Bring some special recipes to brunch table

SUNCHOKES AND POTATO QUICHE 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 55 minutes

Servings: 10

Crust:

1 lemon, zest and juice only

1 egg

1 ⅓ cups flour

9 tablespoons butter

¼ teaspoon salt

 Quiche:

⅓ cup Yukon gold potatoes, cut into1/2-inch cubes

¾ cup sunchokes, sliced ½-inch thick

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups Swiss chard, chopped with stock removed

Custard:

6 eggs

⅓ cup grated Parmesan

½ cup grated gouda

½ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

To make crust: In small bowl, whisk lemon juice with egg.

In large bowl, mix flour, butter and salt. Mix using hands. Drizzle in lemon mixture. Add lemon zest.

Using fingers, knead dough to break down butter. Cover dough with plastic wrap and roll into disc while at room temperature then refrigerate until firm.

To make quiche filling: Preheat oven to 425 F.

Toss potatoes and sunchokes with olive oil, salt and pepper then spread out on baking sheet.

 Bake 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender, tossing pieces halfway through.

Add onion to well-buttered pan and cook over medium heat about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until caramel colored. Add Swiss chard and continue cooking until wilted, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.

Roll out dough on pastry mat or well-floured surface. Prick with fork. Carefully transfer dough to quiche pan, fold edges under and crimp then transfer to freezer.

 To make custard: Reduce oven temperature to 375 F.

In large bowl, whisk eggs, cheeses, heavy cream, parsley and thyme.

Add caramelized onions and vegetables then mix. Add mixture to crust.

 Tent with foil and bake about 20 minutes.

 Reduce oven temperature to 350 F and bake about 40 minutes.

For food safety, casseroles containing eggs should always be cooked at a minimum of 160 F.

Notes: Bake times depend on size of quiche. Deeper quiches may require additional bake time. As quiche cools, filling continues to set; it may wobble when removed from oven.

This next recipe can be made ahead of time and you can wake up family members or entice friends with the delicious smell of freshly baked Overnight Apple Cinnamon Fresh Toast Casserole.

Prepared the day before and chilled overnight, this casserole is ready to throw in the oven once you’re up. It’s gooey on the inside and baked to a perfect crisp on the outside, plus it’s filled with mouthwatering apples and ground cinnamon, not to mention the sweet glaze drizzled on top at the end.

It’s perfect for any breakfast or brunch occasion and the little ones will enjoy the sweet crunch, as well.

OVERNIGHT APPLE CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

Servings: 12

Nonstick cooking spray

1 package (20 ounces) French bread, cubed, divided

1 can (20 ounces) apple pie filling

9 eggs

1 cup half-and-half

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar, plus additional (optional)

2 tablespoons milk, plus additional (optional)

Spray 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In baking dish, add 10 ounces cubed French bread in bottom of dish. Pour apple filling over bread. Top with remaining cubed French bread. Set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half and cinnamon. Pour evenly over bread.

Cover with aluminum foil and chill overnight.

Heat oven to 325 F.

Remove foil and bake 50-60 minutes.

Let cool 10-15 minutes.

In small bowl, whisk powdered sugar and milk. Add additional, if needed, until pourable glaze is reached. Drizzle over casserole before serving.

Sources: American Egg Board, culinary.net