my thoughts and mood have made the turn toward autumn. If you’re with me, you’re going to love this Breakfast Casserole with Biscuits and Bacon.

There are hundreds of egg and biscuit casserole recipes out there; this dish is based off one found in an old Pillsbury cookbook, and it uses frozen Grands! buttermilk biscuits plus whole kernel corn. But I made a few tweaks and found a way to work around the frozen biscuits, but more on that later. What I like about this dish (in addition to its versatility) is you can put it together while the morning coffee is brewing, pop it in the oven and by the time you’ve cleaned up and had that first cup, it’s finished baking. Time to call your gang to the table and serve it up.

For this recipe, you’ll need:

• 4 frozen Pillsbury Grands! buttermilk biscuits

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup milk

• 1 can whole kernel corn

• 4 slices of bacon

• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

• ½ teaspoon paprika

• salt and pepper

The casserole is baked at 350 degrees F in an two-quart (glass/ceramic preferred) baking dish (like an 11-by-7-inch) for 30 to 35 minutes.

Pillsbury Grands biscuits are thawed for 10 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces. Arrange them evenly in the prepared pan.

Fry the bacon until crisp, drain and crumble. Mix the eggs and milk together and stir in bacon, corn, seasonings and cheese. This is poured over the biscuits (be sure all pieces are covered in mixture).

After baking, let the casserole stand about five minutes before serving. This casserole will feed four people.

The biscuit tops are golden while the bottoms are deliciously stodgy — the best of both worlds. While you can shop for these exact ingredients prior to making the dish, nowadays, I think cooks have to think on their feet because some items might be harder to find and a trip to the grocery today is more complicated. Here’s how the versatility of this dish can be valuable. You can use up what you have in the pantry and refrigerator. With the exception of the eggs and milk, everything else can be interchangeable.

I don’t have frozen biscuits. Although Pillsbury frozen biscuits are a good value and deliver on flavor, they may be harder to find now than the canned variety. You could use any frozen buttermilk biscuit or even a smaller can of refrigerated type. (Most breakfast biscuit recipes, I found, use the refrigerated dough.)

I had neither, however, when making this the first time. So, I whipped up a batch of Bisquick biscuits and baked them for six minutes. I placed the partially cooked biscuits into the pan with the egg mixture and popped all of it in the oven. Not as convenient as the frozen biscuits, but in a pinch, it worked.

I don’t have a can of corn. You can use 1½ cups of frozen or fresh corn. I used a can of fire-roasted corn. You could also swap out the corn for a can of green chilis and/or red peppers from a jar. Maybe there’s a partially eaten jar of black olives in your refrigerator; toss them in!

I don’t have bacon. Ham, sausage, meatless scrambles, Spam — even leftover taco meat — could work as a protein replacement. Leave the meat out completely if you wish.

There’s no shredded cheese in my fridge, but I have bits of other cheeses. Totally not a problem; the cheese you shred or grate at home melts better anyway because there’s no added ingredients to enhance shelf life. Use whatever you have, whether it’s sliced or bits from different bricks, you just need about 4 ounces of cheese.

So you see, this recipe is super friendly with your pantry and fridge because almost anything will work with the eggs and milk. Another tip I learned when making this; instead of whisking the eggs and milk together by hand, use a blender to create more air to help it puff when baking.

Eggs, milk and cheese are the basis for this breakfast casserole. Frozen or canned biscuits can be used, as well as any breakfast protein.

Weekends just lend themselves to a breakfast we can linger over, and a breakfast casserole is so easy to put together. You could serve this breakfast bake with fruit salad or — better yet for autumn — a small bowl of stewed apples. Because it’s topped with biscuits, you can skip the toast. Add cup of tea or coffee and there’s the perfect way to start your Saturday or Sunday.

Growing up, Mom often made a breakfast casserole around the holidays; I usually bake one for our Christmas brunch for my daughter and me. This biscuit-topped breakfast casserole would be a lovely way to welcome your student home for a weekend, or pack it up to take to Sunday’s tailgate event.

If you’re cooking for two, leftovers can be refrigerated for a day or two, but I’d recommend transferring to a small baking pan, covering it with aluminum foil and reheating in an oven at around 350 degrees F.

I hope you'll give this casserole a try; drop a comment and tell us what ingredients you used to make this dish unique to your kitchen!

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Easy Eggplant Parmesan Dip

This cheesy, warm appetizer hits all the finest points of the classic Italian comfort food dish with much less effort on your part.

Easy Eggplant Parmesan Dip

In St. Louis, we have no trouble finding fine Italian food thanks to the Hill neighborhood, the historic enclave settled by Italian immigrants in the late 19th century. Any of the great restaurants in this neighborhoods will have classic Italian dishes, including Eggplant Parmesan.

Silky eggplant, rich tomato sauce and that to-die-for baked parmesan top crust come together to create a comforting pan of Italian love. I can almost feel the arms of an Italian nonna encircle me with each bite, which is saying something because I never had a grandma from Italy.

But making Eggplant Parmesan is a labor of love, even for an experienced cook (like nonna). There’s the sauce that must be made, the prepping of the eggplant to create those beautiful planks, dredging those planks in egg and flour and so forth. I guess that’s why I usually enjoy this dish when I go out to eat; too much mess and effort for me to make at home. Plus, I’m the only one who really loves eggplant in my household.

However, I can easily make this Eggplant Parmesan Dip at home because the oven does all the work. The result is a baked dish that delivers on nostalgic flavor for very little effort. Let’s get cooking!

For this recipe, you’ll need:

• 1 eggplant

• 2 small zucchini

• 1 onion

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 tomato

• seasoned bread crumbs

• grated Parmesan cheese

• olive oil

• salt and pepper

Good ingredients will usually turn out the best results, so when choosing an eggplant, look first for firm flesh and then for a smooth purple skin with no bruises or blemishes. My mom also said smaller eggplants were less bitter, so if that’s a concern, look for the teardrop-shaped Italian eggplants that are smaller than the common globe (American) eggplant in the grocery stores.

However, for this recipe, we’re roasting the eggplant so that will make removing the skin and seeds very easy.

You may wonder why there’s zucchini in an eggplant parm dip. Good question. It has to do with the history of eggplant parmesan.

Some food historians say that eggplant parmigiana hails from 17th-century Sicily, its name derived from the Sicilian word ‘parmiciana,’ which are the little wooden strips that create a shutter. One look at a pan of Parmigiana di Melanazane, with the overlapping planks of fried eggplant, and it’s not a stretch to see how the recipe got its name.

Other historians say the first record of parmigiana is from 16th-century Naples, but strips of zucchini were fried in lard and seasoned with parmesan cheese and butter before going into an oven. Either way, inventive cooks were coming up with a hearty dish when meat wasn’t readily available.

My Eggplant Parmesan Dip honors both traditions, using eggplant with zucchini. (Wouldn’t it be great if all disagreements could be settled with food?) Traditional Italian Parmigiana di Melanazane dips eggplant in egg and flour before frying in oil. Italian Americans added the bread crumbs.

Roasted eggplant, onion, zucchini and garlic are ready to go into the food processor.

But for this appetizer, there is nothing breaded and fried, keeping a serving to under 300 calories. The vegetables are roasted, which brings out natural sweetness, and a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs are all that's needed for a crisp topping.

To roast the veggies, cut the eggplant in half and brush with olive oil then season with salt and pepper. I tossed the chunked zucchini, garlic and onion in oil, too, before roasting at 400 degrees F for about 40 minutes.

I scooped out the flesh and removed seeds from the soft, roasted eggplant, and transferred that—along with the other veggies—to The Beast, Mom’s Mighty Chef food processor from the 1970s. One quick whir in this monster and I had an eggplant dip with a light texture just right for spreading.

A silky eggplant dip and tender diced tomatoes are under this topping of bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, ready to go into the oven.

Little bombs of tangy goat cheese from Baetje Farms in Bloomsdale, Missouri, were stirred into the eggplant mixture and transferred to a small baking dish. I topped that with diced fresh tomato, seasoned bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese. This baked for about 15 minutes until the bread crumbs were toasted and the warm dip started to bubble.

I created a perfect bite on a cracker; the silky roasted eggplant paired beautifully with the goat cheese, while a warm taste of fresh tomato hit my tongue just ahead of the crunchy bread crumb/cheese topping. I couldn’t wait to get all the necessary photos for this post so I could dive into the dip (which I did). It really is so good, perfect with a salad for a lighter dinner or a lu or to use as a star appetizer at your next gathering (game night, book club, fire pit gathering).

Should you have any leftovers (I would be surprised), store in the refrigerator for a day or two and then pop uncovered to bake in the oven at 350 or 375 degrees to warm it up again. This wouldn’t do well in a microwave as the bread crumb topping would get soggy.

Seriously, give this Easy Eggplant Parmesan Dip a try. I think you’ll find yourself saying after just one bite “that’s amore!”

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Easy late summer cocktails

Invite our Boozy Blackberry Limeade, Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco and Watermelon Grapefruit Slushie to your Labor Day gathering.

The last holiday of the summer, Labor Day, will be here in two weeks. Although the calendar says there are 2½ weeks of summer following the Labor Day weekend, for a lot of people (myself included), fall starts—at least psychologically—on Sept. 7.

I don’t know about you, but I’m going to send summer off with a fanfare, and here are three drink recipes you can make to toast the end of a season. Boozy Blackberry Limeade features a delightful berry and sage simple syrup and vodka, a great cocktail for the last summer barbecue on the patio; Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco is an elegant drink that would add sparkle to a weekend al fresco brunch; and Watermelon Grapefruit Slushie could provide fizzy fun to a back-to-school block party. So, head to the bar cart and let’s get this party started!

Boozy Blackberry Limeade

Boozy Blackberry Limeade is my new favorite summer cocktail. I’m bringing a batch to a Labor Day swim party. This simple yet versatile drink is on the sweeter side, but the citrus provides just enough sour to make the perfect balance. It’ll pair well with smoky and sauced barbecue (think ribs, burgers, or if you’re in St. Louis, the ever-present pork steak). Make it about 30 minutes before guests arrive and you’ll have a pitcher at the ready.

For this recipe, you’ll need:

(simple syrup)

2 cups water

1 cup blackberries

6 leaves fresh sage

1½ cups sugar

(limeade)

juice of 6 limes

8 cups water

vodka

Here’s where the versatility comes into play. Don’t have limes on hand? Use lemons! The original recipe from hostthetoast.com called for lemonade. You also can do a quick cheat and substitute a can of frozen limeade (or lemonade) concentrate. If you chose the concentrate, go easy with the simple syrup in the drink. It will still add the beautiful color, but remember to taste the amount for desired sweetness.

Water, blackberries, sage, and sugar is heated to a boil and simmered 10 minutes. Mash the berries, strain, and cool the syrup in the refrigerator. When the syrup is ready, combine the lime (or lemon) juice (or frozen concentrate) with water. You could add vodka to pitcher, or leave the mixture “virgin” and add liquor as requested; not everybody may want the booze.

The recipe makes 8 to 12 servings, so figure 1 ounce of vodka (conservative) per 8-ounce glass. If you’re gathering is smaller, you can freeze the syrup/fruit juice mixture for later. Just thaw it in the refrigerator overnight to use the next day.

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Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco

You and your spouse packed off your student(s) last week for college and the house, once again, is all yours. This calls for a romantic patio brunch, and Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco will make the meal—however simple or elaborate—special. This drink couldn’t be simpler.

To make this recipe, you’ll need:

3 cups prosecco, chilled

1 cup limoncello, chilled

1 cup frozen raspberries

Mint (to garnish) if desired

Prosecco is a wine named after the village of Prosecco in the province of Trieste, Italy. Made from the Glera grape (formerly the Prosecco grape), it is almost always a sparkling or semi-sparkling white wine. It dates as far back as the 16th century. The sweetness of this wine is labeled as dry (17–32 grams per litre of residual sugar), extra-dry—the dominant style made—(12–17 grams of sugar per litre), and Brut (up to 12 grams per litre of sugar).

Limoncello, the marvelous liqueur from southern Italy, is made from lemon zest steeped in rectified alcohol and combined with simple syrup. Often sipped chilled on its own following a meal, limoncello is also found in cocktails and desserts (don’t forget about home cook’s Lisa Waterman Gray’s Limoncello Cheesecake; it would make a beautiful finish to your brunch.

To make Raspberry Limonello Prosecco, I chose Bonotto prosecco (Brut) from Extra Virgin An Olive Ovation. If you’re in the St. Louis area, this outstanding specialty food store hosts wine tastings every weekend. I saved a bit of the Bonotto prosecco to enjoy on its own, and it also worked beautifully in the cocktail.

After cleaning the raspberries and setting them on a paper towel to dry, I placed the cup of berries in the freezer for about four hours. This is such a smart way to keep this cocktail chilled without any dilution.

If you’re making this recipe for just a couple of people and thus will have leftover prosecco, fear not! Although you can’t reuse the cork, you can save it to drink later in the day or the following day by storing it in the refrigerator with a spoon stopper. Just dangle a silver or stainless (no plastic) spoon—bowl up, handle inside opening—and put keep the bottle cold. I saw this trick online, tried it, and it worked.

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Watermelon Grapefruit Slushie

Here’s a refreshing non-alcoholic drink your kids or grandchildren can enjoy with you. Using just four ingredients, you can invite the little ones to help you make this sweet treat.

When my daughter was in elementary school, neighbors on our cul-de-sac often held a party for neighbors to celebrate the upcoming school year. Folding tables were set out at the top of our street and families carried over a dish or two for everybody to share. The kids played and rode their bikes around the circular island while parents chatted and sipped cold beers and cocktails.

Many neighborhoods hold similar gatherings; the city I live in is planning a back-to-school event for families complete with kids’ activities and live music. If you’re planning to attend a neighborhood party over the next couple of weeks, or simply having the grandchildren over for a sleepover before school starts, give this slushie from Schnucks test kitchens a try.

For this recipe, you’ll need:

4 cups of watermelon chunks

2 cups of 100% grapefruit juice

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves

2 cans sparkling strawberry water

The watermelon will take about four hours to freeze. When you’re ready to make the slushies, set the melon out for about five minutes. After that, all you do is blend the grapefruit juice with lime and mint leaves. Add the frozen watermelon and divide among four glasses. Top each with a half can of sparkling water and garnish (if desired) with a lime wedge and strawberry or a small slice of melon if you have any leftover.

If adults want to make this a boozy slushie, an ounce of lemon vodka would play well in the drink (wink); for some, it's been a long summer!

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You and your spouse packed off your student(s) last week for colleg and the house, once again, is all yours. This calls for a romantic patio brunch, and Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco will make the meal—however simple or elaborate—special. This drink couldn’t be simpler. every day is a blessing to us.