Sausage, Potato and Wild Rice Casserole

 

GOOD NEWS 

The Reindeer Bar is open for business this weekend serving several tasty brunch items. The following holiday specials will be available. 

Sausage With Wild Rice Breakfast Casserole 

Cook's Notes: This hearty brunch dish loaded with sausage, potatoes, wild rice, and cheesy goodness welcomes your guests to a holiday gathering. It can be assembled the night before making it easy to bake the next day. As a time saver make the wild rice and sausage ahead and chop peppers, onions, and garlic. Cover and refrigerate until the next day. 2 teaspoons of Elote seasoning can be substituted for mustard and Italian herbs adding more of a 'kick' to the dish'. The recipe serves 8 and was served with Cranberry Struesel Coffeecake. 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups frozen Potatoes O'Brien
• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• 2 cups cooked sweet Italian Sausage drained, and crumbled (about 1 lb.)
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 2/3 cup of each red and yellow mini sweet peppers 
• 1 cup sweet onions, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons Italian herbs
• 8 large eggs
• 1/2 cup 2% milk or half and half
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

• Thaw out frozen potatoes for an hour on a baking sheet. 
• Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté diced peppers and onions for about 3 minutes. Add in garlic, and sauté 1 minute longer. Add in potatoes, cooked sausage, wild rice, and 1-1/2 cups of cheese. Mix well and cook for 1 minute longer.
• Use a blender and combine eggs, spices, and milk.
• Grease an 8 x 11 pan. Place the sausage/potato mixture on the bottom of the pan. Pour the egg/milk mixture evenly over the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
• Bake the dish uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until the eggs are set. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

Cranberry Streusel Coffeecake

Cook's Notes: A holiday coffee cake made with Greek yogurt, and fresh cranberries, topped with a crunchy streusel mixture perfect for brunch, breakfast, and even as a dessert.

Ingredients:

For the coffee cake

• 2 cups flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• Zest one large orange
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1-1/4 cups cranberries

For the streusel

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup cold butter
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

• In a food processor pulse streusel ingredients (except nuts) until butter is in small clumps. Place in a small bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 
• Grease a 9 x 9 square baking pan, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 
• Set dry ingredients aside.
• In a bowl combine sugar and orange zest using your fingers to rub zest into sugar. Add butter and beat until fluffy about 3 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, and beat until smooth. Beat in Greek yogurt, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Mix well.  
• Slowly add in dry ingredients, mix just until combined, and fold in cranberries. 
• Place batter in prepared pan use a sheet of wax paper to flatten out the batter. Remove wax paper and sprinkle streusel topping evenly over the top. 
• Bake for 35- 40 minutes.

Winter Fruit Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Cook's Notes: Fresh fruit ingredients tossed with a healthy poppyseed dressing. The dressing is a nice blend of tangy and sweet with honey for a smooth and flavorful way to sweeten this dressing. It’s a simple and straightforward dressing that goes great on salads with fruit toppings but could easily stand its own on a salad topped with vegetables too. It's a healthy version of regular poppyseed dressing using yogurt. It would be fantastic for spinach salad as well.
Recipe adapted from cookingclassy.com and serves 4-6.

Salad Ingredients:

• 4 mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
• 3 crisp apples ( e.g. Honey Crisp) 
• 4 ripe kiwis peeled and diced
• 1-1/2 cups red grapes, halved
• 4 bananas, peeled 
• 2 pears, diced
• 1 cup pomegranate arils (produce department) 

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Dressing Directions: 

• Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Taste test to balance ingredients. Store dressing in a screw-type jar and refrigerate until needed. 

Salad Directions:

• In a salad bowl toss together all of the fruit then pour dressing over top and gently toss to coat.
• Serve salad immediately for the best results.