I’m going to a potluck brunch in a couple of weeks and I don’t know what to bring. I assume that there will be plenty of coffee cakes and tea breads and fruit salad. I want to bring something that can be warm. I was thinking something in a crock pot, so I can make it the day before, heat it for a couple hours in the morning and take it over warm. But I have no idea what to make. My mother suggested chili or mac and cheese, but neither screams brunch. Any ideas?
If you google “crock pot breakfast recipes,” you’ll find a lot of things that are quiche and strata-like: eggs, cheese, bread, milk. Some with spinach, some with sausage or ham.
The standard “overnight casserole” would allow you to put it together the day before, bake it in the morning and take it over warm.
Here’s my overnight breakfast casserole, which is fairly easy:
Spray 2 qt. casserole with non-stick spray. Spread with 3 c. frozen shredded potatoes. Layer 8 oz. cooked, crumbled breakfast sausage. Add layer of 2 finely sliced green onions. Add layer of 1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Beat 4 eggs, then mix in 1 ½ c. whole milk. Add salt and pepper to egg/milk mixture. Pour over top, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Or a nice quiche works well. I have better luck with spinach quiche, but a quiche Lorraine isn’t bad.
I second the casserole suggestion. I’ve had several overnight breakfast casseroles along this method, and they are very good.
I also came in here to post that quiche is a good idea. I like this broccoli quiche a lot:
Cheddar Broccoli Quiche
1 unbaked (9-inch) pie shell
1 1/4 C. chopped broccoli – chopped fine
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/2 C. fresh mushrooms – sliced thin
1/2 Small Bunch green onions – chopped fine
1/2 Medium green pepper – sliced thin
3 eggs
1/2 Tsp. salt
1 C. milk
1 C. shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Cook and chop fresh broccoli or cook frozen chopped broccoli. Drain and pat dry. Melt butter and saute sliced mushrooms, onions and peppers in butter until wilted. Drain if necessary.
Beat eggs and salt together, add milk and vegetables. Mix well.
Sprinkle cheese on bottom of pie crust and mix the rest into the egg/milk/vegetable mixture.
Place vegetable mix into pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40
minutes. Quiche is done when it begins to set.
If you’re going warm, baked french toast makes a great impression and is amazingly yummy. There are a vast number of recipes out there. I like to make mine with slices of Panetone cake – the kind with bits of crystallized fruit in it.