Overnight Monkey Bread by Babs

Your little monkeys, as well as your big ones, will love this addictive

overnight breakfast delight. Enjoy this like a monkey would by pulling

off pieces of the warm, caramel-coated bread with vour hands-

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utensils allowed. It's truly, without a doubt, finger lickin' good. I've

been serving this to all my monkeys for many years, and it's hands down

a family favorite.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

18 frozen unbaked veast

dinner rolls, such as

Rhodes (1½ 1b/680g)

½ cup chopped raw pecans

½ cup unsalted butter

½ cup firmly packed light

brown sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 (3 oz/85g) box regular

butterscotch pudding

mix (not instant)

1. The day before serving, thaw the rolls. Spray a

bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread a

small handful of nuts around the pan.

2. In a small bowl, melt the butter. In another small

bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and

pudding mix. Roll the balls in the melted butter,

and then roll them in the dry mix. Evenly arrange

and layer the rolls in the pan, distributing the

pecans throughout. Pour any leftover dry

ingredients and butter over top.

3. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel, and allow

to sit on the counter overnight to rise.

4. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350°F

(180°C). Remove the plastic wrap and bake for

30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the pan while

still hot. Flip onto a platter and let those monkeys

dig in. This will last 2 to 3 days tightly covered

and refrigerated, but ours is always devoured long

before that.

prep time

10 minutes, plus

overnight to rise

cook time

35 minutes

serves

8-10

BaBS SAYS.

This can get messy while

baking in the oven. It's a

good idea to place a

foil-lined cookie sheet on

the lowest rack of the

oven while the bread

bakes on the middle rack.

This is meant to be

served by pulling a piece

from the bread-definitely

not cutting. Just ask your

Christmas Morning Breakfast Casserole

 OVERNIGHT

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

After clipping a recipe for an overnight egg casserole from a local

newspaper more than 40 years ago, this has become our family's

signature Christmas morning breakfast. It has now been enjoyed by

three generations of Costellos. The creamy eggs, blanketed in crumbled

sausage, with mounds of melted cheese, all nestled in sweet bread send

an irresistible aroma wafting through the house, calling everyone

downstairs to Christmas morning.

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

1 lb (450g) breakfast

sausage or sweet Italian

sausage, removed from

any casing

¾ loaf brioche or challah

bread or 9 slices any

heart white bread, cut

into ½in (1.25cm) cubes

½ lb (225g) grated

cheddar cheese (2 cups)

8 large eggs

2½ cups whole milk

1 tsp dry mustard

I tsp kosher salt

• The day before serving, grease a 9 x13-inch

(23 x33cm) casserole dish. In a large skillet over

medium heat, brown the sausage, breaking up the

meat with a wooden spoon into fine pieces. Drain.

2. To a large bowl, add the meat, bread cubes, and

cheese. In a separate medium bowl, beat the eggs.

Whisk in the milk, dry mustard, and salt.

3. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes,

and stir until combined. Transfer the mixture

to the prepared casserole dish. Cover with foil

and refrigerate overnight.

4. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350°F

(180°C). Remove the casserole from the

refrigerator and uncover. Bake the casserole for

45 to 55 minutes, or until set and bubbly. Allow

the casserole to rest for a few minutes before

serving. Leftovers are great reheated. Store the

fully cooked leftovers in an airtight container for

3 to 5 days in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to

3 months. Just thaw overnight and reheat.

CHRISTMAS DAY BREAKFAST

229

prep time

10 minutes, plus

overnight to refrigerate

cook time

1 hour

serves

8

BABS SAYS..

The beauty of this dish is

that it's a definite

make-ahead casserole,

great for a special

breakfast or for

overnight guests.

You can make this dish

your own-get creative!

Use breakfast meats of

your choice. Cooked

bacon and ham are great

options. Even mix up

the type of cheese.

Perfect Pasta Salad

 

Recipe: Perfect Pasta Salad

This salad is great for entertaining as it's easy to double or triple to serve a crowd and it's prep-ahead friendly. You can make pasta salad up to two days in advance (it's better the second day). Simply store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes: 12 cups

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces spiral pasta, regular, gluten-free or tricolor (see note above)
• 2 cups seeded and chopped bell peppers, any color, or about 10 chopped sweet mini peppers
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, either mozzarella pearls or a block of fresh mozzarella, cubed
• 6 ounces hard salami, such as Genoa, Felino, or Sopressata, cut into bite-size pieces, you can also use pepperoni or ham
• 10 ounces (about 1 cup) grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• ½ cup sliced black olives
• ⅓ cup finely chopped red onion
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, preferably freshly grated
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil (if you are using dried, add 1/2 teaspoon to the dressing)

For the Italian dressing:

• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic, or 1/2 teaspoon minced dried garlic
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil (if not using fresh)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes for serving, optional

Preparation:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions in salted water. Drain,  reserving ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
2. Transfer the pasta to a large rimming baking sheet to cool for 15 minutes.
3. To make the dressing, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, oregano and basil (if using dried). Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
4. Transfer the cooled pasta to a large bowl and add the bell peppers, mozzarella, salami, tomatoes, black olives, red onion, parmesan, parsley and basil (if using fresh).
5. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the dressing and whisk to combine. Add the dressing to the pasta mixture and toss to coat. If desired, add more pasta cooking water to the salad. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
6. Serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve (

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Vanilla Brown Butter and Sage

 

Slow-Roasted Salmon with Vanilla Brown Butter and Sage

By Peter Som

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 skin-on salmon fillet (approximately 1 ½ pounds)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 12 sage leaves, divided
• 1 ounce sturgeon caviar (optional)
• 1 lemon, zested
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
• Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees and arrange rack in center of oven.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat add butter and 4 sage leaves and melt butter until foaming subsides and butter is a fragrant nutty golden brown --approximately 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat, remove sage leaves,  and--whisking constantly--add Simply Organic Vanilla Bean Paste and kosher salt and black pepper. Whisk until combined.
3. Place salmon fillet skin side down a roasting dish and season with salt and pepper. Pour brown butter mixture over salmon, use a spoon baste salmon liberally. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until thickest part of fillet registers 120F.
4. In the meantime, add olive oil to small skillet over medium high heat so that oil is 1/2” deep.  Add sage leaves and fry until crispy, approximately 10-12 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
5. To serve, spoon brown butter over salmon,  finish with lemon zest and flaky sea salt, and garnish with sage leaves. If using, top each serving with a small spoonful of caviar.