MAKE-AHEAD OVERNIGHT TATER TOT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

MAKE-AHEAD OVERNIGHT TATER TOT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

yield: 8 SERVINGS

 

prep time: 25 MINS

cook time: 50 MINS

additional time: 12 HRS

total time: 13 HRS 15 MINS

INGREDIENTS

• 12 to 16 ounces breakfast sausage (see note)
• 1 cup small diced bell peppers, any color
• 1/2 cup small diced onion
• 6 large eggs (see note)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• 24 ounces (about 6 cups) frozen tater tots
• 1 cup (114 g) grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup (114 g) grated Monterey Jack cheese
•  Chopped green onion or chives, for garnish (optional)
•  Sour cream and salsa, for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS 

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, peppers and onions, crumbling the sausage into small pieces as it cooks, until it is no longer pink and cooked through and the veggies are tender. Drain the grease (you can let the sausage/veggies hang out in the skillet for a minute or remove them to a plate).
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper until smooth.
• Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan. Place the tater tots in a single layer across the bottom of the pan. (Use only as many tater tots as will fit in a single layer).
• Sprinkle sausage over the tater tots followed by the veggies. Sprinkle cheese evenly across the top.
• Pour the egg mixture evenly over and across the top. Cover the dish with lightly greased foil and refrigerate (overnight, up to 18 hours). OR you can bake it right away. The tater tots won't break down quite as much, but it is still delicious.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-25 minutes longer until golden, bubbly, and set. Sprinkle with green onions or chives, if using. Serve warm.

NOTES

Sausage/Meat: this recipe is super adaptable to changing what kind of meat you use OR it can easily be left meatless. Chopped ham or cooked bacon would work great, too, in place of the sausage or in addition to.

Eggs: I continue to make this over and over (since posting) and it's easily adaptable to more eggs if you want to increase the quantity (I've done up to 10 large eggs).

Easy, No Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey

Easy, No Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey

Foolproof Thanksgiving Turkey recipe that packs all of the flavor and juiciness you expect from the perfect roasted turkey, with none of the stress! Step by step for how to cook the perfect turkey.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time3 hrs 30 mins

Total Time3 hrs 50 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

 

Servings: 16

 

Calories: 576kcal

 

Author: Lauren Allen

Ingredients

• 1 12-20 pound turkey
• 1 onion , peeled and quartered
• 1 lemon , quartered
• 1 apple (your favorite kind), quartered
• .75 ounce container fresh rosemary *
• .75 ounce container fresh thyme *
• .75 ounce container fresh sage *

For the herb butter:

• 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6-8 cloves garlic , minced
• fresh chopped herbs

Instructions

• If the turkey is frozen: Thaw in the fridge, 24 hours for every 5 pounds of Turkey. I like to give myself 1 extra day, just to be safe.
• Remove the thawed turkey from the fridge 1 hour before roasting, to let it come to room temperature.
• Adjust your oven rack so the turkey will sit in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Make the herb butter by combining room temperature butter, minced garlic, salt, pepper, one tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary, one tablespoon fresh chopped thyme, and half a tablespoon of fresh chopped sage. (You’ll use the remaining fresh herbs for stuffing inside the cavity of the turkey)
• Remove turkey from packaging and remove the neck and giblets from the inside the cavities of the bird. (Reserve them for gravy, if you want, or discard them). Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels.
• Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper. Stuff it with the quartered lemon, onion and apple and leftover herbs.
• Use your fingers to loosen and lift the skin above the breasts (on the top of the turkey) and smooth a few tablespoons of the herb butter underneath.
• Tuck the wings of the turkey underneath the turkey and set the turkey on a roasting rack inside a roasting pan*.
• Microwave the remaining herb butter mixture for 30 seconds (it doesn’t need to be completely melted--just really softened). Use a basting brush to brush the remaining herb butter all over the outside of the turkey, legs and wings.
• Roast at 325 degrees F for about 13-15 minutes per pound, or until internal temperature (inserted on middle of thigh and breast) reaches about 165 degrees. 
• (I remove the turkey from the oven once it reaches 160 degrees. Then, I tent it with foil, and let it rest on the counter. It will continue cooking under the foil, to reach 165 degrees F.)
• ***Check the turkey about halfway through cooking, and once the skin gets golden brown, cover the top of the turkey with tinfoil, to protect the breast meat from overcooking. Alternately, you could start cooking the turkey with it tented in foil, then during the last hour or so of cooking you can take the foil off to let the turkey brown.
• Allow turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving. https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/how-to-carve-a-turkey/
• Reserve any drippings and juice remaining in your roasting pan to make turkey gravy.

Notes

Herbs: to substitute dried herbs, use 1 teaspoon dried herbs per 1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs.

Tips for covering with tinfoil:  Start with the bird uncovered.  Once the skin gets golden brown, tent the bird with a large piece of tinfoil.  If you have a roasting pan, you can use the lid to the roasting pan instead.

For Disposable Roasting Pan: Place fresh chopped vegetables on the bottom of the pan to act as a rack to elevate the turkey.  Use 4-5 ribs of celery and 4 large carrots, roughly chopped. The veggies will add great flavor for your dripping to use for gravy however I don't recommend eating them or using them in gravy.

For An Electric Roasting Oven: directions stay the same!

Convection Oven: You can use the same method to cook the turkey in a convection oven, just check the temperature sooner (start checking after 2 hours) as it will cook faster.

How to Carve a Turkey photos and Video.

CAFE ZUPAS PUMPKIN CHORIZO SOUP

YIELD: 8

Pumpkin Chorizo Soup

Hearty and creamy pumpkin soup full of beans, tomatoes, and corn. 

PREP TIME10 minutes

COOK TIME30 minutes

TOTAL TIME40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups pumpkin puree or 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can corn 
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the chorizo by gently breaking it apart in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, about 7-10 minutes. Remove chorizo.

2. Add the oil and onion (alternatively, leave a tablespoon of chorizo fat and omit oil) saute until tender, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and cumin and saute until fragrant, about a minute. 

4. Add the chorizo, broth, pumpkin puree, drained black beans, drained corn, diced tomatoes, and oregano, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 

5. Season with salt and pepper. Add garnishes.

Notes

Sour cream, cheese, pepitas, and tortilla chips are all really great topping for this soup. If it's too thick add up to one more cup broth.

Dutch Oven Sprite Chicken

DUTCH OVEN SPRITE CHICKEN RECIPE

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 45 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 5 MINUTES

 

SERVINGS: 10

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound uncooked bacon, chopped 8 ounces
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken cut into chunks
• 2 1/2 pounds red potatoescut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 pound petite baby carrots or peeled carrots cut into small pieces
• 2 onions cut in fourths
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon seasoning salt like Lawry's
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup Sprite or apple juice

INSTRUCTIONS

OVEN INSTRUCTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
• In a large dutch oven, cook the bacon pieces until crisp. Remove bacon, leaving grease behind.
• Combine flour and seasoning salt in a gallon bag. Add chunked chicken to the bag and shake to coat. Then brown the chicken in the bacon grease in the dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove chicken.
• Add the ingredients into the now-empty dutch oven in this order - onions, then potatoes, carrots, chicken, and bacon. Then pour Sprite over all.
• Cover dutch oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, until potatoes and carrots are tender. Top with shredded cheese and serve.

CAMPING DUTCH OVEN INSTRUCTIONS:

• Prep the ingredients as instructed above. Then place dutch oven onto 11 hot coals in a checkerboard pattern. Cover oven and place 17 hot coals on top. This will give you 320 degrees. Cook 45 minutes. Remove lid. Add cheese. Replace lid. Cook for 10 more minutes. Serve.