Before my hubby and I headed off to a warmer locale to ring in the New Year, we hosted a little end-of-the year brunch at our home. Being a full-blooded Italian and lover of food, I find it amazing that I have gone an entire year without posting any recipes! Consider this, the first of future blog posts that are dedicated to delicious meals and goodies. Here is a look at our last brunch of 2012, and the recipes to go with it!
Quiche 2 ways: Spinach Bacon and Broccoli Sausage
Spinach Bacon Quiche:
- 6 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup of whole or 2% milk
- Salt and pepper
- 1 ½ cups chopped fresh baby spinach, packed
- ½ pound bacon, cooked and chopped
- 1 cup shredded cheddar-jack cheese
- 1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust
Broccoli Sausage Quiche:
- 6 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup of whole or 2% milk
- Salt and pepper
- 1 ½ cups chopped cooked broccoli
- 5 links of breakfast sausage, cooked and chopped
- 1 cup shredded cheddar-jack cheese
- 1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.
- Layer the spinach, bacon, and cheese in the bottom one of the pie crusts and broccoli, sausage and cheese in the bottom of the second pie crust.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over each.
- Bake for 45 minutes until the egg mixture is set.*
- Cut into 8 wedges and serve warm!
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Fruit Skewers with Yogurt Dip
- 3 bananas, cut into thick slices
- 8 medium-large strawberries, cut into thirds
- ¼ pineapple, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 kiwi fruit, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Individual 6 oz. yogurt of your choice (I used raspberry)
- 12, 12-inch bamboo skewers
- Thread each skewer with two pieces of each fruit. I used the pattern: pineapple-kiwi-banana-strawberry, and then repeated.
- Pour yogurt into a serving dish.
- Arrange skewers on a platter with the yogurt dip in the center.
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Pumpkin-Pecan Cinnamon Rolls with Bourbon-Vanilla Glaze
Cinnamon Rolls:
- 1 package Pillsbury or generic brand crescent roll dough*
- ½ cup canned pumpkin
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup white sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of nutmeg
Bourbon-Vanilla Glaze:
- 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tbs of filtered water or milk
- 1 tbs of bourbon
- ½ tsp of vanilla
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
- Spread the dough out on a clean surface. Gently pull on all four corners of the dough to stretch the dough out a bit and use a rolling pin to close up the seams.*
- In a small bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until well combined. Add in the chopped pecans. Using a spatula, spread pumpkin-pecan mixture evenly over the dough. Starting at the long end of the dough, roll until dough is rolled into a long skinny log. Cut 12 even rolls.
- Place the rolls swirl-side-up into the muffin tin and bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
- Meanwhile, to make the frosting, whisk the sugar, water or milk, and vanilla together in a small bowl, adjusting amounts of liquid & sugar to get the consistency you desire: the glaze should be thick & creamy yet still pourable. Whisk in the bourbon and adjust to taste.
- When the cinnamon rolls come out of the oven, allow them to cool for at least 5 minutes before glazing. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls (I drizzle the whole batch, then start over at the beginning for a second layer).
- Serve warm or at room temperature, and enjoy!
Along with these recipes, we also served a veggie platter, cheese with crackers, mini bagels, coffee and mimosas. What are some of your favorite brunch dishes?
