Baguette with Brie, Honey and Black Pepper

The hubby and I took the boy on an action packed trip to New York City last month. We had a blast. You can read all about our trip over at my other blog. Just click on the September archives.

New York is a city that is known for it's amazing cuisine. One of the highlights, for me, was eating at Les Halles, the French Brasserie where Anthony Bourdain cut his teeth. The food was nothing short of amazing.

My boy, who ordered the restaurant's version of fish and chips, loved the whole dining experience. Since returning home, I have been asked countless times to recreate "that yummy appetizer."

Here is my version of Croûtons de Coulommiers rôtis au miel et poivre (Brie topped with honey & cracked black pepper). It couldn't be easier to make. I hope you will give it a try.


Take several slices of baguette and arrange them on a baking sheet. Top the baguette with a slice of Brie, a drizzle of honey and a grind of fresh black pepper.

Place under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the bread is lightly toasted.

This tasty bite has quickly become one of my favorite breakfast indulgences. It goes perfectly with a piping hot cup of coffee.

Breakfast Casserole

Three days, three posts. Clearly I am on a roll. It has been nice to get back to my love of cooking.

Along that line, I have decided to be a sweet wife and have something tasty to offer the hubby for breakfast each morning. Isn't that nice of me?

Our family loves a hearty breakfast. It is a rare occasion that we eat a bowl of cold cereal with milk. The menu at our house frequently includes waffles, pancakes or french toast... all of which I make in monstrous quantities and then freeze for later. Thank God for my toaster.

During the school week, our mornings can be quite rushed. It is hard to get some protein (a.k.a. eggs or breakfast meat) into my boys without turning into a short order cook. The obvious solution was to make my favorite breakfast casserole to feed the hungry boys.

This recipe comes from my neighbor... the one who says she "doesn't cook." Lies, lies... It is by far the yummiest Breakfast Casserole I have ever eaten. Give it a try.


Breakfast Casserole

20 slices of bread, cubed
1 lb. breakfast sausage, cooked and drained
1 - 1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese grated
1 can Rotelle tomatoes
about 1 3/4 c. half-n-half
12 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard

Open the can of Rotelle tomatoes and drain them over a measuring cup. Set the reserved liquid aside.

Spread half of the bread cubes in the bottom of a greased 9x12 pan.


Top with half of the cooked sausage.


Spread half of the grated cheddar cheese on top.


Sprinkle the drained tomatoes evenly over the cheese. My boy doesn't like things to be too zippy, so I used about half the can. Use as much as you like.


Repeat the layering with the remaining bread, sausage and cheese.


Crack 12 eggs into a bowl.


Take the reserved liquid from the can of Rotelle and add enough half-n-half to equal 2 cups. Add to the eggs along with the salt and dry mustard. Whisk to combine.


Slowly pour the egg mixture over the top of the bread mixture. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.


In the morning, remove the plastic wrap from your chilled casserole. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes or until the egg is set and the top is golden brown.

Individual Egg & Cheese Tarts

My son loves breakfast. It is, by far, his favorite meal of the day. His usual requests are for pancakes, waffles, muffins, french toast or some other starchy item that he can drown in syrup or butter.

The past few days have been an exception. He has been craving eggs... well, cheese eggs to be exact. He just can't seem to get eat enough of them.

After a few mornings of scrambling eggs and sprinkling them with grated cheese, I decided to do something a little different. I added a few eggs to my fail-proof quiche recipe and poured it into individual muffin cups filled with puff pastry for a quick egg and cheese tart.

My son was thrilled and proclaimed that the tarts were "delicious bites of heaven." How can you argue with a statement like that? Served with a bowl of fresh fruit, these tarts are destined to become a staple around our house.

To modify this recipe, you could easily substitute ham or sausage for the bacon, add spinach or other sauteed vegetables, or use any variety of cheese that you like. The possibilities are endless. For a lighter version, simply use low fat or skim milk instead of the half-n-half.


Individual Egg & Cheese Tarts

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2-3 strips bacon, fully cooked, drained and crumbled
1/4 c. onion, finely diced
1 Tbs. reserved bacon grease
1 Tbs.
1 c. half-n-half
6 eggs
1 c. grated cheese, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle approximately 9x12 inches in size. Cut the pastry into 12 equal squares. Arrange the squares like little cups in a greased muffin tin, pressing slightly hold their shape.

Meanwhile, cook the onion in the reserved bacon grease until tender and slightly golden. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the half-n-half and eggs. Beat until the mixture is pale, light and well combined.

Add the reserved onion, crumbled bacon, cheese and nutmeg. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Fill each pastry cup with approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the egg mixture or until full nearly to the top. Sprinkle with additional cheese.

Bake the tarts at 400 degrees F. for 12-15 minutes. The eggs should be set and the pastry should be golden.

Pioneer Woman

My boys have decided to camp out in the backyard tonight. You can read about their big plans over at my other blog. Suffice to say, they appear to be having a ball.

Part of their plan was to build a fire pit using some old bricks. Once they had a fire going, they wanted to cook dinner... or should I say breakfast. The only thing I, the lone girl, was allowed to do was to pack a cooler with all the supplies they would need for their cookout.

As luck would have it, the smoke from the fire started to irritate my sons eyes. With no trusty sidekick to help out, the hubby asked me to lend a hand with the evening meal. Oh, how good it is to be needed!

Their menu was as follows:

crisp bacon


scrambled eggs with loads of melted cheddar cheese


and pancakes with fresh maple syrup


... all cooked over an open flame. Mmmm.

French Toast

As promised, I rose early and cooked a pile of French toast using the Semolina Bread I made yesterday. My son, of course, was delighted.

I always add a teaspoon of Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla to the egg and milk mixture. It gives the French toast such a nice flavor. When it comes to cooking, only real butter will do.

This French toast is so good, I could eat it plain. But my favorite thing to do is drizzle it with pure maple syrup. Yum!