Brunch at Owen Brennan’s restaurant in Memphis for Sunday champagne Brunch is an absolute favorite of the Sexton family. I can remember my nephew, at around five years old, instructing the chef on how to prepare his omelet -- such a little gentleman. Between the French pastries, homemade Belgium waffles, and omelet station, brunch at Owen Brennan’s should be added to the bucket list.
To me, brunch is the best meal of the day. You don’t have to get up early as you do for breakfast. There is usually bacon involved, and the occasional mimosa or Bloody Mary is acceptable. If only I could go in my pajamas, my world would be perfect.
Even if you don’t splurge for champagne brunch at Owen Brennan’s, making brunch for your family and friends is one of the easiest meals to prepare.
Here are a few of my favorite dishes:
French Toast Bake
1 loaf sourdough bread or French bread
8 eggs
2 cups milk
½ cup heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
Topping:
½ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold butter, cut into pieces
Cut loaf into cubes and place evenly in a greased 9x13 pan. In a bowl, mix together eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread. Cover your pan with Saran Wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with this mixture until crumbly and place in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight as well.
Take pan and Ziploc out when ready to bake. Sprinkle crumbly mixture evenly over the bread. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
My sister, Deana, makes French Toast Bake for the family on special occasions, and it is always a hit. Being able to make it ahead and refrigerate overnight makes life a lot easier on Christmas or Easter morning when things are hectic around the house.
Another popular brunch dish in my family is Sausage Casserole. Two words: Crescent rolls. I think you could wrap a pile of nails with crescent rolls, and someone would eat them.
Sausage Casserole
1 pound sausage (pork or turkey)
1 block package cream cheese
2 packages crescent rolls
Dash salt and ground black pepper
Brown sausage; drain. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Blend in cream cheese until the cream cheese is melted.
Unroll one package of crescent rolls and place on a baking sheet. Press the seams together to seal them, and then spread the sausage mixture evenly over the crescent roll dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch border along the edges.
Unroll the remaining package of crescent rolls and place on top of the sausage mixture. Press the edges together to seal. Press the seams together.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until crescent roll dough is golden brown. Cut into small squares and serve.
My sister, Stephanie, makes this sausage casserole into muffins, and my family had a fit over them this past Christmas morning. They were portable for maximum gift-opening skills.
Stephanie used squares of the crescent rolls, formed them into muffin cups, filled the cup with cream-cheese blended sausage and topped with shredded cheddar cheese.
Cheese Grits Casserole is so versatile, you can serve it at brunch or for dinner with a roasted pork tenderloin. I’ve actually whipped egg whites and folded them into the casserole prior to cooking for a fantastic Cheese Grits Soufflé. I served this at my annual Christmas party and the dish was scraped clean.
Cheese Grits Casserole
2 cups water
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Cayenne pepper to taste
2 cups quick cooking grits
2 cups (16 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter - melted and cooled
3 eggs
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11x7 pan with nonstick spray.
Heat water, stock and milk in a large pot on medium and bring to a low boil. Add salt, pepper, garlic and cayenne. Stir.
Slowly pour grits into liquid and stir. Turn heat down to low. Continue to cook for five minutes, stirring mixture to ensure grits do not stick or clump. Remove grits from burner and let cool for 8 to 10 minutes.
Add butter, cheese and eggs mixing well to incorporate all ingredients. Pour into prepared casserole dish.
Bake for 50 minutes until golden brown.
